Predoctoral Price Fellow Benjamin Gross (Princeton University) works on the history of LCDs (liquid crystal displays). The Ship of Fellows sailed across the corridor to ask him a few provocative questions. The following interview is reconstructed from the Fearless Fellowship Leader’s memory. . . .

Ben Gross

Why should we care about LCDs?

Ben: LCDs are everywhere today: flat-panel TVs, laptops, watches, cell phones, parking meters . . . basically anywhere there is a display of visual information. But even though LCDs are ubiquitous, not much has been written on their history. The only book devoted to the subject so far was written by an insider, one of the scientists who was involved in the development of LCDs, Joseph A. Castellano. But there is much more to be discovered about the subject.

Wait, wait, so how do you go about your research to make the story of LCDs multifaceted?

Ben: Well, I am in the lucky position that many of my research objects, the group of  chemists, physicists, and engineers who worked at the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and created the first LCDs, are alive. So, in addition to other scholarly work, I ask them to reflect upon this part of their professional lives and compile oral histories. My work also involves going through their LCD-related lab notebooks, which have, for the most part, survived. And then I look at technical reports, engineering memos . . . [For an impression of the sheer bulk of materials Ben is working with, check out the photo Hyungsub Choi took of Ben in action at the Sarnoff Library (Princeton, New Jersey) for the blog The Center.]

And the gist of your work so far?

Ben: Well, it turns out that the invention of LCDs is not a tale that can be told by focusing on the life of one person or one brain behind the product. And also, although RCA’s role in LCD development is not really a success story, it is not one of failed innovation either. I aim to reconstruct the internal dynamics of the company’s research and manufacturing efforts.

Tell me more!

Ben: I will! At my Brown Bag Lunch lecture, 17 November.

And while interviewess and interviewee thank each other for the chat, we would just like to mention that this is the last installment of the fellows’ introductions for now. We shall resume this strand with the spring fellows in a few months’ time.