# who are the most brilliant physicists **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 17, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-brilliant-physicists/653201 "2013-03-17T21:44:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-brilliant-physicists/653201/21 "2013-03-19T17:20:00Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > IMNAAHO, he is one of the smartest men in the world, and simultaneously one of the stupidest. :headdsesk: Do you think, in your own opinion, of course, that he is stupid for falling for the scam (he did not know about the drugs) … or stupid that he thought he could get away with drug smuggling because he is a famous and well-regarded physicist (he knew about the drugs)? Either way, I think he believed a really hot model was romantically interested in him, but cannot figure out if I think he agreed to smuggle drugs for said hot model, or truly believed he was simply carrying a piece of empty luggage for her. ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-brilliant-physicists/653201/22 "2013-03-19T17:48:56Z")
Who is the best writer? Who is the best musician? Who is the best doctor? Who is the best cook/chef? Because people are more familiar with the above professions, it is obvious that these questions aren’t sufficiently defined. A writer who can create a page-turner mystery might be useless as a biographer or as a board-game-instruction-manual author or as a sitcom teleplay writer. A chef that specializes in French desserts might be useless at making damn-fine summertime BBQ ribs. “Physicist” as a profession is just as varied. Certain avenues of study garner more public attention, in the same way that “best doctor” might solicit suggestions of neurosurgeons or cardiologists. Yet, I wouldn’t want a hip fracture to be treated by either, because neither is the best at that aspect of medicine. ---
**Author:** ![chargerrich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chargerrich/32/5399_2.png) [@chargerrich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chargerrich)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-brilliant-physicists/653201/23 "2013-03-19T18:22:33Z")
> [@panaccione](#): > > Michio Kaku > Brian Greene > Neil DeGrasse Tyson (astrophysicist) Michio Kaku is certainly entertaining and has done a lot to popularize the field to the mainstream… he is not however anywhere near the top 5 IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-brilliant-physicists/653201/24 "2013-03-19T20:01:09Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > Do you think, in your own opinion, of course, that he is stupid for falling for the scam (he did not know about the drugs) … or stupid that he thought he could get away with drug smuggling because he is a famous and well-regarded physicist (he knew about the drugs)? > > Either way, I think he believed a really hot model was romantically interested in him, but cannot figure out if I think he agreed to smuggle drugs for said hot model, or truly believed he was simply carrying a piece of empty luggage for her. I find it hard to believe a man in his very late 60s will suddenly turn to drug smuggling. I find it very easy to believe a man of any age will do something as bone-headed as taking a suitcase “for” someone, when a woman is involved. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-brilliant-physicists/653201/25 "2013-03-19T20:54:22Z")
> [@Pasta](#): > > Who is the best writer? > Who is the best musician? > Who is the best doctor? > Who is the best cook/chef? > > Because people are more familiar with the above professions, it is obvious that these questions aren’t sufficiently defined. A writer who can create a page-turner mystery might be useless as a biographer or as a board-game-instruction-manual author or as a sitcom teleplay writer. A chef that specializes in French desserts might be useless at making damn-fine summertime BBQ ribs. > > “Physicist” as a profession is just as varied. Certain avenues of study garner more public attention, in the same way that “best doctor” might solicit suggestions of neurosurgeons or cardiologists. Yet, I wouldn’t want a hip fracture to be treated by either, because neither is the best at that aspect of medicine. I keep the business cards of consulting physicists and consulting philosophers handy at all times, so I can distinguish, form, fact and friction. ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-brilliant-physicists/653201/26 "2013-03-20T01:47:03Z")
> [@chargerrich](#): > > Michio Kaku is certainly entertaining and has done a lot to popularize the field to the mainstream… he is not however anywhere near the top 5 IMO. Yeah, I know nothing about physics. I do watch a lot of YouTube though. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-brilliant-physicists/653201/27 "2013-03-20T02:28:45Z")
> [@chargerrich](#): > > Michio Kaku is certainly entertaining and has done a lot to popularize the field to the mainstream… he is not however anywhere near the top 5 IMO. I rather have the impression that he is widely despised by a lot of his fellow physicists, owing to the fact that he talks a lot of highly speculative bollocks and gives those who do not know better the impression that it is accepted physical fact. (Perhaps also for the fact that me makes a lot of money by spouting said bollocks.) AFIAK, the same is not true of Brian Greene (though he irritates me), or Neil DeGrasse Tyson. They provide the accepted wisdom of their fields rather than the wildest speculative ideas. ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-brilliant-physicists/653201/28 "2013-03-20T20:12:29Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I rather have the impression that he is widely despised by a lot of his fellow physicists, owing to the fact that he talks a lot of highly speculative bollocks and gives those who do not know better the impression that it is accepted physical fact. (Perhaps also for the fact that me makes a lot of money by spouting said bollocks.) > > AFIAK, the same is not true of Brian Greene (though he irritates me), or Neil DeGrasse Tyson. They provide the accepted wisdom of their fields rather than the wildest speculative ideas. Yeah, I’ve seen that. He seems to often say that he is often on the brink of the next big discovery. You gotta admit though he has got the look for it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-most-brilliant-physicists/653201.md?page=1)