http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/science/story/0,12996,1508424,00.html
Is Hawkings not prominent enough in the public eye for this to happen? I’m surprised nobody tried to claim Einstein is still alive. 8)
I thought of editing it, but I’ll let it stand for posterity. :D
Actually, I’m kind of surprised that teens are able to refer to Da Vinci as a scientist/engineer. How many people only know him as an artist?
Are there references to DV’s inventive nature in the Da Vinci Code? I’ve not read the book, but if so, that could explain it. :)
I don’t know any current scientists either…at least none that come to mind. Obviously, I could name Hawking, since I have read some of his work, but I name a current biologist? Neuro-scientist? Chemist? Physicist (not theoretical)? Big discoveries are harder to attribute to one person nowadays and so there aren’t a lot of famous scientists. The same thing would probably happen if you had students name famous novelists, philosophers, mathematicians, etc.
I can name quite a few in the semi-conductor field, but probably speaking they are more applied science or engineering luminaries. Dawkins should be the one with the largest social profile with the laymen community. After all, he’s the one doing probably the most evangelizing for his profession currently.
Actually, I’m kind of surprised that teens are able to refer to Da Vinci as a scientist/engineer. How many people only know him as an artist?
There have been a couple of TV series on Da Vinci run recently, looking at his inventions rather than his artistic achievements and trying to build them where possible.
It is startling that no students named those responsible for recent scientific advances, for example, Ian Wilmut, who cloned Dolly the sheep, or Professor Colin Pillinger, who headed the Beagle 2 space probe to Mars project.
Dolly was cloned when the surveyed 13-16 years olds were 4-7. And I don’t know how startling it is when much science today is done by communities and groups. I consider myself well read on modern science and I can only name maybe a half dozen living scientists without looking up names.
How many famous engineers do you know?
How many famous engineers do you know?
Isambard Kingdom Brunel (living in Bristol, it’s hard to avoid him)
Robert? Stephenson (he of the Rocket)
That Guy from Zulu?
“I only came here to build a bridge”
Does Casey Jones count?
Troy