Naked Science Forum

On the Lighter Side => Famous Scientists, Doctors and Inventors => Topic started by: Eric A. Taylor on 17/04/2010 08:03:22

Title: Who am I?
Post by: Eric A. Taylor on 17/04/2010 08:03:22
I am among the top 20 most famous scientists who have ever lived. Though I'm not remembered as a geologist I was the first to publish a paper showing that up lift (Rising of the earth that leads to mountains) is associated with earthquakes.

If you're reading this forum you have surly heard of me.
Title: Who am I?
Post by: L-Kira on 20/04/2010 16:27:34
Hi Scientist, nice to meet you.
L-Kira.
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Eric A. Taylor on 17/05/2010 08:40:08
Apparently you are not getting that this is a game. Sadly it seems that all of you have never heard of my voyage on the HMS Beagle. I was Charles Darwin.

Title: Who am I?
Post by: CreativeEnergy on 17/08/2010 02:03:58
Apparently you are not getting that this is a game. Sadly it seems that all of you have never heard of my voyage on the HMS Beagle. I was Charles Darwin.

I hadn't had the opportunity to see the post until now, Eric. I'm sorry I didn't before you gave the answer. You gave excellent clues! Bummer!  [:-'(]

Eric
Title: Who am I?
Post by: rupak447 on 21/03/2011 06:44:35
Actually, I am agree with the opinion of Mr. Taylor. Though, I am the member of this forum with newly introduced, I already know a lot about this scientist.
Title: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 26/06/2011 12:51:57
Here is another: I was a thirteenth child. I spent much of my life as a bigamist. I made some amazing predictions and prophecies. My work has largely dominated a field of science for 140 years (and often appears in classrooms and lecture halls).
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 26/06/2011 20:23:14
D.Mendeleev   [;D] and if correct it should be known that different sources indicate that he was either one of 11,13,14 or 17 siblings......

Who am I?  Some of my work involved identifying the killer of silkworms. By body lies beneath an institute named after myself...... who am I?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 26/06/2011 22:48:11
 [;)]
D.Mendeleev   [;D] and if correct it should be known that different sources indicate that he was either one of 11,13,14 or 17 siblings......

Who am I?  Some of my work involved identifying the killer of silkworms. By body lies beneath an institute named after myself...... who am I?

Quite correct; I guess his mother was not as good a mathematician as Dmitri Ilyanovich!  [;)]

One of his less well known, and more remarkable predictions was that young Marie Sklodowska (later Curie) would become a great scientist one day, at a time when a career in science was not a real option for women. (He was a friend of the family).
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 27/06/2011 15:42:07
Who am I?


Some of my work involved identifying the killer of silkworms. By body lies beneath an institute named after myself...... who am I?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: imatfaal on 27/06/2011 17:14:06
That's a good one Airthumbs - don't know where I heard that he was involved in silkworms but maybe it was the same place!  I won't write the answer yet so that others can ask a few questions.
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Geezer on 27/06/2011 19:12:59
Did he have something to do with milk?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Geezer on 27/06/2011 19:18:24
Who was responsible for giving an international standard the name of a Scottish river?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 27/06/2011 23:39:55
Who was responsible for giving an international standard the name of a Scottish river?

I think it was the Scottish engineer Russell (Rusty) MacHinery, who first used the Dee as a term for performance that was barely passable, on the borderline of total failure.
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 28/06/2011 00:05:24
Did he have something to do with milk?

Just a little something geezer.  Now that's given the game away!
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Geezer on 28/06/2011 00:08:49
Who was responsible for giving an international standard the name of a Scottish river?

I think it was the Scottish engineer Russell (Rusty) MacHinery, who first used the Dee as a term for performance that was barely passable, on the borderline of total failure.

Are you sure you are not confusing him with his Irish cousin - Bill O'Materials?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Geezer on 28/06/2011 00:14:08
Did he have something to do with milk?

Just a little something geezer.  Now that's given the game away!

Yeah! I knew it was Professor Beauregard Vine. (Beau to his pals)
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 28/06/2011 10:17:17
Did he have something to do with milk?

Just a little something geezer.  Now that's given the game away!

Yeah! I knew it was Professor Beauregard Vine. (Beau to his pals)

I apologise if I am missing some kind of connection here but no, it is not anything to do with the Santa Cruz wine region!  Having done a little research I found a story about the vineyards being weed free! Given the location of this area in California that seems a little off the mark,  [;)]

Having said that I think that part of a certain kind of wine making process would not be possible without the contribution of this scientist.
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Dr. Junix on 29/06/2011 05:54:25
Is Benjamin Franklin under the category of "Scientist"?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 29/06/2011 07:04:41
Benjamin Franklin could certainly be recognised as a scientist. But which of the two balls that are currently juggling are you associating him with?
A lot of people have been hedging around with the silk/milk guy without giving a name. Many know the answer, and it certainly is not Franklin. 
But if Ben was into naming important things after Scottish rivers, then I am really interested to find out the detail. My previous silly reply was really a cop-out because I did not know the answer.
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Dr. Junix on 29/06/2011 07:16:44
as you put it Mr. damocles, I am also unfamiliar with the answer which still leaves me stumped.
for all I could think when you say the word "silkworm killer" is Jeanette Sliwinski...

And pardon my asking if Benjamin Franklin is under the category of "Scientist", for all I know he may have been the one who invented lightning on a kite strung on a keychain.
Title: Who am I?
Post by: imatfaal on 29/06/2011 10:20:44
Who was responsible for giving an international standard the name of a Scottish river?

Gonna need a clue - or if this was pun I am not seeing can you let me off the hook please!
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 29/06/2011 16:35:39
Who was responsible for giving an international standard the name of a Scottish river?

Was it King David II?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Geezer on 29/06/2011 16:57:19
A clue:

It was Willie Thomson.

(You're going to hate me for this  [;D])
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 29/06/2011 17:02:37
A clue:

It was Willie Thomson.

(You're going to hate me for this  [;D])

I have looked and looked and trawled through countless internet documentation but I still do not have a clue!  Even with the name!  Geezer you are going to have to spell it out including the name of the river?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: imatfaal on 29/06/2011 17:18:20
Airthumbs - I reckon once we get the answer we might have to stake Geezer out behind the farting cows when we light up! 


edit cos it just clicked

William Thomson - aka Lord Kelvin

On his ennoblement in honour of his achievements in thermodynamics, and of his opposition to Irish Home Rule,[2][3][4] he adopted the title Baron Kelvin of Largs and is therefore often described as Lord Kelvin. He was the first UK scientist to be elevated to the House of Lords. The title refers to the River Kelvin, which flows close by his laboratory at the university of Glasgow, Scotland.
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 29/06/2011 17:27:54
Imatfaal, now that would make a good youtube video,  [;D]  geezer in a pasture, big clue to my question there!
Title: Who am I?
Post by: imatfaal on 29/06/2011 17:43:04
The fart would blow "past your eyes" very quickly
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Geezer on 29/06/2011 17:59:29
OK. I cheated a bit. It was William Thomson.
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 29/06/2011 19:14:08
pffft! BANG! lol
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Geezer on 29/06/2011 22:53:57

William Thomson - aka Lord Kelvin


Way to go Matthew! You can try that one on your mates at the pub.

On second thoughts, that might not be such a good idea. Wouldn't want to be responsible for starting a alcohol fueled melee!
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 30/06/2011 00:14:50
Ok I got one for you and this is going to be very tough, I will give you a massive clue, he is from Italy.  [;D]

 [ Invalid Attachment ]
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Dr. Junix on 30/06/2011 00:41:33
Gaaaahhhhh... that was so hard... I was very very far off..
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 30/06/2011 01:10:33
Ok, another clue, he has something in common with Mozart  [;)]
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Dr. Junix on 30/06/2011 01:16:19
Is he a blind musician?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 30/06/2011 01:44:15
Is he a blind musician?

No....   [;D]
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Dr. Junix on 30/06/2011 02:04:35
Is it my uncle, Amedeo Avogadro?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: imatfaal on 30/06/2011 11:22:04
Nice one Dr Junix !
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 30/06/2011 16:15:25
Congratulations Dr J. That is absolutely correct, now I believe it's your turn as you got it right.  [;D]
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Dr. Junix on 07/07/2011 09:07:44
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F&hash=3cd4f4119996b42d10f5ed9eb0e8d712)
Who is this guy? Clue: He is not the inventor of crashing airplanes..
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 07/07/2011 23:45:40
He looks a bit like Nostradamus? 
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Geezer on 08/07/2011 00:43:01

Who is this guy? Clue: He is not the inventor of crashing airplanes..


 [ Invalid Attachment ]  

 [ Invalid Attachment ]



Spike Milligan?

Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 08/07/2011 00:50:26
More clues pleases, unless it's Spike.M.  [:D]
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Dr. Junix on 08/07/2011 01:46:13
hahaha no.. it is not Spike M.
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 08/07/2011 01:58:08
I know, I know,  [:P]  Ibn al-Haytham  [;D] [;D]  The first true scientist.......

http://evolvingcomplexityii.wordpress.com/category/science/history-science/page/4/
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Dr. Junix on 08/07/2011 02:01:19
Wow... your researching powers amaze me Mr. Airthumbs...
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Dr. Junix on 08/07/2011 02:02:20
I actually mistook Ibn al-Haytham for Bin Laden.. LOL..
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 08/07/2011 02:08:19
They do look similar but the beard tends to hide recognisable features making the appearance more generic, but what gave me a clue was that he was wearing something on his head that you intentionally hid. 

 [ Invalid Attachment ]
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Dr. Junix on 08/07/2011 02:24:09
haha.. I cropped that out, it would be a dead giveaway.. and whats albert einstein doing with his tongue out? is he practicing for a fellatio or sumthing?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Airthumbs on 08/07/2011 02:56:46
I think he did not like his picture taken and was hoping to make it unusable.  It had the reverse effect,  [:D]
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Dr. Junix on 11/07/2011 01:20:48
Ain't that photoshopped? Is it a real pciture?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 11/07/2011 07:42:59
Not my turn, but here goes:
 [ Invalid Attachment ]
-- I had a particular interest in the human soul, as my name might (co-incidentally) suggest. This interest was the main motivation behind my scientific researches.
-- I discovered and described something new and important, but saw it in a totally mistaken theoretical framework. It is the main reason my name is remembered today.
-- I am usually remembered and credited as one of three co-discoverers of this thing.
Title: Who am I?
Post by: imatfaal on 11/07/2011 10:51:55
'dephlogisticated' is one of my very favourite words
Title: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 11/07/2011 14:12:36
right on, imaatfal
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Geezer on 11/07/2011 17:21:44
Spike Milligan?
Title: Who am I?
Post by: Dr. Junix on 14/07/2011 01:18:58
Heath Ledger?
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: widereader on 21/12/2011 23:15:11
I
D.Mendeleev   [;D] and if correct it should be known that different sources indicate that he was either one of 11,13,14 or 17 siblings......

Who am I?  Some of my work involved identifying the killer of silkworms. By body lies beneath an institute named after myself...... who am I?
Mendeleev also was the Father of the Modern Periodic table. I did not know he had lots of siblings.  Great post.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: diogenesNY on 02/03/2012 00:32:57
who am I...?

The guy I worked for.....  real big shot, household name.  Me?  Well, I did some pretty good work too, kinda overshadowed by The Boss tho..... guess that happens, no regrets tho.

See, thing is, I had actually met The Boss and we became friends before I started working with him....  basically I was his galley slave grad assistant.  We actually got pretty close.  I am godfather to his children. 

The Boss.... lemme tell you, this guy has researched and written about a lot, and I mean A LOT of topics...  the depth and breadth he went into and the ideas he developed are amazing, if sometimes a bit intimidating.....  and for what its worth, being his #2 was the opportunity of a lifetime.... but damn, he sometimes drove some of us a bit crazy, couldn't seem to sit still..... was always wandering around and we would all have to chase after him to hear what he was saying.

So, like I was saying....  The Boss had near rock star status (well, as it applies to someone in his line anyway) but for reasons that... well...  need not be gone into right now, things.... um.....  lets just say that the situation got a bit dicey for us at home and we considered it the better part of valor to make ourselves scarce for a while. 

So, The Boss and I split town and we head, as it happens, back to my old stomping grounds where I figure we can hole up a while, relatively unmolested.  Now, here we were, stuck on this island in the middle of.... um....  that doesn't really matter.....  but  here away from the school we found ourselves with a bit of time on our hands. Needless to say,  guy like The Boss isn't going to just sit around picking his nose, so he set to work on a new research project, and so did I. 

I used my time there researching and authoring a set of books on plants.  Describing observed specimens, categorizing them by properties, and attempting to explore and describe particular aspects of their nature.  This turned out to be pretty well received and regarded.  Some people even viewed it as groundbreaking.  The Boss turned his attention to animals, with his usual intensity and output.

Anyway, so the situation, shall we say, got a little less threatening for us and we decided that we could safely return (to his) home and resume our work there.  Kindof annoying how external politics can drive these things and create such personal dislocations in people's lives and work,  but then again our self imposed exile seems to have allowed us to produce some seminal works.

Again, I kinda found myself in The Boss' shadow and my published output may have been smaller compared to his,  but it was a damn sight more and better than anyone else I knew of, and dammit, I broke a lot of important ground too!

And, yes the pun IS intentional, and I don't give a gohwdam if Bass and Jimbob get all bent out of shape about my use of the term 'Stones'.  (Now, don't go getting the wrong idea.....  I think they are great guys... know their stuff... 'distinct' sense of humor .... hell, I just might add them to my compilation of Characters.)

Meteorology, physics, sensation and other things all interest me....... and NO!  I _am not_ spreading myself too thin. 

Enough of this....  I really have to get back to work....  things are starting to get awfully busy around here....  I seem to spend more of my time doing all this administrivia and operating the outfit than actually doing much real research nowadays.....  wages of success, I guess.

So, who am I?

Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 06/03/2012 11:17:13
Diogenes congratulations on a very clever presentation of a remarkable puzzle. I do not have a solution, but it has inspired me to broaden my horizons by reading quite a bit of biography.

I have found three near misses, but none of them close enough to be a solution. Interestingly two of them involve namesakes: George Bass, navigator and zoological cataloguer, early 19th century Australian, and George Bass 20th century American Underwater archaeologist. The third is some sort of twist on the Lyell, Darwin, Wallace triumvirate, but that one really feels like force fitting.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: imatfaal on 06/03/2012 17:41:17
I was thinking along the lines of Plato and Aristotle - but not enough evidence.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: Geezer on 08/03/2012 01:21:10
I was thinking along the lines of Plato and Aristotle - but not enough evidence.

Theophrastus? (He hung out with Aristotle.)
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 08/03/2012 02:58:24
Oh, my! The solution is, of course, Diogenes!
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: diogenesNY on 08/03/2012 04:16:37
Geezer for the WIN!  It _was_ Theophrastus (ca371-ca287BC)

(Please note:  The included Wikipedia links are for illustrative purposes and do not represent citations of fact or scholarship.  A cursory review of the cited Wikipedia articles seems to show that they are generally acceptable, although I might take issue with some of the details presented.  Any presented matter of fact that interests you should be treated with the same vigor and skepticism as any item of fact otherwise elsewhere presented, gathered or derived.  Homework is mandatory. YMMV.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theophrastus

He was first Aristotle's personal friend, then later a student and Aristotle's personal assistant at the Lyceum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyceum_(Classical) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyceum_(Classical)).  Later, after Aristotle's death he acceded to control (chairmanship?) of the Lyceum, according to provisions in Aristotle's will.  Some of his other students thought that they were more in line for the Job.   The Lyceum was home to Aristotle's Peripatetic School http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripatetic_school (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripatetic_school) (he walked all over the place while lecturing, and his students had to follow him at a fast walk like a mob to hear what he was saying)  of philosophy.  Theophrastus then presided over The Lyceum for about 36 years.

In any case, they were close personal friends as well.  Although they composed their own works, much of their research was collaborative.  One notable example is their measurement of the circumference of the earth.  Climbing mountains and taking observations and measurements, using non-decimal, non-algebraic trigonometry they came up with a (maybe - there is some issue about the value of the units used:  stadia) twice as large estimate of the Earth's circumference.  Not too bad IMHO.

Theophrastus is considered by some to be the father of Botany, and his ten volume (of which 9 volumes survive intact) collection entitled On Plants http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historia_Plantarum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historia_Plantarum), describes observed plants and attempts to catagorise them into groups according to properties (e.g. leafy, produces nuts, produces gum, etc).  He also wrote an eight (of which six survive) volume treatise On the Causes of Plants.  These works were essentially empirical (and IMHO quite modern) in nature.

He was an extremely apt observer of the natural world after Aristotles nature, and although there was much overlap, Theophrastus interests also struck out in many original directions.  He had an extraordinary output of published writings on an extremely broad range of topics.  The quantity and scope of his interests and publications would seem enormous by any standard, except perhaps as overshadowed by the even greater output of Aristotle.  Unlike Aristotle, however, his written works are not so artfully written.  Some of theme seem to be more outlines or lecture notes on a given subject than a narrative text.

Aristotle had a brief professional association with a young Alexander the Great (as his tutor).  When the Romans 'liberated' Athens, some years later, the anti-Macedonian sentiment got quite strong and Aristotle and Theophrastus headed back to Theo's home of Lesbos for a while and that is where they did much of their work on animals and plants respectively.  They eventually returned to Athens several years later and resumed their respective careers.

Geezer, I am sure you got this, but for clarity's sake the (anachronistic)reference to Bass and JimBob is to two denizens of a particular other subboard here on NS.  They are geologists (and a pair of real characters... I think I can say without serious fear of contradiction) and would have good cause to take issue with the use of the term 'stones' - at least if it were used that way today.  At the time, the distinction between rock and mineral was not particularly defined.  He wrote an empirical book 'On Stones' grouping various rocks and minerals by appearance, behavior, and other observable properties.  He is also author of a book 'Characters' on observed human behavior, also attempting to organize things by groups.

His other output is varied and comprises subjects both scientific and humanistic.  There are writings on ethics, physics, politics, education and many other things.  There does seem to be a common current of observation and recording, even if the data does not always lead to a specific conclusion in the more naturalistic studies.

An interesting and accomplished individual.

@damocles:  My namesake (Diogenes of Sinope, the Cynic Philosopher (flourished ca.4c BC) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes_of_Sinope (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes_of_Sinope) as opposed to the somewhat similarly named Diogenes Laertius, the historian) was certainly an interesting individual, but he was not a scientist.  He came from Sinope, a city on the Black Sea (modern Turkish Sinop).  His comments and observations were primarily on ethics and matters of human nature, education, behavior and the like.  No directly written works (of which there are known to be several) of Diogenes of Sinope survive, and what legacy we have of his comes from quoted fragments and stories.  He was a personal friend (frenemy?) of Plato and crashed all of Athens' best parties and generally made a public nuisance of himself. 

A story describes his own encounter with Alexander the Great that I think is highly amusing and instructive although it is not really relevant to this forum, but highly worth looking up.

Hope this was entertaining and instructive. :)

diogenesNY
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: imatfaal on 08/03/2012 09:38:14
Kudos to the Geezer

And to DiogenesNY for a great puzzle.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: Geezer on 10/03/2012 01:56:07
Ain't Google a wonderful thing! I had never heard of the guy before this.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 06/09/2012 23:31:01
I was not a scientist, though I was closely connected with scientists.
I was quite famous in my own right, and greatly accomplished in several areas.
When receiving a major award, I commented that five of my closest relatives had all received Nobel prizes, but not me.
I died sometime in the last decade, at the age of 102.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 29/09/2012 13:07:33
Not much activity here! Clue: the Nobel prizes were, in order, physics, physics, chemistry, chemistry, chemistry, and peace (and yes, that is 6 of them).
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: CliffordK on 29/09/2012 20:59:39
Damocles...

Just to shorten the list.
Is the person on this page?

List of centenarian scientists. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_centenarians_(scientists_and_mathematicians))
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 29/09/2012 22:21:57
Damocles...

Just to shorten the list.
Is the person on this page?

List of centenarian scientists. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_centenarians_(scientists_and_mathematicians))

No, the person is not on that list. S/he was not a scientist, but 4 of the closest relatives were. World standard achievements in 3 fields, but best known in connection with UNICEF.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: imatfaal on 30/09/2012 17:19:01
Sorry - had missed this thread was active again.  That's an easy one Damocles - 6 Nobel prizes, 5 members of same family - has to be the Curies. Marie, Pierre , Irine and her husband Frederick Joiliot-Curie and the other in-law Henry Laboussie.  Henry's wife was the other sibling Eve - she was the only one of the Cuire family who did not win a Nobel!  She was not a scientist - although with a family like that you will not be surprised to know she was quite something!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%88ve_Curie
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 02/10/2012 12:13:06
And that, of course, is quite right Imatfaal. Clearly almost nobody is checking this forum.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: CliffordK on 02/10/2012 16:30:33
Who asked,

"Could you patent the sun?"


Ok, so a quick web search will give an answer.  Nonetheless...  an interesting phrase.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 03/10/2012 22:50:01
That was Albert Einstein, checking with his boss when a questionable application came in.
[;D]
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 03/10/2012 23:02:31
An appropriate item after the last CliffordK, actually, because the Curies steadfastly refused to patent anything arising out of their work on radioactivity.

I got the general field and the rough timing right, but not the specifics, before doing my "quick web search".
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 06/10/2012 04:58:41
This thread seems strangely quiet to me; I would have hoped there were a few more forum users interested in providing/solving this sort of puzzle. I greatly enjoy it.

So it has been a few days since the thread was paralysed (significant word) by CliffordK's last offering. I will fire up again.

------
Who am I? My career as a leading scientist in my field was marred by an unfortunate misinterpretation of some results in the middle of it. The case had some interesting parallels with the later "cold fusion" story. The work in question was indirectly linked with the name of an American satirist, political commentator, and sci-fi author.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: imatfaal on 09/10/2012 15:24:16
Damocles - the only thing I can think of is "lies, damn lies, and statistics" and Samuel Clemens  aka Mark Twain.  But I cannot link this any further
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 10/10/2012 04:58:00
More recent than Mark Twain -- 1960s actually. And the American referred to is probably best known outside America as a sci fi author.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: CliffordK on 19/10/2012 08:08:59
So it has been a few days since the thread was paralysed (significant word) by CliffordK's last offering. I will fire up again.

Uhhh...
Ohhh...

How medicine has changed from the beginning of the century.

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fccat.sas.upenn.edu%2Fgoldenage%2Fwonder%2FArchive%2FImages%2FIron%2520Lungs.jpg&hash=1484597ed2d702001e0e43bf28f67795)

Dr. Jonas Salk's invention of the Polio Vaccine has all but eliminated the need for Iron Lung wards.  And, he chose to donate the vaccine to humanity.  Polio has now been wiped out of most of the "Western World", with only a few remaining hot spots in 3rd world nations.

India has now had no new wild-type polio cases for about 1.5 years, and may have in fact eradicated the disease, thanks to Mr. Salk's vaccine.  I believe there are only 3 endemic countries, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan, and perhaps a few other sporadic cases elsewhere.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: CliffordK on 19/10/2012 08:15:06
Who am I? My career as a leading scientist in my field was marred by an unfortunate misinterpretation of some results in the middle of it. The case had some interesting parallels with the later "cold fusion" story. The work in question was indirectly linked with the name of an American satirist, political commentator, and sci-fi author.
My first guess would have been  Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier who found Neptune, then had an unsuccessful search for trans-Neptunian planets, as well as an unsuccessful hunt for Vulcan, an intra-Mercurial planet. 

Unfortunately, I fear that I'm off in both time and place.
Title: Re: Who am I?
Post by: damocles on 19/10/2012 08:32:34
Further clue: I worked with materials, and my misadventure involved a very familiar material.