Enrico Fermi: The Supernova of Science

Enrico Fermi was an Italian physicist with a luminous career, known both for his groundbreaking contributions to nuclear physics and his shining personality that lit up any room he entered.

Born in 1901 in Rome, Fermi proved to be a prodigy from a young age. Legend has it that at the age of four, he built a working bouncy castle out of a mix of pasta and rubber bands - a feat that earned him the nickname “Macaroni Einstein” from his family.

Fermi’s scientific journey started in earnest when he was accepted to the prestigious Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. While he was there, he developed a passion for experimenting with cosmic rays - not because he was interested in studying space, but because he loved watching the particles bounce around in his laboratory like a game of cosmic pinball.

Despite his playful approach, Fermi’s research yielded some serious results. In the 1930s, he discovered the nuclear force that holds atoms together, and he went on to develop the world’s first nuclear reactor.

But Fermi’s sense of humor never dimmed. One of his favorite pranks was to play a game called “codenames” with his colleagues, where he would assign each of them a code name based on their most prominent feature. For instance, his good friend and fellow physicist, John Pasta, was dubbed “Noodle J” due to his curly hair.

Fermi’s wit was also on full display when he was part of the group of scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II. As they were about to test the first atomic bomb, Fermi famously placed a bet with his colleagues on whether or not the explosion would destroy the entire Earth. When the bomb went off and the Earth remained intact, Fermi collected his winnings and quipped, “I’m not exactly sure what we’ll do with the money, but it’s nice to have it.”

Fermi’s legacy lives on today, both in his scientific achievements and his irreverent spirit. He is remembered as a supernova of science, with a personality that shone as brightly as his discoveries. And who knows - perhaps he’s up there in the cosmos now, bouncing around like a playful particle and cracking jokes with other cosmic comedians.