Who Is The Greatest Scientist (Genius) ?

[adrianben]

Your starter for ten is - Newton, Darwin or Einstein OR one of your own choice !

[maggiebee]

And the point of this question is? Do you have to write an essay on the topic or what?

[jno]

Eratosthenes was pretty good

[adrianben]

Hi Maggie The point was to name your favourite genius and, if were you were clever enough, to give a reason. Hope that helps ! (PS - I am a Darwinist!)

[Graham-W]

Tim Berners-Lee.
Without him none of us would be here chatting on the internet.

[grasscarp]

My favourite is leonardi da Vinci.

[MyBlackHen]

Newton.

[ChillDoubt]

Toss-up between Einstein and Stephen Hawking.

[maggiebee]

This advert from the 70s has always stuck in my mind.

Sir Isaac Newton told us why
An apple falls down from the sky
And from this fact, it's very plain,
All other objects do the same
A brick, a bolt, a bar, a cup,
Invariably fall down, not up
And every common working tool
Is governed by the self-same rule
So when you handle tools up there,
Let your watchword be, "Take Care!"
If at work, you drop a spanner,
It travels in a downward manner
At work, a fifth of accidents or more,
Illustrate old Newton's law
But one thing he forgot to add,
The damage won't be half as bad
If you are wearing proper clothes,
Especially on your head and toes
These hats and shoes are there to save
The wearer from an early grave
So best feet forward and take care
About the kind of shoes you wear
It's better to be sure, than dead,
So get a hat and keep your head

Don't think to go without is brave;
The effects of gravity can be grave.

[MyBlackHen]

Brilliant recall Maggie :)

[FredPuli43]

There's a distinction between people who explained how the word worked; Newton, Einstein; and those who made things work in it; Berners-Lee, Faraday, Tesla.

Being a practical sort, I choose Tesla.

[Zacs-Master]

Copernicus was the bravest.

[adrianben]

Hi Maggie ! The main point of genius is you don't make a big deal of it by reeling out a load of sh*te that nobody can be bothered to read !

[askyourgran]

Leonardo da Vinci, he was way ahead of his time.

[jno]

that's not the point of genius at all. You're thinking of PR

[Jeza]

I agree with maggie. Though I do think health and safety go too far.
EG. Kids playing conkers. Pancake tossing ets.

[LazyGun]

I think you are being a tad harsh on Maggie there, Adrian. It was an amusing ditty - and Maggie has given you her candidate, and sort of the reason why.

Galileo for me - arguably the father of modern physics, huge contribution to observational astronomy, and stood up to the Church in defence of his views.

[excelsior-1]

I would find it difficult to choose between Erwin Schrödinger and my current hero, Steven Hawking

[FredPuli43]

Hasn't the Health and Safety Executive complained about people claiming "health and safety" about pancake tossing or conkers,for example, when the reality is these are not matters of health and safety law? Insurers use health and safety as an excuse for refusing or increasing insurance, and organisers use the excuse to avoid doing things simply for cost-cutting reasons.

[jim360]

For sheer weight of change after his arrival, I'd go for Newton.

[Zacs-Master]

Jim, I think Copernicus beats Newton on that score. Declaring that the world was not the centre of the universe in 16C Europe. Mmm.