This biography explores the life and career of the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, which is also the story of thirty years that transformed physics and forever changed our understanding of matter and the universe: nuclear physics and elementary particle physics were born, nuclear fission was discovered, the Manhattan Project was developed, the atomic bombs were dropped, and the era of “big science” began. It would be impossible to capture the full essence of this revolutionary period without first understanding Fermi, without whom it would not have been possible.
Enrico Fermi: The Obedient Genius attempts to shed light on
all aspects of Fermi’s life —his work, motivation, influences,
achievements, and personal thoughts— beginning with the publication of
his first paper in 1921 through his death in 1954. During this time,
Fermi demonstrated that he was indeed following in the footsteps of
Galileo, excelling in his work both theoretically and experimentally by
deepening our understanding of the Pauli exclusion principle, winning
the Nobel Prize for his discovery of the fundamental properties of slow
neutrons, developing the theory of beta decay, building the first
nuclear reactor, and playing a central role in the development of the
atomic bomb. Interwoven with this fascinating story, the book details
the major developments in physics and provides the necessary background
material to fully appreciate the dramatic changes that were taking
place.
Also included are appendices that provide a timeline of Fermi’s life, several primary source documents from the period, and an extensive bibliography. This book will enlighten anyone interested in Fermi’s work or the scientific events that led to the physics revolution of the first half of the twentieth century.
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