1850-1918

German physicist who was known for his improvements in the fields of radio, television, and electronics. Braun's first great work was to convert alternating current, which travels in two directions, to direct current, which travels in one direction, which helped to improve radio signals. In 1897, he completed his oscilloscope, a precursor to the modern television cathode ray tube. Braun also made improvements to the distance and strength of Marconi's radio signals, and patented his new system in 1899. What he developed would later be used in radio, television, and radar. Braun shared the Nobel Prize for Physics with Marconi in 1909.