(Obama confers Dr. Faggin, second from left, the 2009 National Medal of Technology and Innovation)
Among the great innovators of our time stands Federico Faggin, the Vicenza native turned Bay Area resident, who designed the first commercial microprocessor and, in doing so, left an indelible mark on the face of humanity. Take a look around the room. You will likely see myriad objects essential to our current way of life that are the fruits of his innovation. So important was Dr. Faggin’s work that Obama conferred upon him the 2009 National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest award the United States gives for achievements related to technological progress.
Recently, a fascinating document penned by Dr. Faggin was made available online that details his game-changing discovery and puts it in historical context. The story begins with his early study of radios and follows his great mind all the way from Italy to Silicon Valley and to his eventual discovery that changed the world. To read the full article click here. Also, if you’d like to see a short documentary about Dr. Faggin that describes his life’s work, watch the YouTube below.
(Dr. Federico Faggin and His Life’s Work (2014), directed by Mauro Aprile Zanetti)
For further reading, here is Dr. Faggin on the future of computing. And here he discusses the fabric of consciousness.