Fernanda Jamel retweetledi
Yesterday, the world lost an outstanding physicist and a truly remarkable human being.
I first met Nuno a few years ago. He had studied physics at the same university I attended in Lisbon, and we were introduced by a mutual friend.
During a later visit to Boston, I reached out to see if he might be available to meet. Despite his recent promotion to Director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT, and an understandably packed schedule, he did not hesitate to say yes.
I expected perhaps 15 minutes of his time in a hallway. Instead, the meeting turned into a 3-hour masterclass. Between cups of coffee and a flurry of back-of-the-envelope calculations, he gave me an unforgettable tour of the MIT fusion lab.
Nuno was one of those rare scientists who mastered his field so deeply that he could distill the most complex ideas into simple, elegant terms. Even as a world-class expert, he never forgot what it feels like not to know something; he could guide you up the "ladder of knowledge" step by step - a gift that reminded me of the greats, like Feynman.
His enthusiasm for the future of fusion was truly infectious. He had a rare blend of entrepreneurial drive and scientific rigor. I was so inspired that I remember ordering 4 books on the subject before I even got back to my hotel.
To the community of young Portuguese physicists, Nuno was a rare "local hero". He was a role model we could truly relate to - someone who once sat in the very same classrooms we did and proved that it was possible to reach the absolute pinnacle of the field.
Thank you, Nuno. You will be deeply missed. Rest in peace.
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