Calif. R&D; Eclipses Japan’s Rising Sun

With entries including a self-cleaning restroom and a flying refrigerator, Californians won more of this year’s Top 100 research and development awards than any other state or country.

Eighteen of the awards, described by R&D; Magazine Editor Robert Cassidy as “the Nobel Prize of technology,” went to a mix of California firms and research institutions--from the Santa Monica start-up Self Cleaning Environments USA to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

The 31-year-old contest is not quite as competitive as the Nobel: Cassidy says the 100 winners were selected from “hundreds” of entries. Nor is there a monetary prize. But previous winners that went on to make it big include the fax machine, the halogen lamp and anti-lock brakes.

In geographic rivalry, New Mexico--with 10 winners--placed a distant second, followed by the entire country of Japan, which garnered nine awards.