Happy in His Work: Joy Keeps Nobel Winner Forging Ahead

At a press conference at the president’s office at the University of Texas on Monday, Nobel winner John Goodenough flashed the humor and joy that have kept the material scientist working on new battery innovations at age 97.

Asked what it’s like to win a Nobel at 97, Goodenough quipped, “What’s it like for me? Well, I’m very happy when I’m able to get out of bed in the morning.” He followed his comment with the high-pitched laughter that’s familiar to so many around the halls of the university’s Cockrell School of Engineering.  

During the press conference, Goodenough also alluded to the need for more innovation in the battery space. In the past, he has been outspoken about enabling electric car batteries to charge faster. “We need better batteries, that’s for sure,” he said on Monday. He later added that safety is also key. “You want to avoid using any liquid electrolytes that are flammable,” he said. “And you want to keep dendrite-free anodes.”

Goodenough is familiar to readers of Design News, having attended the magazine’s Golden Mousetrap Awards in 2018, at which he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on lithium-ion. He told Design News editors at the time that he attended because he liked the idea of honoring engineers. “And I like the name Golden Mousetrap,” he added, laughing.