Re: Fermi problems
From the wikipedia entry you cited:
>>
Named for 20th century physicist Enrico Fermi, such problems typically involve making justified guesses about quantities that seem impossible to compute given limited available information. Fermi was known for his ability to make good approximate calculations with little or no actual data, hence the name.
One well-documented example is his estimate of the strength of the atomic bomb detonated at the Trinity test [the first test of a nuclear weapon on July 16, 1945 in New Mexico] based on the distance traveled by pieces of paper dropped from his hand during the blast.
<<
The 1980’s TV series, War and Remembrance, has a memorable scene of the Trinity test. A few minutes before the blast, Pug Henry’s son-in-law notes that, if the bomb performs as expected, it will forever change the conduct of war. Fermi (played by Frank Foti Jr.) replies that no one has any freaking idea what to expect!