“There are several categories of scientists in the world. Those of second or third rank do their best but never get very far. Next, there is the first rank, those who make important discoveries, fundamental to scientific progress. And then, there are the geniuses, like Galileo and Newton. Majorana was one of these.”
Enrico Fermi
(Physics Nobel Prize 1938)
March 25 2024 — On 25 March 1938, Italian theoretical physicist Ettore Majorana disappeared under mysterious circumstances after purchasing a ticket to travel by ship from Palermo to Naples. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today
“If Ettore decided to leave, we should respect his decision and search for him no more.”
Ettore’s brother Luciano
Ettore Majorana purchased a ticket on March 25, 1938, for a boat trip to return from Palermo to Naples. However, he disappeared under unknown circumstances.
The investigation into Majorana’s disappearance was led by Cesare Mori, an Italian general and former prefect renowned for combating organized crime in Sicily during the early 20th century. Despite extensive efforts, Majorana’s body was never found.
Various theories emerged to explain his disappearance, ranging from suicide to retirement into a monastery, and even suggestions of kidnapping or murder to prevent his involvement in atomic weapons construction.
During a visit to Dubna, Russia, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, I had the opportunity to explore the office of Bruno Pontecorvo, a colleague and friend of Majorana, who defected to the Soviet Union in 1950.
Among Pontecorvo’s possessions, I stumbled upon a folder titled ‘Majorana’, containing letters and newspaper articles about the enigmatic physicist. This encounter reinforced my belief that Majorana did not perish in March 1938.
In March 2011, Italian media reported that the Rome Attorney’s Office had launched an inquiry into a witness statement claiming to have met Majorana in Buenos Aires in the post-World War II years. Subsequently, in June 2011, the Carabinieri’s RIS (Scientific Division) analyzed a photograph taken in Argentina in 1955, identifying ten points of similarity with Majorana’s face.
On February 4, 2015, the Rome Attorney’s Office declared Majorana to have been alive between 1955 and 1959, residing in Valencia, Venezuela.
With this new evidence, the investigation concluded, officially closing the disappearance case. No criminal evidence was found, leading to the presumption that Majorana made a personal choice to disappear, likely emigrating to Venezuela.
REFERENCES
Ettore Majorana — Wikipedia
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On This Day — Italian Physicist Ettore Majorana vanishes (March 25, 1938)
“Ho visto tanti cadaveri nella mia vita, che riconosco un cadavere quando lo vedo. E Majorana non era un cadavere.”
Italian General Cesare Mori
Intel Today 