Jerome Isaac Friedman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerome Isaac Friedman
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Friedman in 2016
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| Born | March 28, 1930 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Chicago |
| Known for | Experimental proof of quarks |
| Spouse(s) | Tania Letetsky-Baranovsky (m. 1956; 4 children) |
| Awards | President's Medal of the IOP (2000) Nobel Prize in Physics (1990) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | MIT |
| Doctoral advisor | Enrico Fermi |
Jerome Isaac Friedman, born on March 28, 1930, is a famous American physicist. He is a retired professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
In 1990, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics. He shared this award with Henry W. Kendall and Richard E. Taylor. They were honored for their important work on electrons hitting protons. This research helped prove that protons have smaller parts inside them. These tiny parts are now known as quarks.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jerome Friedman was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Lillian and Selig Friedman, came to the U.S. from Russia. His father was a sewing machine salesman.
As a young person, Jerome was very good at art. However, he became interested in physics after reading a book by Albert Einstein about relativity. He decided to study science instead of art.
Friedman chose to study physics at the University of Chicago. There, he worked with the famous scientist Enrico Fermi. He earned his Ph.D. in physics in 1956.
Discovering Quarks
In 1960, Jerome Friedman joined the physics team at MIT. A few years later, he started a very important experiment.
From 1968 to 1969, he worked with Henry W. Kendall and Richard E. Taylor. They used a special machine at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in California. They shot electrons at protons.
Their experiments showed that protons were not solid. Instead, they had tiny particles inside them. These particles were later named quarks. This discovery was a huge step in understanding how matter is built.
For this groundbreaking work, Friedman, Kendall, and Taylor received the 1990 Nobel Prize in Physics. Friedman is still an important professor at MIT. He also helps guide the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. This group works to make the world safer from nuclear dangers.
Supporting Science
Jerome Friedman has always supported scientific research. In 2008, he joined 19 other American Nobel Prize winners. They wrote a letter to President George W. Bush.
The letter asked the president to provide more money for basic science research. They wanted to help important science groups like the Department of Energy’s Office of Science and the National Science Foundation.
Awards and Recognition
Jerome Friedman has received many honors for his work. These awards recognize his important contributions to physics.
- Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (2016)
- Member of the American Philosophical Society (2002)
- Member of the National Academy of Sciences (1992)
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1991)
- Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1980)
See also
- List of Jewish Nobel laureates
