Find the Physicist Solve the equation below to name the Nobel‐winning scientist (5 letters) who did much of his Manhattan work in Chicago:
2 √ 1
Answer: Each term of the equation (separated by + signs) represents a single letter. From classical mechanics, F=ma. From relativity, E=mc2. From geometry, R (the radius of a circle) is C (circumference) divided by 2*pi .From chemistry, M is a unit of molarity calculated in moles per liter. Finally, the imaginary number i is the square root of negative one. Together it spells Fermi. Enrico Fermi was one of the most celebrated physicists of the 20th Century. He led the effort that created the world’s first man‐ made nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile‐1, as part of the Manhattan Project.
The Sound of Scientists Enter six common words into the grid that sound similar to, but are spelled differently than, the last names of six famous scientists. When you’re done, the highlighted squares will reveal a sound scientists hope to hear, or even make.
1. Gem that sounds like energetic James Prescott 2. Spice that sounds like radiant Marie Skłodowska 3. Smarts that sounds like oscillating Heinrich Rudolf 4. Edmonton skater that sounds like analytic Leonhard 5. Imitation that sounds like supersonic Ernst 6. Question that sounds like steamy James
J E W E L C U R R Y H U R T S O I L E R M O C K W H A T
James Prescott Joule discovered the mathematical relationship between heat and work. Marie Curie created a theory of radiation. Heinrich Hertz proved the existence of electromagnetic waves. Leonhard Euler revolutionized mathematics in the 18th Century and determined the orbits of many comets. Ernst Mach studied supersonic velocity. James Watt’s steam engine ushered in the Industrial Revolution.
© 2010, The New York Times. These two puzzles were contributed by Jim Horne for The Puzzle Moment, a special edition of the NYT Science section on December 7, 2010.