NationStates Jolt Archive

NS General is in need of some decent scientific debate, so I've decided to put this little thread up. I appologise to anyone who feels my poll options are too norrow and western-orrientated, but I kinda have to stick with what I know.

Personally, I reckon Charles Darwin deserves the title. Whether you agree with him or not, no-one can really deny that he is one of the most influencial scientists of all time, and I believe Evolution is the most important scientific theory of the last 200 years.

Batman!
Ernest Rutherford
Darwin stole his Uncles Ideas and they are wrong!

Darmwin was good, but Einstein was the man.

Batman!
Ernest Rutherford
Darwin stole his Uncles Ideas and they are wrong!

That is such a typical Kiwi answer.

At no point did Darwin claim the idea of evolution as his own.

Darmwin was good, but Einstein was the man.

The only reason I didn't pick Albert was the cosmilogical constant. For all he did, the cosmological constant was inexcusable.

Leonardo da Vinci.
Brilliant man and an artist too. I think his supplements to humanity in general outweigh anyone elses.

NS General is in need of some decent scientific debate, so I've decided to put this little thread up. I appologise to anyone who feels my poll options are too norrow and western-orrientated, but I kinda have to stick with what I know.

Personally, I reckon Charles Darwin deserves the title. Whether you agree with him or not, no-one can really deny that he is one of the most influencial scientists of all time, and I believe Evolution is the most important scientific theory of the last 200 years.

Hmm, firstly I'll say that a definition of "greatest" is in order - are we talking about who made the largest/most significant contribution to science qua science, or are we talking about who made the greatest contribution to science in the form of making people *aware* of it?

Many who fit in the second group [examples that come to mind are Dawkins, Sagan, Hawking] may not fit at all well into the first group [Hawking excepted].

Secondly, what specific area are we talking about? It would be very easy to restrict the discussion to "traditional" science - biology, chemistry, physics - but that's probably not a great idea. Take this here internet - the computer science responsible for this little doohickey would, you'll agree, constitute a *massive* contribution to humanity.

Hmm, methinks this thread is either going to die a rapid death, or explode in an electron fuelled orgy of mass communication.

I voted Einstein. Although I could argue that I like Galileo
more. (from stories you know) Still Einstein has had (and still
has) huge influence in science.

Euclid. He's the only ancient scientist whose findings are still the basis for his science today. We now have non-euclidian maths, which are very interesting, but that's the point: the field of mathematics you're working in is defined by how it relates to Euclid's Axioms.

Hmm, firstly I'll say that a definition of "greatest" is in order - are we talking about who made the largest/most significant contribution to science qua science, or are we talking about who made the greatest contribution to science in the form of making people *aware* of it?

Many who fit in the second group [examples that come to mind are Dawkins, Sagan, Hawking] may not fit at all well into the first group [Hawking excepted].

Secondly, what specific area are we talking about? It would be very easy to restrict the discussion to "traditional" science - biology, chemistry, physics - but that's probably not a great idea. Take this here internet - the computer science responsible for this little doohickey would, you'll agree, constitute a *massive* contribution to humanity.

Hmm, methinks this thread is either going to die a rapid death, or explode in an electron fuelled orgy of mass communication.

I deliberately let people use their own definition of great. My objective with this thread was not really to get an answer to the question, but to start a debate. Nothing gets debate going like ambiguity.

I assume IKB is counted as a scientist, so my vote goes for him. (Isambard Kingdom Brunel)

Euclid. He's the only ancient scientist whose findings are still the basis for his science today. We now have non-euclidian maths, which are very interesting, but that's the point: the field of mathematics you're working in is defined by how it relates to Euclid's Axioms.

I believe we have Pythagoras to thank more than any other person for modern maths. He really pioneered the concept of mathematical proof, and as far as I know, the Axioms Euclid set out really only expanded on this precedent.

How could you have forgotten Aristotle?

That is such a typical Kiwi answer.

At no point did Darwin claim the idea of evolution as his own.
When was the last time you beat the Joker hmm?

Actually although Sir Ernest Rutherford was good i would call him the greatest.
Science is one of those things were someone elses step allows you to take yours.
Unlike Batman he makes Science cool! :cool:

I assume IKB is counted as a scientist, so my vote goes for him. (Isambard Kingdom Brunel)

Never heard of him, what did he do?

Never heard of him, what did he do?

Built most of Britain, if memory serves.

How could you have forgotten Aristotle?

:headbang: DAMN! Sorry, forgot.

When was the last time you beat the Joker hmm?

Actually although Sir Ernest Rutherford was good i would call him the greatest.
Science is one of those things were someone elses step allows you to take yours.
Unlike Batman he makes Science cool! :cool:

You may want to clarify that post a bit...

I believe we have Pythagoras to thank more than any other person for modern maths. He really pioneered the concept of mathematical proof, and as far as I know, the Axioms Euclid set out really only expanded on this precedent.This is quite true, but then again all a scientist or any thinker ever does is to expand on somebody else's precedent.

You forgot Leonardo Va Vinci and Thomas Edison.

Einstein. Because he was ze German XD

Stephen Hawking! He controls the entire universe with his eyebrow!

The thing I admire about Rutherford, (and don't take this the wrong way), is that he wasn't highly intelligent. However, he was able to make important contributions to science by carefully thinking things through, following the scientific method, and through sheer determination. He spent thousands of hours working on experiments. So it just goes to show that you don't have to be a genius to win a noble prize.

When he did his experiment that discovered the nucleus, he never expected to get the results that he did, however, the fact that he placed his detector where he did shows he was a very careful and rigorous scientist. Many scientists would never have expected to get a reading there and so wouldn't have placed their dector there.

The Professor stuck on Gilligan's Island... Look at what he could do with a couple of Coconuts! :D

Seriously tho...you opening the feild to every form of Research? Genetics, Mathmatics, Chemestry... each has their greats, and each have their own standards to mesure by.

I really can't answer because they all strove for greatness. they tested the borders of common knowledge and expanded man's horizon.

Never heard of him, what did he do?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/brunel_kingdom_isambard.shtml

Well, I voted for Newton. Sure, he was a fairly nasty person, and a bit mad; but anyone who invents his own mathematical system just to prove his theory is all right in my books!

Although I do like Einstein. Sure, the cosmological constant wasn't so good, but everyone makes mistakes...

Wouldn't IKB count more as an engineer?

Louis Pasteur has had a huge influence on modern medicine, chemistry and biology. I don't know if he's the greatest scientist of all time, but he's up there. ;)

Louis Pasteur has had a huge influence on modern medicine, chemistry and biology. I don't know if he's the greatest scientist of all time, but he's up there. ;)Not to mention he basically invented hygiene, which thankfully contradicts the tired "Frenchmen are smelly and dirty" cliché.

Archimedes!

he died for science.

Not to mention he basically invented hygiene, which thankfully contradicts the tired "Frenchmen are smelly and dirty" cliché.

Oh. I thought it was ironic.

The only reason I didn't pick Albert was the cosmilogical constant. For all he did, the cosmological constant was inexcusable.

You should look into this a little. There's a fair amount of evidence that the universe has a non-zero (but very small) cosmological constant.

Although there is debate as to who came up with it first, Newton created calculus making him the father of modern mathematics. Then he created the laws of motion and gravity making him the father of modern physics. Then he studied the nature of light, making him the father of modern optics. Any one of these feats would have made him one of the greatest if not the greatest scientist ever.

I'm a great admirer of Richard Feynman, there's some really great biography's about him.

It's interesting to think about how each scientist is made great, some from sheer intelligence, some from dedication and hard work and others from imagination and intuition.

NS General is in need of some decent scientific debate, so I've decided to put this little thread up. I appologise to anyone who feels my poll options are too norrow and western-orrientated, but I kinda have to stick with what I know.

Personally, I reckon Charles Darwin deserves the title. Whether you agree with him or not, no-one can really deny that he is one of the most influencial scientists of all time, and I believe Evolution is the most important scientific theory of the last 200 years.
Einstein, or Niels Bohr.

Even when Einstein was wrong [ the cosmological constant ] he was right!

Niels Bohr was the founder of the Copenhagen School of quantum physics, which led the way to a non-intuitive interpretation of the universe.

I've just looked up the cosmological constant, I'd never heard of it. And to my mind it doesn't look like a mistake, he was just edging his bets because of an unknown factor - why the Universe hadn't collapsed already.
And after all if it turns out that the cosmological constant is zero, no harm done, it's a nice round number :)

Actually, Einstein's biggest blunder to me was quoting 'God does not play dice!' about quantum theory.

How could you have forgotten Aristotle?

Indeed. The man gets my vote, even though he was wrong in almost all of his science.

Euclid. He's the only ancient scientist whose findings are still the basis for his science today. We now have non-euclidian maths, which are very interesting, but that's the point: the field of mathematics you're working in is defined by how it relates to Euclid's Axioms.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but Euclid isn't the basis of maths as such, but rather of the subset of it which is Euclidean Geometry, no?

I've just looked up the cosmological constant, I'd never heard of it. And to my mind it doesn't look like a mistake, he was just edging his bets because of an unknown factor - why the Universe hadn't collapsed already.
And after all if it turns out that the cosmological constant is zero, no harm done, it's a nice round number :)

Actually, Einstein's biggest blunder to me was quoting 'God does not play dice!' about quantum theory.
Turns out that what Einstein called the "cosmological constant" is what we now refer to as "dark energy," which seems to be responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe.

Archimedes!

he died for science.

So did Marie Curie, non?

I picked Darwin, if for no other reason than that Evolutionary Theory gets up some people's noses so much. Any theory that bugs people that much and sparks literally a century of debate has got to be awesome in its significance. Evolutionary Theory moved science firmly out of the realm of myth and into the world of data.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but Euclid isn't the basis of maths as such, but rather of the subset of it which is Euclidean Geometry, no?Maths, geometry, it's all the same. ;)

You're absolutely right.

So did Marie Curie, non?

Quite true, and I have a particular affinity for her.

Tesla, enough said.

Although there is debate as to who came up with it first, Newton created calculus making him the father of modern mathematics. Then he created the laws of motion and gravity making him the father of modern physics. Then he studied the nature of light, making him the father of modern optics. Any one of these feats would have made him one of the greatest if not the greatest scientist ever.

1 - Newton created parts of calculus - Leibniz invented the notation we use today and it was only Newton's sneakiness that got him all the credit.

2 - Robert Hooke actualy did much of the work on the theory of gravity. (but not Hooke's law...)

3 - I would credit Beer, Lambert and Bouger with all the optics I deal with, but I admit I don't know in detail what Newton's work in optics achieved.

1 - Newton created parts of calculus - Leibniz invented the notation we use today and it was only Newton's sneakiness that got him all the credit.

2 - Robert Hooke actualy did much of the work on the theory of gravity. (but not Hooke's law...)

3 - I would credit Beer, Lambert and Bouger with all the optics I deal with, but I admit I don't know in detail what Newton's work in optics achieved.

1. While Cambridge was closed due to plague, Newton created calculus independantly and several years prior to Leibniz. He laid down the foundation for differential and integral calculus. To say that he only invented parts of it or that he is only given credit due to "sneakiness" unfairly belittles this amazing accomplishment. Credit is given rightfully to both Newton and Leibniz for the creation of calculus.

2. Robert Hooke conceptualized the idea of gravity as an inverse square effect. It was Newton who took this idea and created all of the mathematics for it.

3. Although these other scientists were giants in the field, Newton laid down all of the foundations for the optics that we still use today.

1. While Cambridge was closed due to plague, Newton created calculus independantly and several years prior to Leibniz. He laid down the foundation for differential and integral calculus. To say that he only invented parts of it or that he is only given credit due to "sneakiness" unfairly belittles this amazing accomplishment. Credit is given rightfully to both Newton and Leibniz for the creation of calculus.

2. Robert Hooke conceptualized the idea of gravity as an inverse square effect. It was Newton who took this idea and created all of the mathematics for it.

3. Although these other scientists were giants in the field, Newton laid down all of the foundations for the optics that we still use today.

Still think he was a shifty git. Afterall, HE wrote the report for the Royal Society into who invented calculus, him or Leibniz. Dodgy, no?

Plus he didn't die for science like Curie or Archimedes.

Nobody is arguing that Newton was a nice guy or that he wasn't dodgy. He was actually a real dick from what most historians say. Despite this, you can't take away his accomplishments. Although he didn't die in the name of science, he was such a science nerd that it is believed that he died a virgin. If that isn't sacrifice for his craft, I don't know what is.

Can't believe you left off Da Vinci. Ben Franklin would be another good addition, since without electricity we wouldn't be on this forum!

I voted for Galileo, since I like the idea of dropping cannonballs out of buildings.
I wouldn't have voted for Einstein, not because his accomplishments aren't incredible, but because they haven't (yet) proven to be useful in any real sense of the word.
I would have voted for either da Vinci, or Edison if they'd been on the poll.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but Euclid isn't the basis of maths as such, but rather of the subset of it which is Euclidean Geometry, no?I think you're right about Euclid not being the basis of math, but I think the point that was trying to be made was that Euclidian Geometry has remained virtually unchanged, whereas most other mathematical theories have been significantly changed.

Niels Bohr and then Richard Feynman for physicists
Gregor Mendel for Biologists (much more important than Darwin)
Alan Turing and whoever invented the numeral 0 for mathematicians
Crick and Watson for chemists

Tesla, he also had a great band named after him, and Edison, who was in a songtitle of the aforementioned band. Still voting on Pasteur though. ;)

I would choose Leonardo DaVinci or Copernicus as they seemed to always think independently and out-of-the-box.Has anyone read entanglement?

How could you have forgotten Aristotle?

Great philosopher, not much of a scientist...

What about Maxwell? Without his equations Einstien would have been lost. Although my personal favourite would have to be Pythagorus: the man and his followers worshipped numbers and when one follower argued against pythagorus' theory that the world was made of perfect numbers because of irrationals like pi- he drowned the mofo! Thats a win in my book.

I think you're right about Euclid not being the basis of math, but I think the point that was trying to be made was that Euclidian Geometry has remained virtually unchanged, whereas most other mathematical theories have been significantly changed.

Not really - most of classical mathematics still exists in much the same form. I could of course be missing something very obvious here.

Great philosopher, not much of a scientist...
Not much? Um, last I read he was creditied with laying down most of the scientific method, which is how everyone else on the list made their discoveries.

Great philosopher, not much of a scientist...Not much?
Um, last I read he was creditied with laying down most of the scientific method, which is how everyone else on the list made their discoveries.

Not recognising Aristotle as a scientist is rather ignoring the years 300BC to the early Renaissance - for over a thousand years he was just about both the beginning and end of science.

Personally I think Einstein is the best of them, simply because some of the stuff he came up with was so unintuitive compared to the others.

Personally I think Einstein is the best of them, simply because some of the stuff he came up with was so unintuitive compared to the others.

I think the fact that all the others (even Darwin) have been much more assimilated by popular and general culture serves so as to shape our so-called intuitions, rather than it being a case of them making more intuitive discoveries/theories/inventions.

The only reason I didn't pick Albert was the cosmological constant. For all he did, the cosmological constant was inexcusable.


Well OK, but to explain the fabric of space/time and predict the gravitational bending of light? And how about the subjectivity of time to the individual perspective relative to the speed of an object? These are concepts so advanced the average person still to this day can't cope with the reality of the universe they live in.

When I finally understood Relativity it was a massive revelation and I'll be damned if I can actually explain it to anyone. It could take centuries for the rest of the world to catch up to that man.

Darwin was more of a philosopher than a scientist. That said, my favorite scientist is probably Gauss (sp?).

Darwin was more of a philosopher than a scientist. That said, my favorite scientist is probably Gauss (sp?).
Gauss was more of a mathematician than a scientist.

I think the fact that all the others (even Darwin) have been much more assimilated by popular and general culture serves so as to shape our so-called intuitions, rather than it being a case of them making more intuitive discoveries/theories/inventions.

I disagree, I think that his theories were much harder to imagine when they first came out compared to others (although Newton did try and keep 'smetterers' away by making his language next to impossible to understand.

Newton invented or developed to a useful extent the field of nonquantum physics and calculus. Given that everything Einstein did would have been useless without Newtonian physics to compare it too or calculus to calculate it with, and the sheer importance of calculus by itself is more than enough to catapult him beyond anybody, in my opinion.

I'd have to say a modern physicist, because Newtonian physics all makes sense. Not to say something rash like "I could have thought of that" but it's so much more straightforward, and not very confusing once explained. Nuclear physics and quantum mechanics will twist your brain and chop it into little pieces. That's stuff which will drive you mad thinking about it; there's a level of thought above and beyond what Newton did.

And of the contributors to modern physics, the greatest and best known is of course Einstein.

Alexander Graham Bell- jeez the telephone people, air conditioning, metal detector, the respirator, and many more things, MY GOD HE EVEN TAUGHT HIS DOG TO TALK!!!!

Personally, I reckon Charles Darwin deserves the title. Whether you agree with him or not, no-one can really deny that he is one of the most influencial scientists of all time, and I believe Evolution is the most important scientific theory of the last 200 years.
Uh.... general relativity? Quantum mechanics?

Yeah, those aren't important at all.... let's say that a theory that only impacts one specific aspect of this planet (life) is more important than theories concerning the entire universe.

The professor on Gilligan's Island, or professor Challenger on The Lost World. But seriously, Newton.

Easy answer. Einstein, hands down. Changed the way we looked at the universe using only thought experiments. Presented a world view no human had ever thought before and could ever have dreamed of.

Next, I agree that Newton is a giant. Developed calculus and was the first to present physical law in concise mathematical form with his laws of motion.

NS General is in need of some decent scientific debate, so I've decided to put this little thread up. I appologise to anyone who feels my poll options are too norrow and western-orrientated, but I kinda have to stick with what I know.

Personally, I reckon Charles Darwin deserves the title. Whether you agree with him or not, no-one can really deny that he is one of the most influencial scientists of all time, and I believe Evolution is the most important scientific theory of the last 200 years.

Errr... I don't think that this is much of a debate thread... it is after all an opinion thread... and a short-lived one too me thinks...

But since you asked, I'll say Copernicus, cos he was Polish, as were the Curies!!!

Imhotep. The man, not the "god."
Or Pythagoras.

I quite like Faraday, Bohr and Einstein

da Vinci

Niels Bohr and not just be cuz i am Danish but the guy wass a genius or John Nash half crazy but still a genius just like me there is a fine line between being a psycopath or a genius if there is a line at all.

We cant just wote or write who we think was the greatest they were all great men and women they changed the way we look at ourselfs and the univers. John Nash Niels Borh Imhotep Da vinci Stephen Hawkins RULES!!!!!

Can't believe you left off Da Vinci. Ben Franklin would be another good addition, since without electricity we wouldn't be on this forum!

Farraday is far superior in the field of electricity (accidental pun) than Benjami Franklin

There is only one truth my fellow nerds geeks and Psycopaths and that is all is relativ there is only one truth or is there we all have theorys some more ingenius than others these guys i have listed is some that i think is more ingenius than others. PHILOSOPHERS PROFFESORS in MATH PSYCHICS or GENIUSES

Can I put forward a few archaeologists as great scientists?
Pitt Rivers revolutionised recording techniques by turning archaeology away from treasure hunting towards actually scientific recording. Also he was just an all round cool guy.

Mary Leakey was able to date local ash layers using potassium argon dating and thereby date the Laetoli footprints.

Robson revolutionised carbon dating by creating calibration curves using samples from tree rings.

Foley reanalysed skeletal and ecological data to create a general theory for human evolution in Africa.

ALL IS RELATIV ALL IS RELATIV ALL IS RELATIV ALL IS RELATIV maybe i am weird we are all weird argh fgas argh IF THE UNIVERS IS UNLIMITED POSSsIBIlITIeS aRE UnLIMItED a planet of pink lego robots and another like ours but just with cheese rings instead of grass there are no rules of what is possible in the univers because its unlimited unlimited room unlimited possibilities but there is rules in our part of the univers rules we are writtin down and making theorys about different parts of eternety different rules get it we all have so many things we want 2 say and some times it hurts if we dont let it out i wish i could write down all my theories and beliefs but there isnt that much room on the server and i do not have the time and i think everybody feels that way so much 2 say so little time ARRRGH so il just say this all is relativ ...or is it if u disagree keep this in mind i am only 14 years old :headbang: why cant we all have unlimited knowledge why so many questions ARGHH

I'm disappointed that no-one mentioned the one of the most important men is science.
Alfred Nobel
Not only did he vastly contribute to mining and engineering with the creation of dynamite, he created the nobel prize which led to dozens of scienists being able to afford to research.
Winners include
Florey ~ Pencillin
Bragg Sr. and Jr. ~ X- Rays
Einstein ~ Photoelectric effect Speed Of Light
Planck ~ Quantum Physics

Niels Bohr and then Richard Feynman for physicists
Gregor Mendel for Biologists (much more important than Darwin)
Alan Turing and whoever invented the numeral 0 for mathematicians
Crick and Watson for chemists

Ummm...wasn't most of Mendel's work shown to be falsified?

ALL IS RELATIV ALL IS RELATIV ALL IS RELATIV ALL IS RELATIV maybe i am weird we are all weird argh fgas argh IF THE UNIVERS IS UNLIMITED POSSsIBIlITIeS aRE UnLIMItED a planet of pink lego robots and another like ours but just with cheese rings instead of grass there are no rules of what is possible in the univers because its unlimited unlimited room unlimited possibilities but there is rules in our part of the univers rules we are writtin down and making theorys about different parts of eternety different rules get it we all have so many things we want 2 say and some times it hurts if we dont let it out i wish i could write down all my theories and beliefs but there isnt that much room on the server and i do not have the time and i think everybody feels that way so much 2 say so little time ARRRGH so il just say this all is relativ ...or is it if u disagree keep this in mind i am only 14 years old :headbang: why cant we all have unlimited knowledge why so many questions ARGHH

Lol. This was cool!

I voted for Einstein, because I think he did the most influential discoveries.

I'm disappointed that no-one mentioned the one of the most important men is science.
Alfred Nobel
Not only did he vastly contribute to mining and engineering with the creation of dynamite, he created the nobel prize which led to dozens of scienists being able to afford to research.
Winners include
Florey ~ Pencillin
Bragg Sr. and Jr. ~ X- Rays
Einstein ~ Photoelectric effect Speed Of Light
Planck ~ Quantum Physics
Yeah baby, Howard Florey! Melbourne Uni pride! :p My lecturers keep going on about him... Expecially as this is our microbiology semester...

On topic, I have NO idea. I'd like to see some non-European scientists there though...

Galileo. The man was far ahead of his time.

I voted "other" and I am going to have to go with Gregory Mendel, for his work with genetics. Mendel's work has added to our understanding of genetics today, we can not say the same for Darwin.

I have a non-European for you Preebles, what about Al-Kwarizmi (sp) the creater of algebra(I am taking it now), which is the basis of many college level math courses. We still calle procedures or operations algorithms, named after him. This is if you are including mathematicians as scientists.