Dear Mrs Chapman,

 

Paul Dirac - the English theoretical physicist born in 1902 - was one of the most notable and influential people in the world of physics. At the age of 26 he completely revolutionised the field of physics and introduced to the world the concept of quantum mechanics. He signature contribution to science is the  Dirac Equation which predicted the existence of antimatter, and informed quantum electrodynamics, string theory, and the Manhattan Project. If given the opportunity for Paul Dirac to be my notable I would explore each of these topics.

 

As a brief biography, Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac was born and raised in Bristol, England in August 1902. After completing school he got into the University of Bristol on a City of Bristol University Scholarship to study electrical engineering and completed his degree in 1921. Dirac tried twice to continue his studies at Cambridge University - the first time in 1921 the scholarship he was offered was not sufficient to cover his expenses, and the economic climate of the post-war depression was such that he was unable to find work as an engineer. After completing another degree (a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics) on full scholarship at the University of Bristol, he applied again in 1923, and received a £140 scholarship from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. He was able to go to Cambridge, and studied the general theory of relativity and quantum physics. He completed his PhD in June 1926 when he was 24 years old. In 1934 he married Margit Winger (the sister of a famous Hungarian theoretical physicist).

 

His contributions to physics happened in rapid succession. In 1925 he made a massive advance in quantum theory, created the Dirac Equation (1928), quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics and proposed a theory about magnetic monopoles (1931)(building the foundation of string theory). Albert Einstein went on to say that there would be no better choice to become the Lucasian chair at Cambridge (a role Dirac obtained in 1932) than Dirac. His contribution to the Manhattan Project to build the first nuclear bombs towards the end of the Second World War was regarded as 'seminal' (meaning, he significantly influenced future developments). 

 

I would like to make Paul Dirac my notable because of the work he has done in science and how interested I am in the topics that he has studied and changed forever. From creating ways to separate Uranium isotopes to creating quantum mechanics, Paul Dirac is the dictionary definition of notable. I have gathered over 20 websites that I can use for further research and have a insatiable appetite for learning about physics. And, of course, if he was the Lucasian chair at Cambridge there would be no better person to study him other than me, Lucas. 

 

If he is my notable then I will cover all the topics I've mentioned in here in far more detail, including a timeline of his life that I could add on the website, additional information such as the projects he worked on, the subjects he studied and achievements he made in his field. This is why I believe I should be given the amazing opportunity to study Paul Dirac.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Lucas Matosantos