The Mysteries of Majorana
June 7, 2020 2:48 AM Subscribe
Majorana: Genius and Mystery
In the early twentieth century, in the years preceding World War II, the young physicist Ettore Majorana made several profound discoveries, including a relativistic wave equation that rivaled that of Paul Dirac and predicted a world of Majorana particles - and now it is believed that Majorana predicted the neutrino and much of its oddness. The impact of and controversy around his work haunts Physics to this day. Enrico Fermi considered him one of the most brilliant physicists of the age, a new Galileo or Newton.
But, in 1938, Majorana suddenly cleared out his bank account, boarded a ship and was never seen again. What happened to this young genius? Where did he go? It is an enduring mystery that has fascinated generations of journalists and writers and one which may have now been solved…
Note that the idea that Majorana was living in Venezuela is supported by only circumstantial evidence. And so the speculation continues. Three young Italian journalists recently went to Venezuela to try and hunt down traces of Majorana, published in a book The Second Life of Majorana. They found more compelling evidence including witnesses and suggestive stories about a mysterious man but no smoking gun.
An Italian 2019 documentary shows that the public fascination with the mystery continues.
[Note: Fulfilling a request from 2006. Sorry it took so long, bleary!]
In the early twentieth century, in the years preceding World War II, the young physicist Ettore Majorana made several profound discoveries, including a relativistic wave equation that rivaled that of Paul Dirac and predicted a world of Majorana particles - and now it is believed that Majorana predicted the neutrino and much of its oddness. The impact of and controversy around his work haunts Physics to this day. Enrico Fermi considered him one of the most brilliant physicists of the age, a new Galileo or Newton.
But, in 1938, Majorana suddenly cleared out his bank account, boarded a ship and was never seen again. What happened to this young genius? Where did he go? It is an enduring mystery that has fascinated generations of journalists and writers and one which may have now been solved…
Note that the idea that Majorana was living in Venezuela is supported by only circumstantial evidence. And so the speculation continues. Three young Italian journalists recently went to Venezuela to try and hunt down traces of Majorana, published in a book The Second Life of Majorana. They found more compelling evidence including witnesses and suggestive stories about a mysterious man but no smoking gun.
An Italian 2019 documentary shows that the public fascination with the mystery continues.
[Note: Fulfilling a request from 2006. Sorry it took so long, bleary!]
Wasn't “The Mysteries of Majorana” a Tom Baker-era Doctor Who episode?
posted by acb at 5:56 AM on June 7, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by acb at 5:56 AM on June 7, 2020 [6 favorites]
Also an unfinished Zelda game.
posted by mhoye at 8:09 AM on June 7, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 8:09 AM on June 7, 2020 [3 favorites]
Thorzdad, my first wild guess was to wonder if he was running away from having to work on an atomic bomb project.
posted by cnidaria at 8:34 AM on June 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by cnidaria at 8:34 AM on June 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
That was my first thought, too, cnidara. If true, it was a hard line for him. He wasn’t willing to work for either side. That’s something to admire, frankly, if true.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:10 AM on June 7, 2020
posted by Thorzdad at 11:10 AM on June 7, 2020
There were no atomic weapons programs in March 1938 nor even any vision of them when Majorana disappeared. Any serious ideas of producing atomic weapons did not begin until after the discovery of atomic fission by Lise Meitner and Otto Frisch in late December 1938.
People who wished to avoid military work by emigrating could (and would) still communicate with colleagues, friends, and family. He did not.
If Majorana *had* been fleeing to avoid working on atomic weapons for the Allies, increasing the risk that the Nazis might develop them first, that is hardly something to admire, since he was clearly aware of the threat of the Fascists and the Nazis. Frankly the implication there was moral equivalence between the Axis Powers and the Allies is bewildering to me.
It’s clear that Marjorana was suffering from some sort of mental illness since well before his visit to Germany in 1933. His motivation for disappearing is almost certainly related to his degraded mental and emotional state.
posted by haiku warrior at 11:56 AM on June 7, 2020 [3 favorites]
People who wished to avoid military work by emigrating could (and would) still communicate with colleagues, friends, and family. He did not.
If Majorana *had* been fleeing to avoid working on atomic weapons for the Allies, increasing the risk that the Nazis might develop them first, that is hardly something to admire, since he was clearly aware of the threat of the Fascists and the Nazis. Frankly the implication there was moral equivalence between the Axis Powers and the Allies is bewildering to me.
It’s clear that Marjorana was suffering from some sort of mental illness since well before his visit to Germany in 1933. His motivation for disappearing is almost certainly related to his degraded mental and emotional state.
posted by haiku warrior at 11:56 AM on June 7, 2020 [3 favorites]
Thanks, love a good (probably solved) mystery like this. Wonder what the chance might be of ever finding his supposed later papers? That would make for a great additional chapter.
posted by blue shadows at 4:25 PM on June 7, 2020
posted by blue shadows at 4:25 PM on June 7, 2020
I don't believe this for one second.
The story of Majorana haunts us the way any suicide does, because of the feeling of "if only". And, I mean, he left a note.
posted by heatherlogan at 4:37 PM on June 7, 2020
The story of Majorana haunts us the way any suicide does, because of the feeling of "if only". And, I mean, he left a note.
posted by heatherlogan at 4:37 PM on June 7, 2020
I was just pondering from my obviously very limited knowledge of the timeline, apparently missed quite a bit. haiku warrior, thanks for the more detailed explanation. It's really interesting and illuminating.
posted by cnidaria at 11:13 AM on June 14, 2020
posted by cnidaria at 11:13 AM on June 14, 2020
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Given the politics of the time, I'm kind of surprised only one of the hypotheses on the Wikipedia page mentions anything that would be entwined with the era's politics; development of an atomic weapon. A talent like Majorana would be invaluable to such a project.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:35 AM on June 7, 2020 [1 favorite]