Knights of the Nano Table
Among the United Kingdom's many traditions is the Queen's New Year' Honors List, a list of politicians, actors, writers and others awarded with knighthoods for distinguished services in fields ranging from charitable work to business to acting. Among this years honorees are Professors Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, both of the University of Manchester.
As noted here in October 2010, Professors Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery of graphene.
The two new knights join Sir Mark Edward Welland, head of theUniversity of Cambridge's Nanoscience Centre, in being honored for their contributions to the fields of nanotechnology and nanoparticle research. Sir Mark's knighthood was discussed here inJune 2011.
According to a press release on the University of Manchester's site, Professor Geim seemed to be taking his knighthood in stride:
Professor Geim said: “In my life, I have got used to being called four-letter names. Going down to three is a completely new experience which I will hopefully enjoy.”
