Although we have dedicated no small amount of space to disagreeing with him on certain points over the years, it is beyond question that Richard Smalley, who died on Friday, was an integral leader of and contributor to the emerging field of nanotechnology.
Smalley won a Nobel Prize in chemistry for his discovery of buckminsterfullerene, fondly known as the “buckyball” in industry circles. This discovery represented a watershed moment for nanotechnology; it paved the way for the development of carbon nanotubes, the promise of which would be difficult to overstate.
In recent years, Smalley became a passionate advocate for developing alternative energy sources. He also carried on a long-term debate with K. Eric Drexler about the viability of the idea of nanotech assemblers.
His contributions will be long remembered.
Goodbye, Dr. Smalley. And thank you.