12 Immigrants Who Made American Technology Great

12 Immigrants Who Made American Technology Great — page 3
2 Mária Telkes Captures the Sun’s Energy Telkes became interested in solar power She decided to study physical chemistry She learned to use physics to solve chemical problems In 1924 Telkes earned her graduate degree The next year she immigrated to the United States While visiting a cousin in Cleveland Telkes was offered a job She decided to stay in the United States She became a researcher Later she worked for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT Telkes studied solar energy She invented many solar-powered devices In 1948 Telkes designed the first house heated entirely by solar energy She developed an efficient heating system It worked by storing heat in a type of salt The salt absorbed the sun’s heat On cold days bins of salt between the walls kept the house warm Telkes solved a big problem She figured out how to store solar energy She was known as the Sun Queen Mária Telkes was a physicist and an innovator She changed how people use solar power Telkes was born in 1900 Her family lived in a big city in Hungary In high school 6