A prelude to the advent of science is the advent of measure; measure is a quality much admired in the abstract. However, our civilization values the ineffable as well as the quantifiable, finding utility in the tensions between such polar opposites. Specific attempts to measure particular things are, therefore, liable to encounter an ambivalent response. It has been over two millennia since Horace decreed, “There is measure in all things.” And the parturition of some prodigious genius, in conjunction with their advanced vertically thinking might have written on the face of the history of the orb, its importance. The Top 10 badass scientists who have devoted their lives to this revolution are.
10. Carl Friedrich Gauss:
Child prodigy Gauss, the ‘Prince of Mathematics’, made his first major discovery whilst still a teenager, and wrote the incredible ‘Disquisitiones Arithmeticae’, his magnum opus, by the time he was 21. After graduating (at the age of 22), he began to make several important contributions in major areas of mathematics, most notably number theory. He went on to prove the fundamental theorem of algebra, and introduced the Gaussian gravitational constant in physics, as well as much more – all this before he was 24.
9. Galileo Galilei:
It is undoubtedly true that Galileo was the first who helped science to come out of the trend of Aristotle. He was physicist, astronomer and philosopher, and his best known contributions lie in the development of Telescope, first two laws of motion and also in Astronomy. He is also considered as the Father of Astronomy, Physics and Science. Because of going against the profound beliefs of the church, he was highly criticized for this work during his time.
8. Leonhard Euler:
If Gauss is the ‘Prince’, Euler is the ‘King’. He is regarded as the greatest mathematician to have ever walked this planet. Many mathematical formulas are named after Euler. He introduced the concept of Functions, trigonometric rations, and ‘e’ for the base of the natural logarithm. He continued to develop calculus, topology, number theory, graph theory besides other mathematical disciplines, ultimately paving the way for modern mathematics and all its revelations.
7. Peter Ware Higgs:
Best known for his work on broken symmetry in electroweak theory, Higgs is a British theoretical physicist at the University of Edinburgh. Higgs is more popular today because of his connection to the discovery of the Higgs boson, also known as the ‘God Particle’, and the Higgs Mechanism. The Higgs mechanism postulates the existence of the Higgs field which confers mass on quarks and leptons. A new centre named after Professor Higgs was opened for further research in theoretical physics and to gather scientists from around the world to seek “a deeper understanding of how the universe works”.
6. Stephen William Hawking:
His tremendous research on the gravitational singularities theorems in the framework of general relativity, and the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation, often called Hawking radiation , have changed the understanding of the birth of the universe which he explains in his publication ‘A Brief History of Time’. Born on January 8, 1942, Hawking has won a series of awards in the field of cosmology from the biggest congregations all around the world.
5. Michio Kaku:
A futuristic faculty from the University of New York, Michio Kaku is known for his tremendous work in theoretical physics. He published various journals covering topics such as superconductivity, superstrings theory, supergravity, supersymmetry and hadronic physics. Kaku is best known for his work on mulitidimensional analysis which he depicts in his book “parallel worlds” which emphasizes the existence of infinite number of parallel universes functioning with their own sets of logic and philosophy.
4. Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck:
Planck was a German theoretical physicist who originated quantum theory, which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918. His theory revolutionized human understanding of atomic and subatomic processes. This, along with Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, together constitutes the fundamental theories of 20th-century physics. It was his theory on electromagnetism which indulged Albert Einstein to later frame his theory of relativity.
3. Isaac Newton:
Newton was also a man of versatile qualities. He was physicist, mathematician, astronomer, alchemist, natural philosopher, economist and Christian theologist. He is best known for his explanation of Universal Gravitation and the three laws of motion. Newton was able to prove that the reasons of both the motion of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies are controlled by the same neutral laws. His great contribution to the field of mechanical science was his advanced research and inventions in optics. He also did some research on light and stars. His research on binomial theorem helped in the development of today’s Calculus.
2. Albert Einstein:
Einstein is one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century and notable physicists of all time. It is said that he had learning disability in his childhood; he could not talk till he was three and could not read till he was eight. Despite such problems Einstein later became a Noble Prize laureate for his contribution to Physics. His theory of relativity is considered as a revolutionary development of Physics. The Noble Prize that came in 1921 was for his explanation of the Photoelectric Effect and for his research in Theoretical physics.
1. Richard Phillips Feynman:
Feynman brought the work of his ancestors to a whole new level. His work on path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics, and the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as in particle physics (he proposed the parton model) changed the understanding of the world by an extent never before observed. He developed a widely used pictorial representation scheme for the mathematical expressions governing the behavior of subatomic particles, which later became known as Feynman diagrams.
