Last Updated on: 12th December 2022, 07:38 pm
Who is Mária Telkes? Biography, Wiki
Mária Telkes was a Hungarian-American biophysicist, scientist, and inventor who worked on solar energy technologies.
In homage to the famous solar researcher Mária Telkes, who earned the affectionate title “Queen of the Sun”, Google changed the logo on its homepage with an animated doodle.
Maria Telkes Age
She was born in Budapest, Hungary on 12th December 1900 and died on 2nd December 1995.
Maria Telkes Net Worth
Her current net worth isn’t known yet.
Maria Telkes Siblings
Mrs. Telkes became a US citizen in 1937. She continued to develop solar energy applications until the end of her career. Along with American architect Eleanor Raymond, he designed and built the world’s first modern solar-heated home, built in Dover, Massachusetts in 1948.
Queen of Solar Energy Died
She grew up with a strong background and a passion for science which led her to pursue a Ph.D. from the University of Budapest in 1924. Later that year, Telkes was visiting one of her relatives in the United States and decided to emigrate there soon after.
Early in her career, Mária Telkes was interested in biophysics, specifically the energy produced by living organisms. Over time, he focused on finding ways to convert heat into energy. He jumped at the opportunity in 1939 and joined the new MIT research team dedicated to studying solar energy.
During World War II, the US government’s Office for Scientific Research and Development recognized Mária Telkes’ genius in solar energy technology and invited her to join her team to develop creative ideas for this burgeoning field.
It was then that she created one of her most notable inventions: a solar-powered alembic. It can purify water for medical purposes or make seawater safe for military personnel stranded at sea.
Ongoing efforts from talks with MIT included an innovative project to use solar energy to keep a home warm during the harsh Massachusetts winter. Although Mária Telkes’ initial attempt to develop a solar-powered heater failed and resulted in her removal from the MIT solar energy team, she denied that it was the end of her career or her determination to find a solution.
In 1948, Mária Telkes teamed up with the famous architect Eleanor Raymond. They kindly received a cash donation from philanthropist Amelia Peabody to develop a system that diverts heat from the sun and stores it in Glauber’s salt between the walls.
As the salt cooled, it generated thermal energy and kept the house warm. This revolutionary concept allowed them to harness energy for later use. After leaving the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1953, Telkes continued his studies in solar energy at New York University College of Engineering with renewed enthusiasm. It was here that he received a valuable grant from the Ford Foundation to design a solar-powered oven that anyone could use.
The goal was to create something that could heat up to 350°F and be accessible to those without traditional ovens. After its completion, the solar cooker turned out to be an incredible success. It was harmless enough even for children to learn to cook!
Telkes also beautifully modified the design of the solar oven to allow farmers to dry their crops. The Telkes solar cooker design is a revolutionary invention as it is inexpensive and easy to use in rural areas, which is why it is relevant to this day.
Mária Telkes’ innovative work in the field of solar energy has earned her the prestigious title of “The Queen of the Sun”, an award that recognizes all the incredible advances she has made in the field of solar energy. It is no coincidence that Google today decided to pay tribute to the famous scientist Mária Telkes.
And oddly enough, today would have been her 122nd birthday! On December 12, 1952, she made history by becoming the first woman to receive the Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award, an incredible milestone, turning exactly 70 last year.
GoogleDoodle
Today, Google Doodle celebrates Mária Telkes’ inventions with amazing animations! His ingenious solar still, solar oven, and Dover Sun House were prominent.
New Google Doodle has been released: “Celebrating Mária Telkes” 🙂#google #doodle #designhttps://t.co/oMpZuxsWKX pic.twitter.com/c1B9OVaqQI
— Google Doodles EN (@Doodle123_EN) December 11, 2022
The Google illustration shows a transition between the warm colors of the day and the cool tones of the evening, illustrating how the sun’s energy is captured throughout the day to provide continued warmth on those cold nights.
