# Greatest Scientists Ever: Elimination Game **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [November 5, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825 "2017-11-05T21:08:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/21 "2017-11-06T16:44:14Z")
_Leonardo da Vinci_? Would Grace Hopper count as she was a pioneer Computer Scientist? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/22 "2017-11-06T17:01:18Z")
DaVinci, Leonardo - (he did science, too!) mathematics and anatomy Jacob of Nisibis- founder of the School of Nisibis, one of the earliest institutions of learning. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/23 "2017-11-06T17:25:15Z")
Francis Crick & James Watson Christiaan Huygens Jane Goodall ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/24 "2017-11-06T17:27:51Z")
Stephen Hawking should be on the list, surprised it has taken this long. Granted his field of study is pretty narrow but he has done much to popularise physics, and science in general. Not to mention a role model for overcoming personal difficulty. Edward Jenner probably deserves to be on there for his pioneering work in immunisation. Likewise Joseph Lister for antiseptics. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/25 "2017-11-06T17:35:14Z")
Antoine Lavoisier J.J. Berzelius ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/26 "2017-11-06T19:00:42Z")
Andreas Vesalius, the founder of the anatomical sciences. > **[Andreas Vesalius](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Vesalius)** > > Andreas Vesalius (Latinized from Andries van Wezel) /vɪˈseɪliəs/ (31 December 1514 – 15 October 1564) was a 16th-century anatomist, physician, and author of one of the most influential books on human anatomy, De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem (On the fabric of the human body in seven books), a major advance over the long-dominant work of Galen. Vesalius is often referred to as the founder of modern human anatomy. He was born in Brussels, which was then part of the Habsburg Netherlands. H ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/27 "2017-11-06T19:06:51Z")
Vera Rubin Annie Jump Cannon Henrietta Swan Leavitt ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/28 "2017-11-06T19:40:30Z")
French chemist Antoine Lavoisier ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/29 "2017-11-06T20:02:10Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > French chemist Antoine Lavoisier He was already nominated in #25, but I’m glad to see him nominated twice! 🙂 > [@Joseph-Louis Lagrange](#): > > Il ne leur a fallu qu’un moment pour faire tomber cette tête, et cent années peut-être ne suffiront pas pour en reproduire une semblable. > > [translation: It took them only an instant to cut off this head, and one hundred years might not suffice to reproduce its like.] ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/30 "2017-11-06T20:25:56Z")
John Bardeen Eugene Wigner John von Neumann Alan Turing (if CS counts) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/31 "2017-11-06T21:28:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **What Exit?** : > > Would Grace Hopper count as she was a pioneer Computer Scientist? Sure, she’s a scientist, but Ada Lovelace Byron is more deserving of the place, I’d think. And Turing, but **Snarky Kong** just ninjaed me on him. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/32 "2017-11-06T21:53:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Sure, she’s a scientist, but > > Ada Lovelace Byron > > is more deserving of the place, I’d think. And Turing, but **Snarky Kong** just ninjaed me on him. I disagree on Ada, what she did, did not lead to much progress at all. What Admiral Hopper and Alan Turing did changed the world in their lifetimes. Turing did so much to help defeat the Axis that I think he is a great choice. Admiral Hopper’s creation of the first human readable computer language made computers mainstream. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/33 "2017-11-06T22:06:55Z")
Edison, Thomas Alva ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/34 "2017-11-06T22:38:30Z")
[William of Ockham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_of_Ockham) [Francis Bacon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon) Nominated for top 10: [Maurice Hilleman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Hilleman) (vaccines) I would accept it if economists are disallowed. But here are some of the main candidates anyway. Adam Smith [David Ricardo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ricardo) John Maynard Keynes Paul Samuelson [Kenneth Arrow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Arrow) (greatest economist who isn’t a household name) Milton Friedman These guys don’t make my nomination list, but I’m giving them a mention. Karl Popper (Philosophy of Science) Thomas Kuhn (Philosophy of Science) ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/35 "2017-11-06T22:45:52Z")
[Carl Friedrich Gauss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Friedrich_Gauss), mathematics, statistics ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/36 "2017-11-07T00:29:37Z")
Louis Leakey – anthropology Carolus Linnaeus – botany, taxonomy Antonie van Leeuwenhoek – microbiology, microscopy ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/37 "2017-11-07T01:20:34Z")
I want to keep nominations open for another several days, but it’s not too early to plan the rules for Elimination Round One. It looks like we’ll have well over 100 nominations. I want to whittle them down to 36 finalists in a few elimination rounds. I propose that each participant be allowed up to six OFF votes, and up to two KEEP votes. (A Keep vote cancels another’s Off vote for the same scientist.) A player is allowed to change his votes at any time prior to the pre-announced End of Round. These vote allowances will be reduced in subsequent rounds but we’ll want to prune the initial List of Nominations rapidly. (How many will be eliminated at the end of Elimination Round 1? _That’s purely at Mod’s whim_, but the voting is open and Mod may seek advice.) As Moderator I reserve the right to make up to 13 nominations of my own and **will make four of them now.** If we’re going to allow inventors, or pure mathematicians, or theologians, or polymaths, then I nominate Gutenberg, Johannes - invention Poincare, Henri - math Bruno, Giordano - philosophy Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von - natural philosopher These are NOT intended to encourage further submissions of these ilks — arguably not even “scientists” — but rather to put a stop to it. The list of nominees is so large that some will want me to subdivide them. I’m undecided as to whether that’s a good idea, but I’ve spoiled an arbitrary arrangement of the 96 current nominees into nine categories: 20 Physics, 17 Astronomy, 12 Math and Comp. Sci., 10 Chemistry, 10 Biology, 9 Philosophy and Geology, 7 Anthro & Health, 6 Economics, 5 Invention. Anthropology and Human Health Borlaug, Norman - agronomics Goodall, Jane - primatology Hilleman, Maurice - biology, vaccination; saved more lives Jenner, Edward - vaccination Leakey, Louis - anthropology Lister, Joseph - antiseptics Salk, Jonas - medicine, vaccination Biology Crick, Francis - Dna Darwin, Charles - biology Galen, of Pergamon - biology, medicine Leeuwenhoek, Antonie van - microbiology, microscopy Linnaeus, Carolus - botany, taxonomy McClintock, Barbara - genetics Mendel, Gregor - genetics Mullis, Kary - biology Vesalius, Andreas - founder of anatomical sciences Watson, James - Dna Chemistry Berzelius, Jacob - chemistry Boyle, Robert - chemistry, physics Dalton, John - chemistry Davy, Sir Humphrey - chemistry Franklin, Rosalind - chemistry, X-ray crystallography Haber, Fritz - chemistry; invention (fertilizer, gas warfare) Lavoisier, Antoine - chemistry Liebig, Justus von - organic chemistry; a great practical scientist. Pasteur, Louis - chemistry, biology Pauling, Linus - chemistry Astronomy Al-Khwarizmi, Muhammad ibn Musa - math, astronomy Brahmagupta - math, astronomy Cannon, Annie Jump - astronomy Copernicus, Nicolas - astronomy Eratosthenes - math, astronomy Galileo - physics, astronomy, etc. Gauss, Karl - math, astronomy Halley, Edmond - astronomy, etc. Hubble, Edwin - astronomy Kepler, Johannes - astronomy, math Leavitt, Henrietta Swan - astronomy Michelson, Albert - astronomy; speed of light Morley, Edward - astronomy, chemistry, optics, and physics. Ptolemy - astronomy Rubin, Vera - astronomy Sagan, Carl - astronomy Zhang Heng - astronomy, mechanics Mathematics and Computer science Archimedes - math, physics Euclid - math Euler, Leonhard - math Fermat, Pierre de - math, optics Hopper, Grace - computer science Leibnitz, Gottfried - math, physics, etc. Lovelace, Ada Byron Countess of - computer science Neumann, John von - computer science, etc. Noether, Emmy - math Poincare, Henri - math Russell, Bertrand - math Turing, Alan - computer science, etc. Economic Science Arrow, Kenneth - economics Friedman, Milton - economics Keynes, John Maynard - economics Ricardo, David - economics Samuelson, Paul - economics Smith, Adam - economics Invention Edison, Thomas Alva - invention Gutenberg, Johannes - invention Leonardo da Vinci - anatomy, invention, etc. Marconi, Guglielmo - radio transmission Tesla, Nicolai - physics, invention Philosophy and Geology Aristotle - philosophy, geology, biology, etc. Bacon, Francis - philosophy Bruno, Giordano - philosophy Ge Hong - philosophy, alchemy Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von - natural philosopher Nisibis, St. Jacob of - theology, founded early school Ockham, William of - philosophy Pythagoras - math Smith, William - geology Physics Bardeen, John - physics, invention Bohr, Niels - atomic physics Curie, Marie - radioactivity Dirac, Paul - physics Einstein, Albert - physics Faraday, Michael - electromagnetism, etc. Fermi, Enrico - atomic physics Feynman, Richard - physics Franklin, Benjamin - physics, etc. Gell-Mann, Murray - physics Hawking, Stephen - cosmology Heisenberg, Werner - quantum theory Huygens, Christiaan - optics, physics Maxwell, James Clerk - physics Meitner, Lise - atomic physics Newton, Sir Isaac - math, physics Oppenheimer, Robert - atomic physics Rutherford, Ernest - nuclear physics, atomic theory, radioactivity. Thorne, Kip - physics Wigner, Eugene - physics, symmetry Here’s the same list with all 96 names in a single alphabetized batch. Al-Khwarizmi, Muhammad ibn Musa - math, astronomy Archimedes - math, physics Aristotle - philosophy, geology, biology, etc. Arrow, Kenneth - economics Bacon, Francis - philosophy Bardeen, John - physics, invention Berzelius, Jacob - chemistry Bohr, Niels - atomic physics Borlaug, Norman - agronomics Boyle, Robert - chemistry, physics Brahmagupta - math, astronomy Bruno, Giordano - philosophy Cannon, Annie Jump - astronomy Copernicus, Nicolas - astronomy Crick, Francis - Dna Curie, Marie - radioactivity Dalton, John - chemistry Darwin, Charles - biology Davy, Sir Humphrey - chemistry Dirac, Paul - physics Edison, Thomas Alva - invention Einstein, Albert - physics Eratosthenes - math, astronomy Euclid - math Euler, Leonhard - math Faraday, Michael - electromagnetism, etc. Fermat, Pierre de - math, optics Fermi, Enrico - atomic physics Feynman, Richard - physics Franklin, Benjamin - physics, etc. Franklin, Rosalind - chemistry, X-ray crystallography Friedman, Milton - economics Galen, of Pergamon - biology, medicine Galileo - physics, astronomy, etc. Gauss, Karl - math, astronomy Ge Hong - philosophy, alchemy Gell-Mann, Murray - physics Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von - natural philosopher Goodall, Jane - primatology Gutenberg, Johannes - invention Haber, Fritz - chemistry; invention (fertilizer, gas warfare) Halley, Edmond - astronomy, etc. Hawking, Stephen - cosmology Heisenberg, Werner - quantum theory Hilleman, Maurice - biology, vaccination; saved more lives Hopper, Grace - computer science Hubble, Edwin - astronomy Huygens, Christiaan - optics, physics Jenner, Edward - vaccination Kepler, Johannes - astronomy, math Keynes, John Maynard - economics Lavoisier, Antoine - chemistry Leakey, Louis - anthropology Leavitt, Henrietta Swan - astronomy Leeuwenhoek, Antonie van - microbiology, microscopy Leibnitz, Gottfried - math, physics, etc. Leonardo da Vinci - anatomy, invention, etc. Liebig, Justus von - organic chemistry; a great practical scientist. Linnaeus, Carolus - botany, taxonomy Lister, Joseph - antiseptics Lovelace, Ada Byron Countess of - computer science Marconi, Guglielmo - radio transmission Maxwell, James Clerk - physics McClintock, Barbara - genetics Meitner, Lise - atomic physics Mendel, Gregor - genetics Michelson, Albert - astronomy; speed of light Morley, Edward - astronomy, chemistry, optics, and physics. Mullis, Kary - biology Neumann, John von - computer science, etc. Newton, Sir Isaac - math, physics Nisibis, St. Jacob of - theology, founded early school Noether, Emmy - math Ockham, William of - philosophy Oppenheimer, Robert - atomic physics Pasteur, Louis - chemistry, biology Pauling, Linus - chemistry Poincare, Henri - math Ptolemy - astronomy Pythagoras - math Ricardo, David - economics Rubin, Vera - astronomy Russell, Bertrand - math Rutherford, Ernest - nuclear physics, atomic theory, radioactivity. Sagan, Carl - astronomy Salk, Jonas - medicine, vaccination Samuelson, Paul - economics Smith, Adam - economics Smith, William - geology Tesla, Nicolai - physics, invention Thorne, Kip - physics Turing, Alan - computer science, etc. Vesalius, Andreas - founder of anatomical sciences Watson, James - Dna Wigner, Eugene - physics, symmetry Zhang Heng - astronomy, mechanics Please inform me if I have inadvertantly omitted your nomination. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/38 "2017-11-07T01:40:44Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > If we’re going to allow inventors, or pure mathematicians, or theologians, or polymaths, then I nominate > > Gutenberg, Johannes - invention > Poincare, Henri - math > Bruno, Giordano - philosophy > Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von - natural philosopher > > These are NOT intended to encourage further submissions of these ilks — arguably not even “scientists” — but rather to put a stop to it. I forgot the smiley-face here! 🙂 Actually, _ **I’m proud of these choices and will definitely tout them all to survive and join the Thirty-Six Finalists!** _ — using the same criteria others will use. For example, we can say — for better or worse — that Gutenberg created more lives than Maurice Hilleman saved: Books were a prerequisite for almost all the revolutions, including the population explosion. If others understand my p.o.v. here and have similar nominees, please submit them! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/39 "2017-11-07T04:47:31Z")
My thinking on Ada Lovelace is that it’s impressive to invent a machine, or to come up with a new way to use a machine, but both of those have been done many, many times, by many, many people. But it’s not often that you find someone figuring out how to use a machine that doesn’t even exist. Hopper may have accomplished more, but she did so by standing on the shoulders of much taller giants. Why 36 finalists specifically? Is there some reason that number is particularly easy to handle? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825/40 "2017-11-07T05:15:55Z")
I have to say right at the beginning I anticipate problems. Comparing Presidents is easy; they were all doing the same job and the Presidency is an individual role. And the nature of the job is open to public scrutiny. Comparing scientists is a lot harder. First off, you have to know the fields of science and compare their value. Which is more important: Optics or botany? Calculus or chemistry? Psychology or physics? Then you have to compare the place each figure holds in their field of science (remembering to separate their public image from their professional role). Then you have to decide how much credit the figure owes to their predecessors and colleagues. Then you have to decide how credit they can claim for the work of their successors and colleagues. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-scientists-ever-elimination-game/800825.md?page=3)