Fermi ...
Robert Evans
On December 10, 1938, the Nobel Prizes were awarded, which that year were only awarded in two disciplines: Physics and Literature. In Stockholm, Fermi was honored according to traditional ceremonies and received the medal and diploma from King Gustav V. The final part of the official speech on the motivation of the prize was given in Italian by a member of the Swedish Academy and quoted:
"Professor Fermi, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded you the Nobel Prize for Physics for the year nineteen thirty-eight for your discovery of new radioactive substances belonging to the entire field of the elements and for the discovery made by you, in the course of these studies, of the selective power of slow neutrons. We offer you our congratulations and express our deepest admiration for your brilliant research, which sheds new light on the constitution of atomic nuclei and opens new horizons for the further development of atomic research.”
In Italy there was a great scandal: Fermi did not wear the fascist uniform nor did he give the Roman salute to the King of Sweden; in fact, during the award ceremony he shook his hand, a gesture that had been abolished by the regime. The handshake was considered a very serious gesture. “Lavoro Fascista” published an article in which the Italian journalist recounted an episode: he was at the cinema with a German comrade and the Luce documentary contained the Nobel Prize award ceremony. Fermi was framed during the greeting with the sovereign and the lack of the Roman salute was noted. The German noticed and commented: “If I’m not mistaken, this is the youngest of your academics.”
The Italian replied: “You’re wrong, he’s so old that a paralysis in his right arm, as you’ve seen, prevents him from making the fascist salute.”
According to tradition, Fermi gave a conference on the work for which he had been awarded. In this speech, the new radioactive elements discovered by Fermi were present, which had been named ausonium and hesperium (from the names of two small towns in Lazio) for elements 93 and 94.
It has sometimes been said that Fermi’s is the only case of a Nobel Prize awarded for a mistaken discovery. This statement comes from the belief that the prize was awarded for the discovery of transuranic elements: chemical elements that have an atomic number, that is, the number of protons contained in the nucleus, greater than 92; this statement, reading the official motivation of the Swedish Academy, is to be considered incorrect.
After the Swedish ceremonies, Fermi spent a few days in Copenhagen where he was received by Bohr and on Christmas Eve 1938 he set sail from Southampton, bound for New York. The entire Fermi family landed on January 2, 1939 and Enrico’s first words on American soil were addressed to his wife in an ironic tone: “We have founded the American branch of the Fermi family.”