FAMOUS SCIENTISTS

Saturday, August 1, 2009
FAMOUS SCIENTISTS
Archimedes
(c. 287 BC –
c. 212 BC)
New science
Famous even in his
own time, this ancient
Greek is considered
one of the greatest
mathematicians of all
time. He also studied
physics (hydrostatics/statics), and he
invented many machines.
Niels Bohr
(1885-1962)
Physics
This Danish physicist
made important
contributions to the
understanding of
atomic structure and
quantum mechanics. He received the
1922 Nobel Prize in physics.
George
Washington
Carver
(1864-1943)
Agricultural
chemistry
This American
scientist’s research
led to the development of crop-rotation
methods and hundreds of new uses for
crops such as peanuts and soybeans.
Nicolaus
Copernicus
(1473-1543)
Astronomy
Often called the
father of modern
astronomy, this
Polish Renaissance
mathematician is most
famous for his theory that the sun was at
the centre of the universe and the earth
revolved around it.
Marie Curie
(1867-1934)
Radioactivity
A pioneer in the field
of radioactivity, this
physicist and chemist
discovered two new
elements: polonium
and radium. She
received the 1911
Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Charles Darwin
(1809-1882)
Evolution
This English naturalist
developed the concept
of natural selection and
evolution. His theories
were controversial in
his time and remain so
today.
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Distributed by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
The scientists on this page represent some of the people who
biology, physics, mathematics and chemistry. Many of these
their interests and passions often overlapped.
Charles Drew
(1904-1950)
Blood bank
This American
physician and medical
researcher worked
in the field of bloodplasma transfusions
and storage. He
revolutionised medicine by developing
large-scale blood banks.
Benjamin Franklin
(1706-1790)
Electricity
One of the Founding
Fathers of the United
States, this man of
many talents is famous
for his discoveries and
theories regarding
electricity, among other
subjects.
Leonardo Da Vinci
Galileo Galilei
Best known as an
Italian Renaissance
painter, Da Vinci
is also celebrated
for his work in the
fields of science
and engineering.
His diverse interests
included anatomy, biology, civil
engineering, optics and hydrodynamics.
This Italian physicist,
mathematician,
astronomer and
philosopher played
a major role in the
scientific revolution. He
has been called the
“father of modern astronomy,” “the father
of modern physics” and “the father of
modern science.”
Rene Descartes
Jane Goodall
A renowned
philosopher and
writer, Descartes
played a vital role
in the scientific
revolution of the 17th
century. He laid the
groundwork for the discovery of calculus
with his work in analytic geometry (the
link between algebra and geometry).
Famous for her work
with chimpanzees, this
anthropologist and
conservationist has
spent a lifetime working
in the jungles of Africa.
(1452-1519)
Science/art
(1596-1650)
Mathematics
Thomas Alva Edison
(1847-1931)
Inventor
With more than 1,000
inventions to his name,
Edison has been
credited with creating
the first industrial
research laboratory.
The incandescent light
bulb, the phonograph
and the motion-picture camera are
among his most famous inventions.
Albert Einstein
(1879-1955)
Physics
This scientific and
mathematical genius
developed the
theory of relativity
and showed how
mass and energy
were equivalent,
expressing it in the
famous equation E=mc2 (energy equals
mass times the velocity of light squared).
(1564-1642)
New science
(1934-)
Primatology
Stephen Hawking
(1942-)
Physics
This British theoretical
physicist, author
and professor of
mathematics is famous
for his work relating to
black holes.
Karl
Landsteiner
(1868-1943)
Medicine
This Austrian biologist
and physician is noted
for his work on the
classification of blood
groups. He identified
the Rh factor in 1937.
Isaac Newton
(1643-1727)
Physical science
This English physicist,
mathematician,
astronomer and
philosopher is one of
the foremost scientific
intellects of all time.
Louis Pasteur
(1822-1895)
Chemistry/
microbiology
Best known for his
discovery that most
infectious diseases
are caused by germs,
Pasteur’s work paved
the way for the science
of microbiology.
Max Planck
(1858-1947)
Quantum theory
This German physicist
has been called the
founder of quantum
theory and one of
the most high-profile
physicists of the last
century. Planck won
the 1918 Nobel Prize in Physics.
C V Raman
(1888-1970)
Physics
This Indian Nobel
laureate in physics
is recognised for his
work on the molecular
scattering of light. He
discovered the Raman
effect, which is named
after him.
Carl Sagan
(1934-1996)
Astrophysics
This American
astronomer and
astrochemist
is famous for
popularising science
through his many
books, the TV series “Cosmos” and
his work promoting the Search for
ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI).
Jonas Salk
(1914-1995)
Polio vaccine
Best known for his
discovery of the first
safe and effective polio
vaccine, this American
medical researcher
also contributed to
our understanding of influenza and other
infectious diseases.
Nikola Tesla
(1856-1943)
Electricity
The father of the radio
and modern electrical
transmission systems,
this Serbian-American
registered more than
700 patents.
SOURCES: World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Inc.;
www.time.com; www.pbs.org; www.famous-scientists.net/;
www.askkids.com
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