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On 10 November 1938, at the age of 37, Enrico Fermi goes to Stockholm to receive the Nobel Prize forPhysics “for his demonstrations of the existence of new radioactive elements produced by neutron irradiation, and for his related discovery of nuclear reactions brought about by slow neutrons”. A few months later, due to the war that was about to explode in Europe and to the Italian new racial laws (Fermi’s wife is a Jew), Fermi goes to the United States where, in1944 will get the American citizenship.
Almost simultaneously two scientists, Hahn and Strassmann,had discovered the nuclear fission. Fermi immediately wonders if the neutrons produced by the fissionmay, in turn, produce more fissions and liberate a chain reaction. His extraordinary scientific ability
will allow him to build the first nuclear reactor in history, known as “Chicago Pile-1”, andget outstanding scientific achievements in a short time.
Based on this knowledge, Enrico Fermi will be chosen as one of the technical directors of “ProjectManhattan”, the code name of the program of research that will lead the United Statesto the creation of the first atomic bomb. Fermi will still be among the scientists who in 1945 will firmly express against the use of the bomb towards civilian targets. He will die at age 53 on November 29, 1954, in Chicago.
An extremely brilliant man, with exceptional scientificqualities, Enrico Fermi changed science history and also the history of the application of scientific discoveries in the field of technology, contributing as fewothers to human development during the twentieth century.
Extraordinary precursor of his time, a great theoretical and staunch supporter of experiment as a science tool, he loved to summarize the point of genius in every scientific progress in one sentence: “There are two possible outcomes: if the result confirms the hypothesis, then you've made a measurement. If the result is contrary to the hypothesis, then you've made a discovery”.
By Giuseppina Salzano e Giovanni Verde