Hideki Shirakawa dies at 90, University of Tsukuba confirms
Technology
Hideki Shirakawa, the Japanese scientist who helped change electronics forever, died at 90.
The University of Tsukuba confirmed his passing on Thursday, though the cause was not shared.
According to reports, he died in a Yokohama hospital on August 24.
Shirakawa discovered plastics that conduct electricity
Shirakawa's big breakthrough was discovering that some plastics can conduct electricity, something scientists did not think was possible before.
This led to flexible materials now found in things like solar cells and mobile phone screens.
His work made him a co-winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize in chemistry and opened doors for technology we use every day.