|
|
panlives Inner circle 2087 Posts |
"Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time." "The dog did nothing in the night-time." "That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes. |
Woland Special user 680 Posts |
Familiar with all in the top 25 except Oliver Lodge, Karl Pearson, James Jeans, and Ray Lankester.
|
Magnus Eisengrim Inner circle Sulla placed heads on 1053 Posts |
Rather a comical metric: They count instances of the names in books. And how odd that two philosophers--Russell and Whitehead--a mathematician--Pearson--and a science fiction writer--Asimov--made the top 25.
And is it just me or is the list a tad Anglo-American? John
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.--Yeats |
ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
Asimov had a PhD in biochemistry and was a science consultant for World Book Encyclopedia. Now if they'd picked Harlan Ellison or Spider Robinson, I could see your complaint.
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
|
Woland Special user 680 Posts |
Well, Magnus, since the method is to count the frequency of the names in English-language books, the preponderance of English & American names is not surprising. You do have Bernard, Bohr, Planck, Pasteur, Curie, Koch, and Weizmann - although Weizmann had a post at Manchester. The omission of real scientific heavyweights such as Helmholtz, Virchow, Nernst, Schroedinger, Golgi, Metchnikoff, Ehrlich, Mendeleev, Maxwell, De Broglie, Dirac, etc. is indeed surprising.
|
mastermindreader 1949 - 2017 Seattle, WA 12586 Posts |
Woland-
Actually, there are 4,169 names on the list provided at the link. All of the ones you've mention, with the exception of Metchnikoff and Dirac are, in fact on the list. (No, I didn't go through the whole thing, but there is a search function at the top of the list and you can also view the list broken down into various categories.) Bob |
critter Inner circle Spokane, WA 2653 Posts |
Skimming the first page most look familiar. I even remember what some of them did!
"The fool is one who doesn't know what you have just found out."
~Will Rogers |
Woland Special user 680 Posts |
Thanks, Bob - I only looked at the Top 25.
|
ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
Also the list was compiled by the frequency in which the scientist's name appeared on the cover of a scientific book. Asimov was very prolific and a lot of his output was of a fact-based scientific nature as well as "science fiction." (He admits a little embarrassment that one of his books was a manual on how to use a slide rule, published just about the time calculators were becoming the vogue and slide rules were on the way out!)
No. If scientific based books written (or compiled/edited) by the scientist was the basis of the list, then Asimov belongs here, right where he is!
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
|
landmark Inner circle within a triangle 5194 Posts |
Lewis Carroll in the top 10? I'm a fan, but even if you count his contributions to Mathematics and Logic, that's quite a stretch. And Maxwell doesn't show up until the 90s? This is really bizarre.
Click here to get Gerald Deutsch's Perverse Magic: The First Sixteen Years
All proceeds to Open Heart Magic charity. |
Woland Special user 680 Posts |
Well, landmark, it's based on the frequency of their names appearing in English-language books, I think, not based on an assessment of their actual contributions.
|
ringmaster Inner circle Memphis, Down in Dixie 1974 Posts |
I only know 47, and only two are well known magicians.
One of the last living 10-in-one performers. I wanted to be in show business the worst way, and that was it.
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Not very magical, still... » » How many of these "most famous" scientists have you heard of? (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.01 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |