It's too easy to point to Newton, Darwin, or Einstein and celebrate them as science heros. These three in particular only reinforce the impression that science is dominated by old, dead, white men. While the world is celebrating Darwin Day, why don't we think about all the other scientists, living and dead, who have changed the way we look at the world. Forget choosing Nobel Prize winners. They're too easy. Choose a scientist whom most people haven't heard of, who maybe made an important, but unsung discovery, or who hasn't yet been honored with their picture on a postage stamp. I'll post my picks in follow-up posts.
Comments (3)
I think there are quite a few actually. Today's science has evolved into a huge enterprise, so it's difficult to single out heros. OK this still fits the old stereotype, but two people whom I look up to as a scientist, and perhaps out of the mainstream, i.e. guy on the street has probably not heard about them.
Max Perutz
Martin Karplus
Posted by Deepak | February 13, 2007 10:37 AM
Posted on February 13, 2007 10:37
Every scientist has its own inner scientific heroes, but most of them are hard to consider as popular personalities. For me Watson and Crick are "heroes" and as a stem cell researcher, I have my own respectable masters .
Posted by Attila Csordas | February 16, 2007 5:17 AM
Posted on February 16, 2007 05:17
There are plenty of scientist heroes.
This is a small list, but I've written about scientists who could be mistaken for rock stars and which women should win Nobels.
Posted by Sandra Porter | February 18, 2007 2:05 PM
Posted on February 18, 2007 14:05