How come it has been so long (decades-plus) since we had a scientist of life-changing significance?

Why no Norman Borlaug?

I am able to run today because of an orthopedic surgery that didn't exist 2 decades ago. I'm pretty appreciative of the scientist that came up with that one.

whyaintnormanborlaugonyoulist? wrote:

Why no Norman Borlaug?

+1

Most "scientists" of today are life-changing in a negative sense. Paul Ehrlich for instance.

I'm supposed to be working on new exciting ideas, but I keep getting distracted and looking at LetsRun...

If you've finished your formal education, you should go back to school.

Otherwise, good luck in your life of ignorance and denial.

you mean someone like Stephen Hawking?

8 January 1942 (age 74)

random6 wrote:

you mean someone like Stephen Hawking?

8 January 1942 (age 74)

Funny you should say that. From 1979 to 2009 he held the post of Lucasian Professor at Cambridge, the chair held by Isaac Newton in 1663.

Now, lets compare Hawking to Newton. Please tell me how each compares on a scale of 1 to 10 as far as ground-breaking discovery.

I could see historian in the future putting Jobs and Gates on that list.

Nikola Tesla is still out there building some cool self-driving cars

random6 wrote:

I could see historian in the future putting Jobs and Gates on that list.

As scientists? WTF?

HardLoper wrote:

Nikola Tesla is still out there building some cool self-driving cars

Indeed. But would you put him up there with Newton, Galileo or Plank?

Oh God!

Hawking is only a pop star. He has no valuable academic contributions in mathematical physics.

Pop culture loves him because he can't talk, is in a wheelchair, and talks about black holes.

Umm... ever hear of Computer Science?

Because of the complexity of many recent breakthroughs science is probably more evolutionary than revolutionary and more team oriented than during the enlightenment. Thus scientists tend to be anonymous outside of their expert group.

For example, recent advances in gene editing are a pretty big deal, but I couldn't name names of those who have made it reality.

SAlly V wrote:

HardLoper wrote:

Nikola Tesla is still out there building some cool self-driving cars

Indeed. But would you put him up there with Newton, Galileo or Plank?

Oh Sally. HardLoper got you.

All the good stuff has been done.

Citizen Runner wrote:

Because of the complexity of many recent breakthroughs science is probably more evolutionary than revolutionary and more team oriented than during the enlightenment. Thus scientists tend to be anonymous outside of their expert group.

For example, recent advances in gene editing are a pretty big deal, but I couldn't name names of those who have made it reality.

This ^

Once again demonstrating that Citizen Runner is among the best posters on LRC.

Because Millennials are too lazy to think. They think the entire world's knowledge is on the interwebs. If it isn't there it just doesn't exist, and never will.

SAlly V wrote:

HardLoper wrote:

Nikola Tesla is still out there building some cool self-driving cars

Indeed. But would you put him up there with Newton, Galileo or Plank?

What? Without Tesla there is no Alternating Current and no Wireless.