On the 100th birthday anniversary of César Lattes, Google Doodle paid tribute

César Lattes doodle celebrating 100th birthday anniversary tribute by Google (Image Credit: Google)

On July 11, Google Doodle celebrated the 100th birthday anniversary of Brazilian physicist and teacher César Lattes and paid tribute to him and sharing wishes. He discovered the 'pion' or 'pi meson', a subatomic particle that plays an important function in particle physics.

His ground-breaking research improved our knowledge of nuclear forces. Lattes' research team was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery of the pion and other contributions to particle physics.

He was born to Italian immigrants in Curitiba on this day in 1924; the animated doodle was made by the Google team. Google Doodle wished Cesar a happy birthday and displayed their appreciation towards his outstanding contribution.

The discovery of the pion had an impact on particle physics since it laid the groundwork for the Japanese physicist Hideki Yukawa, who theorized the strong nuclear force.

Along with his contributions to advancing our knowledge of atomic structure, this finding made Ceasar come into the global limelight and brought him praise and recognition widely. He has also promoted science and literacy awareness in Brazil.

Google shared a statement on the contribution made by him and said, “Lattes received many awards for his advancements in nuclear forces and particle physics, including the Einstein Award from the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and an Order of Merit from Brazil and Italy,"  They further added, “Dozens of schools, roads, and town squares are named in his honour.”

He subsequently became a physics professor at both the University of São Paulo and the State University of Campinas. Lattes was also a strong proponent of government funding for scientific research, which resulted in the creation of the Brazilian Centre for Research in Physics (CBPF).

César Lattes was a revolutionary physicist whose discoveries fundamentally altered our knowledge of the universe. The Google Doodle honouring his legacy demonstrates his continuing significance in the field of science.