Machines built by human beings they will function correctly if we provide them with a very specific environment. But if that environment is changed, they won't function at all.

1998 Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology for computational modeling of molecular tools for atomically-precise chemical reactions
1999 IEEE Koji Kobayashi Computers and Communications Award
2000 RSA award for the invention of public key cryptography. Career
Merkle was the manager of compiler development at Elxsi from 1980. Hamming Medal in 2010.

Ralph C. Merkle appears in the science fiction novel The Diamond Age involving nanotechnology.