Scientists

Archimedes (287 b.c.-212b.c.) Sicilian/Greek Physicist, Mathematician (Scientist)

Karl Friedrich Gauss considered Archimedes the greatest mathematician ever, with only sir isaac newton as his equal. Archimedes’ estimation for the numerical value of pi survived as the best approximation available into the Middle Ages. However, Archimedes was most renowned for his practical applications of mathematical and physical theories. Two of his innovations, Archimedes’ principle […]

Arkwright, Sir Richard (1732-1792) English Textile Industrialist (Scientist)

Sir Richard Arkwright is credited with inventing the spinning frame, a machine that transformed cotton-spinning not only by improving the quality of production but also by multiplying exponentially the output of production. He instituted many of the policies and procedures that contributed to the success (and the oppression) of the Industrial Revolution: factory housing, child […]

Armstrong, Edwin (1890-1954) American Engineer, Communications Industry (Scientist)

"Major" Edwin Armstrong could be considered one of the fathers of radio, as he invented three of the key elements to radio broadcasting: the regenerative oscillating circuit, which amplified the signal to audible levels; the super heterodyne circuit, which also amplified weak signals; and frequency modulation (FM), which prevented static while creating a clearer signal. […]

Avery, Oswald Theodore (1877-1955) Canadian Bacteriologist, Physician (Scientist)

Oswald Avery was the first scientist to identify deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, as the material responsible for genetic transfer. With this discovery, Avery helped usher in the age of bio-genetics, a branch of science that has wrought profound changes on society, from the use of DNA in courts as evidence to confirm the guilt or […]

Babbage, Charles (1792-1871) English Mathematician, Computer Scientist

Charles Babbage’s frustration with the persistence of human errors in mathematical tables gave birth to the notion of mechanical computation, an idea that led to the advent of modern computer technology. Once Babbage recognized the potential for the mechanization of mathematics, he devoted himself obsessively to its realization. He designed and attempted to build three […]

Baekeland, Leo Hendrik (1863-1944) Belgian/American Chemist (Scientist)

Leo Baekeland discovered the first fully synthetic substance that could be molded into almost any shape imaginable—he named his innovation "Bakelite," partly after his own name, but its generic nomenclature is plastic. Other scientists had already discovered the same polymer from the reaction of carbolic acid, or phenol, with formaldehyde, but Baekeland devised a means […]

Baird, John Logie (1888-1946) Scottish Engineer, Communications Industry (Scientist)

John Logie Baird ushered in the age of television by transmitting the first television broadcast in 1923, across his small apartment. Over the next three years, he demonstrated his innovation to a fascinated public. However, electronic television systems, using cathode-ray tubes, supplanted his mechanical systems in popular use, due more to corporate pressure than to […]

Bakewell, Robert (1725-1795) English Agricultural Scientist

Robert Bakewell established the practice of agricultural science, experimenting with his land and his animals to discover the best farming methods. He innovated new techniques of flooding and manuring his lands, and he manipulated his animal-breeding to retain the most desirable traits while avoiding negative traits. His breeding methods helped to feed the population explosion […]

Banting, Sir Frederick G. (1891-1941) canadian Physician (Scientist)

Sir Frederick Banting conceived of the experiment that led to the discovery of insulin, the pancreatic substance that regulates blood sugar levels in diabetics. He carried out the experiment in collaboration with charles herbert best and James Bertram Collip, under the supervision of John James Rickard Macleod, with whom he shared the 1923 Nobel Prize […]

Barton, Clara (1821-1912) American Nurse, Humanitarian (Scientist)

Best known for establishing the American Red Cross, the U.S. arm of the International Red Cross, Clara Barton was a humanitarian who tirelessly worked to help victims of natural disasters. She was affiliated with the American Red Cross for more than two decades. Barton also worked as a battlefield nurse during the Civil War, and […]

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