Some scientists had their own research methods. Sometimes their experiments were so unusual that most people considered them idiots. But thanks to just such methods, mankind was able to make a huge leap in science and technology. Most unrecognized geniuses of their time devoted their entire lives to research. Currently, we use their fundamentals and theories in almost all types of technologies. Their brilliant mind and crazy experiments that go beyond the understanding of an ordinary person are far ahead of their time. After much deliberation and controversy, we present you our own list of 15 greatest scientists of all time!
15
Guglielmo Marconi
Known for: Radio
Marconi was a renowned scientist who achieved unprecedented success in the field of radio transmission over long distances. He invented wireless and is the founder of the law on the ratio of the maximum transmission distance of radio waves to the length of the antenna, which was named after him. From an early age, Marconi began to show interest in science and electronics, which was quite strange, because thanks to the wealth of his father he could lead an idle lifestyle. During his life, the scientist has received many awards, the main of which is the 1909 Nobel Prize, received in the field of physics. Marconi founded a wireless telegraph and signal company. From the dark sides of his personality, it is worth mentioning the support of the Mussolini regime, and the entry of Guglielmo into the Fascist Party of Italy.
14
Sir Jagadish Chandra Bos
Known for: Millimeter Waves
Bengali scientist Jagadish Chandra Bos is known for his contribution to the development of radio and microwave optics. He conducted research in biology and botany. Bos was the inventor of the crescograph, a device for measuring the response of plants to external stimuli and determining the degree of their growth. The scientist was a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire and the Order of the Star of India. In the 10s of the 20th century, Jagadish was knighted as a bachelor. Bos was an opponent of patenting, believing that his inventions should serve the benefit of science, and not constitute tools for making money. But under pressure from colleagues, he still patented one of his devices.
13
Francis Creek
Known for: DNA structure
The full name of this British scientist is Francis Harry Compton Creek. He became famous in the field of molecular biology, discovering the structure of a DNA molecule in the first half of the 50s of the XX century. For his achievements, Crick, along with co-authors, was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine. Francis also made a significant contribution to the development of biophysics and neurobiology. His work had a role in research related to the genetic code. As a scientist, Crick continued to pursue science even on his deathbed, which was noted with admiration by another prominent neuroscientist Christoph Koch. Francis criticized religion and Christianity, while suggesting changes in the chemical type brain during prayer.
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12
Alfred Russell Wallace
Known for: Natural selection, biogeography
Alfred Russell Wallace was a British archaeologist, biologist and anthropologist. He traveled a lot, and during one of his trips he contracted malaria. While in a hospital bed, he began to reflect on the theory of Thomas Malthus, suggesting the survival of the strongest individuals. This theory allowed Alfred to develop a theory of evolution through natural selection. He handed over his works to Charles Darwin, who worked on the Origin of Species. Darwin was so impressed with Wallace's work that he included most of his terms in his book. Traveling along the Malay Archipelago and in the Amazon Valley, the scientist did a great job of dividing the Australian and Asian fauna, called the “Wallace Line”. He was an adept in the practice of spiritualistic sessions, and during his career received many awards, including the Order of Merit, Copley Medal and the Royal Medal.
11
Alessandro Volta
Known for: Electric Cell, Voltmeter
Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta - Italian scientist, famous for the invention of the galvanic cell, on the basis of which modern batteries were created. He proved that in electricity there are two positive and negative terminals that can be accumulated for future use. Alessandro worked on the invention of the light bulb. His other achievements are the invention of a capacitor and an electrometer. Volta also worked in the chemical field, having achieved considerable success in the study of methane, a combustible gas, which was discovered by an Italian scientist. He could go the opposite way to science. Alessandro came from an aristocratic family, studying at a Jesuit college, but he preferred the role of a clergyman in physics. A significant role in this was played by Edmond Halley, who impressed Volta with an accurate prediction of the passage of the comet.
10
Alexander Graham Bell
Known for: Phone
Scottish scientist and inventor Alexander Graham Bell is known for inventing the first practical telephone. It's about a practical (convenient) phone, since the first person to file a patent for the invention of the phone is a scientist from Italy, Antonio Meucci. Bell left school at the age of 15, choosing to pursue self-education. Alexander's main scientific interest was mainly biology, so Bell became one of the founders of the National Geographic Society. After moving to the USA, Bell took a teaching position at the University of Boston, while simultaneously engaged in scientific activities. He is also known for working on hydrofoils and optical telecommunications. Moreover, Bell owns the rights to the invention of a metal detector and a photophone. The scientist was not limited to one science, he was successfully involved in sheep breeding and paid a lot of attention to social activities.
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9
Stephen Hawking
Known for: Singularity Theorem
Stephen Hawking was a British cosmologist, theoretical physicist, author of scientific papers, and director of the Center for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. He is rightfully considered the second largest scientist of the XX century after Albert Einstein. During his life, Hawking has published many scientific papers, the most famous is the “Brief History of Time”. And also the scientist is known for the theory of the big bang and the theory of black holes. Stephen spent most of his life in a wheelchair, suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease, which gradually paralyzes his entire body. Even the loss of speechlessness did not force the scientist to stop scientific practice. He has been awarded many titles and awards, including the Copley Medal, the Einstein Prize and the Wolf Prize. He was the Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
8
Galileo Galilei
Known for: Dynamics, Kinematics
The outstanding Italian scientist Galileo Galilei is the father of modern science and modern physics. The most famous was the invention of the telescope, observation and analysis of spots in the sun. Galileo also invented an advanced military compass and related navigation tools. He conducted many experiments and studies, which allowed to refute the incorrect conclusions of ancient philosophers and scientists (for example, Aristotle). As a supporter of the heliocentric system of the world (the doctrine of finding the Sun in the center of the system with the rotation of other planets around it, including the Earth) was constantly criticized and persecuted by the Catholic Church, which claimed the rotation of the sun around the Earth. As a result of the conflict, Galileo was taken into custody and put on trial, in which he was forced to publicly abandon his views. The phrase “And yet it revolves”, attributed to Galileo, of course, is a myth, otherwise he would have been executed.
7
Albert Einstein
Known for: General and Special Theory of Relativity
The name of the greatest scientist of the 20th century, Albert Einstein, is known throughout the world. The main field of activity of the scientist was physics. Einstein belongs to the discovery of the most famous formula in the world E = mc2, with the help of which the calculation of the energy mass equivalence is performed. Despite receiving the Nobel Prize, Albert Einstein had problems with school performance, not differing in reading successes. Among the many achievements of a scientist, it is worth highlighting the theory of the photoelectric effect, the general theory of relativity, the theory of electromagnetic fields, quantum theory, as well as the theory of particles and the motion of molecules. All these works have revolutionized the world of science, and have had enough influence to change the world. Unfortunately, not all discoveries were used for the benefit, for example, one of his “dark” inventions was nuclear weapons, the opponent of which he spoke for the rest of his life.
6
Sir Isaac Newton
Known for: Universal Gravity
The work of Isaac Newton in the field of physics and mathematics allows him to be called the greatest scientist in the history of mankind. From school we all know the 3 laws of motion formulated by Newton. He owns the invention of the concept of gravity, Kepler’s law of motion, and the construction of the first reflective telescope. The British scientist developed the theory of color (visible spectrum). The mention of all his merits to humanity will take up too much space, but we are simply obliged to highlight some of them:
- Completely relieved people of doubts about the heliocentric model of space;
- Developed an empirical law of cooling;
- Found the speed of sound;
- Invented a method for approximating the roots of a function;
- Developed a binomial theorem and power series.
5
Nikola Tesla
Known for his discoveries in electricity and magnetism
This man was one of the main culprits of world electrification. It is widely known for its huge contribution to the development of modern electrical appliances.
This Serbian scientist discovered a rotating magnetic field and an alternating current electric system. This does not end with the discovery of electro-genius. He is credited with the development of modern electricity, the first hydroelectric power station in Niagara Falls, transistors, remote control, a modern electric motor and many other machines.
Most of Tesla's inventions remained only on paper, he did not have enough time to realize all the ideas that his consciousness generated. Only a few years after the death of the scientist, his ideas were embodied by other remarkable scientists.
Tesla could read the whole book simply by reading it once, and he was free to speak eight languages. Well, whatever a genius ?!
Some people even claim that it was Nikola Tesla, and not a meteorite, who was responsible for the Tunisian phenomenon. The thing is that at the beginning of the XX century Tesla conducted large-scale experiments with electricity, as a result of which the sky could glow with lightning, people observed clots of energy many kilometers from the scientist's laboratory. Newspaper headlines of that time were often replete with frightening headlines about the scientist's fantastic experiments.
4
Maria Sklodowska Curie
Known for: studying radiation
Marie Curie was the first person in the world to receive two separate Nobel Prizes, and the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize. She received her first Nobel Prize in 1903 for detecting radioactivity and helping to apply it in the field of x-ray radiation. And in 1911 she received the second Nobel Prize for the discovery of radium. She invented the world's first mobile X-ray machine, which helped wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Unfortunately, work with radiation and radiation did not go unnoticed for the health of the great scientist, and in 1934 she died.
3
Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov
Known for his work in various fields of science
Lomonosov made many discoveries in various fields: he is considered the first who discovered the law of conservation of mass and was the author of the molecular-kinetic theory of heat, and also made discoveries in the chemistry of minerals and glass.
Lomonosov is the founder of the first classical university of Moscow State University in Russia.
He was a truly versatile scientist. As an astronomer, Lomonosov discovered the atmosphere on Venus. As an instrument maker, he is the author of many instruments, such as an optical botoscope, an anemometer, an advanced modification of a telescope, periscope, barometer, clock, scale, and many others. In addition, he was a wonderful geographer and cartographer. It is Lomonosov who is considered the founder of economic geography. Metallurgists around the world consider Mikhail Vasilyevich an excellent miner, geologist and metallurgist.
In addition, Lomonosov became famous in such fields as poetry, history, art, genealogy and philology.
2
Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky
Known for: discoveries in theoretical astronautics
Self-taught scientist, now known as the grandfather of Soviet space travel. One of the craters on the opposite side of the moon is named after him.
Tsiolkovsky was the author of both science fiction works and serious treatises on rocket science. His article “Space exploration using rocket devices”, published in 1903, presented the idea of using liquid fuel as rocket fuel, and also touched on zero gravity.
And his subsequent article, published in 1911, “The goals of the astronauts” in 1914 aroused wide interest in the scientific world, discussing two key problems: rocket engines and interplanetary communication.
Tsiolkovsky was convinced that the future of humanity lies in heaven to cope with the growing needs of the ever-growing population of the Earth. He was the author of the famous phrase:
“The Earth is the cradle of mankind, but mankind cannot remain in the cradle all the time”
Tsiolkovsky argued that the colonizing space would lead to the improvement of mankind. He believed that mankind has every reason for “cosmic optimism”, since human culture can develop without restrictions in the vastness of space. For Tsiolkovsky, the goal of space exploration was to achieve universal happiness.
1
Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev
Known for: the periodic law of chemical elements
In the 1860s, Dmitry Mendeleev noticed repeated trends in the chemical and physical properties of various elements. While writing his textbook, Fundamentals of Chemistry, Mendeleev discovered that if the elements were arranged in order of increasing atomic mass, their chemical properties showed certain trends. Based on his understanding of the characteristics of the elements, Mendeleev arranged the known elements in the table, systematizing them.
Based on a periodic law, Mendeleev created a periodic table of elements similar to the one used today throughout the world.The only real difference between his table and the table that we use today is that the periodic table arranges the elements in increasing atomic weight, while the present table is ordered in increasing atomic number.
It is also interesting that with the help of his table the scientist predicted the discovery of three unknown elements, which turned out to be germanium, gallium and scandium.
Based on the periodic properties of the elements, Mendeleev was going to find another 8 elements that were not found at that time.
Like all geniuses, Mendeleev was engaged in several fields of science, he was also an excellent economist, futurologist and researcher.
Finally
Undoubtedly, very many scientists did not fall into our rating, whose work made a huge contribution to the development of modern science. These are Charles Darwin, Aristotle, Archimedes, Michael Faraday, Thomas Edison, Pafnutiy Chebyshev, Nikolai Lobachevsky and many others.
And who else would you include on this list? Write your answers in the comments!