"The fundamental point in fabricating a chain reacting machine is of course to see to it that each fission produces a certain number of neutrons and some of these neutrons will again produce fission"

Enrico Fermi's quote is describing the procedure of producing a chain reaction maker, which is a gadget that produces energy through a nuclear reaction. The fundamental point of this process is to make sure that each fission, or splitting of an atom, produces a particular number of neutrons. These neutrons will then trigger further fission, developing a domino effect. This chain reaction is what produces the energy. Fermi's quote is emphasizing the value of making sure that each fission produces the best variety of neutrons, as this is the crucial to producing a successful domino effect device. Without the ideal number of neutrons, the chain reaction will not have the ability to sustain itself and the maker will not have the ability to produce energy. Fermi's quote is a pointer of the importance of getting the information right when producing a domino effect device.