THE American University in Cairo Press has published Ahmed Zewail’s autobiography in paperback. The author, the first Arab to receive the Nobel Prize in Sciences, has received much attention in the Arab world, particularly in Egypt, his homeland.
Pressured to write about himself, Zewail spurned a traditional biography of a lifetime of work and experience, and much effort and time are needed to do it well.
Influenced by A History of Knowledge by Charles van Doren and Making Waves by Charles Townes, Zewail decided to describe his journey from Egypt to America while attempting to answer such complex questions as:
“How did I acquire knowledge? Why did I become a scientist? What are the forces that have determined the walks on my own life? What are the meanings of faith, destiny, and luck?”
The book focuses on six stations of the journey: A childhood in Damanhur on the banks of the Nile, studies at the Faculty of Science in Alexandria, a scholarship in America, years at Caltech, and winning the King Faisal International Prize and the Nobel Prize.
When I interviewed Ahmed Zewail in March 1989, just hours before he was scheduled to receive the King Faisal Award, I was struck by his humility and kindness. Zewail was deeply touched by this award, because it was the first major one from the Arab world to recognize his scientific contribution. It was also to change his life.
During his brief stay in Riyadh, he met his future wife Dema, whose father, Dr. Chaker Faham, had won the King Faisal Prize in Literature.
When Dema and Ahmed got married in California six months later, Zewail recalls how members of his research group projected by a laser on a giant screen the following words; “Thank you King Faisal.”
In Voyage Through Time, Zewail stresses the importance of the King Faisal International Prize, “one of the world’s most prestigious awards .... Many who have received the prize in medicine or sciences have gone on to receive the Nobel prize, including Gerd Binnig of Germany; Heinrich Rohrer of Switzerland; myself of the United States and Egypt; and Steven Chu and Gunter Blobel of the United States. In 2001 four others joined this list: Carl Wieman, Eric Cornell, Ryoji Noyori and Barry Sharpless, I am sure there will be more in the future.”
Zewail believes that one of the most valuable gifts for a scientist is that of intuition or insight. He himself had come to realize in the 70s that molecules could be brought to vibrate in pace. Following this lead, he performed a series of experiments that opened up a new research field known as “femtochemistry”. Using the fast laser technique, Zewail was able to follow the movements of individual atoms. He is now working on the use of ultrafast electron diffraction, which records images of molecular structures transforming in time with unprecedented time and space resolution. “We are exploring new frontiers and we expect an exciting time ahead. It is hoped we’ll have some breakthroughs,” he writes.
Despite his passion for opening new areas of research, Zewail confesses that for many years he has been preoccupied with helping the poor, and he feels he can make a contribution in the developing world in fostering science.
He likens the current situation of the new world “disorder” to a ship in a flood: “Underdeveloped countries are close to sinking under the deluge; developing countries are trying to make it onto the ship; and developed countries are sailing, but in a flood of the underprivileged. The choices are clear: The ship must seriously attempt to help those who are trying to get on board. Those trying to get on board shouldn’t regard the ship without a willingness to put forth their own efforts, and shouldn’t waste their energy on conspiracy theories: Getting on the ship is more important.”
In the book’s epilogue, Zewail wonders if success has a formula. Looking back on the journey which led him from Damanhur on the banks of the Nile to the Nobel Prize the author reckons that faith, fate and intuition as well as passionate optimism were not only forces influencing this voyage but also convinced him that the world can be a better place through science and global partnerships.
Yet he feels that success should not come at the expense of others. “With passion, contentment, and optimism, I cannot see how anyone can fail ... I don’t know an exact formula that applies universally, but one thing is clear to me: we must have a dream, if we are to cross the boundaries of the ordinary.”
