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The Resource The last man who knew everything : the life and times of Enrico Fermi, father of the nuclear age, David N. Schwartz

The last man who knew everything : the life and times of Enrico Fermi, father of the nuclear age, David N. Schwartz

Creator
Author
Summary
"In December 1942, a team at the University of Chicago achieved a milestone in human history: a nuclear chain reaction. At the forefront of this breakthrough stood Enrico Fermi, the father of the nuclear age. But as David N. Schwartz shows in this groundbreaking biography, Fermi's impact goes well beyond this epochal event. With his theory of beta decay and his development of quantum statistics, Fermi revolutionized modern physics. Straddling the classical and quantum ages, equally at ease with elegant mathematics and grubby experiments, Fermi truly was the last man who knew everything--at least about physics. In [this book], Schwartz draws from newly discovered archival material and exclusive interviews with those who knew Fermi to reveal the complex figure behind these historic contributions. A reluctant member of the Italian Fascist party, Fermi escaped to New York when Mussolini promulgated a series of anti-Semitic laws that put his wife, Laura, at risk. A citizen of an Axis power at the heart of the US government's most secret war effort, the Manhattan Project, he became one of its leading lights. A less-than-ideal father and husband, he was nevertheless one of history's greatest scientific mentors and teachers. He was also a deep thinker, as perspicacious about extraterrestrial life as he was about quantum field theory. The Last Man Who Knew Everything brings Fermi's brilliant, complex genius to life in a profound and consuming read."--Dust jacket flap
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Edition
First edition.
Extent
xxiii, 453 pages
Contents
  • Part one: Becoming Fermi. Prodigy ; Pisa ; Germany and Holland ; Quantum breakthroughs ; Of geckos and men
  • Part two: The Rome years. Family life ; The Rome School ; Beta rays ; Goldfish ; Physics as soma ; The Nobel Prize
  • Part three: The Manhattan Project. The New World ; Splitting the atom ; Fermi meets the Navy ; Piles of graphite ; The move to Chicago ; "We're cookin'!" ; Xenon-135 ; On a mesa ; An unholy Trinity
  • Part four: The Chicago years. Return to Chicago ; In the public eye ; A patent fight ; Brilliant teacher, beloved mentor ; Travels abroad ; Home to die ; Fermi's legacy
Isbn
9780465072927
Instance
Label
The last man who knew everything : the life and times of Enrico Fermi, father of the nuclear age
Title
The last man who knew everything
Title remainder
the life and times of Enrico Fermi, father of the nuclear age
Statement of responsibility
David N. Schwartz
Title variation
Life and times of Enrico Fermi, father of the nuclear age
Creator
Author
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
"In December 1942, a team at the University of Chicago achieved a milestone in human history: a nuclear chain reaction. At the forefront of this breakthrough stood Enrico Fermi, the father of the nuclear age. But as David N. Schwartz shows in this groundbreaking biography, Fermi's impact goes well beyond this epochal event. With his theory of beta decay and his development of quantum statistics, Fermi revolutionized modern physics. Straddling the classical and quantum ages, equally at ease with elegant mathematics and grubby experiments, Fermi truly was the last man who knew everything--at least about physics. In [this book], Schwartz draws from newly discovered archival material and exclusive interviews with those who knew Fermi to reveal the complex figure behind these historic contributions. A reluctant member of the Italian Fascist party, Fermi escaped to New York when Mussolini promulgated a series of anti-Semitic laws that put his wife, Laura, at risk. A citizen of an Axis power at the heart of the US government's most secret war effort, the Manhattan Project, he became one of its leading lights. A less-than-ideal father and husband, he was nevertheless one of history's greatest scientific mentors and teachers. He was also a deep thinker, as perspicacious about extraterrestrial life as he was about quantum field theory. The Last Man Who Knew Everything brings Fermi's brilliant, complex genius to life in a profound and consuming read."--Dust jacket flap
Biography type
individual biography
Cataloging source
OU/DLC
Dewey number
  • 530.092
  • B
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
LC call number
QC16.F46
LC item number
S39 2017
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
Label
The last man who knew everything : the life and times of Enrico Fermi, father of the nuclear age, David N. Schwartz
Instantiates
Publication
Copyright
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 375-436) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Part one: Becoming Fermi. Prodigy ; Pisa ; Germany and Holland ; Quantum breakthroughs ; Of geckos and men -- Part two: The Rome years. Family life ; The Rome School ; Beta rays ; Goldfish ; Physics as soma ; The Nobel Prize -- Part three: The Manhattan Project. The New World ; Splitting the atom ; Fermi meets the Navy ; Piles of graphite ; The move to Chicago ; "We're cookin'!" ; Xenon-135 ; On a mesa ; An unholy Trinity -- Part four: The Chicago years. Return to Chicago ; In the public eye ; A patent fight ; Brilliant teacher, beloved mentor ; Travels abroad ; Home to die ; Fermi's legacy
Dimensions
25 cm
Edition
First edition.
Extent
xxiii, 453 pages
Isbn
9780465072927
Lccn
2017020558
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
n
Other physical details
illustrations
System control number
  • (OCoLC)982093361
  • 1601065
  • (OCoLC)ocn982093361
  • 1601065
Label
The last man who knew everything : the life and times of Enrico Fermi, father of the nuclear age, David N. Schwartz
Publication
Copyright
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 375-436) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Part one: Becoming Fermi. Prodigy ; Pisa ; Germany and Holland ; Quantum breakthroughs ; Of geckos and men -- Part two: The Rome years. Family life ; The Rome School ; Beta rays ; Goldfish ; Physics as soma ; The Nobel Prize -- Part three: The Manhattan Project. The New World ; Splitting the atom ; Fermi meets the Navy ; Piles of graphite ; The move to Chicago ; "We're cookin'!" ; Xenon-135 ; On a mesa ; An unholy Trinity -- Part four: The Chicago years. Return to Chicago ; In the public eye ; A patent fight ; Brilliant teacher, beloved mentor ; Travels abroad ; Home to die ; Fermi's legacy
Dimensions
25 cm
Edition
First edition.
Extent
xxiii, 453 pages
Isbn
9780465072927
Lccn
2017020558
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
n
Other physical details
illustrations
System control number
  • (OCoLC)982093361
  • 1601065
  • (OCoLC)ocn982093361
  • 1601065

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