Re: Best Scientists OAT
 

[ QUOTE ]
Off the top of my head:
Physics -- Newton
Math -- Euler (Gauss was pretty smart too [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img])

Some areas I know less about, as far as great scientists are concerned, but I'll still take a stab at it:

Infectious disease: Pasteur
Chemistry: Dalton
Genetics: Fisher (I guess from a statistical standpoint)
Biology: Rduke!! (or that Darwin guy)

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Oh yeah, I definitely change my genetics one to Fisher. I did mine off the top of my head.

Re: Best Scientists OAT
 

I'd vote Euclid as the greatest mathematician OAT.

Re: Best Scientists OAT
 

I'm a geneticist of sorts, and I'm down with Fisher rather than Mendel.

Nobody can come close to Darwin for Biology.

Re: Best Scientists OAT
 

I think if you did a random telephone survey of 500 people, "I don't know" would win most of the categories.

My answers
Genetics - Collectively, Watson, Crick, & Franklin
Neuroscience - Ramon y Cajal
Infectious diseases - Pasteur
Biology - Darwin
Physics - Einstein
Chemistry - Mendeleyev
Math - Gauss
[Psychology - Skinner]

Public's #1 answers
Genetics - "I don't know"
Neuroscience - "I don't know"
Infectious disease - "I don't know"
Biology - "I don't know"
Physics - Einstein
Chemistry - "I don't know"
Mathematics - "I don't know"
Psychology - Freud

Re: Best Scientists OAT
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think if you did a random telephone survey of 500 people, "I don't know" would win most of the categories.

My answers
Genetics - Collectively, Watson, Crick, & Franklin
Neuroscience - Ramon y Cajal
Infectious diseases - Pasteur
Biology - Darwin
Physics - Einstein
Chemistry - Mendeleyev
Math - Gauss
[Psychology - Skinner]

Public's #1 answers
Genetics - "I don't know"
Neuroscience - "I don't know"
Infectious disease - "I don't know"
Biology - "I don't know"
Physics - Einstein
Chemistry - "I don't know"
Mathematics - "I don't know"
Psychology - Freud

[/ QUOTE ]

I was hoping you'd jump in, since you're one of the only other neuroscience guyf I know of on here.

I agree 100% with Ramon y Cajal, Pasteur, and Darwin.

However, what started the discussion I was talking about in my OP was how Watson and Crick are waaaayyy overrated as scientists, especially when you consider talent. I disagree pretty strongly with with you in this case. I think Fisher, Morgan, or Sewell (and a few others) are much better choices here - considering both talent and impact.

Also, I think Skinner's an unusual choice - especially for a neuroscientist [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
I think Wundt and James would lead my list. Those guys were amazing.

Re: Best Scientists OAT
 

Oh man...this could be fun! Can we do a poll later?!

1) Genetics - Hmm, depends how you define it. I'm going with the obvious of Darwin because of his 'influence' points


2) Neuroscience - I'm not aware of anyone worth mentioning. Perhaps ironically given question 1, I think Francis Crick's book on consciousness is superb.

3) Infectious diseases and/or human health - Peter Duesberg. And it's not even close.

4) Biology in general - Damn. Darwin again.

5) Physics - Dirac, but i have a soft spot for Alain Aspect

6) Chemistry - Tough one. Cavendish.

7) Mathematics - Ramanujan

Re: Best Scientists OAT
 

I said Watson and Crick because they did, after all, identify the chemical structure of genetics. That gets us to sequencing and molecular biology and had an enormous practical impact after 30-40 years. Yes, somebody else would have done it if they hadn't. And of course there's the fooforall about whether they stole Rosalind Franklin's data, which detracts from the achievement somewhat.

But still, they've both gone on to continued scientific achievement.

I chose Skinner for psychology because he had enormous impact with behaviorism and completely dominated the field for 2 decades, and the basic principles he laid out are still in use today.

FWIW, my Ph.D. advisor would agree with you about James. He gave me a copy of James' book on my first day in the lab, and now he lives 3 doors down from James' Cambridge house. Maybe that's why I didn't even consider him for this list [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

<font color="red">Note from Rduke55: I initially hit "edit" rather than "reply" and put all my replies in Aviva's post. I've since removed my comments to another post and kept all of Aviva's text but the formatting may be off (I think I got it right thought). Sorry. </font>

Re: Best Scientists OAT
 

In math, almost all mathematicians give the crown to Gauss.

Physics: yeah, still has to be Newton. I mean, he revolutionized the whole damn field. And he invented/discovered Calculus. That's pretty cool, too.

Re: Best Scientists OAT
 

how can anyone not say gauss for math?

Re: Best Scientists OAT
 

Biologist - Ernst Haeckel

There's a surprise for you.