[Misc] Who are the true British geniuses? (and it's not 'genii' - I checked)

[sully]

Adrian Newey. Responsible for most of the greatest F1 cars ever built.

 

[happypig]

Bruce Dickenson. Singer, pilot, fencer, brewer.

 

[The Mole]

This list is a bit male heavy so add Ada Lovelace to the list. Perhaps the first programmer and to add another woman, Rosalind Franklin who did so much work on DNA but died before she was properly recognised.

If we're having Turing and Boole, I'd like to add Thomas Bayes, who did so much for statistics.

I'd also nominate a couple of oddballs. One was a local boy, Gideon Mantell, who was the father of paleontology and also William Smith who created the first geological map of the Britain. What these two had in common was that they were shunned by the scientific establishment at the time,

Talking of shunning, I'd finally nominate another local boy (sort of) ,Thomas Paine who managed to get up the noses of everyone but played a part in both the American War of Independence and the French Revolution.

If we had a league table, I'd still place Newton on top. He dominated science for more than 200 years

Florence Nightingale would have to be included - her influence on healthcare was immense (just look at the designs of hospitals in the 20th century) and a great statistician. For a women in that era to have changed so much is outstanding

 

[jakarta]

Next time any of you get on a jet airliner for your holibobs (and it will be comparatively soon) have a quick peek at those things hanging off the wings - they will be Sir Frank Whittle's work...

Yes the Me262 was a better aircraft back in 1944 but that is because Whittle had to work with Gloster who never designed a decent fighter.

 

[Gwylan]

Florence Nightingale would have to be included - her influence on healthcare was immense (just look at the designs of hospitals in the 20th century) and a great statistician. For a women in that era to have changed so much is outstanding

Good point. Some of her notebooks have been published online and she was so far ahead of her time. I, mistakenly, thought her influence was on improving nursing practices but she was revolutionised the keeping of records and looking at statistical trends.

 

[dangull]

Bobby Moore for his leadership as well as his ability.
The Germans are better in this field though. 4 stars.

 

[macbeth]

Kate Bush

 

[A1X]

Richard Trevithick
Humphry Davy
Tim Berners-Lee

 

[Armchair]

Tim Berners-Lee without whom we probably wouldn't be having this online conversation.

 

[Live by the sea]

I’m not attempting to be controversial in any way but I don’t feel that any singer or film actor is a genius. Anyone can sing and anyone can act . Some are obviously better than others however none of them are geniuses or should be thought of in that way .

A genius is in my opinion someone that has invented or excelled in their field by such a long way or an important way that they have few competitors.

Just my views.

 

[essbee1]

Frank Sidebottom (pronounced 'Siddybottem')

 

[maltaseagull]

Sir Christopher Wren deserves a mention.

How the **** you can build something like St Paul’s Cathedral without a computer is utterly beyond me.

In fact how you can build something like St Paul’s Cathedral with a computer is still utterly beyond me.

I think a trowel and a ladder would be required too

 

[Thunder Bolt]

All the people involved in developing the coronavirus vaccine .

A very international bunch at Astra Zeneca

https://www.astrazeneca.com/our-company/our-people.html

 

[vegster]

Has Potter been suggested yet?

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

How the hell is Shakespeare even considered as a genius, he wrote some rather crappy stories with allegations of plagiarism.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Chain, Fleming & Florey - their pioneering work produced the first pure compound antibiotic.

Countless millions of lives saved, average life expectancy extended, as a result.

[Awaiting @HWT to dismiss this as all in day’s work for scientists).

Lol!

My old boss worked for Chain for a bit. One quote: "I don't have time to read the (scientific) literature - I'm too busy writing it"

OK, here are a few of mine (apologies if others have already mentioned some of them).

Sir James Whyte Black. Nobel prizewinner. He literally invented the first beta blocker (practolol, followed swiftly by the safer analogue, propranolol) and, for an encore, invented the first H1 antihistamine (cimetidine). I met him several times. One of his obituaries described him as 'peppery'. He left Scotland because he was never going to get promotion because he hated writing and publishing his research.

James Dyson (you don't have to like him). The vacuum man.

Eric Laithwaite. The linear induction motor and Maglev.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee. The internet

Denis Potter. Playwrite

Declan McManus. Songwriter

 

[Gwylan]

How the hell is Shakespeare even considered as a genius, he wrote some rather crappy stories with allegations of plagiarism.

Poor attempt

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Anyone who has rattled the teeth of the woman who sang "Anyone can fall in Love" to the EastEnders theme tune automatically denounces themselves as a genius.

They have survived the test of time though, been together for nigh on forty years, very unusual if not unique, in the celebrity world.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Declan McManus. Songwriter

aka Elvis Costello to most of us plebs.

 

[MJsGhost]

Lol!

My old boss worked for Chain for a bit. One quote: "I don't have time to read the (scientific) literature - I'm too busy writing it"

OK, here are a few of mine (apologies if others have already mentioned some of them).

Sir James Whyte Black. Nobel prizewinner. He literally invented the first beta blocker (practolol, followed swiftly by the safer analogue, propranolol) and, for an encore, invented the first H1 antihistamine (cimetidine). I met him several times. One of his obituaries described him as 'peppery'. He left Scotland because he was never going to get promotion because he hated writing and publishing his research.

Was he literally "Just there for the LOLZ"?