Essay about Enrico Fermi and the Development of the Atomic...

Enrico Fermi and the Development of the Atomic Bomb The 20th century saw many important discoveries which impacted people worldwide. Great discoveries were made in the realm of science and technology which lead to the atomic age. One of the leading pioneers in the area of physics was Enrico Fermi. Without his contributions, the atomic bomb may not have been developed or would have possibly been postponed. Enrico Fermi was born into a family who had enough money to live comfortably. Fermi was born in Rome on the 29th of September,1901, the son of Alberto Fermi, a Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Communications, and Ida de Gattis (Mawson 12). Although he had a comfortable life, he also had his share of problems and†¦show more content†¦He progressed so quickly, guided by an engineer, that his competition essay was judged worthy of a doctoral examination (10). His family had enough money to send him to college but he was still able to get scholarships for his academic achievement. He won a fellowship of the Scuola Normale Superiore in 1918. He spent four years at the University of Pisa, gaining his doctoral degree in physics in 1922#8230;(12). He was even teaching his teachers there by 1920. While still an undergraduate, Fermi worked out his first theory of permanent value to physics. He also attended the Universities of Rome, Leiden and Gottingen. His only setback was a period of post doctoral study in Germany in 1923 among such talents such as Wolfgang Pauli and Werner Heisenberg when his talents went unrecognized (154). He preferred simplicity and concreteness rather than pretension and the philosophic German style. J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theorist, later described Fermi as not a philosopher and unable to let things be foggy. He had a passion for clarity. After Fermi graduated, he went straight to work. He began tea ching at different universities. He taught at the University of Florence from 1924 to 1926 and at the University of Rome from 1927 to 1938 (Epstein 87). At the age of 25, he was appointed professor of theoretical physics at theShow MoreRelatedThe Atomic Bomb Was Built During Ww21066 Words   |  5 PagesThe atomic bomb was built during ww2 and was a major factor in winning the war against the japanese. Germany began to develop the atomic bomb and roosevelt caught wind of this and he put a group of scientist together to develop the atomic bomb before the germans developed it. 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