Top 10 Scientists of the 20th Century?

[Clinton Huxley]

Alan Turing should definitely be up there. Undoubtedly a genius and quite possibly saved civilization as we know it.

[Toussaint]

Einstein and Bose.

[Rob]

Of course its rather subjective, who gets into the top ten that is. Richard Feynman would definitely be up there. An excellent communicator and scientist. Albert Eienstein is a 'gimme' without a shadow of a doubt. Edwin Hubble observations and scientific rigor were essential to the development of his field. Carl Sagan single handedly influenced an entire generation of scientists, scholars and educators. Niels Bohr is a well known name, even to non-science majors, contributing the Bohr Model not to mention his work in quantum mechanics. So many other notable scientists to mention, I would be hard pressed to name a top 10.

[Gareth1984]

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Ernst Mayr who wrote over 700 peer reviewed scientific papers, and also highly infulential in our present understanding of species and the allopatric speciation model.

[Mr.Samsa]

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Ernst Mayr who wrote over 700 peer reviewed scientific papers, and also highly infulential in our present understanding of species and the allopatric speciation model.

Page 2, my friend.

[Gareth1984]

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Ernst Mayr who wrote over 700 peer reviewed scientific papers, and also highly infulential in our present understanding of species and the allopatric speciation model.

Page 2, my friend.

How did I miss that post?

[Mr P]

In no particular order:

Paul Dirac
Erwin Schrödinger
Richard Feymann
Neils Bohr
Linus Pauling
Francis Crick
Alan Turing
Alexander Fleming
Albert Einstein
Nikola Tesla

I was wondering when someone was going to mention Dirac

[RuleBritannia]

Dr. Zaius.

[Bruce Burleson]

Jack Kilby (invented the integrated circuit while working for Texas Instruments in 1950's, won Nobel prize in Physics in 2000 - the modern world operates as it does because of his invention - plus it's how this forum exists). In case you never heard of him, here's the Wiki link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kilby

Albert Einstein
Jonas Salk
James Watson
Francis Crick
Nikola Tesla
Neils Bohr
Stephen Hawking (for popularizing physics)
Francis Collins
Edwin Hubble

[Deep Sea Isopod]

Dr Alice Roberts was born in the 20th century... Does that count?






She's my number 1...

[Xeno]

I guess the question of theoretical vs applied comes into it a bit. One I think should be considered is Howard Florey -- personally, I think penicillin was pretty important.

No, I don't give credit to whatsisname who stumbled on the possibility then forgot all about it until Florey had done all the development through to proof and production.

[Horwood Beer-Master]