In a public talk called “Historic Innovations by Caltech People that Transformed our Everyday Lives,” which closes the 101st season of the Watson Lectures, Mead will illuminate the contributions of campus scientists and engineers who have worked to identify and eliminate Los Angeles smog; to engineer the semiconductors that ushered in Silicon Valley and the age of digital information; to create the lasers that made the World Wide Web possible; to bring GPS to the masses; and to make cars electronic. His discussion will span both his own work and that of colleagues, students, and fellow alumni who pursued excellence, defied convention, and made all our lives better.

To turn jellyfish into deep sea scientists, John Dabiri (PhD ’05), Caltech’s Centennial Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering, first needed to ensure they could swim for several days with the necessary tiny electronic devices attached to them. He was going to need a bigger tank.