George Porter

Date of Birth: December 6, 1920

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Date of Death: August 31, 2002

Biography

George Porter was a distinguished British chemist renowned for his pioneering work in the field of photochemistry. Born in 1920, he made significant contributions to the understanding of chemical reactions triggered by light. Porter’s groundbreaking research earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967, which he shared with Ronald George Wreyford Norrish and Manfred Eigen. His academic journey began at the University of Leeds, where he studied chemistry, followed by a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. Throughout his career, Porter held several prestigious positions, including the presidency of the Royal Society from 1985 to 1990. He was also the Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Porter’s work has had a lasting impact on the field of chemistry, influencing both theoretical understanding and practical applications.

5 Interesting Facts about George Porter

1. George Porter was knighted in 1972 for his contributions to science.

2. He was instrumental in the development of flash photolysis, a technique used to observe short-lived chemical intermediates.

3. Porter served as the Chancellor of the University of Leicester from 1984 to 1995.

4. He was a vocal advocate for science education and public understanding of science.

5. Porter published over 300 scientific papers in his lifetime.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from George Porter

1. “Science is fun. Science is curiosity. We all have natural curiosity. Science is a process of investigating. It’s posing questions and coming up with a method.”

2. “The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.”

3. “A scientist has to work very hard to get to the point where he can be lucky.”

4. “In science, we must be interested in things, not in persons.”

5. “The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance – it is the illusion of knowledge.”