Scientist of the day - Jonas Kubilius

Jonas Kubilius was a Lithuanian mathematician known for his work in probability theory and number theory. An educator by profession, he worked as a lecturer and professor at various prestigious institutions including the Vilnius University and the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. He was also the rector of the Vilnius University for 32 years. Born into a farming family in a village in Lithuania, he began displaying his brilliance at a young age. Even as a school boy he loved to study and was especially interested in science and mathematics. He understood mathematical concepts with outstanding clarity and even helped his teacher in explaining difficult mathematic equations to fellow students while in school. He seemed to be on the right track to make a brilliant career for himself when the political situation in Europe became increasingly tense. In spite of the turbulent political atmosphere he bravely continued his studies, graduated from high school, and enrolled at the Vilnius University to further his education. Eventually he embarked on a teaching career and continued his own education by working for a Doctor of Science degree from the Steklov Institute of Mathematics in Moscow. Later on he joined the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences where he promoted his scientific work in the areas of number theory and probability theory

Childhood & Early Life

Jonas Kubilius was born on 27 July 1921 in Fermos village, Eržvilkas county, Jurbarkas district municipality, Lithuania. He was from a family of farmers. He had four younger brothers.

Awards & Achievements

He received the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, the Lithuanian Presidential Award for his outstanding contribution to the field of mathematics.

Trivia

The Turán-Kubilius inequality and the Kubilius model in probabilistic number theory are named after this famous Lithuanian mathematician

Inventor of the day - Victor Francis Hess

Victor Francis Hess was an Austrian-American physicist who won the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of cosmic radiation. Born in late nineteenth century Austria, he graduated from the University of Graz and started his career at Institute of Radium Research of the Viennese Academy of Sciences. While working there in 1913, he discovered that atmospheric ionization was caused, not by the earth as was believed at that time, but by a highly penetrating ray that originated in the outer space. Unfortunately, at that time, there were few takers of the theory outside the University of Vienna and it was not until 1925 that his theory was corroborated and the ray was named as ‘cosmic ray’. He received Nobel Prize in Physics for this invention even later. Nonetheless, he kept on teaching at different Austrian universities and once Austria was occupied by Germany, Hess fled to USA. There too he kept on his research work and contributed significantly in the field of radioactivity. He was strongly opposed to nuclear test because he believed that very little was known about radioactivity to say for sure such tests, even if carried underground, would have no impact on the surface. 

Childhood & Early Life

Victor Francis Hess was born on the 24 June 1883, in Waldstein Castle, near Peggau in Steiermark, Austria. His father, Vinzens Hess, was a forester under the service of Prince Louis of Oettingen-Wallerstein. His mother’s name was Serafine Edle von Grossbauer-Waldstätt.

Major Works

Although Hess had undertaken research work all through his life and had made important contributions to an understanding of radiation and its effects on the human body, discovery of the cosmic rays is his most important work. It opened the door to many new discoveries in the field of nuclear physics as well as particle or high energy physics.

Awards & Achievements

• In 1919, he was awarded with the Ignaz Lieben Prize by the Austrian Academy of Sciences for the discovery of cosmic rays.
• In 1936, Victor Francis Hess jointly received Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of cosmic radiation.
• In 1932, Hess received Abbe Memorial Prize and the Abbe Medal of the Carl Zeiss Institute in Jena.
• In 1959, he was honored with Austrian Decoration for Science and Art by the government of Austria.

   

  Trivia

 Unfortunately, Pacini passed away in 1934, the year it was decided that Nobel Prize should honor the discoverer of the cosmic rays. Since this prize cannot be awarded posthumously Hess alone was honored for the discovery of cosmic rays.