# The World's Greatest \_\_\_\_\_\_ Is A Female. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208 "2005-02-09T15:51:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/1 "2005-02-09T15:51:48Z")
Fill in the blank in the following sentence: _The greatest \_\_\_\_\_\_ in the entire world is a female._ Provide her name, and tell us what it is that she has accomplished that puts her ahead of everyone else in her field of expertise. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/2 "2005-02-09T20:07:33Z")
The greatest _wife_ in the entire world is a female. And she’s mine. And her birthday was yesterday, so Happy Birthday to the Greatest Wife in the World, who is a Female. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/3 "2005-02-09T20:15:33Z")
Ellen MacArthur She just set the record for sailing around the world solo. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/4 "2005-02-09T20:47:27Z")
_The greatest \_\_\_\_\_\_ in the entire world is a female._ softball pitcher It’s either Lisa Fernandez or Jennie Finch. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/5 "2005-02-09T21:24:49Z")
\*The greatest **lying cheating no good asshole** in the world is female \*and I know, cause I dated her for too damn long. But then I met _the greatest **friend and lover** in the world, who is also female, and she ended up keeping me_ ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/6 "2005-02-09T21:31:16Z")
The world’s greatest mom in the world is a female. And she’s mine, so back off! I know there are lots of great moms here (but you’re still not as good as my mom). 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/7 "2005-02-09T21:40:48Z")
IMO, the world’s best folk artist is **Joni Mitchell**. Some regard **Ayn Rand** as the greatest philosophical mind of the 20th Century. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/8 "2005-02-09T22:10:24Z")
The worlds greaterst percussionist is Evelyn Glennie. [http://www.evelyn.co.uk/](http://www.evelyn.co.uk/) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/9 "2005-02-09T22:42:00Z")
The world’s greatest eater is [Sonya Thomas](http://www.sonyatheblackwidow.com/). Though I vehemently disagree, some claim [Marilyn vos Savant](http://www.marilynvossavant.com/) is the world’s smartest person. (Smarter than Cecil? Blasphemy!) It has been said that the world’s greatest shooter was [Annie Oakley](http://www.cowgirls.com/dream/cowgals/oakley.htm). (Though I think she was an extraordinary shot, IMO that title rightfully goes to [Adolph (“Ad”) Toepperwein](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5777377#post5777377). At least for rifle shooting.) ---
**Author:** ![Bluesman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@Bluesman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluesman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/10 "2005-02-09T22:55:42Z")
The [World’s Greatest Aerobatic Pilot](http://www.pattywagstaff.com/) is a woman, named Patty Wagstaff. I used to fly her airplane, a [Pitts S2B](http://www.acf.clara.net/scale/scale-pics-1/bipes/pitts-S2B/pitts-S2B.html). ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/11 "2005-02-10T00:53:44Z")
The worlds greatest impact physicist is Luba. Or at least was. There might be someone better now. I don’t know how to pronounce or spell her last name. A little background. Luba was a friend of the family. One night we were at a party at her house and my Dad took me aside and started talking to me\*. It went something like this: Dad: You know it is extremely rare to be the very best at what you do. Me: Yeah. Dad: Remember Luba. She is the absolute best in the world at what she does. There is no one in the world who can do what she does better. She is the very best. You might meet 4 or 5 people in your life who are the absolute best at what they do. Luba is one of those. Remember that. Me: What does she do, exactly? Dad: Impact physics. If you ever want to know anything about impacts she is the one to ask. She knows more than anyone. Me: Cool (slightly awed) I asked around after that and other people\*\* said the same thing, that Luba was the best at what she did. Luba was an odd duck. She was very cool and way smart. I haven’t seen her in years but if I ever need to know something about an impact event I know who to ask. Slee - My Dad rarely, make that never, makes these kinds of statements. ‘Pretty good’ is high praise from him. \*\* The other people I asked all had PHDs in physics and they all agreed. My Dad has a PHD in math but he is pretty good at physics as well. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/12 "2005-02-10T02:23:13Z")
**free-diver** If you don’t know what this is, it involves descending into the water on an iron slded and going as deeply as possible, then surfacing - all of which must be done on one breath. Her name is [Tanya Streeter](http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_802235.html) and she broke the women’s record AND the men’s record in this one dive. She made it to 400 feet below the surface, and returned, in a round trip time of 3 minutes 38 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![beltbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@beltbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beltbuckle)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/13 "2005-02-10T02:37:06Z")
Lesbian? ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/14 "2005-02-10T02:50:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Some regard **Ayn Rand** as the greatest philosophical mind of the 20th Century. cough. gasp. wheez. thud. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/15 "2005-02-10T03:05:45Z")
The greatest dogsled racer in the entire world is a female. Susan Butcher. I don’t have cites, proof or names, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the world’s greatest sharpshooters is a woman. ---
**Author:** ![Maxxxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@Maxxxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maxxxie)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/16 "2005-02-10T04:12:33Z")
The greatest computer scientist is (was) a woman. Admiral Grace Hopper. [http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/Hopper.Danis.html](http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/Hopper.Danis.html) 😃 Max. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/17 "2005-02-10T04:32:40Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Some regard **Ayn Rand** as the greatest philosophical mind of the 20th Century. Yes, but these are the same people who put on fake Russian accents and wear capes to work. Seriously, though, if we’re talking about great female philosophers, Hannah Arendt would definitely be on the list. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/18 "2005-02-10T04:55:29Z")
> [@picker](#): > > \*The greatest **lying cheating no good asshole** in the world is female \*and I know, cause I dated her for too damn long. So, you’re the guy that ended up with my ex. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/19 "2005-02-10T05:24:57Z")
The greatest Witch: Her name is **Starhawk**. She uses her Witch energy for peace action (helping people to deal with chaotic street protest areas safely) and for the environment, planting green growing plants all over. ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208/20 "2005-02-10T16:27:53Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Some regard **Ayn Rand** as the greatest philosophical mind of the 20th Century. Laughing… so… hard… I… can’t… breathe… gasp! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-______-is-a-female/289208.md?page=2)