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The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA

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Re: The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA

#11

Post by jauco »

johncole wrote: post #9
ElProlactin wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US, although much less so recently. China, with heavy state subsidies, has also proven to be pretty effective. Interestingly, it hasn't had to embrace immigration because it has over a billion people.

Do Chinas state subsidies encourage innovation? This story is a great example of the system taking a brilliant person, and stomping their opportunity down because they were from the wrong class. But replace class with whatever you like.

They do actually. There’s a fair bit of critique you can level at the system from a country-wide economic perspective and especially from a world-trade perspective, but they did manage to get a system in place where a central government can influence both the area and speed of innovation.

The main thing they do is stack the market to be very favourable for a given industry and then have extreme competition between the companies.

Re: The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA

#12

Post by fakedang »

ElProlactin wrote: post #4
johncole wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who provides such an economic system?

The US, although much less so recently. China, with heavy state subsidies, has also proven to be pretty effective. Interestingly, it hasn't had to embrace immigration because it has over a billion people.

Counterpoint on China - they will import special talent and help them immigrate. And of course, there are people who'll value the lifestyle of Shenzhen over San Francisco, or Shanghai over New York. One example that comes to mind is Dr. Erdal Arikan.

Re: The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA

#13

Post by fakedang »

johncole wrote: post #9
ElProlactin wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US, although much less so recently. China, with heavy state subsidies, has also proven to be pretty effective. Interestingly, it hasn't had to embrace immigration because it has over a billion people.

Do Chinas state subsidies encourage innovation? This story is a great example of the system taking a brilliant person, and stomping their opportunity down because they were from the wrong class. But replace class with whatever you like.

They not only encourage innovation but also cross-pollination too. So say you discovered some minor technology, they'll even help you connect with other folks who work in the space, potentially combine the innovations together to create a new final product that can actually be licensed to OEMs.

Where I find China lacking is in creativity and imagination. Yes, there are some changes in that front happening, but you'll never find OpenAI, Helion Energy or SpaceX being founded in China. Those projects won't even get the greenlight from the CCP to get started off the ground because of their high capital and startup costs.

Re: The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA

#14

Post by wuschel »

> "He was 38. Shortly before his death, he had mailed a manuscript describing a new three-electrode semiconductor device to Physical Review. The paper was lost in the wartime Atlantic. Five years later, Shockley, ..."

I wish the article had a reference for that claim.

I remember from my childhood that my father told me that in the old soviet system, publications from were invented and dated back in order to demonstrate the superiority of their science. Both sides might have done it.

Now, a story from my father is not strong data point. But falsification of scientific theories, statistics and publications was a thing in the Soviet Union [1,2].

Then again, the guy might have really done it.

[1] https://communistcrimes.org/en/falsification-memory-history-... [2] https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/33071/how-often-...

Re: The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA

#15

Post by faangguyindia »

ElProlactin wrote: post #4
johncole wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who provides such an economic system?

The US, although much less so recently. China, with heavy state subsidies, has also proven to be pretty effective. Interestingly, it hasn't had to embrace immigration because it has over a billion people.

[dead]

Re: The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA

#16

Post by tokamak »

We will never know the whole truth as that specific culture typically bend the facts and there are little to no proofs of the claims. During soviet era the narrative was that Russian scientists (soviet elites always preferred Russia over other republics) are behind most of human scientific advantages and others simply steal from them.

Re: The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA

#17

Post by cpldcpu »

The early discovery of light emission from silicon carbide long before the first LEDs is a very interesting finding, worth pointing out.

But alas, as ever so often, the article turns this into a hyperbole. The premise from the title does not check out at all.

>The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconductor#Early_history_of...

Re: The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA

#18

Post by johncole »

fakedang wrote: post #12
ElProlactin wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US, although much less so recently. China, with heavy state subsidies, has also proven to be pretty effective. Interestingly, it hasn't had to embrace immigration because it has over a billion people.

Counterpoint on China - they will import special talent and help them immigrate. And of course, there are people who'll value the lifestyle of Shenzhen over San Francisco, or Shanghai over New York. One example that comes to mind is Dr. Erdal Arikan.

They will never be Chinese or considered Chinese. Has China become more welcoming to foreigners lately?

Re: The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA

#19

Post by johncole »

cpldcpu wrote: post #17

The early discovery of light emission from silicon carbide long before the first LEDs is a very interesting finding, worth pointing out. But alas, as ever so often, the article turns this into a hyperbole. The premise from the title does not check out at all. >The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconductor#Early_history_of...

I probably over exaggerated there. But it does seem he was earlier than the team that’s been given credit for it, no?

Re: The Russian who invented semiconductors 25 years before the USA

#20

Post by johncole »

wuschel wrote: post #14

> "He was 38. Shortly before his death, he had mailed a manuscript describing a new three-electrode semiconductor device to Physical Review. The paper was lost in the wartime Atlantic. Five years later, Shockley, ..." I wish the article had a reference for that claim. I remember from my childhood that my father told me that in the old soviet system, publications from were invented and dated back in order to demonstra…

Fascinating, that’s really interesting.
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