Scientists

Louis Pasteur

"Father of Microbiology" - renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization. Reduced mortality from puerperal fever, and created the first vaccines for rabies and anthrax. His medical discoveries provided direct support for the germ theory of disease and its application in clinical medicine. He is best known to the general public for his invention of the technique of treating milk and wine to stop bacterial contamination. One of the three main founders of bacteriology, together with Ferdinand Cohn and Robert Koch. Disproved the doctrine of spontaneous generation: showed that without contamination, microorganisms could not develop. Didn't propose germ theory, but used experiments to provide evidence for it. - His investigation of tartaric acid resulted in the first resolution of what is now called optical isomers.

Ernest Rutherford

"Father of Nuclear Physics" -Discovered concept of Half-Life -Proved radioactivity involved the nuclear transmutation of one element to another (radioactivity is the breakdown of atoms). -Differentiated and named alpha, beta, and gamma radiation -Pioneered the Rutherford model of the atom, through his discovery and interpretation of Rutherford Scattering by the gold foil experiment -Conducted research that led to the first splitting of the atom in a nuclear reaction, and thus discovered and named the proton. -Under his leadership the neutron was discovered.

Niels Bohr

- Discovered that electrons move around a nucleus in discrete energy orbitals, and radiation is emitted during movement from one orbital to another. - Created a model named after him that shows the atom as a central nucleus with electrons in circular electron shells at specific distances from the nucleus, similar to planets orbiting the sun

Johannes Kepler

A key figure in the 17th-century scientific revolution, he is best known for his laws of planetary motion. His works also provided one of the foundations for Isaac Newton's theory of universal gravitation. he did fundamental work in the field of optics, invented an improved version of the refracting telescope, and was mentioned in the telescopic discoveries of his contemporary Galileo Galilei.

Linus Pauling

American chemist, biochemist, peace activist, author, and educator. He published more than 1,200 papers and books, of which about 850 dealt with scientific topics. Was one of the founders of the fields of quantum chemistry and molecular biology. Scale for Electronegativity named for him. His work on chemical bonding marks him as one of the founders of modern quantum chemistry. His concepts like hybridization and electronegativity remain part of standard chemistry textbooks. His work on crystal structure contributed significantly to the prediction and elucidation of the structures of complex minerals and compounds. His discovery of the alpha helix and beta sheet is a fundamental foundation for the study of protein structure. Francis Crick acknowledged him as the "father of molecular biology". His discovery of sickle cell anemia as a "molecular disease" opened the way toward examining genetically acquired mutations at a molecular level.

Rachel Carson

American marine biologist, author, and conservationist whose book Silent Spring and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement. Silent Spring brought environmental concerns to an unprecedented share of the American people. Although Silent Spring was met with fierce opposition by chemical companies, it spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy, which led to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides. It also inspired a grassroots environmental movement that led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Richard Feynman

American theoretical physicist known for his work in the 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 for which he proposed the parton model. For his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics, he, jointly with Julian Schwinger and Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965. Developed a widely used pictorial representation scheme for the mathematical expressions governing the behavior of subatomic particles. He assisted in the development of the atomic bomb, The Manhattan Project, during World War II and became known to a wide public in the 1980s as a member of the Rogers Commission, the panel that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Along with his work in theoretical physics, he has been credited with pioneering the field of quantum computing and introducing the concept of nanotechnology.

J. Robert Oppenheimer

American theoretical physicist, the wartime head of the Los Alamos Laboratory and is among those who are credited with being the "father of the atomic bomb" for their role in the Manhattan Project. Achievements in physics included the Born-[insert his last name] approximation for molecular wave functions, work on the theory of electrons and positrons, the [insert his last name]-Phillips process in nuclear fusion, and the first prediction of quantum tunneling. With his students he also made important contributions to the modern theory of neutron stars and black holes, as well as to quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, and the interactions of cosmic rays. Did important research in theoretical astronomy (especially as related to general relativity and nuclear theory), nuclear physics, spectroscopy, and quantum field theory, including its extension into quantum electrodynamics. His work predicted many later finds, which include the neutron, meson and neutron star.

Henrietta Swan Leavitt

An American astronomer who discovered the relation between the luminosity and the period of Cepheid variable stars. Though she received little recognition in her lifetime, it was her discovery that first allowed astronomers to measure the distance between the Earth and faraway galaxies. She explained her discovery: "A straight line can readily be drawn among each of the two series of points corresponding to maxima and minima, thus showing that there is a simple relation between the brightness of the variables and their periods."

Carl Sagan

Best known as a science popularizer and communicator. Best known contribution to science is research on extraterrestrial life, including experimental demonstration of the production of amino acids from basic chemicals by radiation. Assembled the first physicals messages sent into space: the Pioneer Plaque and the Voyager Golden Record.

Nikola Tesla

Best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system and myriad of inventions.

Leonardo Davinci

Called the father of palaeontology, ichnology, and architecture. Studied anatomy and physiology extensively, but his work was never published. His dissections and documentation of muscles, nerves, and vessels helped to describe the physiology and mechanics of movement. He was the first to define atherosclerosis and liver cirrhosis. He created models of the cerebral ventricles with the use of melted wax and constructed a glass aorta to observe the circulation of blood through the aortic valve by using water and grass seed to watch flow patterns. Also, an inventor and engineer. His journals include a vast number of inventions, both practical and impractical.

Ser Isaac Newton

Classical mechanics, and with inventing calculus, laws of motion and universal gravitation, first practical reflecting telescope. He first observed a prism refracting light.

James Watson

Co-discoverer of the structure of DNA. Later appointed head of the Human Genome Project, but he opposed gene patenting and stepped down two years later.

Stephen Hawking

Collaboration with Roger Penrose on gravitational singularity theorems in the framework of general relativity. Published a proof that if the universe obeys the general theory of relativity and fits any of the models of physical cosmology developed by Alexander Friedmann, then it must have begun as a singularity. Developed the second law of black hole dynamics, that the event horizon of a black hole can never get smaller, as one of 4 proposed laws of black holes based on thermodynamics that were later shown by John Wheeler to be correct, except for the 2nd itself, which he then proved isn't true because black holes emit radiation Developed theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation. First to set forth a theory of cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. A vigorous supporter of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Michael Faraday

Contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. Main discoveries: electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and electrolysis Research on the magnetic field around a conductor carrying a direct current established the concept of electromagnetic field in physics. Established that magnetism could affect rays of light. Invented electromagnetic rotary device, which formed the foundation of electric motor technology. SI unit of Capacitance named after him.

Alexander Graham Bell

Credited with patenting the first practical telephone.

Bronsted & Lowry

Defined Acids and Bases Acids - Are a proton, or a Hydrogen ion (H+) donor (because H+ is just a proton, no neutrons or electrons). Bases - are a proton/H+ acceptor.

Marie Curie

Developed the theory of radioactivity (a term she coined), developed techniques for isolating radioactive isotopes, and discovered 2 elements, polonium and radium.

Friedrich Miescher

Discovered DNA in 1869, long before Watson&Crick, by studying white blood cells from used bandages. He was able to remove the proteins and lipids and was left with "gray stuff" he coined and "nuclein", later dubbed nucleic acid. Didn't know it's role or what it looked like.

James Chadwick

Discovered neutrons and isotopes were identified.

Jens Christian Skou

Discovered the Sodium-Potassium protein pump in cell walls by studying crabs.

James Prescott Joule

English physicist and brewer that studied the nature of heat, and discovered its relationship to mechanical work. This led to the law of conservation of energy, which led to the development of the first law of thermodynamics. The SI derived unit of energy is named after him. He worked with Lord Kelvin to develop the absolute scale of temperature, which came to be called the Kelvin scale. He also made observations of magnetostriction, and he found the relationship between the current through a resistor and the heat dissipated.

Paul Dirac

English theoretical physicist who made fundamental contributions to the early development of both quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics. Formulated an equation named after him which describes the behaviour of fermions and predicted the existence of antimatter. Shared the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physics with Erwin Schrödinger "for the discovery of new productive forms of atomic theory". He also made significant contributions to the reconciliation of general relativity with quantum mechanics.

Josiah Willard Gibbs

Equation for Free Energy 🔼G = 🔼H - T🔼S G - [Insert last name) Free Energy H - enthalpy, heat content, or energy store in bonds T - temperature (Kelvin) S - entropy (negative is disordered, positive is ordered) *assumes constant temperature and pressure, like in a living organism. Negative 🔼G - release energy Positive 🔼G - absorb energy

Rene Descartes

Father of modern western philosophy. Cartesian Coordinate system - allowing reference to a point in space as a set of numbers, and algebraic equation to be expressed as geometric shapes in a two or three dimensional coordinate system. Father of analytical geometry, the bridge between algebra and geometry

J.J. Thompson

First discovered electrons

Svante Arrhenius

First modern definition of acids/bases Acids - increase concentration of H+ protons, or hydronium ions, when in aqueous solutions. Bases - increase the hydroxide concentration (OH-) when in aqueous solutions.

Robert Hooke

First person to observe cells as microscopic structures. Gave cells their name. Wrote Micrographia and used the term Cell to refer to the box-like structures viewed when looking at dead cork tissue under a microscope.

James Clerk Maxwell

Formulated the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, bringing together for the first time electricity, magnetism, and light as manifestations of the same phenomenom. His discovery helped usher in the era of modern physics, laying the foundation for such fields as special relativity and quantum mechanics. Proposed that light is an undulation in the same medium that is the cause of electric and magnetic phenomena. The unification of light and electrical phenomena led to the prediction of the existence of radio waves. Helped develop a statistical means of describing aspects of the kinetic theory of gases. Known for presenting the first durable color photograph and for his foundational work on analyzing the rigidity of rod-and-joint frameworks (trusses) like those in bridges.

Archimedes

Generally considered the greatest mathematician of antiquity and one of the greatest of all time. Anticipated modern calculus and analysis by applying concepts of infinitesimals and the method of exhaustion to derive and rigorously prove a range of geometrical theorems, including the area of a circle, the surface area and volume of a sphere, and the area under a parabola. Other contributions include deriving an accurate approximation of pi, defining and investigating the spiral bearing his name, and creating a system using exponentiation for expressing very large numbers. He was also one of the first to apply mathematics to physical phenomena, founding hydrostatics and statics, including an explanation of the principle of the lever. He is credited with designing innovative machines, such as his screw pump, compound pulleys, and defensive war machines.

Otto Hahn

German chemist and pioneer in the fields of radioactivity and radiochemistry. He was exclusively awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1944 for the discovery and the radiochemical proof of nuclear fission. He is referred to as the father of nuclear chemistry.

Hans Geiger

German physicist best known as the co-inventor of the detector component of the (insert name) counter and for the (insert name)-Marsden experiment which discovered the atomic nucleus. Along with Ernest Rutherford, discovered that electrons "orbit" the nucleus of an atom.

Heinrich Hertz

German physicist who first conclusively proved the existence of the electromagnetic waves theorized by James Clerk Maxwell's electromagnetic theory of light. The unit of frequency - cycle per second - was named in his honor

Werner Heisenberg

German theoretical physicist and one of the key pioneers of quantum mechanics. He built his philosophy and is best known for his uncertainty principle. He also made important contributions to the theories of the hydrodynamics of turbulent flows, the atomic nucleus, ferromagnetism, cosmic rays, and subatomic particles.

Wilhelm Rontgen

German/Dutch mechanical engineer and physicist, who, on 8 November 1895, produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as X-rays, an achievement that earned him the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. Named element 111, a radioactive element with multiple unstable isotopes, after him.

Alexander Flemming

His best-known discoveries are the enzyme lysozyme in 1923 and the world's first antibiotic substance benzylpenicillin (Penicillin G) from the mould Penicillium notatum in 1928, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 with Howard Florey and Ernst Boris Chain. He wrote many articles on bacteriology, immunology, and chemotherapy.

Daniel Bernoulli

His principle states that an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure or a decrease in the fluid's potential energy. Can be derived from the principle of conservation of energy, which states that, in a steady flow, the sum of all forms of energy in a fluid along a streamline is the same at all points on that streamline. So a decrease in kinetic means an increase in potential, and vice versa.

George Washington Carver

His reputation is largely based on his promotion of alternative crops to cotton, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. He wanted poor farmers to grow alternative crops both as a source of their own food and as a source of other products to improve their quality of life. The most popular of his 44 practical bulletins for farmers contained 105 food recipes using peanuts.

Glenn Seaborg

Identified Lanthanides and Actinides

Thomas Edison

Invented phonograph, motion picture camera, and the light bulb. Credited with the invention of the first industrial research lab, Menlo Park, which with the help of recruited researchers, put out a lot of inventions.

Evangelista Torricelli

Inventor of the mercury barometer. The a unit of pressure used in vacuum measurements is named after him. A law, a particular case of Bernoulli's Principle, states that water leaks out of a small hole in the bottom of the container at a rate proportional to the square root of the depth of the water. Idea that surface area is infinite, but volume is finite, once a paradox called Gabriel's Horn

Enrico Fermi

Italian physicist and the creator of the world's first nuclear reactor, the Chicago Pile-1. He has been called the "architect of the nuclear age" and the "architect of the atomic bomb". He was one of the very few physicists in history to excel both theoretically and experimentally. Fermi held several patents related to the use of nuclear power, and was awarded the 1938 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on induced radioactivity by neutron bombardment and the discovery of transuranic elements. He made significant contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics. First major contribution was to statistical mechanics. He named the "neutrino". His theory, now called weak interaction, described one of the four fundamental forces of nature. Worked on the Manhattan Project. Did important work in particle physics, especially related to pions and muons, and he speculated that cosmic rays arose through material being accelerated by magnetic fields in interstellar space. One of 16 scientists who have elements named after them.

Alessandro Volta

Italian physicist, chemist, and a pioneer of electricity and power, who is credited as the inventor of the electrical battery and the discoverer of methane. Proved that electricity could be generated chemically and debunked the prevalent theory that electricity was generated solely by living beings. His invention sparked a great amount of scientific excitement and led others to conduct similar experiments which eventually led to the development of the field of electrochemistry. The SI unit of electric potential is named in his honour.

Sir William Ramsay

Known for having discovered the inert gases.

John Dalton

Known for: Atomic Theory: 1) Elements are made of atoms 2) Atoms of a given element are identical, but differ from atoms of different elements 3) Atoms cannot be subdivided, created, or destroyed 4) Atoms of different elements combine to form compounds 5) in Chemical reactions, atoms are combined, separated, or rearranged. Color blindness - Because of the research he did into his own deuteroanopia. Law of partial pressures - In a mixture of non-reacting gases, the total pressure exerted is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases. Empirical law related to Ideal Gas laws. Ptotal = p1+...+pn.

Nicolaus Copernicus

Mathematician and astronomer who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than the Earth at the center of the universe. Not the first to do so, but the first who's writings were widely spread, read, and then defended, even though it was not commonly accepted until Johannes Kepler and Galileo defended them and then Isaac Newton proved Gravity was a thing.

Blaise Pascal

Measurement of pressure is named after him. 1 (insert name) = 1 Newton per Square Meter

Francis Crick

Molecular biologist most noted for being co-discoverer of the structure of the DNA molecule. Widely known for use of the term "central dogma" to summarize the idea that genetic information flow in cells is essentially one-way, from DNA to RNA to protein. Interested in two fundamental unsolved problems of biology: how molecules make the transition from non-living to living, and how the brain makes a conscious mind.

Erwin Schrodinger

Nobel Prize-winning Austrian physicist who developed a number of fundamental results in the field of quantum theory, which formed the basis of wave mechanics: he formulated the wave equation (stationary and time-dependent equation) and revealed the identity of his development of the formalism and matrix mechanics. Proposed an original interpretation of the physical meaning of the wave function. Author of many works in various fields of physics: statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, physics of dielectrics, color theory, electrodynamics, general relativity, and cosmology, and he made several attempts to construct a unified field theory. In his book What Is Life? he addressed the problems of genetics, looking at the phenomenon of life from the point of view of physics. He paid great attention to the philosophical aspects of science, ancient and oriental philosophical concepts, ethics, and religion. He also wrote on philosophy and theoretical biology. He is also known for his cat thought-experiment.

William Prout

Physician by day, he researched biological and physical chemistry as his pastime. First to discover that there was hydrochloric acid in the human stomach. Proposed the classification of substances in food into sugars and starches, oily bodies, and albumen, which would later become known as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and proposed that people need to eat all three. First person to discover the chemical composition of pure urea (the main ingredient in urine). He was also the one to suggest that the hydrogen atom is the only truly fundamental particle (which he called protyle), and that the atoms of the other elements are made of groupings of various numbers of hydrogen atoms. improved the barometer, and coined the term 'convection'.

Edwin Hubble

Played a crucial role in establishing the fields of extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology and is regarded as one of the most important astronomers of all time. Provided evidence that the recessional velocity of a galaxy increases with its distance from the earth. Also discovered that many objects previously thought to be clouds of dust and gas and classified as "nebulae" were actually galaxies beyond the Milky Way.

Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac

Pressure law: For a fixed mass of gas, at a constant volume, the pressure (p) is directly proportional to the absolute temperature (T). Law of combining volumes: the ratio between the volumes of the reactant gases and the gaseous products can be expressed in simple whole numbers.

William Thomson 1st

Scots-Irish mathematical physicist and engineer who did work in the mathematical analysis of electricity and formulation of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and did much to unify the emerging discipline of physics in its modern form. Had a career as an electric telegraph engineer and inventor, which propelled him into the public eye and ensured his wealth, fame and honour. Noted for his work on the mariner's compass, which had previously been limited in reliability. Absolute temperatures units are named in his honour. While the existence of a lower limit to temperature (absolute zero) was known prior to his work, he is widely known for determining its correct value as approximately −273.15 degree Celsius or −459.67 degree Fahrenheit.

Aristotle

Set the basic standard for the modern scientific method: that all observations must include the composition, the shape or form, the motion or change, and the end result/purpose of the examination. He dismissed the ideas of chance and spontaneity as fact, and didn't consider them a cause. This method is similar to what is used in most science experiments in labs today. First to provide evidence that the earth is round. Set the bar for Galileo, Newton, and Einstein, who based some of their work on either expanding or disproving some of his ideas.

Dmitri Mendeleev

Started the development of the periodic table, arranging elements by atomic mass. He predicted the discovery of other elements and left spaces open for them on the table.

Carl Linnaeus

Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who formalised the modern system of naming organisms called binomial nomenclature. He is known by the epithet "father of modern taxonomy".

Alfred Nobel

Swedish chemist, engineer, inventor, businessman, and philanthropist. Known for inventing dynamite. A synthetic element is named after him. Most widely known for instituting the grandaddy of prize systems for academics for various fields of work, originally including physics, chemistry, literature, and peace.

Hans Krebs

The Citric Acid Cycle is named after him because he's the one who figured it all out. Awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine.

Galileo Galilei

The Father of Science Astronomy: discovered four largest moons of Jupiter, observed and analyzed sunspots, improved the military compass Fighter for Heliocentric model during a time that the geocentric model became more popular and backed by the church

Antoine Lavoisier

The chemist central to the 18th-century chemical revolution and had a large influence on both the history of chemistry and the history of biology. He is widely considered in popular literature as the "father of modern chemistry". Most noted for his discovery of the role oxygen plays in combustion. He recognized and named oxygen (1778) and hydrogen (1783) and opposed the phlogiston theory. Lavoisier helped construct the metric system, wrote the first extensive list of elements, and helped to reform chemical nomenclature. He predicted the existence of silicon (1787) and was also the first to establish that sulfur was an element (1777) rather than a compound. He discovered that, although matter may change its form or shape, its mass always remains the same.

Hendry Cavendish

The first person to recognize Hydrogen gas as a distinctive gas, when everyone else though water was an element. Established accurate composition of the atmosphere. Discovered the density of the earth. Pre-discovered Ohm's law, Richter's law, and Coulomb's Law, among others, but isn't credited for a bunch of them because he hardly published his work.

Gregor Mendel

The founder of the modern science of genetics. Pea plant experiments conducted between 1856 and 1863 established many of the rules of heredity, now referred to as the laws of inheritance. Coined the terms "recessive" and "dominant" in reference to certain traits.

Max Planck

Theoretical physicist whose discovery of energy quanta won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918. The originator of quantum theory, which revolutionized human understanding of atomic and subatomic processes.

Charles Darwin

Theory of Natural Selection and common ancestors, along with Alfred Russel Wallace who gets no credit, poor guy. Wrote On the Origin of Species, among others, and studied finches in the Galapagos

Albert Einstein

Theory of relativity - special relativity, which applies to elementary particles and their interactions, and general relativity, which applies to the laws of gravitation and it's relation to other forces of nature. Special relativity: 1) The laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion relative to one another. 2) The speed of light in a vacuum is the same for all observers, regardless of their relative motion or of the motion of the light source. E=mc^2 Photo electric effect

Rosalind Franklin

Using X-ray defraction, may have been the first to discover the double helical structure of DNA and disprove a triple helical structure. She also figured out that the sugar phosphate backbone is on the outside of the structure. However, her work waz ripped off by Watson & Crick who she shared her findings with but who did not give her credit for those findings. She may have jointly won the Nobel Prize with Watson and Crick if she hadn't died first from ovarian cancer, likely due to all the x-ray exposure.