Seminars and Colloquia

How Fermi became Fermi

by Dr David Schwartz (D N Schwartz & Co)

Europe/Rome
Description
Enrico Fermi stands as one of the greatest physicists in history. How did he manage to do this? This talk will explore the facts of his life, both personal and professional, and attempt to suggest the roles that nature, nurture, and chance played in the development of his extraordinary career. He was clearly born with extraordinary gifts, but these gifts would have been lost if he had not been mentored early in life by a special friend, and his career might have taken a very different trajectory had chance not intervened in numerous ways. This talk will be based on the research conducted by Dr. Schwartz in preparation of his biography of Enrico Fermi, recently published by Solferino Editore in Italian: "Enrico Fermi. L'ultimo uomo che sapeva tutto."