The Man Behind the Microchip: Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley

Leslie Berlin, a Visiting Scholar with the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at Stanford University, will give a special Physics/Applied Physics colloquium on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 at 4:15 PM in the Hewlett Bldg., Rm. 201. Her talk is entitled, "The Man Behind the Microchip: Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley." Hailed as the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford of Silicon Valley, Robert Noyce co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel and also co-invented the integrated circuit. He was a brilliant inventor, a leading entrepreneur, and a daring risk taker. Leslie Berlin spent nearly a decade studying Noyce's life, and her recently published biography of him has received praise from engineers, business people, and academics alike. In this talk based on her research, Berlin captures not only Noyce's work but also the vibrant interplay of technology, business, money, politics, and culture that defines Silicon Valley.