Filming Science

08.07.2014

Scientist Portraits < back

January – May 2014. The US, Switzerland, Austria – on the way for the Humboldt Foundation with the objective of meeting outstanding scientists in like surroundings. It is always fascinating to find out how different these scientist are. 

Here are two impressive examples: Stuart Parkin is physicist at IBM Almaden Research Center, San José, where he investigates new physical phenomena in order to apply them to technological uses. Repeatedly he has revolutionized the storage of data. He has just been awarded the Finnish Millenium Prize for his antimagnetic coating for the recording head of hard discs. And yet, Professor Parkin is as modest as unconventional. Giving his office a quick vacuum, he is humming and whistling, irrespective of whether he is on camera or not. This is as amusing as exceptional – Disney’s Gyro Gearloose seems to come alive in a way.

After Silicon Valley the next stop on the way is the University of Southern California to meet Guiseppe Caire, an Italian communications engineer. He has pioneered new coding methods for mobile communications, thus greatly influencing their modern use and standards. In the surroundings of LA numerous companies are largely concentrated in this field, as is shown by naming it ´Silicon Beach´. However, the professor cautions against the unlimited transfer of data: if everybody continues their wireless up- and downloading of videos, there will be a ´Spectrum Crunch´ within a few years. So Prof. Caire thinks of changing the Net completely or at least of providing the theoretical foundations for this change. A hobby pianist, he is imperturbable and calmness itself, working on his researches with full concentration in the middle of bustling Venice Beach. – A surreal scenery, which reminds me of Antonioni.