Enrico Fermi (1901 – 1954) made several major contributions to modern physics. He developed the statistical quantum theory now known as “Fermi statistics”. In 1934, in Rome, he developed the theory of beta-decay, in which he introduced the weak interaction, the last of the four basic forces known in nature, and contributed to the understanding of the gravitational, electromagnetic and strong interactions. He discovered the important role of slow neutrons in the nuclear interaction, for which he received the Nobel Prize in 1938. Having emigrated to the United States, he designed the first man-made nuclear reactor, starting it up in a secret experiment at the University of Chicago on Dec. 2, 1942. In a famous code, which was used by an administrator to report to Washington the success of this experiment, Fermi was referred to as Columbus, “the Italian navigator” who had “landed in the new world”. He significantly influenced the development of physics during the XXth century both in Europe and in the USA.
Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Trieste, Italie