Fermi Problems Make Fun, Engaging Meeting Activities
Rhodes College SPS members in the midst of a chapter meeting.Keith Hoffmeister
For most meetings, our SPS leadership develops a Fermi problem themed around an upcoming holiday—from Halloween to Thanksgiving to the more comedic National Alien Day—to engage members. Named after the famous physicist Enrico Fermi, Fermi problems are open-ended questions that require approximating an answer based on assumptions and estimates. A well-known example posed by Fermi to his students is this: How many piano tuners are there in Chicago?
During meetings, we pose our thematic Fermi problem to chapter members. Then they break into groups to devise answers and share them. At the end, we present the actual answer for comparison.
Throughout the years, our problems have become increasingly ludicrous: How many slaps are required to cook a turkey? How many pies do you need to cross the ocean to Ireland? Often students have to give their answers in unconventional units, which results in some hilarious moments.
