Scientists help improve society, save lives and make our everyday life easier thanks to amazing discoveries. Some scientists receive credit for their work but others are unfortunately forgotten even though their inventions are still used. Here is a list of the top 8 greatest scientists ever.
8. Aristotle (384-322 BC) and the birth of physic.
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientists. He studied under Plato and is mostly remembered for his theories in physics as well as meta physics, two relatively new concepts at the time. Aristotle also put together impressive collections of plants and animal specimens and classified them.
He estimated the size of the Earth and theorized the chain of life. 9. Michael Faraday (1791-1867 AD) and the electric motor.
Michael Faraday did not receive an extensive education but his natural curiosity helped him made some amazing discoveries. He was particularly interested in electricity and built a fully functioning electric motor as well as an induction ring, which is the basis for electric transformers. 8. Galileo (1564-1642 AD) and the first telescope.
Galileo created the first modern telescope and changed our understanding of the world. Prior to his time, it was commonly believed that the Sun rotated around the Earth. Galileo proved this myth wrong thanks to this observations. His work also provided a strong basis for the science of kinetics and the strength of materials.
7. Marie Curie (1867-1934 AD) and the discovery of radiation.
Marie Curie was the first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize. She discovered radiation and designed the first mobile X ray machine, which was used to examine injured soldiers on the battlefield. She discovered different radioactive substances such as radium or thorium. Her work is the basis for the invention of the atom bomb. She eventually died in 1934 because of exposure to radiations.
6. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895 AD) and the germ theory.
Louis Pasteur spent most of his life researching microbiology and chemistry. He was the first scientist to study the fermentation of food caused by microbes and explained the existence of biogenesis through the germ theory. He created a cure for perpueral fever as well as vaccines against rabies and anthrax. He is also the scientist who discovered that milk could be made healthier by removing microbes through a process that is still called ‘Pasteurization’.
5. Thomas Edison (1845-1931 AD), genius and inventor.
Thomas Edison patented a total of 1,093 during his lifetime and it was not uncommon for him to work for more than twenty hours a day. He deserves a spot on the list of the top 10 greatest scientists ever because of inventions such as phonographs, batteries, cement, telegraphs, mining equipment or the kinetoscope. He also improved the phone, came up with the idea of storage batteries and a prototype for a digital voting system.
4. Archimedes (287-212 BC), the greatest mathematician.
Archimedes is the father of modern mathematics. His ideas are still used today both in theoretical mathematics and in engineering. He is mostly remembered for his discovery of the laws of lever, density, buoyancy or fluid equilibrium. He also worked on what would become the basis for calculus and came up with ideas such as finite geometric progressions, volumes of sphere or parabolic segments.
3. Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727 AD) and gravitation.
Newton is remember for his discovery of the law of gravity and gravitation. He had to invent complex calculus concepts to explain these laws. He also explained tides based on the gravitational pull of the sun, Earth and moon and came up with a binomial theorem to infinite series that was important to the development of calculus. He was also the inventor of the reflecting telescope. He became a knight in 1705.
2. Nikola Tesla (1856-1943 AD) and AC current.
Nikola Tesla was the first man to generate AC current and is also credited with inventions such as radars, X-rays or radios. He lived a secluded life and his inventions got very little public exposure. He built the first hydro-electricity plant, a radio wave recorder from outer space, neon lights, the modern electric motor and even an earthquake machine. He could speak eight languages and was able to memorize an entire book after reading it only once. Even though he is not credited for a lot of his work, Nikola Tesla made a huge contribution to the modern world we live in today.
1. Albert Einstein (1879-1955 AD), the father of modern physics.
Albert Einstein is known for his theory of relativity, the famous equation E=mc2 and the discovery of the photoelectric effect. His work was what made the atomic bomb possible and some of his amazing theories still puzzle scientists nowadays. He revolutionized the way we understand the universe and is one of the most influential people of the 20th century.
He also managed to successfully describe Brownian motion, laid the foundation for quantum physics with the photoelectric effect and many scientists believed that he managed to build an accurate mental image of the Universe on which he based most of his work. He was awarded a Nobel Prize for his work in 1921.
These are the top 8 greatest scientists ever but many other names should be mentioned and recognized for the contributions they made to science. In a way, all the scientists mentioned in this list contributed to the world in which we live in today and helped use develop a better understanding of the Universe, even though we still have a long way to go.