Julio Palacios Martínez
(Paniza, Zaragoza, 1891 − Madrid, 1970)

Julio Palacios Martínez obtained his Bachelor degree in mathematics and physics in Barcelona (1911), studied for his Ph.D. under Blas Cabrera at the Physics Research Laboratory, and became professor of Termology at the Unversidad Central, Madrid, in 1916. During the Great War, he moved to the University of Leiden, where he remained from 1916-1918, with a grant from the Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios (JAE). He studied cryogenics (low temperature) with Kamerlingh Onnes, attended Lorenz’ courses on the theory of physics, and Ehrenfest’s seminars on physics and mathematics.

Palacios was a convinced monarchist, and, in 1927, he became a member the Construction Board of the University City of Madrid headed by Alfonso XIII. In 1931, he obtained the Ramón y Cajal chair, created by the Spanish colony in Argentina, focused on " The Study of crystal structures through X-rays," which resulted in the establishment of a well-known school of X-rays and electron diffraction. In 1932, he entered the Academy of Sciences, where he delivered a speech on quantum mechanics.  He was its chairman from 1966 to 1970.

In 1944, he was confined in Almansa and his break with Franco’s régime was final. During 1947-1948, the Portuguese Institute for High Culture invited him to teach physics and promote research in the Faculty of Science. He decided to settle in Lisbon and was allowed to combine his teaching and research in Portugal and Spain. In 1953, he became a member of the Spanish Royal Academy, where he delivered an acceptance speech entitled "The language of physics and its peculiar philosophy.”

The height of his scientific output came with the publication of his Análisis dimensional (Lisbon, 1956), translated into French (Gauhier-Villars, Paris1960), and English (McMillan, London1964), the year of the publication of the Spanish 2nd edition. He became a prominent world expert in this field.

Parallel to this success in the context of "the dimensional" field, he began a sort of public campaign against relativism with the book Relatividad, una nueva teoría (1960). He was Don Juan Carlos de Borbón’s director of studies, and member of the privy council of Don Juan.