Fermilab in Top Ten list of Chicagoland Scientific Achievements
Mayor Richard Daley looks on as a high school student presents the discovery of the top
quark as the seventh of the Top 10 Scientific Achievements in Chicago's history.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley Tuesday named a Fermilab discovery as one of the most important scientific achievements in the six-county Chicago region.
Daley named the top 10 scientific innovations, discoveries and events in Chicago history during a ceremony in Daley Plaza. A plaque and banners in the plaza commemorate the scientific accomplishments.
Fermilab earned seventh place for the discovery March 2, 1995, of the top quark, the last of the missing subatomic building blocks of matter.
"It is wonderful that a fundamental science discovery about how the universe is made makes it into the top ten scientific achievements of Chicago," said Fermilab Director Pier Oddone.
The awards came as part of a two-week event called Science in the City, which highlights the importance of science in daily life and emphasizes the strong ties between science and education. Fermilab's Education Office will provide hands-on exhibits during the event.
"Science in the City explores science from every angle and shows our students how fun and thrilling science can be - as a subject in school, as a future career, and as a part of our planet," said Arne Duncan, CEO of Chicago Public Schools.
Nominations for the top 10 achievements were selected by museums, universities and leaders in the local scientific field. A panel of scientists, historians and educators from area universities, colleges and laboratories as well as a representative from the Chicago public schools voted on the winners. The complete top 10 list is online.
"We hope these scientific achievements will get people talking about the great discoveries of our city's past and get people excited about what discoveries will unfold as part of our city's future," Daley said.
Fermilab continues to be the only place in the world producing the top quark. At the time the top quark was discovered, only a few dozen were recorded each year, but today thousands are recorded annually at Fermilab and studied by scientists from across the globe in an attempt to get a better understanding of how the universe works.
"We would like to get a few more in the top 10 in the future," Oddone said.
All matter consists of atoms, which are comprised of smaller particles such as protons, neutrons and electrons, which are composed of even smaller particles called quarks. The discovery and measurement of the top quark, the heaviest fundamental particle, allow scientists to test theories of supersymmetry, new forces and extra dimensions.
It took nearly a thousand scientists from more than a dozen countries 18 years to discover the top quark in two Fermilab experiments: CDF and DZero.
-- Tona Kunz
Fermilab's Jerry Zimmerman, also known as Mr. Freeze, presents his cryo show
at Chicago's Science in the City event Tuesday.