Opinions of Thursday, 17 October 2013

Columnist: Kessie, Akwasi B

The Right Stuff Comes in Black, Too

The Inspiring story of How Dr. Mensah's Innovations Ignited the Modern Day Internet Boom.

The Right Stuff Comes in Black, Too, is an excellent read for all parents who want to inspire their kids, professionals in all fields, college professors and students, ministers interested in economic and infrastructure development in their countries, heads of states and governments. The book is addressed to people from every corner of the globe that uses a smartphone, tablets, personal computers or any device that connects to the Internet. The book is written without complex mathematics but simplified enough for the average user to understand the Internet and Fiber Optics.

The Ghanaian born inventor is one of the pioneers of Fiber Optics technology which supports the modern day Internet. His brilliant work is one of the reasons why we receive pictures from Facebook (Over 1 billion people are on Facebook), send Emails, 24 billion a day, Google to search for things and get directions on the Web, get crisp broadband television at home, Send Tweets all over the world. His innovation also makes it easy to get Money from the corner ATM, receive money transfers from anywhere in the world, allow various stock exchanges around the world to transmit trillions of dollars, Make long distance cell phone calls from Ghana to America, Europe, Japan, China, South Africa, Australia etc.

Dr Mensah has been described in the same category as Bill Gates of Microsoft, Ellon Musk of Space X, Vint Cerf and Larry Page of Google and Steve Jobs of Apple as well as other great Innovators in the World.

In the book The Right Stuff comes in Black, Too, an autobiography starting from his upbringing in Ghana and training at KNUST, Montpelier France and MIT, Dr. Mensah describes how fiber optics is manufactured in the Industry. He chronicles his role and that of other pioneers who worked with him at Corning Glass Works from the beginning. He touches on earlier slow growth of the Internet that relied on copper cables to the current robust high speed Internet using Fiber Optics Technology. He describes his 7 patents awarded in six years and provides details of how he solved a global manufacturing problem that has plagued the Fiber Optics and communication industry for 15 years. His practical inventions brought the cost of Fiber Optics to the same level as copper leading to the spread of Fiber Optics in America and the world. He touches on innovations that produced bubble and defect-free optical fiber used in submarine cables that connect countries and continents like the US, Europe, Japan, China, Middle East, South Africa thereby extending the global reach of the modern day Internet.

New applications including the Smart Watch introduced recently by Samsung and Sony, Google Glass and other wearable devices that measure vital signs of a person before transmitting over Fiber Optics to a Physician are all described in the book. The Future of the Internet and New Innovations like Laser vortices that carry information in different modes of propagation in the Fiber are also presented in the Book.

He addresses E commerce, Movie Streaming, Distance learning, Telemedicine, Driverless cars and the future smart home. Dr. Mensah also addresses Cyber Security and encryption, Storage in the Cloud and Big Data in this book. He also looks at Technology Transfer to Africa and how Developing countries can attract foreign Capital for development. Dr. Mensah analyzes key developmental needs in Africa. What Developing Countries should do to catch up in this Internet and Digital age and how African countries like Ghana can build the right infrastructure including Electric Power generation to seriously make products rather than be only consumers and suppliers of raw materials. He wants Ghana to participate in this Digital Revolution and expand its connectivity as well as economy.

As a thought leader who advises many Heads of States around the world. Dr. Mensah can put emerging countries on fast track to development. He has demonstrated His credibility in the US and the West and it is hoped that he can help developing countries in Africa reach their potential in Technology and Job creation as well attract Foreign Capital that can improve their economies.

During a recent event at the Governors' Mansion in Georgia, Dr Thomas Mensah presented two copies of his book to His Excellency John Mahama, President of Ghana who was the guest of honor.

Indeed, The Right Stuff comes in Black, Too.

By Akwasi B Kessie Wireless and RF Expert, USA