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Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. - Science/Technology (4) - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum › Science/Technology › Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. (28440 Views)

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Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Nobody: 5:20pm On Dec 20, 2015
I've written papers about the works of both Leibniz and Planck, so I am very familiar with those two.
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Nobody: 5:25pm On Dec 20, 2015
Teempakguy:
hmmn . . . how do i explain this . . .

Newton didn't invent gravity. of course. he invented the "theory of gravity."
that's the point I'm trying to pass here. "theories." are explanations or unification or descriptions of something else entirely. as we all know, newton's theory of gravity doesn't actually work well. instead the newer theory, of general relativity, is being used to describe gravity. That alone tips off that it is an invention. since it can be replaced and/or upgraded. a discovery, such as the discovery of a new element, is not subject to things like that.

a theory is very much like an actual tool, such as a hammer or a screw driver. only it's composed of ideas and equations. since we don't refer to tangible tools as discoveries, i doubt we can refer to theories as such.

in fact, most theories are born out of constant thinking, prototyping, and testing.. in very much the same manner as real tools. and they fail sometimes. like real tools . . . the list is endless.
what if a grand unified/theory of everything is discovered that perfectly explains the universe without any newer modifications,would that still be regarded as an invention?
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Jamzig1(m): 5:25pm On Dec 20, 2015
MrLeno:
The last guy sorta looks like that bad Doctor/Scientist in the series "The Flash"
Yeah..I thought I was the only one who noticed that..Elon Musl Kinda looks like Dr. Harrison Wells
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by mandonnels(m):
J.C Maxwell did a great job.
hmm Plank discovered quantum dat is givin undergraduate physics students headache.
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by mandonnels(m): 5:41pm On Dec 20, 2015
MathsChic:
No, I disagree. Observe, it's called the "theory" of relativity. Scientists don't invent theories. They study and observe nature, then they come to a conclusion that explains the situation somewhat. Others can come along in the future to refine the theory. Would you say Newton "invented" gravity? No, he discovered it. Gravity has always existed even before Newton. So has relativity.

Calculus is a tool, so you are right in saying that was invented by Newton (and Leibniz). It's a beautiful tool with which to analyse results. It existed in some variation in "limits" which had always been known to earlier scientists.
u nailed it.
dat settles it debate
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Nobody: 6:04pm On Dec 20, 2015
Teempakguy:
Quick! who invented the theory of relativity?



You smirk and reel out his name. Albert Einstein of course. that . . . irrevocable Genius. well, no problem then.

Quick! who founded Quantum theory? hehehe. well, no. It's not einstein.

so, I thought i should just Talk about Five Scientists which i think deserve more attention than we're giving them now.


James Clerk maxwell.

https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/images/maxwell/maxwell.jpg

This brilliant physicist derived the Maxwell equations. a set of equations that properly unify the entire behavior of electricity and magnetism. your computer, wires, and a host of other electrical and magnetic items work on the principles of the equations he derived. he is frequently listed as the third most influential physicist. and with good reason. you totally should know this guy. and if you can, Learn his equations!

Max Planck.

https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1918/planck.jpg


This was the guy who founded quantum mechanics. interestingly, when he wanted to study physics, he was told by the professor, "almost everything in this field has been discovered."
max later went on to derive the fact that energy is quantized. that it came in discreet packages. he has the planck constant named after him, and he made significant contributions to the study of the behavior of black bodies.


Gottfried Leibniz

https://history-computer.com/People/images/Gottfried_Wilhelm_von_Leibniz.jpg



This guy invented calculus independently of newton. he wrote several philosophical treatises on life and the universe. he also refined the binary counting system, worked on calculators and made several contributions to science. the notation, dy/dx was actually HIS work. not newton's.


Neil degrasse tyson

https://hauntedskeptic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/neil_planets12b_dj1_sq-1504dd4c3a426094e11380aa1375a75dc1ece875.jpg

This man . . . is proof that skin means nothing. neil is a black astrophysicist, cosmologist, and science communicator. he is 57 years old. and he is the director of the Hayden planetarium in new york and he hosts several radio and tv shows, meant to sensitize the public to the mysteries and science. he is a well rounded individual and a really . . . really funny guy. you can follow him on twitter and you can also read his book, titled, death by black hole. especially if you're new to science.


Elon musk

https://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02778/MUSKsum_2778344b.jpg

musk is a very brilliant person. he is a physicist and an economist and the owner of a large business empire. he is a very rich man, and he is a self proclaimed engineer. which no one has ever dared to dispute. his notable works include paypal, and electric cars. he is the owner of tesla motors. a brand of cars that are electrical, hence help to reduce greenhouse emissions. he is ALSO the owner of SpaceX an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company. they make rockets and their chief aim is to make space travel cheap for us all in the nearest future.


http://www.gdevit.com/topic105/some-scientists-you-probably-don-t-know-but-probably-should-



Johnydon22, hahn, dekatron.
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Nobody: 6:24pm On Dec 20, 2015
Awww.... that's why i dont regret being a physics graduate... God bless Physicists all over the world. God bless our career!!! cool
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Cpumping(m): 8:05pm On Dec 20, 2015
see eh dat guy dat invented calculus, if e dey possible mke thunder fire u dia,


just be suffering youths anyhow.


mathematicians biko, is there any real life application of dy/dx or that integration stuff.

im wondering why dey had to subject me tru such torture?
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Caleycash(m): 8:15pm On Dec 20, 2015
Vanity upon vanity all is vanity!!!
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Raplinx(m): 8:39pm On Dec 20, 2015
Teempakguy:
what . . . I'm waay younger than that. cheesy
wow... Really? So whats ya Educational status?
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Raplinx(m): 8:44pm On Dec 20, 2015
sukkot:
ahhhhh virgins everywhere. too many idealistic virgins. ( virgin when it comes to how the world works ). for example, bill cosby tried to buy ABC a media house so as to promote black inventors and black activity. thats when they start digging up his past and are trying to lock him up, to dissuade him from buying a global media house to enhance black image. all the black stations ( BET and TVONE for example ) that are trying to promote black have been corporately taken over by whites so that they can promote buffoonery like davido and whizkid thereby reducing the IQ of black people. all of this is a plan. but like i said you are a virgin so keep quiet when elders are talking
smh... Anyways, thats ur business as a longtime ashäwo 4 d game...
How many blacks holds the U.S patent award??
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Nobody: 8:52pm On Dec 20, 2015
MathsChic:
I actually understand the point your are trying to make, but still I disagree. Of course, newton did not invent gravity. And going by your logic, he also did not invent a theory of gravity, since he was wrong after all. If he invented the theory of gravity, then what would you call relativity? Isn't relativity the acceptable theory of gravity? What Newton "invented" is a series of explanation, mathematical descriptions and formulas which somewhat explained gravity in a classical way. Einstein came along with his own "inventions" which were also a series of advanced mathematical expressions that refined Newton's theories. So, you are right a bit in saying they invented some tools.

However, all of what Newton did is true and existed already in nature, only waiting for someone to come along and spot them. The three laws, at least. And to be fair, Einstein did not really alter any of what Newton did. He merely modified them. So, while Newton may have "invented" tools with which to interpret gravity, he did discover some set of laws which gravity obeyed and which are absolutely fundamental, so fundamental there is doubt they would ever change. Some would say they are as real and fundamental as your element in the periodic table. It is in that sense we say he "discovered".

Nevertheless, I think the interpretation, whether invent or discover, comes to from what perspective one is looking at it.
exactly. perspective matters a lot. because eventually, every single thing under the earth can be regarded as a discovery. you did not invent this post of yours. since the combination already existed in nature. every original thought you've had can be explained as a "discovery" of a brain pattern that already exists in nature.

in a similar fashion, everything can be explained as an invention.

consider string theory. would you regard it as a discovery? or an invention?
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Nobody: 8:55pm On Dec 20, 2015
oglalasioux:
The girl is right. Calculus isn't even an invention. If you say calculus was what aided the invention of space science then you are right. Fibonacci only discovered his sequences. He didn't invent them because it's God's own creation tool.
of course calculus is an invention. just like numbers are inventions.

the verb, invent, is defined as : the creation of an object that has not existed before, as a result of original creativity.

calculus fits that smugly in my opinion.
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Nobody: 8:59pm On Dec 20, 2015
sukkot:
the earth is a globe. a globe is round. we are saying the same thing superficially however thats where your intelligence stopped. i am going further to tell you inside that globe is a flat surface. so technically we are saying the same thing. and the universe being heliocentric has nothing to do with the milky-way. the milky way and the sun are in different planes of existence. the milky-way is at the constellations plane of existence ( puppis, vela, pyxis and carina to be exact ) while the sun is on the plane of the planets and asteroids like chiron, pallas, juno and ceres and vesta, point being what you said made absolutely no sense. wink
We are not saying the same thing abeg. don't attempt to pull me into your delusions. grin

we are not living inside any globe. we are in fact living on top of the damned thing. and the universe is not heliocentric. the milky way and the sun are in the same plane of existence. and constellations are simply co-incidental patterns created by randomly over bright stars that have nothing to do with each other.

I don't know where you get your books, but . . . what a bad seller.
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Nobody: 9:01pm On Dec 20, 2015
Raplinx:
wow... Really? So whats ya Educational status?
I'm actually an aspirant.

which is kind of weird, now that i think about it.
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Raplinx(m): 9:07pm On Dec 20, 2015
Teempakguy:
I'm actually an aspirant.

which is kind of weird, now that i think about it.
i meant ur educational status u're done with Sec.Sch. Right?
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by oglalasioux(m): 9:17pm On Dec 20, 2015
Teempakguy:
of course calculus is an invention. just like numbers are inventions.

the verb, invent, is defined as : the creation of an object that has not existed before, as a result of original creativity.

calculus fits that smugly in my opinion.
You just explained the verb invent as creation of what has not existed before. Will you say Galileo invented the speed of falling objects or discovered it? Everything in physics is in existence created by God. Mankind discovered them and put them in writing. The writings cannot be invention. Even numbers are not invention. Please consider the Fibonacci sequences I pointed out earlier.
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by i8sins(m): 9:26pm On Dec 20, 2015
I am so proud to be a Physicist though but i no go forgive these guys them gimme problem no be small especially dat guy called Max Planck
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Nobody: 9:42pm On Dec 20, 2015
oglalasioux:
You just explained the verb invent as creation of what has not existed before. Will you say Galileo invented the speed of falling objects or discovered it? Everything in physics is in existence created by God. Mankind discovered them and put them in writing. The writings cannot be invention. Even numbers are not invention. Please consider the Fibonacci sequences I pointed out earlier.
er . . . I think we're trying to explain two different things. you see, galileo invented a theory to explain the speed of falling objects. which had already been discovered earlier.

the theory itself had never existed before. he created it. numbers also fall into the realm of creation. they are all inventions. it was the realization of this that led euler to create complex numbers by simply putting the root of minus one as i. that isn't a discovery, is it? it was just a decision.

Fibonacci sequence is a discovery. but the algorithm for generating it is an invention.

However, we can come to a compromise. grin

how about we combine invention and discovery together, and call them development?
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by oglalasioux(m): 10:46pm On Dec 20, 2015
Teempakguy:
er . . . I think we're trying to explain two different things. you see, galileo invented a theory to explain the speed of falling objects. which had already been discovered earlier.

the theory itself had never existed before. he created it. numbers also fall into the realm of creation. they are all inventions. it was the realization of this that led euler to create complex numbers by simply putting the root of minus one as i. that isn't a discovery, is it? it was just a decision.

Fibonacci sequence is a discovery. but the algorithm for generating it is an invention.

However, we can come to a compromise. grin

how about we combine invention and discovery together, and call them development?
Your response is a very intelligent one. I earlier commented on your posts about scientists. Thanks for your contribution to science.
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by cupidhero(m): 10:59pm On Dec 20, 2015
Una sabi use style look down on NLders sha. Elon musk? Even people wey dey village know most of these guys. Tesla is a well known brand. Max Planck and the rest are not strange names to most of us.
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by MathsChic(f): 11:12pm On Dec 20, 2015
Teempakguy:
exactly. perspective matters a lot. because eventually, every single thing under the earth can be regarded as a discovery. you did not invent this post of yours. since the combination already existed in nature. every original thought you've had can be explained as a "discovery" of a brain pattern that already exists in nature.

in a similar fashion, everything can be explained as an invention.

consider string theory. would you regard it as a discovery? or an invention?
Yes, it's a matter of perspective after all.
String theory is still disputed among scientists and is strictly a theoretical framework. Until actual strings are observed, I think it'll stay an invention. On the contrary, Newton's laws are actually statement of facts. Wouldn't you agree that an object will continue forever in motion in the absence of friction? That's not modelling, it's a fact. The inverse-square formula may be an invention or some kind of modelling, but the basic laws surrounding the formula are not inventions. At least in my opinion.
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by MrLeno(m): 6:51am On Dec 21, 2015
Jamzig1:
Yeah..I thought I was the only one who noticed that..Elon Musl Kinda looks like Dr. Harrison Wells
I struggled to remember the name of that character, Harrison Wells.
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Nobody: 10:08am On Dec 21, 2015
She's Beautiful in the Golden age of Hollywood.

BUT DO YOU KNOW THIS WOMAN invented the fundamental formulae used in Satellite navigation, Shield systems, Rocket & Torpedo guidance systems and ofcourse the CDMA, Bluetooth, GPS.....All thanks to brain and Beauty.

Funniest thing, she could have been the richest woman ever lived but She gave her formulars all for free. Wonder why she received no Nobel.

Tonto Dike see ya fellow woman and Actress!

Her name was Hedy Lamar.

Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by samsard(m): 8:58pm On Dec 22, 2015
Caleycash:
Vanity upon vanity all is vanity!!!
And am guessing the only thing that is not vanity is being a religious slave that can't figure out a thing for himself (about how the universe works) right? SMH
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Eklectica: 11:46pm On Dec 26, 2015
I consider Frederick sanger a befiting personality for dis list being the only 2times nobel laurate afta shockley,bratain & berdeen.it should be noted he was not offered d peace price, bt solely 4 pure intellectual work.no list of renown achievers even with d least scientific undertone would exclude dis tall figure. especially if objectivity be d watch word!
Re: Some Scientists You Probably Don't Know But Probably Should. by Douglasin: 11:10pm On Jan 01, 2016
Everyone needs to know about Elon Musk What set him apart from others is his zeal to learn and change the world (not just having the zeal) but he takes the action.
He founded a company called zip2, sold it for 365 million dollars of which he made a 22 million dollars profit. He did not stop there (I know I would).
He invested 10 million dollars in a company he founded called X.com(not a porn site) which eventually merged with another website and gave birth to Paypal. (you're suprised, that's just the beginning).
Paypal was sold to eBay for 1.5 billion dollars of which he had the highest equity(11%) and it gave him an instant 170 million dollars (a normal person would have stopped there but that guy ain't normal).
He started SpaceX with his own personal money (100 million dollars), then Tesla motors, then Solar City. Google about "HyperLoop". It is a high speed transportation machine that will begin construction this year.
What I am trying to say is that the man called Elon Musk is more than just a Scientist, but an inventor, an innovator, a visionary and last but not the least a Risk Taker
Who wouldn't want to be like him? I know I would.
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