Role Models in Science & Engineering Achievement: Luis Walter Alvarez

Luis Walter Alvarez – Physicist, Inventor and Engineer

He was one of those rare thinkers whose contributions to science impacted a wide spectrum – ranging from splitting atoms (he was part of the research team that developed the atomic bomb) and creating aircraft radar systems, to developing theories about the extinction of dinosaurs. He is perhaps best known for receiving the 1968 Nobel Prize in Physics for the development and use of the liquid hydrogen bubble chamber to discover a number of resonance particles whose classification led to the quark description of matter. His diverse thinking as an innovator earned him the nickname: “The Wild Idea Man of Physics.”

To read more about Luis Walter Alvarez and other exciting role models in science and engineering, visit the USA Science & Engineering Festival www.usasciencefestival.org