On the night of March 26, 1938, nuclear physicist Ettore Majorana boarded a ship, equivalent of 70k USD in cash and passport in hand. He was never seen again. Eighty-six years later, Microsoft is building a new Quantum Computer based on what Ettore discovered in 1938.
1938 was an eventful year—Superman's First Appearance in the USA 1938. At the same time, German scientists discovered Nuclear Fission. Orson Welles's radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds is broadcast, causing mass panic in the eastern United States; German troops invade Austria and begin prosecution of Jews. Those were just a few of the 1938 events.
On the night of March 26, 1938, nuclear physicist Ettore Majorana boarded a ship, equivalent of 70k USD in cash and passport in hand. He was never seen again. Eighty-six years later, Microsoft is building a new Quantum Computer based on what Ettore discovered in 1938.
I have been reading the "A Brilliant Darkness" from Joao Magueijo, the author of Faster Than the Speed of Light. First, I listened to the audio book and then I decided to read the printed book.
Of all the science writers, Joao is different than the rest. João Magueijo (born 1967) is a Portuguese cosmologist and professor in theoretical physics at Imperial College London. He understand quantum physics and he is good at telling the story while explaining complicated subjects in clear, and easy-to-understand language.
This book is about a combination of old memories, pictures, locations, characters (see photo), and some biographical information, and it is all about physics. Ettore arguably should have won the Nobel Prize in Physiques for discovering Neutrinos. A neutrino is a subatomic particle similar to an electron but has no electrical charge and a tiny mass, which might even be zero. Neutrinos are one of the most abundant particles in the universe. However, they are incredibly difficult to detect because they have very little interaction with matter.
After listening to the whole story, I wonder if Ettore actually disappeared. I like to think that he was not killed by spies (due to his fantastic knowledge), committed suicide, or abducted by the aliens. He may have lived a long life knowing that he is not contributing to discovering weapons of mass destruction.
This book is an education in all aspects of Physics and history. After reading this book, I can't stop thinking about Ettore.
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Edit: Fixed a few words