Lawrence invented the cyclotron, a particle accelerator that ushered in a new era of physics. By whirling particles around to boost their energies and smashing them into a target, researchers could study atomic nuclei.

Lawrence’s Radiation Laboratory or “Rad Lab” evolved into what is now the multi-disciplinary Berkeley Lab. Lawrence established the practice of team science for complex challenges, encouraging contributions from people across disciplines and roles in pursuit of breakthroughs.

Lawrence received the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics for “the invention and development of the cyclotron and for results obtained with it, especially with regard to artificial radioactive elements.”