# The 100 Most Influential People - Try the Third **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 14, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080 "2010-04-14T16:58:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**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:** [May 4, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/241 "2010-05-04T14:31:22Z")
Inventors. William TG Morton Leaders. Mao Zedong Philosophy. Nicoli Machiavelli Religion. Asoka Science. John Dalton 1 new vote: Mao Zedong. It’s about time we start voting off the Communists. If you’re former subjects are actively repudiating you, just how influential can you claim to be anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/242 "2010-05-04T14:31:59Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > The losers are: > > P, Ludwig Von Beethoven, 4 Curse you all! Or at least four of you plus **Boozahol Squid** , whose vote for Lao Tzu might have saved Ludwig. I was hoping he’d stick around until at least Round 10. Ah well… Inventions. William TG Morton Leaders. Cyrus the Great Philosophy and Arts. Nicoli Machiavelli Religions. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab Sciences. John Dalton ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/243 "2010-05-04T14:32:56Z")
Inventions. Marconi Leaders. Charlemagne Philosophy. Voltaire Religion. Asoka Science. Copernicus Two new ones this time. Charlemagne’s empire didn’t last (and the Holy Roman Empire was a joke); we’ve knocked out a few Christians in a row, and I feel okay about knocking out the second-most-important Buddhist. ---
**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:** [May 4, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/244 "2010-05-04T14:38:46Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Curse you all! Or at least four of you plus **Boozahol Squid** , whose vote for Lao Tzu might have saved Ludwig. Many voters obviously have a tin ear, or else why even take the chance of [hearing boy band album cuts](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12359997&postcount=88) (bottom of post)? 😉 And you’re right - an extra vote for Lao Tzu would have saved Ludwig because of the tie-breaker rule (ties are broken by Hart’s original ranking). ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/245 "2010-05-04T14:42:42Z")
Poor Calvin. But at least I get to feel smart for knowing who Euler was (thanks to my high school calculus teacher). Although I didn’t know until just now that he was also a pastor in the Reformed Church. Huh. Anyway, only my Wright Bros. vote succeeded (finally), so I only need to come up with one new one. Inventions. James Watt Leaders. Charlemagne Philosophy. Voltaire Religions. Asoka Sciences. James Clerk Maxwell ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/246 "2010-05-04T15:34:42Z")
Inventions. Marconi Leader. Cyrus the Great Philosophy and Arts. Voltaire Religion. Asoka Science. James Clerk Maxwell ---
**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:** [May 4, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/247 "2010-05-04T17:55:39Z")
My Round 8 votes: Inventor. Louis Daguerre Leader. Charlemagne Philosophy. Voltaire Religion. Asoka Science. Johannes Kepler Daguerre - Hey, he’s not even influential to get his name spelled right. Okay seriously, another case of a guy who invented a technology a lot of other people were working on around the same time. Good have just as easily credited Niepce or Schultz or Willis or Herschel or Dobereiner for inventing photography. Voltaire - Sticking with my belief that pure philosophy just hasn’t influenced history all that much. Asoka - Now this was a tough call. The ten people left on this list are all major figures in history. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/248 "2010-05-04T19:08:09Z")
Inventor. William TG Morton Leader. Cyrus the Great Philosophy. Lao Tzu Religion. Asoka Science. James Clerk Maxwell If this list looks familiar, it’s because none of my choices got knocked off in the last round. Looks like at least one (Asoka) isn’t long for the game, however. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/249 "2010-05-04T21:55:24Z")
Inventions. William TG Morton Leader. Charlemagne Philosophy. Michelangelo Religion. Moses Science. Galileo Galilei I got 'em Ma! I done got two of 'em! Morton, I tried but couldn’t rank any others below you. It’s rare atmosphere up there. I’ve moved to Michelangelo because the arts in the philosophy section are fair game. Which isn’t necessarily fair, but is part of the game. Charlemagne. Every time I look at you, I square you off against QEI. But Lizzie Tudor succeeded by longevity and (comparative) peace and stability by plotting a middle course in a sectarian minefield. Whereas you’re just another imperialistic fundamentalist Christian hegemonist. If you hadn’t formed the empire, then the thug who killed off your armies would have. Moses. An extraordinary and charmed life, if you take the myths as literal. Heliocentricity was a very big idea, at a time when having big ideas was not a good career move. But I can’t vote that Galileo, polymath extraordinaire, as the advocate was more influential than Copernicus the founder. ---
**Author:** ![Animastryfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Animastryfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Animastryfe)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/250 "2010-05-04T22:32:30Z")
I am surprised at the number of people voting for Maxwell. His equations have been called the second great unification of physics, and he was voted the third most influential physicist in 1999 by many important physicists. Einstein even kept a picture of him on his wall. Of course, all of this can be found in his Wikipedia article. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/251 "2010-05-05T00:59:09Z")
Invention. William TG Morton Leader. Genghis Khan Philosophy. Michelangelo Religion. St Augustine Science. James Clerk Maxwell ---
**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:** [May 5, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/252 "2010-05-05T01:12:43Z")
As long as we’re campaigning, I’m putting in a word for Sui Wen Ti. He’s probably the least familiar name on the list for a lot of people but he really was very important. Compare the experience of the ancient empires of Rome and China. Both were founded by great men, Augustus and Shi Huangdi. Both ended up falling apart after a few centuries. But Rome never really got put back together despite the efforts of people like Aurelian, Charlemagne, or Justinian. The Roman Empire ended up turning into a bunch of seperate countries. But that didn’t happen in China. After four hundred years of breakdown, Sui Wendi was able to put the country back together. He turned China back into a single country and it’s pretty much stayed that way for over 1500 years since. To put it into a western persepctive, it would be like if Charlemagne had conquered all of Europe and North Africa in 800 and it was still a single country in 2010. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Uncle\_Goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Goat)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/253 "2010-05-05T04:05:45Z")
Invention. Louis Dagurre Leader. Cyrus the Great Philosophy. Confucius Religion. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab Science. Galileo Galilei Only a change in Science and the prize for being voted off the island goes to the charming guy under house arrest. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Uncle\_Goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Goat)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/254 "2010-05-05T04:10:49Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > 1 new vote: Mao Zedong. It’s about time we start voting off the Communists. If you’re former subjects are actively repudiating you, just how influential can you claim to be anyway? Anyone who let 50 million people starve to death is worth noting. Mao went nuts in 1958 and stayed in power until he died. That’s worth a bonus point or two. ---
**Author:** ![Animastryfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Animastryfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Animastryfe)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/255 "2010-05-05T04:16:47Z")
> [@Uncle\_Goat](#): > > Anyone who let 50 million people starve to death is worth noting. Mao went nuts in 1958 and stayed in power until he died. That’s worth a bonus point or two. He also repressed China’s development, both economically and intellectually. Perhaps if he had lost power early after 1949 China would have had its current boom much earlier. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2010, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/256 "2010-05-05T07:34:48Z")
Inventors. William TG Morton Leaders. Charlemagne Philosophy. Francis Bacon Religion. St Augustine Science. Nicolas Copernicus History of science is really the only area where I feel well-read enough for my opinion to matter. I must say I’m shocked that Galileo, Kepler and Maxwell are getting so close to being voted off the island. Rutherford has yet to get a single vote; Fermi shouldn’t have been in the Hart’s 100 list to start with. Fellow scientists are the best judge of a scientist’s influence; Galileo is regarded as huge both by his contemporaries and successors. Kepler (who BTW was a math genius and early developer of calculus) produced Laws of Planetary Motion which directly led to the scientific revolution. While facts about optics, Galileo’s discoveries etc. were “hiding in plain sight,” Kepler’s Laws would have gone unnoticed but for his thorough data and excellent math skills. On Earth, many simple physics experiments will be complicated by things like friction; this is why celestial motions, with their purity, were so important to the development of mathematical physics. There are about a half-dozen scientists on the list I’d rank ahead of Kepler and Galileo, so some round soon it will be time to vote for them. But that round is not this round. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/257 "2010-05-05T08:05:01Z")
Inventions. Antony van Leeuwenhoek Leader. Napoleon Bonaparte Philosophy. Lao Tzu Religion. St. Augustine Science. Johannes Kepler ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Uncle\_Goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Goat)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/258 "2010-05-05T12:42:03Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > There are about a half-dozen scientists on the list I’d rank ahead of Kepler and Galileo, so some round soon it will be time to vote for them. But that round is not this round. It’s a tough call in most categories now. I’m at the eenie-meenie-minie-moe stage of picking people. Logic and reason have been abandoned for dumb luck. ---
**Author:** ![sohvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sohvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sohvan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/259 "2010-05-05T12:49:32Z")
Invention. Louis Dagurre Leader. Charlemagne Philosophy. Nicoli Machiavelli Religion. Constantine the Great Science. St Augustine I decided to switch my Kepler vote for Copernicus, though I would still see both of them going very soon. Augustine is a new pick, though I don’t view him as completely uninfluental either. I tend to view leaders in general as being more influental than theologians. A religion having one doctrine over another is only significant by the effects that change has on world events. Luther for example shaped the politics of Europe for centuries to come, and that’s his significance. From my understanding Umar was a key figure in the spread of Islam after Mohammed’s death, and also one of the main reasons for the Sunni-Shi’a split. Asoka is a major figure both as a leader and a very important religious figure in the spread of Buddhism in Asia. ---
**Author:** ![sohvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sohvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sohvan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080/260 "2010-05-05T12:59:32Z")
I seem to have made a mistake with the posting again. I was supposed to replace Constantine with Augustine, but instead replaced Copernicus. :smack: So the right 5 was supposed to be: Invention. Louis Dagurre Leader. Charlemagne Philosophy. Nicoli Machiavelli Religion. St Augustine Science. Copernicus If it’s too late to change it now, then just ignore the science vote and keep Constantine for the religion like it was. Sorry again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-100-most-influential-people-try-the-third/536080.md?page=14)