Max Knoll
Encyclopedia
Max Knoll was a German
electrical engineer.
Knoll was born in Wiesbaden
and studied in Munich
and at the Technical University of Berlin
, where he obtained his doctorate
in the Institute for High Voltage
Technology. In 1927 he became the leader of the electron research group there, where he and his co-worker, Ernst Ruska
, invented the electron microscope
in 1931. In April 1932, Knoll joined Telefunken
in Berlin
to do developmental work in the field of television
design. He was also a private lecturer in Berlin.
After World War II
, Knoll joined the University of Munich as extraordinary professor and director of the Institute for Electromedicine. He moved to the USA
in 1948, to work at the Department of Electrical Engineering
at the University of Princeton.
In 1956 he returned to Munich and engaged in a series of experiments at the Technische Hochschule, involving the generation of phosphene
s by electrically stimulating the brains
of himself and other subjects. He retired in 1966.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
electrical engineer.
Knoll was born in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
and studied in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and at the Technical University of Berlin
Technical University of Berlin
The Technische Universität Berlin is a research university located in Berlin, Germany. Translating the name into English is discouraged by the university, however paraphrasing as Berlin Institute of Technology is recommended by the university if necessary .The TU Berlin was founded...
, where he obtained his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in the Institute for High Voltage
High voltage
The term high voltage characterizes electrical circuits in which the voltage used is the cause of particular safety concerns and insulation requirements...
Technology. In 1927 he became the leader of the electron research group there, where he and his co-worker, Ernst Ruska
Ernst Ruska
Ernst August Friedrich Ruska was a German physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986 for his work in electron optics, including the design of the first electron microscope.Ruska was born in Heidelberg...
, invented the electron microscope
Electron microscope
An electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses a beam of electrons to illuminate the specimen and produce a magnified image. Electron microscopes have a greater resolving power than a light-powered optical microscope, because electrons have wavelengths about 100,000 times shorter than...
in 1931. In April 1932, Knoll joined Telefunken
Telefunken
Telefunken is a German radio and television apparatus company, founded in Berlin in 1903, as a joint venture of Siemens & Halske and the Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to do developmental work in the field of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
design. He was also a private lecturer in Berlin.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Knoll joined the University of Munich as extraordinary professor and director of the Institute for Electromedicine. He moved to the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1948, to work at the Department of Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
at the University of Princeton.
In 1956 he returned to Munich and engaged in a series of experiments at the Technische Hochschule, involving the generation of phosphene
Phosphene
A phosphene is a phenomenon characterized by the experience of seeing light without light actually entering the eye. The word phosphene comes from the Greek words phos and phainein...
s by electrically stimulating the brains
Electrical brain stimulation
Electrical brain stimulation , also referred to as focal brain stimulation , is a form of electrotherapy and technique used in research and clinical neurobiology to stimulate a neuron or neural network in the brain through the direct or indirect excitation of its cell membrane by using an electric...
of himself and other subjects. He retired in 1966.