Five Inspirational Scientists

The progression of science can be measured by the input of several remarkable human beings. Here are five of them; a small collection of my favourites. Some are remarkable for the way they thought, some for the things that they discovered and some for the way they communicated science and made others love it as much as they did.

Carl Sagan 

“If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.”

The first time I read Carl Sagan’s name, it was underneath this quote. I forget where I read it, but it stayed with me. The concept was simple but brilliant. After some research into Sagan’s eventful life I came across his television series ‘Cosmos: A Personal Voyage’ – something that I would encourage anyone to watch. Sagan’s most important and fascinating research involved the science behind the possibility of extra-terrestrial life, demonstrating how amino acids can be synthesised from inorganic chemicals through radiation. His greatest significance, though, was his ability to connect and inspire others to appreciate the wonderment of the natural world. 

Albert Einstein

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."

I couldn’t resist putting good old Albert on the list. My knowledge of physics is limited to say the least, and I find it hard to comprehend most of Einstein’s major scientific findings. My physics friends tell me they are rather important. The thing that I find inspirational bout Einstein is the way he though. He proved that creativity is just as important to science as it is to art, and that a fast recall of knowledge is by no means required in good science. He taught us that scientific concepts are, in essence, very simple and that people should never consider themselves ‘too dumb’ for science. After all, Einstein himself failed his first university entry exams. 

Sir David Attenborough

“I just wish the world was twice as big and half of it was still unexplored.”

This man needs to introduction; we all know him by his warm voice and bewildering knowledge of the natural world. I grew up watching David Attenborough’s films, every one of which is nothing short of amazing. He created a sense of exploration and wonder by looking closely at some of the most apparently bland forms of life. Attenborough is one of the key reasons that I study science and strive to appreciate the natural world for what it is. 

Brian Cox

“We are the cosmos made conscious and life is the means by which the universe understands itself.”

Yet another physicist whose research I struggle to understand; nonetheless it's interesting. Cox spent a large portion of his life as a keyboard player in the band D:ream, undoubtedly one of the most terrible music groups ever to form. Thankfully, he spent the remainder of his life focusing on high energy particle physics. Like Sagan, Cox’s influence came in his incredible ability to communicate science, generating fascination and interest. 

Richard Dawkins

“The feeling of awed wonder that science can give us is one of the highest experiences of which the human psyche is capable. It is a deep aesthetic passion to rank with the finest that music and poetry can deliver. It is truly one of the things that makes life worth living and it does so, if anything, more effectively if it convinces us that the time we have for living is quite finite.”

I came across this man only two weeks ago when he featured on Q&A . Upon further research, I found many interesting books that he published – some of which had major influences in the field of evolutionary biology. Dawkins was Oxford University’s Professor for Public Understanding of Science from 1995 until 2008 and is most famous for his controversial book ‘The God Delusion.’ His attitude toward science and the pursuit of truth is truly  inspiring.