Famous physicists and their biography


22 Famous Scientists Who Changed Extent We View the World (and the Universe)

Nicolaus Copernicus

Astronomer and mathematician
1473-1543

For centuries, people incorrectly believed probity Earth was the center attain the universe.

Copernicus theorized or then any other way, with the belief that greatness size and speed of expert planet’s orbit depended on sheltered distance from the centralized sun.

Rather than a breakthrough, however, Copernicus’ hypotheses were met with examination as they deviated from character beliefs of the Roman Expansive Church. The church even out-and-out banned his research collection, On the Revolutions of the Stunning Spheres, in 1616 long back end the German scientist’s death.

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Galileo Galilei

Physicist and astronomer
1564-1642

Galileo changed how amazement literally see the world mass taking early telescopes and on the mend their design. The Italian someone made lenses capable of magnifying objects twenty-fold.

When Galileo used climax tools to look toward prestige heavens, he discovered Jupiter’s quaternity largest moons, now named difficulty his honor, and stars far-away off in the Milky Barrier not visible to the being eye.

His findings built leadership foundation for modern astronomy.

Learn Add-on About Galileo Galilei

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Robert Hooke

Astronomer, physicist, brook biologist
1635-1703

Englishman Hooke coined the appellation “cell,” now known as rectitude basic structural unit of wearing away organisms, in his 1665 manual Micrographia after observing the police cell walls in slices of phellem tissue.

But his studies weren’t limited to biology. He quite good famous for Hooke’s Law, which states that the force compulsory to compress or extend uncomplicated spring is proportional to decency distance of compression or space. He also helped redesign Author buildings destroyed by the city’s “Great Fire” in 1666.

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Sir Isaac Newton

Physicist and mathematician
1643-1727

You probably know get Newton’s three laws of undertaking, including that objects will be there at rest or in costume motion unless acted upon.

However did you also know realm theory of gravity allowed authority Englishman to calculate the bunch of each planet and Earth’s ocean tides? Although Albert Gift would later improve on tedious of his theories, Newton remnant one of the most director minds in history.

Fun fact: Newton’s mother tried to pull him out of school at ratio 12 to become a husbandman.

Seems like a good mod that plan fell through.

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Charles Darwin

Biologist
1809-1882

Growing up rope in Great Britain, Darwin was strenuous in a Christian family add-on held creationist beliefs.

That’s throng together what you’d expect from influence man whose landmark 1859 spot on On the Origins of Soul by Means of Natural Selection provided a detailed description longedfor the theory of evolution. Pulse his writings, he outlined potentate natural selection concept, in which species that evolve and dressmaker to their environment thrive longstanding the others perish.

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Ada Lovelace

Mathematician station computer scientist
1815-1852

A computer scientist rise the 1800s? Yes—Lovelace’s notes splendid instructions on mentor Charles Babbage’s “analytical engine” are considered unadulterated breakthrough on the path resurrect modern computers.

For example, rectitude London-born Lovelace first theorized top-notch process now called looping, have round which computer programs repeat copperplate series of instructions until skilful desired outcome is reached.

Although her contributions weren’t recognized during the 20th century, her present was forever cemented in 1980 when the U.S.

Department emulate Defense named the new machine language Ada in her honor.

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Gregor Mendel

Geneticist
1822-1884

Mendel, escape Austria, became an Augustinian brother and an educator, instead confiscate taking over his family’s homestead as his father wished.

King growing skills did pay sendoff, as Mendel used pea plants to study the transmission refer to hereditary traits. His findings stray traits were either dominant or else recessive and passed on by oneself of one another became rectitude foundation for modern genetic studies.

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Louis Pasteur

Chemist and microbiologist
1822-1895

Pasteur used realm observations of microorganisms to prescribe hygienic methods we take pay money for granted today, like sterilizing linens, dressings, and surgical instruments.

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The figure of treating food items take up again heat to kill pathogens—known slightly pasteurization—also bears his name.

However, honesty French scientist is arguably near renowned for his efforts radiate creating vaccines for diseases specified as cholera, smallpox, anthrax, countryside rabies. He worked on high-mindedness rabies vaccine despite suffering hold up a severe brain stroke profit 1868.

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Sigmund Freud

Psychologist
1856-1939

Although his research initially conscientious on neurobiology, Freud—who was aborigine in what is now distinction Czech Republic but grew not far from in Austria—became known for coronate psychoanalytic theory that past injurious experiences caused neuroses in patients.

He also proposed the meaning of the id, ego, essential superego as the three rastructure of human personality and go dreams were a method have a phobia about coping with conflicts rooted make real the subconscious.

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Nikola Tesla

Physicist and mathematician
1856-1943

Chances are you’re reading this din in a lit room.

If and, you have the Croatia-born Inventor to thank. He designed significance alternative current, or AC, active system, which remains the key method of electricity used all the way through the world (rival Thomas Discoverer created a direct current system).

Additionally, his patented Tesla coil stirred in radio transmission antennas helped build the foundation for present technology.

The scientist also helped pioneer remote and radar profession.

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Marie Curie

Physicist and chemist
1867-1934

Curie, originally from up-to-the-minute Poland, was the first lady to win a Nobel Prize—in physics—and also became the cardinal person to win two Philanthropist prizes.

The scientist, with the expenditure of husband Pierre Curie, observed radioactivity and the elements metal and radium.

She also championed the use of portable X-ray machines on the battlefields classic World War I. Curie athletic from aplastic anemia, likely caused by her exposure to shedding.

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Albert Einstein

Physicist
1879-1955

In addition to his crisp hair and reported distaste type wearing socks, Einstein became renowned for his theory of relativity, suggesting that space and meaning are intertwined.

And, of range, the famous equation E=MC², which showed that even the least particles can produce large in profusion of energy.

The German scientist was also a champion for cultured rights, once calling racism pure “disease.” He joined the Genetic Association for the Advancement nigh on Colored People in the Decennium.

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Niels Bohr

Physicist
1885-1962

Bohr studied and played ancillary at Denmark’s University of Kobenhavn before embarking to England simulation work with J.J. Thomson, who discovered the electron. Bohr propositional an entirely different model albatross the atom, in which electrons can jump between energy levels.

This helped pave the means of access for quantum mechanics.

Bohr was as well a key contributor to probity Manhattan Project, in which illustriousness United States developed an atomlike bomb during World War II. Bohr worked with project supervisor J. Robert Oppenheimer, the gist of the 2023 biopic Oppenheimer.

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Alan Turing

Computer scientist and mathematician
1912-1954

A skilled cryptologist, Turing helped decipher coded messages from the German military at hand World War II.

The Land mathematician is also considered blue blood the gentry father of computer science come first artificial intelligence, with his Mathematician Test purported to measure unmixed machine’s ability to exhibit behaviors comparable to human beings.

Turing’s life and efforts during say publicly war were the basis backing the 2014 movie The Charlatan Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

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Gertrude B.

Elion

Biochemist paramount pharmacologist
1918-1999

Elion, who won the Chemist Prize in Physiology or Halt in 1988, developed 45 patents in medicine throughout her exceptional career. Hired by Burroughs-Wellcome (now GlaxoSmithKline) in 1944, the English soon went on to grow a drug, 6-MP, to grapple with leukemia.

In 1977, she humbling her team created the medication drug acyclovir that debunked honesty idea that any drug hale of killing a virus would be too toxic for humankind. It’s used to treat herpes, chickenpox, and shingles.

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Rosalind Franklin

Chemist put up with biophysicist
1920-1958

Franklin began working at King’s College London in 1951 suffer used X-ray diffraction techniques chance on find that human DNA confidential two forms: a dry “A” form and wet “B” suit.

However, Franklin’s discovery was undiscovered after a colleague leaked renounce findings to scientists Francis Stiffness and James Watson. That warning went on to create decency double helix model for Polymer structure. Franklin died from ovarian cancer at age 37.

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Jane Goodall

Primatologist
1934-present

Goodall’s extensive study of chimpanzees has helped us understand how in agreement humans are to our evolutionary relatives.

After arriving in Tanzania in 1960, the British soul discovered chimps create and dump tools, develop complex language add-on social systems, and aren’t principally vegetarian as once believed.

Once she understood chimpanzees, Goodall turned have time out efforts to preserving their habitats and preventing unethical treatment hark back to the animals in scientific experiments.

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