What subjects would you need to study to qualify as a Superscientist?

[Lemur866]

Originally Posted by Boyo Jim

Even if a Mad Scientist thinks he's Good, or believes he's working for the betterment of Mankind, he's still creating Death Rays and Slave Beams.

Why? Because he's Mad, of course. No matter what he thinks he's doing, he's really doing evil, or preparing to do evil if not enough people appreciate his good deeds.

Mad? Just because your puny intellect can't comprehend my work, you call me mad? Fools. I'll destroy you all.

[David42]

Originally Posted by Gagundathar

Your idle threats have been noted for the record and you may expect a visit from my Romco's corporate enforcers soon.
So, David42 (if that is even your real name), you think you have what it takes to play in the extremely brutal arena of Mad Scientist Cosmetics? I think not.

I'm not too worried. I will just recruit some lackeys to keep them at bay.

Somehow I am beginning to think that Mad Scientists themselves are behind your product. It's probably a trick to get the public to go along with their schemes by promoting a false idea that Mad Scientists now have NICE hair, and therefore the ones with crazy Mad scientist hair are of no concern. Their plans for world dominion are simply hypotheticals.

[David42]

Originally Posted by DocCathode

For the last time(the massive amount of subliminals in my posts notwithstanding), I am not evil.

A quick scan with the Gygaxometer confirms I am good. So there.

I have thought this over and decided this thread, for a great debate, is missing a good deal of factual information that is usually present in a great debates thread. Not that I wanna shout cite! to everything anyone has said, impermissably pestering them for things we all-know-are-true, but I have determined that this is the most crucial piece of information lacking in the thread, so I will just pester you for something none of us know is true.

As a Mad Scientist, I am sure that you are familiar with citations. They look like this:

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...0&aqi=g4&pbx=1

Or rather a link to a citation.

I am afraid I am going to have to ask for a citation on not only all readings you have made on the Gygaxometer of yourself for the last year but all calibration information for the past year as well. I will find the industry calibration standards myself, thank you.

Yes, I am handwaving materials from the Mad Scientists Are Good! Really! website.

[David42]

Yeeeesssss maassssster i will obey

[DocCathode]

Originally Posted by David42

As a Mad Scientist, I am sure that you are familiar with citations. They look like this:

SNIP

I am afraid I am going to have to ask for a citation on not only all readings you have made on the Gygaxometer of yourself for the last year but all calibration information for the past year as well. I will find the industry calibration standards myself, thank you.

My Gygaxometer came with samples of Good, Evil, Law, Chaos, and two more that an UnActualized mind can no more comprehend than it can think in four spatial dimensions.

Frankly, I don't use my Gygaxometer much. We on the good side of the conflict make ourselves known so that the Grey Faces can't trick us into fighting each other. The Men in Black generally do not try to deceive you. They just try to kill you.

[David42]

Originally Posted by David42

I have thought this over and decided this thread, for a great debate, is missing a good deal of factual information that is usually present in a great debates thread. Not that I wanna shout cite! to everything anyone has said, impermissably pestering them for things we all-know-are-true, but I have determined that this is the most crucial piece of information lacking in the thread, so I will just pester you for something none of us know is true.

As a Mad Scientist, I am sure that you are familiar with citations. They look like this:

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...0&aqi=g4&pbx=1

Or rather a link to a citation.

I am afraid I am going to have to ask for a citation on not only all readings you have made on the Gygaxometer of yourself for the last year but all calibration information for the past year as well. I will find the industry calibration standards myself, thank you.

Yes, I am handwaving materials from the Mad Scientists Are Good! Really! website.

What was I thinking? Mad scientists don't cite. They just say "Fools! I'll show them all!"



Man I had a weird dream, like I was doing someone's bidding...something about fetching lots of blinkenlights and nearly getting arrested at the Romco warehouse...and haunting images of crazy hairdos and maniacal laughter...

[DocCathode]

Originally Posted by David42

What was I thinking? Mad scientists don't cite. They just say "Fools! I'll show them all!"

The hell you say!

I wrote plenty of well-cited papers including Masters and Doctoral theses. I occasionally write well-cited articles for Paradigma and other Scientific journals.

[Martini Enfield]

Originally Posted by David42

What was I thinking? Mad scientists don't cite. They just say "Fools! I'll show them all!"

Or, if you take my approach, you declare your work to be trailblazing original research that transcendes such mundane concerns as "references" or "peer review".

[Sunspace]

Originally Posted by Gagundathar

Your idle threats have been noted for the record and you may expect a visit from my Romco's corporate enforcers soon.
So, David42 (if that is even your real name), you think you have what it takes to play in the extremely brutal arena of Mad Scientist Cosmetics? I think not.

Mad Scientist Cosmetics? And you joke? You have no idea of the evils that could be perpetrated! Ever heard of Fotoshop by Adobé?

[David42]

Originally Posted by DocCathode

The hell you say!

I wrote plenty of well-cited papers including Masters and Doctoral theses. I occasionally write well-cited articles for Paradigma and other Scientific journals.

After carefully reviewing all major journals and especially Paradigma, I can't find any articles written by DocCathode. However, I did find an interesting piece in the Magazine "Mad Scientist Watch" with the headline: "DocCathode not Jewish, claims of innocence in Nazi Zombie attacks found to.....


Yeeeeessssss Maaaaassssster I will Obey....

[Tapiotar]

So far, no one has commented on Mad Scientist Jewelry. One well-known, albeit unsuccessful, Mad Scientist was known to mutter repeatedly "With a ring like that, I could rule the world!" inre a semi-sentient ring with laser-resistant gem.

[Animastryfe]

Originally Posted by DocCathode

While most other Sons Of Ether will tell you that the Matter Sphere is essential to Science, I specialize in Mind. Why spend all your time building a Columnating Thanatropic Projector (known as a 'death ray' to most folks), when you can build instead a EuHarmonic Pyschotropic Radiator (known as a 'love bomb')?

Remember 'Cogito, ergo sum' I think therefore I am.

DocCathode is referencing the fan-made Gameline Genius: The Transgression for the tabletop RPG the New World of Darkness.

[Nunzio Tavulari]

I think some time in the military (or Texas) is necessary as well.

You need to know how to work a gun. Too many mad scientists are tripped up when they concoct an elaborate device to slowly turn the protagonist into mashed potatoes & gravy. They really need to just shoot the interloper.

[Klytus]

Originally Posted by Animastryfe

DocCathode is referencing the fan-made Gameline Genius: The Transgression for the tabletop RPG the New World of Darkness.

And here I thought he was simply referencing Mage: the Ascension, the RPG in the Old World of Darkness.

[Hoss N. Feffa]

Originally Posted by Der Trihs

Ha, I found the comic that made me think of.

They aren't Mad Engineers because they don't want to get in trouble with the state licensing board (example) for practicing engineering without a license.

To the OP:
I think general engineering classes as a foundation: Statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, fluid mechanics, material science, and computer programming (along with the standard chemistry, physics, and math pre-requisites.)

Building from there, I think the mad scientist would take a more theoretical-science/engineering-research path based on interests (rather than standards-driven advanced engineering classes) but they would still need instruction in the following topics: organic-/bio-chemistry, non-newtonian mechanics, nuclear/quantum physics, optics/lasers, cryogenics, metallurgy, data communications/remote sensing/controls, geology, and psychology. They would probably need some instruction in finance as well, since research and development are too expensive to cover via petty theft (and they can't start small or they'll never achieve world domination, immortality, etc. in their lifetime). I was thinking they'd probably need some medical instruction, but then I decided that surgery for the mad scientist is more of a learn-by-doing topic.

Skip speaking/writing classes (how will they be misunderstood if they can communicate clearly?) and ethics (obviously). Humanities and social sciences (with the exception of psychology) can also be neglected, unless needed to build negative character (how many mad scientists "found themselves" after being humiliated by non-scientist peers/bullies/girls?).

[Klytus]

To give the OPs question a serous answer, let us imagine what fields of study one would need to master to master in order to pull off a typical bonna fide Mad Scientist Scheme™, such as building a 50' tall killer robot to wreak havoc on "The City ".

Let us further assume that in order to maintain the necessary level of secrecy to spring such a Mad Plan™ without being foiled by Cursed Do-Gooders™ first, that Dr. Mad™ needs to build this thing from scratch. Also, too many minions introduces the potential of security leaks, so we'll limit the "good" Doctor to a single "Igor" level lab assistant to help take care of the mundane things like cooking meals and keeping the place clean so he can focus on "The Science!"

Mastery of structural engineering is obviously a must - if you're going to build something that big, it needs to not collapse under its own weight.

Assuming there are no other giant killer robots already in production, he can't exactly order the parts he needs from Sears. Besides, that would also breach security. Ergo, he needs to order raw materials, like ore and scrap metal, and make the parts himself; so Dr. Mad™ needs to be a metallurgist, too.

I'm assuming this thing is powered by electricity of some sort, so that means mastery of electrical engineering to set up all the wires and circuitry, right down to designing and building the circuit boards.

Is he going to use a standard computer operating system to make this thing be able to "think" and obey commands? If not, now he needs to be an ace computer programmer.

Since you cannot have a "killer" robot without them, we need weapons. For the sake of this example, we shall eschew the "cool" stuff like 1920's style death rays and laser beams on its frikkin' head. Ergo, we need modern munitions like rockets and mini-guns. So, he's now a weaponsmith. Even if we let him buy this stuff "off the rack" in way that lets him avoid the attention of the ATF, he still needs to be a master of configuring computerized weapons systems if he wants to have a prayer of hitting what he's aiming at.

Since "a really big extension cable" is an obvious weakness anybody could exploit, we need a self-contained power source. And since no self-respecting Mad Scientist™ worth the ™ would settle for anything less than atomic power, he is now both a nuclear scientist and a nuclear engineer.

So, we're looking at at least 6 independent fields of study he needs to have total mastery over in order to even get started on this project, and I'm likely missing at least 4 more in this quick summary. My guess is that Dr. Mad™ already has one foot in the grave by the time he has enough know-how to even get started on this project.

Now all Dr. Mad™ needs is: a storage facility for all of his raw components, a factory with all the equipment and tools to make and assemble the parts, and enough privacy to avoid detection. Oh yeah... and a few billion dollars to afford it all.

[Grestarian]

Originally Posted by Boyo Jim

Kicking Puppies and Kittens Science

Whoa! Wait a minute!
Are we talking short-tempered and pissed-off at the world "Mad" or psychologically unstable and possibly socio-pathological "Mad"?
I think the rest of the responders here are talking about the "I'm going to play God and [make the world tremble before me | destroy the biosphere | manufacture my own intelligent beings | etc.] lunatic genius rather than just the kick-the-dog-because-the-wife-ran-off-with-the-plumber kind of low-life researcher.

Originally Posted by Martini Enfield

What I was sort of hoping for (as well as the obvious, slightly silly suggestions) were "Real" subjects a would-be Superscientist could study.

Well, for the make-my-own-intelligent-beings kind of guy, I'd say advanced degrees in biology, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, medicine, and probably business.

Originally Posted by yohan go

Who would qualify IRL for superscientist described as is in OP's original post?
Not evil one per se, but clearly with IQx2, at least profoundly eccentric if not clearly mad and with some serious scientific references?
Tesla? Jobs? von Braun? da Vinci?

Well, there's a guy I've heard of in New England who is stacking up PhD's in Mathematics, Bio-Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Psychology, and Physics. I don't know if he's done Medicine. He was originally trying to do something in bionic limbs, then got into muscle memory and the details of how different kinds of memory are generated or stored in the brain cells. Last I heard he was heading up some major MIT/Harvard/Yale think tank. As for eccentric, he also performed in a major choir in his spare time.

Or there was Isaac Asimov. Didn't he have PhD's in Physics, Chemistry, Astrophysics, Engineering, and Geology? His eccentricity was an obscure dabbling in science fiction writing. He really shows his mettle, though, in Beginnings and Atom.

--G!

On the road to good intentions
Blown to hell by our own inventions
. -- Tommy Shaw & James Young (Styx)
. Heavy Water
. Brave New World

[Martini Enfield]

Originally Posted by Klytus

To give the OPs question a serous answer, let us imagine what fields of study one would need to master to master in order to pull off a typical bonna fide Mad Scientist Scheme™, such as building a 50' tall killer robot to wreak havoc on "The City ".

Let us further assume that in order to maintain the necessary level of secrecy to spring such a Mad Plan™ without being foiled by Cursed Do-Gooders™ first, that Dr. Mad™ needs to build this thing from scratch. Also, too many minions introduces the potential of security leaks, so we'll limit the "good" Doctor to a single "Igor" level lab assistant to help take care of the mundane things like cooking meals and keeping the place clean so he can focus on "The Science!"

Mastery of structural engineering is obviously a must - if you're going to build something that big, it needs to not collapse under its own weight.

Assuming there are no other giant killer robots already in production, he can't exactly order the parts he needs from Sears. Besides, that would also breach security. Ergo, he needs to order raw materials, like ore and scrap metal, and make the parts himself; so Dr. Mad™ needs to be a metallurgist, too.

I'm assuming this thing is powered by electricity of some sort, so that means mastery of electrical engineering to set up all the wires and circuitry, right down to designing and building the circuit boards.

Is he going to use a standard computer operating system to make this thing be able to "think" and obey commands? If not, now he needs to be an ace computer programmer.

Since you cannot have a "killer" robot without them, we need weapons. For the sake of this example, we shall eschew the "cool" stuff like 1920's style death rays and laser beams on its frikkin' head. Ergo, we need modern munitions like rockets and mini-guns. So, he's now a weaponsmith. Even if we let him buy this stuff "off the rack" in way that lets him avoid the attention of the ATF, he still needs to be a master of configuring computerized weapons systems if he wants to have a prayer of hitting what he's aiming at.

Since "a really big extension cable" is an obvious weakness anybody could exploit, we need a self-contained power source. And since no self-respecting Mad Scientist™ worth the ™ would settle for anything less than atomic power, he is now both a nuclear scientist and a nuclear engineer.

So, we're looking at at least 6 independent fields of study he needs to have total mastery over in order to even get started on this project, and I'm likely missing at least 4 more in this quick summary. My guess is that Dr. Mad™ already has one foot in the grave by the time he has enough know-how to even get started on this project.

Now all Dr. Mad™ needs is: a storage facility for all of his raw components, a factory with all the equipment and tools to make and assemble the parts, and enough privacy to avoid detection. Oh yeah... and a few billion dollars to afford it all.

And in just a few short paragraphs, Klytus has expertly explained why there aren't any real life Mad Scientists. Bravo!

[Klytus]

Originally Posted by Martini Enfield

And in just a few short paragraphs, Klytus has expertly explained why there aren't any real life Mad Scientists. Bravo!

Thanks

Nice to know all of those years spent playing superhero RPGs weren't entirely wasted

[DocCathode]

Originally Posted by Klytus

And here I thought he was simply referencing Mage: the Ascension, the RPG in the Old World of Darkness.

You are correct.

On another note-

You're all lucky I'm a benevolent Mad Scientist as I now have a copy of Home Workshop Explosives by Steve Preissler.

[Klytus]

Originally Posted by DocCathode

You are correct.

On another note-

You're all lucky I'm a benevolent Mad Scientist as I now have a copy of Home Workshop Explosives by Steve Preissler.

Has there been a reprinting? In the copy I have, the Quintessence required to manufacture even the simplest home explosives are too prohibitive to make such devices practical.

[DocCathode]

Originally Posted by Klytus

Has there been a reprinting? In the copy I have, the Quintessence required to manufacture even the simplest home explosives are too prohibitive to make such devices practical.

This a book on Sleeper science, not Actualized Science. Anybody of reasonable intelligence can create the recipes within. Quintessence is only needed to give the explosives special qualities. It takes work to make the explosions harmless and dragon shaped, but it is very much worth it.

[Irishman]

Originally Posted by Bryan Ekers

Plus you'll need a degree in English

SPOILER:

...to handle all the requests of "Whoa, Doc, say that again in English!"

Snerk!

Originally Posted by Klytus

Assuming there are no other giant killer robots already in production, he can't exactly order the parts he needs from Sears. Besides, that would also breach security. Ergo, he needs to order raw materials, like ore and scrap metal, and make the parts himself; so Dr. Mad™ needs to be a metallurgist, too.

Actually, this is not correct. One can order metals in whatever alloy one wishes in bulk from suppliers. You don't need to smelt your own ores to make the alloys, you just have to understand the difference between Aluminum 6061 and 7075 (plus the various t codes) and know when their appropriate applications. Know when to pick steel, carbon vs stainless, know when to pick titanium over aluminum. These things are materials and design questions to be sure, but designers get that info from handbooks on the material properties.

But one important element that cannot be neglected from the structural standpoint is failure analysis methods. Being a materials and failure specialist is required to understand how to ensure your designs aren't susceptible to fatigue, etc. Plus, you want to know something about vibration and how to protect from resonance, and modal analysis.

So we have

- mechanical engineering (structures, mechanics, dynamics, controls, fluids)
- electrical engineering
- chemistry (general and organic)
- nuclear engineering
- biology, genetics, microbiology
- various physics specialties (theoretical and applied - nuclear, laser, plasma)
- psychology would be useful for understanding how to control people, but not necessarily required
- computer science and programming
- materials (properties, failure modes, design selection, manufacturing techniques for the really exotic materials you wish to create)

It might also help to develop hobbies/skills, like RC planes and cars, machining and welding, and maybe medical skills (precision scalpel work, sutures, etc).

[Klytus]

Originally Posted by DocCathode

This a book on Sleeper science, not Actualized Science. Anybody of reasonable intelligence can create the recipes within. Quintessence is only needed to give the explosives special qualities. It takes work to make the explosions harmless and dragon shaped, but it is very much worth it.

Pardon my error: either I suffered from a paradox-induced false-memory event, or had seen a copy of an Actualized "translation" of the same title. Regardless, as a member of the Hermetic Tradition, the explosions I seek are not for show, but for thwarting the agents, members, and/or minions of the Technocratic Union when subtlety must be eschewed, and yet remain subtle enough to remain with the boundaries of the coincidental.

[DocCathode]

When killing is absolutely necessary, I sometimes use a Servosymbol TransHypnotic pattern that causes the subject's heart to stop beating. For those who have lack a beating heart, I have a needle gun that injects a D'onn* virus. This virus is part computer program, part germ, and part non corporeal intelligence. As the Greyfaces are slow to change (Indeed I feel this along with lack of imagination, is their greatest weakness) it can be years before the Men In Black or HITMarks adapt.






* I got the idea from Earth-Final Conflict. I had to have some Colleagues help as biology and computer code are not my area of expertise.

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

Well, and then there's Lex Luthor . . .

And Dr Thaddeus Bodog Sivanna.


I think a degree in Applied Physics would be a start.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Originally Posted by Boyo Jim

Death Ray Science
Anti-Matter Bomb Science
Truth Beam (or Drug) Science
Invisibility Science
Anti-Gravity Science
Teleportation Science
Making Smoking Hot Chicks Fall in Love With You Science
Time Travel Science
Creating a Supernova Science
Mind Control Science
Zombie Creation Science

[Evil!Skald]

You are confused as to some of the disciplines here. Zombie Creation is not science; it's magic. Making Smoking Hot Chicks Fall In Love With You isn't science or magic; it's mojo.

Mind Control can go either way. It always backfires anyway, though. Best avoided.

[/Evil!Skald]

[Irishman]

Mad Scientist alert!

http://www.superchimney.org/default.html

[SpyOne]

Originally Posted by yohan go

Slight hijack, but who would qualify IRL for superscientist described as is in OP's original post? Not evil one per se, but clearly with IQx2, at least profoundly eccentric if not clearly mad and with some serious scientific references? Tesla? Jobs? von Braun? da Vinci?

Tesla is the archetype, I think. daVinci worked in a wide array of fields, but he hardly ever built anything - his work was mostly theoretical. Of course, that makes him more scientist than engineer, and as noted above its engineering that is the key to the trope. Nobody cares about your studies of thermodynamics until you use them to freeze Washington.

Lowell Wood might count. Engineering background? Check. Wacky ideas? He invented the anti-mosquito laser.
Type "Can Dr. Evil Save The World?" into your favorite search engine, and see for yourself. I think he's about as close to the Mad Scientist/Superscience Inventor as reality is likely to produce.


To the OP's question: physics is always the starting point, because so much of everything else is really just physics. Decades ago when I was in high school, they offered classes in physics and chemistry, but if you wanted to take Honors level classes, they combined physics and chemistry into one two-year course, because there is so much crossover there.

[SpyOne]

Originally Posted by DocCathode

Again, this assumes that all Mad Scientists are evil. This simply is not true.

Although he was in the end defeated by the Technocracy, Buckminster Fuller left a lasting legacy-none of it capable of blowing up a city.

You miss the point. He didn't say to have to blow up cities to be a Mad Scientist, he said you have to be capable of blowing up cities to be a Mad Scientist.
And I think his point holds water: a Mad Scientist should be capable of creating, if he or she should so desire, something that could wipe out a city and is small enough to fit in a van.

And I'm not sure Fuller was a Mad Scientist, or even Mad Engnieer. Mad Designer?

[Lemur866]

Originally Posted by Grestarian

Well, there's a guy I've heard of in New England who is stacking up PhD's in Mathematics, Bio-Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Psychology, and Physics.

Getting multiple PhD's is kind of stupid. A PhD is your apprenticeship ticket. If you're a supergenius and want to do research in a new field there's not much point in entering a new PhD program, that's a waste of time. The major work of getting a PhD is your research, if you already have a PhD and are already doing research then why do you need to be in a PhD program?

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

I think the University Of Wisconsin's School Of Veterinary Medicine has a Mad Science specialization.

[Dio2112]

Psst! We have the Google machine now.

If you are smart enough to be a Superscientist, you will still need training on the equipment. All the other theory you can learn on your own, braniac.

You need master level guild training in toolmaking and machinist. Also enough undergraduate chemistry labs to learn those processes and that gear. The rest is up to you and your diabolical plans.

[The Second Stone]

You would need a PhD in "arch-villainy"
A medical degree in "evil medicine"
A B.A. in theater arts to master a crazed laugh.
And one more PhD in abnormal psychology so that you could become obsessed with something really idiotic that would eventually be your downfall.