NationStates Jolt Archive

Louis Pasteur IMHO.

Newton

Albert Einstein. He did more work in physics than most can do in their entire lifetimes. Gallileo Gallilei, however, wasn't bad. He pioneered the scientific method, even if he didn't reduce it to an exact routine.

Not Mendel, he fudged his data. I voted Pasteur, since he completely destroyed spontaneous generation and basically started the whole health movement.

Not Mendel, he fudged his data. I voted Pasteur, since he completely destroyed spontaneous generation and basically started the whole health movement.

Same here.

Dr Strangelove.

I suppose it depends what you are looking for from a scientist. My kneejerk reaction is to go with Einstein because he was such a free thinker.

But I think for most bang for my buck, I'd go with Pythagoras.

Ptolemy: an astronomer whose theories remained unchallenged for some 1400 years, an accomplishment no other scientist can brag of. Sure, he had a geocentric view, but he was still able to accurately calculate and predict the proper rate of rotation and say in advance where the planets were going to be... sheer calculation here, people, despite a lack of "real" knowledge. Capability of predicting accurately is the mark of a great scientist, and to have such a long lasting, influential theory is impressive to say the least.

Greatest potential scientist:Nikola Tesla

Greatest actual scientist: Albert Einstien

Leonardo Da Vinci

Niels Bohr.

Frederick Banting

Where is Rutherford?

Where is Lister?

Where is (Marie) Curie?

Where is Linus Pauling?

*I know, some of these aren't really up there, but still..*

What? No Schrodinger or Heisenberg? Quantum mechanics was definitely the most revolutionary theory/discovery of the last century.

Gallileo Gallilei

What? No Schrodinger or Heisenberg? Quantum mechanics was definitely the most revolutionary theory/discovery of the last century.
Rutherford, bohr, etc. (because I can't remember their names)
I think they should just be grouped under Quantum Physics and be worshipped

Sir Issac. He may have made a mistake, but his work was vital, and laid the groundwork for all of physics up until Einstein came out with the Relativity stuff. He is the greatest, then, I'd say Einstein, because he corrected Newton's error and did so much for physics.

Frankenstein...or, um...Ptolemy...yeah, definitely him

No Galen? Hippocrates? Hawking? Darwin? Kepler? or Democritus of Abdera?
Shame on you :(

No Galen? Hippocrates? Hawking? Darwin? Kepler? or Democritus of Abdera?
Shame on you :(
*slaps the creator of the thread for inability to know every single scientist that ever lived, especially well known ones like Darwin*

Hmm, mix of sarcasm and truth there!?!??! How WILL you tell which bit is sarcastic and which bit isn't

*slaps the creator of the thread for inability to know every single scientist that ever lived, especially well known ones like Darwin*

Hmm, mix of sarcasm and truth there!?!??! How WILL you tell which bit is sarcastic and which bit isn't
Hmmm, I wonder?!?!?!?! :rolleyes:

Intersting point re Pythagoras:

He didn't come up with most of what's attributed to him. That was all from his followers, the Pythagoreans. They were pretty much a cult, begun from Pythagoras' belief in the magical properties of numbers. Most of the writing that historians accept as being actually by Pythagoras is pretty weird stuff about how you should put your shoes on your left foot first and other such rules.

Hmmm, I wonder?!?!?!?! :rolleyes:
*adds a dash of rapid eyebrow waggling*

?!?!?!!??!?!?!??!?!?!!??!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!??!??!?!!?!?!??!?!

*waggles eyebrows some more*

?!?!?!?!!!?!!?!?!?!?!??!!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!?!?!?!?!????!?!?!??!!

Richard Feynman. He did more in the way of progress in physics than any other. Read any modern book on the universe, quantum physics, quantum computing, or bongo-drum playing, and you'll find him referenced/quoted many times.

Andrew S. Tanenbaum, computer scientist.

Richard Feynman. He did more in the way of progress in physics than any other. Read any modern book on the universe, quantum physics, quantum computing, or bongo-drum playing, and you'll find him referenced/quoted many times.
I imagine that's where Feynman diagrams come from. bloody useful in my AS physics, that was

I admire Eisten, he was a great human being, a great mind, a scientist without pair....I got to vote for him....I dont know much about the other ones.

Ernest Walton. first guy to split the atom. and he was friends with my gran

The caveman who discovered fire. And why isn't Jospeh Mengele on that poll?

Nikola Tesla

Not Mendel, he fudged his data. I voted Pasteur, since he completely destroyed spontaneous generation and basically started the whole health movement.

Ditto.

Oh yes, and I would like to add a write in vote for Dr. Moreau. That whole thing with human/animal DNA splicing really jerked my chain.

Leonardo Da Vinci, hands down.

I have to go with Newton, though it was a tough call (I was tempted to put Feynmann, or maybe Darwin, as a write in). Newton came up with our first mathematical theory of how the universe works, and his basic approach to understanding the universe is essentially the one we still use today.

Besides that he managed to produce a theory which not only conformed to all observations made in his time, but which dealt easily with almost all the observations made for a long time afterwards too. His theories of motion and gravity are still substantially correct except in some extreme cases which would have been impossible to anticipate at the time.

Besides, if you've ever read the principia, it is amazing how solid his reasoning is. Newton's proof that the same force that holds us on the earth keeps the planets and moons in their orbits is one of the greatest accomplishments of science in my opinion.

Aristotle: the man pretty much invented science.

darwin. screw all this physics and chemistry crap - i like my science fuzzy at the edges.

Greatest potential scientist:Nikola Tesla

Greatest actual scientist: Albert Einstien

Greatest potential scientist? No. Nikola Tesla was a real scientist. He was respected by Einstein as a colleague, an equal. Just because he didn't get the respect or recognition from the public at large doesn't mean he didn't have the skills or the genius that they give undeservedly to people like Thomas Edison.

Aristotle: the man pretty much invented science.

it's too bad that when modern science was getting started the idea that his works were the epitome of all knowledge and could not be improved upon became the key thing to fight against, really.

it's too bad that when modern science was getting started the idea that his works were the epitome of all knowledge and could not be improved upon became the key thing to fight against, really.

Yeah, well rebels become kings and new rebels have to come along... its the same old cycle throughout history. Iconoclasts become icons themselves.

Ptolemy: an astronomer whose theories remained unchallenged for some 1400 years, an accomplishment no other scientist can brag of. Sure, he had a geocentric view, but he was still able to accurately calculate and predict the proper rate of rotation and say in advance where the planets were going to be... sheer calculation here, people, despite a lack of "real" knowledge. Capability of predicting accurately is the mark of a great scientist, and to have such a long lasting, influential theory is impressive to say the least.
ptolemy's numbers hardly fit for ancient data and as time went on, they went further and further apart.

he also basically got his ideas perpetuated by aristotle, someone else came up with heliocentrism before ptolemy came up with geocentrism.

Dmitrii Mendeleev of course! Come on, he invented the periodic table of elements (and thus most of Chemistry) and VODKA! What other scientist can claim something like that?

Hard to say. But simply because he has not been mentioned and he had a great impact on the modern world Frank Whittle.

I know there will be a shed load of pedants that might try to argue he was an engineer but IMHO the cutting edge of that field is as much a science as anything else.

Or just to put the can among the perverbial, the inventor of the light bulb, Joseph Swan.

Andrew S. Tanenbaum, computer scientist.

Good god no! I have to study by his book, not to mention his little debate with Linus Torvalds where he basicly said that Linux would never amount to anything. That's sorts along the lines of Bill Gates saiying X KB of RAM should be enough for anybody. And his code is buggy. :p

Why was Nikola Tesla omitted from this survey?
Based on revolutionary patents, and foresight that has left many of his discoveries primary technological tools that remain unchanged to this day, he should be a top contender.

Inventions: a telephone repeater, rotating magnetic field principle, polyphase alternating-current (AC) system, induction motor, alternating-current power transmission, Tesla coil transformer, wireless communication, radio, fluorescent lights, and more than 700 other patents.

Honestly, we are just now beginning to realize and utilize his discoveries of wireless communications. It is sad he is not among his contemperaries.

I say the man who invented Chocolate Milk. Ever heard anyone getting into a fight while drinking Chocolate Milk?

Sir Isac Newton since he basically re invented (if not invented) physics, and that has led to everything which we now know and even how to build.
alber eirnstein constructed theories which TBH havn't been any use yet..except to spark more theories and we don't even have a real hard product of his theories as we as yet do not have the technology or maybe never will to prove them..

Fools! Doctor Robotnik is the greatest scientific Genius in the world!

Mwahahahahaha!

Fools! Doctor Robotnik is the greatest scientific Genius in the world!

Mwahahahahaha!
Shut up. Doctor Doom would kick his ass.

But anyway, where is Tesla? The man invented a taser-like machine but, instead of using wires, be used aqueous salt (summat like CuSO4, but not sure). The man basically came up with the coolest idea for a weapon ever!

Albert is a legend, plus he was a vegetarian! :mp5:

I choose newton, and not einstein, because I can't choose the one who help to make the nuke bomb.

Shut up. Doctor Doom would kick his ass.

Oh please, doctor doom melted his face for gods sake.

In Einstein's defence, he was horrified by the thought of an atomic bomb, and worked as hard as he could to keep the device from being produced.

I picked Da Vinci. Last man to have a strong grasp, if not mastery, in EVERY art and science of his day. Designing a working helicopter when the idea of lift hasn't been discovered yet... brillince.

I voted Newton but Pasteur is well deserved of a mention.

May I make a shout out for Robert Winston as well. His discoveries have created IVF which now brings real joy to women the world over who without him would not have been blessed with children.

Not the greatest of all time, but worthy of a mention.

No real way of telling, they are scientists indeed, but they are from different fields. One would have to divide the pollings into biology, chemistry, physics etc....

Alfred Nobel.

'nuff said.

Because I don't have much to say about the guy, really.

Oh please, doctor doom melted his face for gods sake.
Yeah, but doctor Robotnik (incidentally now called Dr. Eggman - sucky suck name) got his ass kicked at the end of every other level by a GM hedgehog, for chrissake. You ever fight a hedgehog? You can run 'em over and they die reeeal fast.

TTOL does not condone the running over or general harm of hedgehogs, especially blue ones that are intelligent enough to beat floating red-headed goons.

Batman of course.

Batman of course.

Holy Gravity batman!

*Is zapped by Dr. Eggman!*

From the list made available, I picked Einstein. The photoelectric effect helped to start the quantum mechanics revolution by showing light can act as a particle (even though he disliked quantum theory). Then relativity opened the path to nuclear power and weaponary, as well as going to the moon.

I almost wanted to pick Darwin (and Wallace to be fair) because of their massive achievements, but I decided not to do a write in.

Maybe there should be a poll for "greatest physicist", greatest biologist, and greatest chemist or something of the like. Then there can be a championship round at the end!

Richard Feynman. He did more in the way of progress in physics than any other. Read any modern book on the universe, quantum physics, quantum computing, or bongo-drum playing, and you'll find him referenced/quoted many times.

Absolutely.

If you've not read it, I'd thoroughly recommend his (semi-autobiographical) book 'Surely You're Joking, Mr.Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character'; full of amusing anecdotes and tales from his life.

Thomas Crapper.

- Google him -

Ah. Thomas crapper. Iventor of the toilet. Very nice. But einstein would get experimental on his ass. lol.

Gray, of "Gray's anatomy" (Someone said da Vinci and Edison already.)

Da Vinci

Greatest Scientist?

Definitely Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant, Beaker.

Newton

Either Nicolai Tesla or Steven Hawking.

Greatest Scientist?

Definitely Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant, Beaker.

Bunsen & Beaker are legends. :)

Sir Isac Newton since he basically re invented (if not invented) physics, and that has led to everything which we now know and even how to build.
alber eirnstein constructed theories which TBH havn't been any use yet..except to spark more theories and we don't even have a real hard product of his theories as we as yet do not have the technology or maybe never will to prove them..

Oops (http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/oct/HQ_04351_time_drags.html).

As well, make sure you tell that to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

I'll go with Newton at the moment. One of my courses this semester is classic mechanics and it's just amazing considering that it was the first 'real' mathematical theory and that he had to develop the math he used in his theory himself.

a = a' + as + ac
as = aO' + crossprod((d(omega)/dt),r') + crossprod(omega,crossprod(omega,r'))
ac = 2*crossprod(omega,v')

Sir Isac Newton since he basically re invented (if not invented) physics, and that has led to everything which we now know and even how to build.
alber eirnstein constructed theories which TBH havn't been any use yet..except to spark more theories and we don't even have a real hard product of his theories as we as yet do not have the technology or maybe never will to prove them..

allthough i have voted newton, i disagree with your statements regarding einstein. Predictions made by einstein have been tested and his theories seem to be death accurate for now. Einstein's work is used in tv's, lasers ... basicly everything that we consider to be 20th century or later.

Without Aristotle none of the people on your list would have a job.

allthough i have voted newton, i disagree with your statements regarding einstein. Predictions made by einstein have been tested and his theories seem to be death accurate for now. Einstein's work is used in tv's, lasers ... basicly everything that we consider to be 20th century or later.

Actually Einstein proposed the MASER which eventually developed into the LASER....

Einestien, schrodinger, Schwarzchild, nordstrom ectra. Quantum physics, General realativity, and other such semi realated goodies.

Einestien, schrodinger, Schwarzchild, nordstrom ectra. Quantum physics, General realativity, and other such semi realated goodies.

Bohr anyone??? :)

I dare say!
Even though all of the above are doubtlessly ingenious scientists I have to point out that the likes of Planck, Maxwell, Copernicus and Kepler have sadly been omitted.
Although Einstein's research has been of great value to posterity, I have a feeling that he owes some if his fame to the circumstances that made him the epitome fo the nutty professor, what with his hair and general conduct in public. People use his name ("Tell me something I don't already know, Einstein!" etc.) without really knowing what he gave us in terms of knowledge and understanding, and I would not be surprised if many of those who voted for him in this very poll, did so because they had never heard of any of the other candidates.

Lots of great responses. Of course Aristotle was the first to categorize science as such, so deserves a lot of credit.

I had to put Newton down as my choice, not just for his theories and discoveries, but for being able to invent a whole branch of incredibly complex mathematics (calculus) that accurately describes the way the world works.

And a side note on Edison - there's obviously a difference between theoretical scientists and practical scientists. But it takes a great mind (as well) to figure out so many useful and practical applications for theories that have been posited by the theorists. So I give him a lot of credit as well.

Thomas Crapper.
He was an inventor, not a scientist. There's a difference.
I have to say, your list is very small.
What of:
Pythagoras (Right Angle triangle theorem, discoverer of the musical scale)
Hippocrates (Begun the science of Medicine)
Plato (one of the greatest philosophers, promoted looking at things logically)
Aristotle (taught us to learn by observation, among other things)
Euclid (Until the 20th Century, his maths books were the most read books in the World, after the Bible)
Archimedes (Invented the Archimedes screw and claw, compound pulley systems, method of exhaustion, science of hydrostatics and advanced maths)
Hipparchus (Invented trigonometry and advanced our knowledge of geography and astronomy, including Latitude and Longitude)
Ptolemy (set up everything that would be taught for the next 15 Centuries)
Al-Khwarizmi (invented Algebra. From his name we have Algorithm)
Fibonacci (not really much of a scientist but introduced the Hindu-Indian base-ten numerical system to Europe which was revolutionary. Also gave us the Fibonacci spiral and Golden Ratio)
Gutenberg (Another inventor, not scientist, but his movable type printing press also changed Science and the World)
da Vinci (While little of his inventions were created, he's important for his methodical approach to science that others who followed took up)
Copernicus (Proved the Earth circles the Sun)
Bacon (Argued that the correct method for science was experimentation)
Galilei (invented the refracting telescope, and proved pendulums would take the same time to swing regardless of the amplitude)
Kepler (gave us Kepler's laws of planetary motion and proved the planets follow an ellliptical orbit)
Harvey (revolutionised Medicine. First one to take a rational and scientific approach to biology)
Descartes (one of the first modern philosophers. He also gave us Cartesian co-ordinates and so married geometry to algebra)
Pascal (Gave us so much maths it's impossible to list. Also gave us Pascal's law of pressure)
Boyle (Boyle's law of pressure, as well as starting Chemistry as it's own scientific subject)
Huygens (Gave us the theory of light as a wave, discovered Titan and accurately explained Saturn's rings)
Hooke (invented/greatly improved the: telescope, compound microscope, dial barometer, anemometer, hygrometer, balance spring, quadrant, universal joint and iris diaphragm)
Halley (Used the Transit of Venus to work out the distance from the Earth to the Sun, did a lot of work in astronomy. Most importantly he encouraged Newton to write his Principia and paid for it's publishing out of his own pocket)
Franklin (Invented lightning conductors, bifocal lenses and street lamps. Established the first Public Library in the US, established the modern Postal service, set up police and fire depts and established the Democratic Party)
Cavendish (one of History's tragic figures. Could be remembered as one of the greatest Physicist ever if only he had published! Discovered Coulumb's laws, Ohm's laws, and Faraday's laws at least 50 years before any of them did. Also worked out the weight and density of the Earth, accurate within 1%. But you want Great Scientists, so he was. Unfortunately so shy he couldn't bring himself to publish his work)
Priestley (Discovered oxygen,nitrogen, CO2, ammonia and did a lot of work into Electricity)
Watt (invented the Rotary engine)
Volta (Created the battery. Also discovered methane)
Dalton (His atomic theory transformed basic chemistry and physics)
Farraday (Created the electric motor, discovered the principle that would lead to the generator, transformer and dynamo. Discovered the basic laws of electrolysis. Discovered the Farraday effect)
Darwin (Theory of Evolution)
Joule (Discovered the first law of Thermodynamics)
Pasteur (Invented Pasteurisation, found a cure for Rabies and Anthrax)
Mendel (The father of genetics. BTW the lowest mark he ever got in an exam was for biology)
Kelvin (Huge amount of work in thermodynamics and electromagnetism. Discovered the 2nd law of Thermodynamics and worked out Absolute zero)
Nobel (Invented Dynamite, the blasting cap, gelatin, ballistic, as well as 350 other patents. Gave an award to Arafat)
Maxwel (Provided a unified mathematical explanation for electromagnetism)
Mendeleev (Invented the Periodic table)
Edison (invented the phonograph, the Kinetograph, the dictaphone, the carbon button transmitter - still used in telephones today - the mimeograph, the electronic voting machine, incandescent lamp and the universal stock ticker, among 1093 patents!)
Bell (Credited with inventing the telephone. A story worth reading about)
Rontgen (Discovered X-rays)
Daimler (Invented the petrol internal combustion engine, the motorcycle, first car, improved the 2-stroke, 4 cyclinder engine)
Becquerel and the Curies (Discovered radioactivity)
Tesla (Invented the Tesla coil, wireless communication and flourescent lights among over 700 patents. Gave us AC power)
Freud (While most of his ideas are now discredited, he needs to be recognised as the father of modern psychology)
Hertz (Discovered Radio waves)
Planck (Discovered Quantum theory)
Rutherford (Split the atom - the nuclear theory of the atom. Developed the proton accelerator)
Fleming (Discovered Penicilin)
Marconi (Invented the radio telegraph)
Goddard (Invented the jet engine)
Hubble (Revolutionised the way we see the cosmos. Worked out the age of the Universe. Proved the Universe is expanding)
Schrodinger (Discovered quantum wave mechanics)
Bohr (His discoveries and theories led to the development of the Atomic bomb)
Turing (The father of the modern computer age)
Oppenheimer (Main man for inventing the A-Bomb. "I have become Death, the destroyer of Worlds!")
Watson, Crick and Wilkins (Discovered DNA double Helix)
Hawking (lots of work into quantum theory. Helped popularise Quantum theory)

um...some of those on your list have already been mentioned....but yes...a goodly list indeed....

Pythagoras (Right Angle triangle theorem, discoverer of the musical scale)

There remains doubt whether the discoveries accredited to Pythagoras were actually made by him himself, or his followers (in this he is not unlike Thomas Edison).

Hippocrates (Begun the science of Medicine)

Medicine as Hippocrates saw it wasn't really a science though, was it?

Plato (one of the greatest philosophers, promoted looking at things logically)

No, he promoted looking at things rationally, rather than logically, and was not above performing his own sophistical tricks. In fact, compared to Aristotle, and his policy of actually going out and looking at how the world works in order to understand it, Plato's methodology - philosophical contemplation of the Forms is laughable when you discuss science.

My vote for Oppenheimer. I know all you peace-niks and anti-Atomic people out there will call me a monster but to create something so evil yet so good at the same time and save so many lives while killing so many is truly a conflict not with science but with humanity.

allthough i have voted newton, i disagree with your statements regarding einstein. Predictions made by einstein have been tested and his theories seem to be death accurate for now. Einstein's work is used in tv's, lasers ... basicly everything that we consider to be 20th century or later.

But the Unified Field Theory didn't fly. It's only recently that M Theory has added an eleventh dimension which "upgrades" String Theory to the point where it seems to offer what Einstein was reaching for.

But the Unified Field Theory didn't fly. It's only recently that M Theory has added an eleventh dimension which "upgrades" String Theory to the point where it seems to offer what Einstein was reaching for.

Though I voted for Newton, I think this is a little unfair. It's true that Einstein spent the latter part of his life searching for a unified theory he never found, but in his more productive years he produced enough verifiable sceintific discoveries to fill several lifetimes. The theory of General Relativity alone puts Einstien on any list of greatest scientists. And General Relativity is only the begining of Einstein's contribution. Just because he never managed to find a theory that explained EVERYTHING doesn't make his accomplishments any less impressive.

Though I voted for Newton, I think this is a little unfair. It's true that Einstein spent the latter part of his life searching for a unified theory he never found, but in his more productive years he produced enough verifiable sceintific discoveries to fill several lifetimes.

However, seeing as how you voted for a man that devoted the greater part of his life to alchemy (and probably poisoned himself to death as a result), you have to make this allowance - after all, wasn't it John Maynard Keynes that called Newton "not the first of the age of reason: he was the last of the magicians"?

Bohr anyone??? :)

Wild or Nils? :D

Though I voted for Newton, I think this is a little unfair. It's true that Einstein spent the latter part of his life searching for a unified theory he never found, but in his more productive years he produced enough verifiable sceintific discoveries to fill several lifetimes. The theory of General Relativity alone puts Einstien on any list of greatest scientists. And General Relativity is only the begining of Einstein's contribution. Just because he never managed to find a theory that explained EVERYTHING doesn't make his accomplishments any less impressive.

Agreed. If my post seems to indicate otherwise, I humbly apologize. :)

I was down to Newton, Tesla, & Einstein, and then I applied the simple one-question test that I probably should have given first- How many years behind would we be without them?

Tesla was brilliant, no doubt about it, but frankly someone would have realized the advantages of AC current pretty damn soon, and they'd have figured out how to do everything he's done with it within a decade, probably.

Einstein's theory of relativity... I'm confident that we'd have figured it out by now. With all the work so many scientists have done with it, at least one of them would have HAD to try and explain the atomic mass defect, which is pretty damn hard to ignore when you get to work on the atomic level. After that (beautiful, elegant, and occasionally useful) equation, tracking everything is the next logical step.

Newton, though... We'd get Calculus from Leibnitz almost concurrently. Optics, he fudged his data a bit, so it shouldn't count. Gravity, though, one of the crowning achievements of science. All equations of the four fundamental forces are modeled after g's. It put a clear distinction between mass & weight. It's so ingrained in our minds that we consider it second-sense, up until the moment we remember when we were mere kiddies and didn't get it. His work is like the ability to read- it's just a part of you that you can't remember how you learned, but couldn't imagine living without.

I was down to Newton, Tesla, & Einstein, and then I applied the simple one-question test that I probably should have given first- How many years behind would we be without them?


Surely if we ask this question then Aristotle comes out in the lead, no? - if only because of the very different economic conditions of the times he lived in: less population with less leisure time, and thus less opportunities for others to have the same realisations that he did?

The greatest scientists as far as I'm concerned is Karl Shwarzschild!!! He's the guy that figured out the time at which Collapsing stars become Black holes (Soooooo cool).

Darwin, Hawking, and Hubble.

where is charles darwin on that list?

The first "guy" who figured out how to START a fire.

The first "guy" who figured out how to START a fire.

That ain't science - that's technology. Science is working out why rubbing two sticks together or banging pieces of flint off one another makes sparks.

I personally like Richard Feynman the best, but I don't think he was the greatest.

Leonhard Euler.

However, seeing as how you voted for a man that devoted the greater part of his life to alchemy (and probably poisoned himself to death as a result), you have to make this allowance - after all, wasn't it John Maynard Keynes that called Newton "not the first of the age of reason: he was the last of the magicians"?


I have to admit you've got me there. :-)

Leonhard Euler.

Euler may have been a good scientist, but mostly he's remembered as one of the world's most brilliant mathmaticians. I might vote for him as greatest mathematician, but not scientist.

That ain't science - that's technology. Science is working out why rubbing two sticks together or banging pieces of flint off one another makes sparks.
Science and Technology go hand and hand.
Plus that first "guy" worked out that fire was a usable substance, he reasoned this...science.