# Mad Scientists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 4, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052 "2006-03-04T17:15:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/1 "2006-03-04T17:15:09Z")
Where and when did the literary device of the “Mad Scientist” originate? ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/2 "2006-03-04T17:19:04Z")
We’ve had tales of unhinged people with genius/supernatural gifts which they use to wreak havoc or otherwise do the unexpected dating back to Prometheus. My WAG as far as the modern prototype of mad scientist with the gleam in his eye and the Tesla coils? Victor Frankenstein. That guy seems to have kicked the whole genre off. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/3 "2006-03-04T17:35:38Z")
Wouldn’t the isolated, crazed natural philosopher fill that bill? If so it would go back to Prospero in _The Tempest_ and, I’m certain, beyond. ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/4 "2006-03-04T20:23:56Z")
I think Daedalus started it all in Greek mythology ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/5 "2006-03-05T01:01:57Z")
> [@priapus](#): > > I think Daedalus started it all in Greek mythology Daedelus wasn’t mad, he just had a bratty son. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/6 "2006-03-05T02:17:03Z")
I think Victor Frankenstein of the movies filled the bill more than Victor Frankenstein of the book. The true Mad Scientist doesn’t sweat details like morality or personal responsibility. A related question: Where did the freaky assistant Igor come from? Could it possibly be a Mel Brooks invention? ---
**Author:** ![MackoUr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MackoUr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MackoUr)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/7 "2006-03-05T02:41:07Z")
I always think of Faust as the archetype ‘mad scholar’ who defies the natural order of things in pursuit of knowledge to a tragic end. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/8 "2006-03-05T02:41:23Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > A related question: Where did the freaky assistant Igor come from? Could it possibly be a Mel Brooks invention? Nah. It’s from the famous movie version of Frankenstein and (especially) the sequels. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/9 "2006-03-05T03:04:58Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > A related question: Where did the freaky assistant Igor come from? Could it possibly be a Mel Brooks invention? In the 1931 Universal production of _Frankenstein,_ the doctor’s assistant was a hunchback named Fritz (the one who stole the criminal brain from the university). In the second sequel, the 1939 _Son of Frankenstein,_ a new character appeared – a local graverobber named Igor (played by Bela Lugosi), who befriends the monster. Igor was not hunchbacked but did have a broken neck (from when he was hanged for grave-robbing but survived); Igor returned in _The Ghost of Frankenstein_ in 1942. Popular imagination/memory apparently conflated Fritz with Igor. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2006, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/10 "2006-03-05T04:26:29Z")
It’s pronounced _eye-gor_ ---
**Author:** ![Revedge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecae2f/32.png) [@Revedge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revedge)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/11 "2006-03-05T08:47:40Z")
“Hump? What hump?” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/12 "2006-03-05T13:51:00Z")
To me, [Rotwang from Metropolis](http://home.student.utwente.nl/j.w.dijkshoorn/jwgif/metropolis03.jpg) is the ne plus ultra of mad Scientists. Not sure if he’s earlier than any Frankensteins, but he’s certainly Mad! ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/13 "2006-03-05T13:52:14Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > To me, [Rotwang from Metropolis](http://home.student.utwente.nl/j.w.dijkshoorn/jwgif/metropolis03.jpg) is the ne plus ultra of mad Scientists. Not sure if he’s earlier than any Frankensteins, but he’s certainly Mad! …any **movie** Frankensteins… I mean ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/14 "2006-03-05T14:30:53Z")
One story had it that Edison disliked Tesla so much that in various films he funded he had them use Tesla and this became the prototypical mad scientist. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/15 "2006-03-05T14:32:07Z")
Had them use a character like him that is. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/16 "2006-03-05T14:34:53Z")
Someone mentioned Tesla Coils and Ironically I have read that Tesla was the [inspiration for the early Hollywood Mad Scientist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Teslathinker.jpg). Keep in mind his experiment and inventions were in the Realm of mad scientist. The [Lightning Experiments](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tesla_colorado_444px.jpg) at Colorado Springs, Remote Control Torpedoes and trying to sell Death Rays to the military. [Wardenclyffe Tower is still largely a mystery](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardenclyffe_Tower). Tesla even had the “patented” Eastern European Accent. Jim ---
**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:** [March 5, 2006, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/17 "2006-03-05T14:35:54Z")
> [@Sage Rat](#): > > One story had it that Edison disliked Tesla so much that in various films he funded he had them use Tesla and this became the prototypical mad scientist. Damn **Sage Rat** , while I am constructing a post with links and examples, you stoled my fire. 😉 Jim ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/18 "2006-03-05T14:37:34Z")
Muahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhaaahaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!! :d ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/19 "2006-03-05T19:13:47Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > To me, [Rotwang from Metropolis](http://home.student.utwente.nl/j.w.dijkshoorn/jwgif/metropolis03.jpg) is the ne plus ultra of mad Scientists. Not sure if he’s earlier than any Frankensteins, but he’s certainly Mad! I’ll see your Rotwang and raise you a Dr. Caligari! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052/20 "2006-03-05T19:29:12Z")
> [@Sage Rat](#): > > One story had it that Edison disliked Tesla so much that in various films he funded he had them use Tesla and this became the prototypical mad scientist. Can you give names to any of these purported films? Or, cite? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-scientists/347052.md?page=2)