Ten fun facts about Steven Chu

Fact 1
His research of Doppler cooling, or the trapping of atoms with laser light, won him the Nobel Prize in physics in 1997.

Fact 2
In 2009 he became the second Chinese American to become a member of the U.S. Cabinet as the Secretary of Energy.

Fact 3
Chu took an interest in sports, teaching himself how to pole vault using only bamboo poles.

Fact 4
Born in Missouri, his ancestry roots are from Taicang in Jiangsu.

Fact 5
He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley after earning his Ph.D in 1976.

Fact 6
He never learned to speak Chinese. He said his parents only spoke to him in English.

Fact 7
At Stanford University he was not only a professor of physics, but he also became the chair of the Physics Department.

Fact 8
Chu believes in using renewable energy, claiming that global warming will deplete all Californian farms during this century.

Fact 9
One of his solutions is making roofs lighter colors to help reflect the sunlight. This is said to help slow global warming.

Fact 10
He received an honorary degree from Yale University and from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University.

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