I collected over 20 lists of the greatest/most important scientists of all time and compiled them into one meta-list. The results are below: every scientist on two or more of the original source lists, organized by rank (that is, with the scientists on the most lists at the top). Where there are multiple scientists on the same number of lists, they are arranged chronologically by date of birth.
NOTE: These are not my personal opinions.
To see another version of the list organized chronologically, go here.
On 19 lists
Albert Einstein (Germany/US, 1879-1955)
Theoretical physicist. The special and general theories of relativity. The photoelectric effect. Brownian motion. E=mc2. E=hf. Einstein field equations. Bose–Einstein statistics. Bose–Einstein condensate. Gravitational wave. Cosmological constant. Unified field theory. EPR paradox. Relativity: The Special and General Theory (1916). Ideas and Opinions (1995). (Nobel Prize in Physics 1921)
Albert Einstein in Vienna in 1921. Photo by F. Schmutzer.
On 17 lists
Galileo Galilei (Italy, 1564-1642)
Physicist, astronomer, mathematician, inventor, engineer and philosopher. The law of falling bodies. The moons of Jupiter. Sunspots. The phases of Venus. Confirmed heliocentrism. Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger) (1610). Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632).
Portrait of Galileo Galilei by Giusto Sustermans in 1636.
Sir Isaac Newton (England, 1643-1727)
Physicist, mathematician and inventor. Classical mechanics and the universal laws of motion. The law of universal gravitation. Calculus. Binomial series. The light spectrum and particle theory of light. The reflecting telescope. Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687). Opticks (1704).
Portrait of Sir Isaac Newton painted in 1689 by Sir Godfrey Kneller.
Marie Curie (Poland/France, 1867-1934)
Physicist and chemist. Radioactivity. Discovered radium and polonium. Radioactive Substances (1904). (Nobel Prize in Physics 1903; Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1911)
Marie Curie in 1920.
On 15 lists
James Clerk Maxwell (UK: Scotland, 1831-1879)
Physicist and mathematician. Electromagnetism (relationship of electricity, magnetism and light). The wave theory of light. Color vision and color photography. The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. A Dynamic Theory of the Electromagnetic Field (1865). Matter and Motion (1888). A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism (1904).
An undated portrait of James Clerk Maxwell. This is an engraving by G. J. Stodart, based on a photograph by Fergus of Greenock.
On 14 lists
Michael Faraday (UK: England, 1791-1867)
Experimental physicist, chemist and inventor. Electrochemistry. Electromagnetic induction. Diamagnetism. Laws of electrolysis. Nanoparticles. Benzene. Oxidation numbers. Faraday effect. Faraday disc (first electric generator). Faraday cage. Chemical History of a Candle (1861).
Photograph of Michael Faraday from about 1861, probably taken by John Watkins.
Charles Darwin (UK: England, 1809-1882)
Biologist, naturalist and geologist. Evolution by means of natural selection. Human evolution. Sexual selection. Formation of atolls. Phototropism in plants. Role of earthworms in soil formation. The Voyage of the Beagle (1845). The Origin of Species (1859). The Descent of Man (1871). The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals (1872).
Photograph of Charles Darwin in 1857.
Louis Pasteur (France, 1822-1895)
Microbiologist and chemist. The germ theory of disease. Vaccination using weakened bacteria. Pasteurization. The cause of fermentation. Disproving spontaneous generation. Asymmetry of crystals. Racemization. Optical isomers.
An 1878 photograph of Louis Pasteur by Nadar.
On 11 lists
Aristotle (Ancient Greece, 384-322 BCE)
Philosopher and scientist. Early theory and observation in all fields of science and medicine. Scala naturae. Physics. History of Animals. Generation of Animals. Movement of Animals. Parts of Animals. On the Soul (De Anima) (c. 330 BCE).
This marble bust of Aristotle is a Roman copy of a Greek bronze original by Lysippos, c. 330 BCE. The alabaster mantle is more recent.
Nikola Tesla (Serbia/US 1856-1943)
Electrical and mechanical engineer, inventor and physicist. Alternating current. The alternating current induction motor. The electric light. The Tesla coil. X-rays. Radio remote control vehicle.
An 1890 photograph of Nicolas Tesla by Napoleon Sarony.
Neils Bohr (Denmark, 1885-1962)
Theoretical and experimental physicist. Quantum atomic structure. Bohr model. Correspondence principle. Complementarity. Quantum mechanics. Electron complementarity. Institute of Theoretical Physics. Atomic Theory and the Description of Nature (1934). (Nobel Prize in Physics 1922)
Niels Bohr in 1922.
Stephen Hawking (UK: England, 1942-2018)
Theoretical physicist and cosmologist. Quantum gravity. The nature of black holes. The origin of galaxies. Hawking radiation. The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time (with George Ellis) (1973). A Brief History of Time (1988).
Stephen Hawking during a visit to NASA in the 1980s.
On 10 lists
Archimedes (Ancient Greece, c. 287-c. 212 BCE)
Physicist, mathematician, engineer and astronomer. Archimedes’ principle. Principle of the lever. The Archimedes screw. The mathematical precursors to calculus, including infinitesimals and the method of exhaustion. The planetarium. The war catapult. Claw of Archimedes. On the Equilibrium of Planes. On the Measurement of a Circle. On Spirals. On the Sphere and the Cylinder. On Floating Bodies. The Quadrature of the Parabola. The Sand Reckoner. The Method of Mechanical Theorems.
A 1620 painting of Archimedes by Domenico Fetti.
On 9 lists
Leonardo da Vinci (Italy, 1452-1519)
Artist, engineer, mathematician, anatomist, botanist, geologist and cartographer. Human anatomy. Fossils. Designed: a parachute; a helicopter; an armored vehicle; an adding machine; a double-hulled ship; automated bobbin winder; wire-strength testing machine. Notebooks.
Self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci from about 1512.
John Dalton (England, 1766-1844)
Chemist, meteorologist and physicist. Atomic theory. Table of atomic weights. Color blindness. Law of multiple proportions. Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures.
An 1834 portrait of John Dalton by Charles Turner.
On 8 lists
Nicolaus Copernicus (Royal Prussia, now Poland, 1473-1543)
Astronomer and mathematician. The heliocentric model of the solar system. Copernicus’ Law. Copernican principle. On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres (1543).
A 1580 portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus. It is located in the Town Hall of Toruń, Poland.
Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier (France, 1743-1794)
Chemist. The nature of combustion. The law of conservation of mass. Nature of hydrogen and oxygen. Stoichiometry. Disproving phlogiston theory. Elementary Treatise on Chemistry (1789).
Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier.
Gregor Mendel (Austria-Hungary, now Czech Republic, 1822-1884)
Botanist and geneticist. The laws of heredity (Mendelian inheritance). Science of genetics. Experiments on Plant Hybridization (1865).
A photograph of Gregor Mendel.
Thomas Alva Edison (US, 1847-1931)
Inventor. The incandescent light bulb. The phonograph. The movie camera and projector. Stock ticker. Mechanical vote recorder. The electric power grid. First industrial research laboratory.
A 1922 photograph of Thomas Edison by Louis Bachrach.
Max Planck (Germany, 1858-1947)
Theoretical physicist. Quantum theory. Planck constant. Planck’s law of black body radiation. Third law of thermodynamics. Fokker-Planck equation. (Nobel Prize in Physics 1918)
A 1915 photograph of Max Planck.
Ernest Rutherford (NZ/UK, 1871-1937)
Theoretical and experimental physicist. The atomic nucleus. The structure of the atom. The proton. The neutron. Alpha and beta radioactivity. Radioactive half-life. Radio-activity (1904). Radioactive Transformations (1906). Radioactive Substances and their Radiations (1913). (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1908)
A photograph of Ernest Rutherford.
Edwin Hubble (US, 1889-1953)
Astronomer and cosmologist. The expansion of the universe. The existence of other galaxies. Hubble’s Law. The Hubble constant. The Realm of the Nebulae (1935).
A photograph of Edwin Hubble.
James Watson (US, 1928- )
Molecular biologist, geneticist and zoologist. The structure of DNA. The Double Helix (1968). (Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 1962)
James Watson.
Tim Berners-Lee (UK: England, 1955- )
Computer scientist. The World Wide Web.
Tim Berners-Lee in 2008.
On 7 lists
Johannes Kepler (Germany, 1571-1630)
Mathematician and astronomer. The laws of planetary motion. Rudolphine Tables. New Astronomy (1609). The Harmony of the World (1619). Epitome Astronomiae Copernicanae (1617-1621).
A 1610 portrait of Johannes Kepler.
Alessandro Volta (Italy, 1745-1827)
Physicist and chemist. The electric battery.
A portrait of Alessandro Volta.
William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (UK: Northern Ireland, 1824-1907)
Physicist, mathematician and engineer. Electricity and magnetism. The second law of thermodynamics. Absolute zero.
A photograph of Lord Kelvin.
Alexander Fleming (UK: Scotland, 1881-1955)
Biologist, pharmacologist, botanist, bacteriologist and immunologist. Penicillin.
(Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 1945)
Alexander Fleming.
Linus Pauling (US, 1901-1994)
Chemist, biochemist, quantum chemist and molecular biologist. Atomic structure. Chemical bonds. Protein architecture. The Nature of the Chemical Bond (1960).
(Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1954)
A photograph of Linus Pauling.
Rosalind Franklin (UK: England, 1920-1958)
Chemist and X-ray crystallographer. The structure of DNA.
Rosalind Franklin.
On 6 lists
Avicenna (Ibn Sina) (Persia, c. 980-1037 CE)
Philosopher, physician, astronomer, geographer, geologist, psychologist, physicist and mathematician. Medicine. The scientific method.
Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna.
Dmitri Mendeleev (Russia, 1834-1907)
Chemist. The periodic table.
A photograph of Dmitri Mendeleev.
Robert Oppenheimer (US, 1904-1967)
Theoretical and experimental physicist. Uranium and plutonium atomic fission bombs.
Robert Oppenheimer in 1946.
On 5 lists
Euclid (Ancient Greece: Egypt, fl. 300 BCE)
Mathematician. Geometry. The Elements (c. 300 BCE).
This statue of Euclid at Oxford University Museum of Natural History, UK was created by Joseph Durham between 1835 and 1877.
Claudius Ptolemy (Ancient Rome: Egypt, c. 90-168 CE)
Mathematician, astronomer and geographer. The geocentric model of the solar system. Astronomical observations.
Ptolemy.
Andreas Vesalius (Hapsburg Netherlands, now Belgium, 1514-1564)
Physician and anatomist. Human anatomy. De Humani Corporis Fabrica (1543).
An engraved portrait of Andreas Vesalius taken from his 1543 treatise.
René Descartes (France, 1596-1650)
Philosopher, mathematician and philosopher of science. The scientific method. Analytic geometry. Calculus. The law of refraction. La Géométrie (1637). Discourse on Method (1637).
A late 17th Century copy of Franz Hals’ 1649 portrait of René Descartes, now in the Louvre in Paris.
Blaise Pascal (France, 1623-1662)
Mathematician, physicist and inventor. The mechanical calculator. Probability theory. Atmospheric pressure. Projective geometry.
Blaise Pascal.
Robert Boyle (Ireland/England, 1627-1691)
Natural philosopher, chemist and physicist. The nature of air. The nature of a vacuum. Boyle’s Law.
Johann Kerseboom’s 1689 portrait of Robert Boyle.
Robert Hooke (England, 1635-1703)
Biologist, physicist and chemist. Cells. Gravity. The air pump. Micrographia (1665).
An artist’s impression of Robert Hooke.
Carl Linnaeus (Sweden, 1707-1778)
Zoologist, botanist, physician and taxonomist. A biological classification system. Binomial nomenclature.
A 1775 portrait of Carl Linnaeus by Alexander Roslin.
Alfred Nobel (Sweden, 1833-1896)
Chemist and engineer. Dynamite.
A photograph of Alfred Nobel.
Sigmund Freud (Austria, 1856-1939)
Neurologist, psychiatrist and psychologist. Psychoanalysis. The Interpretation of Dreams (1899).
A photograph of Sigmund Freud from about 1900.
Erwin Schrödinger (Austria, 1887-1961)
Physicist. Quantum mechanics. The Schrödinger equation. (Nobel Prize in Physics 1933)
A photograph of Erwin Schrödinger.
Enrico Fermi (Italy/US, 1901-1954)
Physicist. Nuclear fission. The nuclear reactor. (Nobel Prize in Physics 1938)
Enrico Fermi in the 1940s.
Werner Heisenberg (Germany, 1901-1976)
Theoretical physicist. Quantum mechanics. The uncertainty principle. Physics and Philosophy (1958). (Nobel Prize in Physics 1932)
Werner Heisenberg in 1933.
Rachel Carson (US, 1907-1964)
Marine biologist and conservationist. Effect of pesticides. The Sea Around Us (1951). Silent Spring (1962). The Sense of Wonder (1965).
A 1940 photograph of Rachel Carson.
Francis Crick (UK: England, 1916-2004)
Molecular biologist, biophysicist and neuroscientist. The structure of DNA.
(Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 1962)
Francis Crick.
Jane Goodall (UK: England, 1934- )
Primatologist, ethologist and anthropologist. Chimpanzee behavior. Jane Goodall: 50 Years at Gombe (2010).
Jane Goodall and friend.
On 4 lists
Pythagoras of Samos (Ancient Greece, c. 570-c. 495 BCE)
Philosopher and mathematician. The Pythagorean theorem (attrib.). Theory of Proportions (attrib.).
A marble bust of Pythagoras.
Hippocrates of Cos (Ancient Greece, c. 460-c. 370 BCE)
Physician and philosopher of medicine. Clinical medicine (attrib.). Hippocratic oath (attrib.). Hippcratic Corpus (attrib.).
A replica of a Greek bust of Hippocrates from about 150 CE.
William Harvey (England, 1578-1657)
Physician and anatomist. The circulatory system.
A portrait of William Harvey.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (The Netherlands, 1632-1723)
Microbiologist. Bacteria and other microorganisms.
A portrait of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek by Jan Verkolje from between 1670 and 1693. It is located in the Museum Boerhaave in Leiden.
Benjamin Franklin (US, 1706-1790)
Physicist, chemist, geographer, oceanographer, meteorologist and statistician. Electricity and lightning. The Gulf Stream. Bifocal lenses.
A 1785 portrait of Benjamin Franklin wearing his bifocal lenses by Charles Wilson Peale.
Christiaan Huygens (The Netherlands, 1629-1695)
Mathematician, astronomer, physicist, horologist and probabilist. Telescopes. The law of refraction. The wave theory of light. The rings and moon of Saturn. The pendulum clock.
A 1671 portrait of Christiaan Huygens by Caspar Netscher.
Henry Cavendish (England, 1731-1810)
Experimental and theoretical chemist and physicist. The composition of air. The properties of gases. The synthesis of water. Electrical attraction and repulsion. The density of the Earth.
Henry Cavendish.
Pierre-Simon Laplace (France, 1749-1827)
Mathematician, astronomer and statistician. Laplace’s equation. Probability and statistics. Black holes. Determinants. The Young-Laplace equation. The speed of sound.
Pierre-Simon Laplace.
André-Marie Ampère (France, 1775-1836)
Physicist and mathematician. Electromagnetism. Ampère’s law.
André-Marie Ampère.
Amedeo Avogadro (Italy, 1776-1856)
Physicist and chemist. Molecules. Avogadro’s Law.
Amedeo Avogadro.
Carl Friedrich Gauss (Germany, 1777-1855)
Mathematician, astronomer and geophysicist. Number theory. Algebra. Ceres. The heliotrope. Disquisitiones Arithmeticae (1801).
An 1840 portrait of Carl Friedrich Gauss by Christian Albrecht Jensen.
Georg Ohm (Germany, 1789-1854)
Physicist and mathematician. Ohm’s Law.
A photograph of Georg Ohm.
James Prescott Joule (UK: England, 1818-1889)
Physicist. The relation of heat to mechanical energy. The law of conservation of energy. Joule’s law.
James Joule.
Joseph Lister (UK: England, 1828-1912)
Physician and surgeon. Antiseptic medical procedures.
A 1902 photograph of Joseph Lister.
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (Germany, 1845-1923)
Physicist. X-rays. (Nobel Prize in Physics 1901)
Wilhelm Röntgen.
Alexander Graham Bell (UK: Scotland/US/Canada, 1847-1922)
Inventor, engineer and deaf educator. The telephone. The photophone. The metal detector.
A photograph of Alexander Graham Bell taken between 1914 and 1919.
J.J. Thomson (UK: England, 1856-1940)
Physicist. The electron. Isotopes. The mass spectrometer.
J.J. Thomson.
Heinrich Hertz (Germany, 1857-1894)
Physicist. Electromagnetic radiation. Photoelectric effect. Hertz’s principle of least curvature.
A photograph of Heinrich Hertz.
Karl Landsteiner (Germany, 1868-1943)
Physician and biologist. Blood types. (Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 1930)
A photograph of Karl Landsteiner from the 1920s.
Otto Hahn (Germany, 1879-1968)
Chemist and physicist. Nuclear fission. (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1944)
Otto Hahn.
Barbara McClintock (US, 1902-1992)
Biologist. Cytogenetics. Gene transposition. Role of telomere and centromere. (Nobel Prize, Physiology/Medicine 1983)
A 1947 photograph of Barbara McClintock.
Edward Teller (Hungary/US, 1908-2003)
Theoretical physicist. The hydrogen bomb.
A 1958 photograph of Edward Teller.
Jonas Salk (US, 1914-1995)
Medical researcher and virologist. A polio vaccine.
A 1956 photograph of Jonas Salk by Yousuf Karsh.
E.O. Wilson (US, 1929- )
Biologist, conservationist, sociobiologist and mymecologist. Ant behavior. Sociobiology. The Insect Societies (1971). Sociobiology (1975). The Ants (with Bert Holldobler) (1990).
E.O. Wilson.
On 3 lists
Hipparchus of Nicaea (Ancient Greece, c. 190-c. 120 BCE)
Astronomer, geographer and mathematician. Trigonometry. The equinoxes. Latitude and longitude. The classification of stars.
Hipparchus.
Galen (Ancient Greece/Rome, 129-c. 200/c. 216 CE)
Physician, surgeon, anatomist and philosopher. Anatomy. Medicine.
Galen.
Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmi (Persia, 780-850 CE)
Mathematician, astronomer and geographer. The Hindu-Arabic number system. Algebra. Geography. The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing (820 CE).
Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi.
William Gilbert (England, 1544-1603)
Physicist, physician and astronomer. Electricity. Magnetism. The Earth’s magnetic field. De Magnete.
William Gilbert.
Tycho Brahe (Denmark, 1546-1601)
Astronomer. Astronomical observations and measurements. Supernovae.
Tycho Brahe.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (Germany, 1646-1716)
Philosopher and mathematician. Differential and integral calculus. Law of Continuity. Transcendental Law of Homogeneity. Mechanical calculators.
A portrait of Gottfried Leibniz by Christoph Bernhard Francke.
Edmond Halley (England, 1656-1742)
Astronomer, geophysicist, mathematician, meteorologist and physicist. The nature of comets. Astronomical measurements.
A portrait of Edmond Halley by Godfrey Kneller, c. 1721.
Joseph Priestley (England, 1733-1804)
Physicist and chemist. Soda water. Oxygen. Electrical force and conductivity.
Joseph Priestley.
Charles-Augustin de Coulomb (France, 1736-1806)
Physicist. Coulomb’s law. The attraction and repulsion of magnetic poles.
A portrait of Charles-Augustin de Coulomb by Hippolyte Lecomte.
James Watt (GB: Scotland, 1736-1819)
Inventor, engineer and chemist. Steam engine. Horsepower.
A 1792 portrait of James Watt by Carl Frederik von Breda, now in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
William Herschel (Germany/GB, 1738-1822)
Astronomer, physicist and biologist. The planet Uranus and two moons. Two moons of Saturn. Infrared radiation. Coral.
A 1785 portrait of William Herschel by Lemuel Francis Abbott.
Edward Jenner (England, 1749-1823)
Physician, immunologist and biologist. Vaccination.
A portrait of Edward Jenner by James Northcote, from between 1803 and 1823, which is now in the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac (France, 1778-1850)
Chemist and physicist. Gay-Lussac’s Law. The composition of the atmosphere. Boron. Iodine.
Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac.
Charles Babbage (UK: England, 1791-1871)
Mathematician, mechanical engineer and inventor. Calculating machines: the difference engine and the programmable analytical calculator.
An 1860 photograph of Charles Babbage.
Robert Bunsen (Germany, 1811-1899)
Chemist. Spectrochemical analysis. Discovered caesium and rubidium (with Gustav Kirchhoff). Bunsen burner (with Peter Desaga). Organoarsenic chemistry. Carbon-zinc electrochemical cell.
An undated photo of Robert Bunsen.
Robert Koch (Germany, 1843-1910)
Physician, microbiologist and bacteriologist. The bacteria causing anthrax, tuberculosis and cholera. (Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 1905)
A photograph of Robert Koch.
Paul Ehrlich (Germany, 1854-1915)
Physician and immunologist. The magic bullet theory. Blood cells. Diphtheria. Chemotherapy. The side-chain theory. (Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 1908)
Paul Ehrlich.
Wilbur Wright (US, 1867-1912)
Inventor and engineer. The airplane.
Wilbur Wright.
Fritz Haber (Germany, 1868-1934)
Chemist. Haber process. Born-Haber Cycle (with Max Born). Fertilizer. Haber-Weiss reaction. (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1918)
A photograph of Fritz Haber.
Alfred Wegener (Germany, 1880-1930)
Geophysicist and meteorologist. Continental drift.
A 1910 photograph of Alfred Wegener.
Paul Dirac (UK: England, 1902-1984)
Theoretical physicist. Quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics. The Dirac equation. Quantum field theories. Magnetic monopoles.
(Nobel Prize in Physics 1933)
Paul Dirac.
Maria Goeppert-Mayer (Germany/Poland/US, 1906-1972)
Physicist. Two-proton absorption. Nuclear shell structure. (Nobel Prize in Physics 1963)
A 1963 photograph of Maria Goeppert-Mayer.
John Bardeen (US, 1908-1991)
Physicist and electrical engineer. The transistor. Superconductivity.
(Nobel Prize in Physics 1956 & 1972)
John Bardeen with a transistor.
Alan M. Turing (UK: England, 1912-1954)
Computer scientist, mathematician and logician. The Turing Machine. The Universal Computer.
A photograph of Alan Turing.
Richard Feynman (US, 1918-1988)
Theoretical physicist. Quantum electrodynamics. The path integral formulation. Feynman diagrams. Supercooled liquid helium. Weak decay. The Feynman Lectures on Physics (1963). (Nobel Prize in Physics 1965)
Richard Feynman.
Gertrude B. Elion (US, 1918-1999)
Biochemist and pharmacologist. Purines. Immunosuppressive and antiviral drugs. (Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 1988)
Gertrude Elion.
Steven Weinberg (US, 1933- )
Theoretical physicist. The electroweak force. Technicolor interactions. The First Three Minutes (1977). (Nobel Prize in Physics 1979)
Steven Weinberg.
Donald Knuth (US, 1938- )
Computer scientist and mathematician. Analysis of algorithms. Literate programming. METAFONT. MMIX.
A 1958 photograph of Donald Knuth.
Craig Venter (US, 1946- )
Biochemist and geneticist. The human genome.
Craig Venter.
On 2 lists
Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) (Iraq/Egypt, c. 965 CE – c. 1040)
Physicist, astronomer and mathematician. Scientific method. Visual perception. Alhazen’s problem, Catoptrics. Book of Optics. Doubts Concerning Ptolemy.
An artist’s rendering of Ibn al-Haytham.
Francis Bacon (England, 1561-1626)
Empiricist and philosopher of science. Empiricism. The scientific method. Novum Organum (1620).
A 1617 portrait of Francis Bacon by Frans Pourbus.
Thomas Newcomen (England, 1663-1729)
Inventor. The steam engine.
Thomas Newcomen.
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (Germany/Netherlands, 1686-1736)
Physicist, inventor and scientific instrument maker. Thermometry. Mercury-in-glass thermometer. Fahrenheit scale.
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit.
Anders Celsius (Sweden, 1701-1744)
Astronomer, physicist and mathematician. Aurora borealis. Brightness of stars. The shape of the earth. Celsius temperature scale.
A painting of Anders Celsius by Olof Arenius.
Charles Messier (France, 1730-1817)
Astronomer. Messier catalog. Comets.
A portrait of Charles Messier by Nicolas Ansiaume from c. 1770.
Joseph-Louis Lagrange (Giuseppe Lodovico Lagrangia) (Italy, 1736-1813)
Mathematician and astronomer. Calculus of variations. Lagrange multipliers. Variation of parameters. Group theory. Lagrangian points. Lagrangian mechanics. Mécanique analytique,
A portrait of Joseph-Louis Lagrange.
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (Jean-Baptiste de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck) (France, 1744-1829)
Biologist and naturalist. Invertebrates. Lamarckian evolution. Philosophie Zoologique.
An 1802 portrait of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck by Charles Thévenin.
Caroline Herschel (Germany/GB, 1750-1848)
Astronomer. Comets. New General Catalogue.
A print of an 1829 portrait of Caroline Herschel by M.F. Tielemann.
Joseph Fourier (France, 1768-1830)
Mathematician and physicist. Fourier series. Fourier transform. Fourier’s law of conduction. Fourier-Motzkin elimination. The greenhouse effect. The Analytical Theory of Heat.
A drawing of Joseph Fourier, c. 1820.
Alexander von Humboldt (Germany, 1769-1859)
Geographer, geologist, biologist, meteorologist and biogeographer. The Jurassic Period. The Humboldt Current.
An 1843 portrait of Alexander von Humboldt by Joseph Karl Stieler.
Sir Humphrey Davy (GB, 1778-1829)
Chemist and inventor. Electrolysis. Davy lamp. Electrochemistry. Potassium, sodium, calcium, strontium, barium, magnesium, boron, chlorine, iodine. Nitrous oxide. On Some Chemical Agencies of Electricity.
A portrait of Sir Humphrey Davy by Thomas Phillips.
Charles Lyell (UK: Scotland, 1797-1875)
Geologist. Uniformitarianism. Vulcanism and earthquakes. Glaciers.
A photograph of Charles Lyell.
Christian Doppler (Austria, 1803-1853)
Mathematician, physicist and astronomer. The Doppler effect. Binary stars. 
A photograph (or daguerreotype?) of Christian Doppler.
Justus von Liebig (Germany, 1803-1873)
Chemist. Organic chemistry. Fertilizer. Law of the Minimum. Liebig condenser. Nutrition theory. Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie (now Justus Liebigs Annalen der Chemie).
Justus von Liebig.
Sir William Rowan Hamilton (Ireland, 1805-1865)
Mathematician, astronomer and physicist. Hamiltonian mechanics. Quaternions. Geometrical optics. Cayley-Hamilton theorem. Icosian calculus. Hamilton’s principal function. The hodograph. Elements of Quaternions.
Photographic portrait of Sir William Rowan Hamilton.
Julius Robert Mayer (Germany, 1814-1878)
Physician, chemist and physicist. Thermodynamics. Law of conservation of energy. Oxidation.
A photograph (or daguerreotype) of Julius Robert Mayer by Friedrich Berrer.
Karl Weierstrass (Germany, 1815-1897)
Mathematician. Intermediate Value Theorem. Weierstrass function. (ε, δ)-definition of limit. Weierstrass–Erdmann condition. Weierstrass theorems. Bolzano–Weierstrass theorem.
Karl Weierstrass.
Hermann von Helmholtz (Germany, 1821-1894)
Physician and physicist. Conservation of energy. Vortex dynamics. Ophthalmoscope. Helmholtz resonator.
Hermann von Helmholtz.
Elizabeth Blackwell (UK/US, 1821-1910)
Physician and educator. Medical education. Women’s health. The Laws of Life with Special Reference to the Physical Education of Girls.
Elizabeth Blackwell.
Francis Galton (UK: England, 1822-1911)
Psychologist, anthropologist, geographer, meteorologist, and statistician. Eugenics. Correlation and regression. Fingerprinting. Psychometrics. The Galton Whistle.
A photograph of Francis Galton from the 1850s.
Gustav R. Kirchhoff (Germany, 1824-1887)
Physicist. Spectroscopy. Kirchhoff’s circuit laws. Black-body radiation. Kirchhoff’s law of thermochemistry.
A photograph of Gustav Kirchhoff.
Bernhard Riemann (Georg Friedrich Bernhard Riemann) (Germany, 1826-1866)
Mathematician. Riemannian geometry. Riemann integral. Riemann surfaces. Riemann hypothesis. On the hypotheses which underlie geometry.
An 1863 photo of Bernhard Riemann.
Ernst Haeckel (Germany, 1834-1919)
Biologist, physician, philosopher and naturalist. Human evolution. Recapitulation theory.
An 1860 photograph of Ernst Haeckel.
Ivan Pavlov (Russia, 1849-1936)
Physiologist. Classical conditioning. The conditioned reflex. Transmarginal inhibition. Behavior modification.
Ivan Pavlov.
Henri Becquerel (France, 1852-1908)
Physicist and chemist. Radioactivity. (Nobel Prize in Physics 1903) 
A photograph of Henri Becquerel.
Hermann Emil Fischer (Germany, 1852-1919)
Chemist. Fischer esterification. The Fischer projection. Purine. Proteins. Enzymes.
(Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1902)
Hermann Emil Fischer.
William Ramsay (UK: Scotland, 1852-1916)
Chemist. The noble gases. (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1904)
William Ramsay.
Albert Michelson (Germany/Poland/US, 1852-1931)
Physicist. Speed of light. Michelson-Morley experiment. (Nobel Prize in Physics 1907)
Albert Michelson.
Santiago Ramón y Cajal (Spain, 1852 – 1934)
Neuroscientist and pathologist. Neuroscience. (Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 1906)
A photograph of Santiago Ramón y Cajal.
Rudolf Diesel (Germany, 1858-1913)
Inventor and mechanical engineer. Diesel engine.
Rudolf Diesel.
David Hilbert (Germany, 1862-1943)
Mathematician. Hilbert’s basis theorem. Hilbert’s axioms. Einstein-Hilbert action. Hilbert spaces. Hilbert’s problems. Hilbert’s program. Grundlagen der Mathematik.
David Hilbert.
Thomas Hunt Morgan (US, 1866-1945)
Evolutionary biologist, geneticist and embryologist. The location of genes on chromosomes. (Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 1933)
Thomas Hunt Morgan.
Guglielmo Marconi (Italy, 1874-1937)
Inventor and electrical engineer. Radio. Marconi’s law. (Nobel Prize in Physics 1909)
Guglielmo Marconi shown with an early radio in 1896.
Lise Meitner (Austria/Sweden, 1878-1968)
Physicist. Nuclear fission.
A photograph of Lise Meitner.
Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (India, 1888-1970)
Physicist. Raman scattering. The Raman effect. Quantum photo spin. Acoustics. Raman spectroscopy. (Nobel Prize in Physics 1930)
Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman.
James Chadwick (UK, 1891-1974)
Physicist. The neutron. The atomic bomb.
James Chadwick.
Louis de Broglie (France, 1892-1987)
Physicist. Wave-particle duality. Quantum theory. The principle of least action.
(Nobel Prize in Physics 1929)
Louis de Broglie.
Leo Szilard (Hungary/Germany/US, 1898-1964)
Physicist and inventor. Nuclear chain reaction. Linear accelerator. Cyclotron. Electron microscope. Szilard-Chalmers effect. Absorption refrigerator. Chemostat.
Leo Szilard.
John von Neumann (Hungary/US, 1903-1957)
Mathematician, physicist, economist, computer scientist and statistician. Continuous geometry. Measure theory. Lattice theory. Quantum mechanics. Game theory. Operator theory. The Ergodic theorem. Thermonuclear weapons. Computers. Zur Theorie der Gesellschaftsspiele (1928). Theory of Games and Economic Behavior (1944).
A photograph of John von Neumann from the 1940s.
Konrad Lorenz (Austria, 1903-1957)
Zoologist, ethologist and ornithologist. Animal behavior (ethology). Imprinting. On Aggression. (Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 1973)
Konrad Lorenz with greylag geese.
Hans Bethe (Germany/US, 1906-2005)
Nuclear physicist and astrophysicist. Quantum mechanics. Atomic nuclei. Stellar nucleosynthesis. Cosmic rays. Hydrogen energy levels. (Nobel Prize in Physics 1967)
Hans Bethe.
Rita Levi-Montalcini (Italy, 1909-2012)
Neurobiologist. Nerve growth factor. Mast cells. (Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 1986)
Rita Levi-Montalcini.
Wernher von Braun (Germany/US, 1912-1977)
Aerospace engineer and space architect. Rocket science. V-2 rocket. Intermediate-range ballistic missile. Saturn V. Marshall Space Flight Center.
Wernher von Braun with a model of a V-2 rocket.
Norman Ernest Borlaug (US, 1914-2009)
Botanist, agricultural scientist, plant pathologist and geneticist. The Green Revolution. Agriculture. Food production. (Nobel Peace Prize 1970)
Norman Borlaug.
Charles Hard Townes (US, 1915- )
Physicist. The maser and the laser. (Nobel Prize in Physics 1964)
Charles Townes.
Frederick Sanger (UK: England, 1918-2013)
Biochemist. The structure of proteins. Sequencing of insulin. Sequencing RNA and DNA. (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1958 & 1980)
Frederick Sanger.
Noam Chomsky (US, 1928- )
Cognitive scientist, linguist, logician and philosopher. Transformational grammar. Universal grammar. Generative grammar. Chomsky hierarchy. Syntactic Structures (1957).
Noam Chomsky.
Gordon Moore (US, 1929- )
Physicist, chemist and computer scientist. Moore’s Law. Integrated circuits. Single chip microprocessor.
Gordon Moore.
Peter Higgs (UK, 1929- )
Physicist. Mass of subatomic particles. Higgs mechanism. Higgs boson. Higgs field. Broken symmetry. (Nobel Prize in Physics 2013)
A 2013 photograph of Peter Higgs.
Roger Penrose (UK: England, 1931- )
Physicist, mathematician and philosopher of science. Moore-Penrose inverse. Penrose triangle. Penrose-Hawking singularity theorems. Penrose tilings. Big Bang. Consciousness.
Roger Penrose.
Carl Sagan (US, 1934-1996)
Astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist and educator. Surface temperature of Venus. Liquid on Europa. Organic material on Titan. Extraterrestrial life. Creating amino acids. The Cosmic Connection (1973). Cosmos (1985).
Carl Sagan.
Lynn Margulis (US, 1938-2011)
Biologist. Endosymbiosis theory. Symbiogenesis. Protists. Gaia hypothesis. Symbiotic Planet (1999).
Lynn Margulis.
Stephen Jay Gould (US, 1941-2002)
Paleontologist, evolutionary biologist and science historian. Punctuated equilibrium. Land snails. Evolutionary theory. The Mismeasure of Man (1981). Wonderful Life (1989).
Stephen Jay Gould and friend.
Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard (Germany, 1942- )
Biologist. Genetic control of embryonic development. Toll genes. (Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 1995)
A 2008 photograph of Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard.
Alan Guth (US, 1947- )
Theoretical physicist and cosmologist. Cosmic inflation theory.
A photograph of Alan Guth by Deanne Fitzmaurice (National Geographic).
Edward Witten (US, 1951- )
Theoretical physicist and mathematician. String theory. Topological quantum field theory. Quantum gravity.
Edward Witten.
Mae Jemison (US, 1956- )
Engineer, physician and astronaut. Space shuttle mission specialist, STS-47 (1992).
A 1992 photograph of Dr. Mae Jemison.
Wrong information than other sites .Albert Einstein and Issac Newton should be held high than others
Mr. Suman Das: Thank you for your feedback. Just to be clear, this list is not my personal opinion about the greatest scientists of all time. It is a compilation of numerous lists I found in books and on the Internet. The scientists at the top of the meta-list you see on my website are not there because they are greater than the other scientists on the list. They are at the top because they are on more lists of “greatest scientists” than the other scientists.
Why no Ramanujan bro ? And Aryabhatta too .
Good question, Karthik. I don’t know why they didn’t make it onto enough source lists to make it onto the meta-list. I re-do the list every few years, so they may make it in the future.
Faltu
I want to know the criteria for the ranking because we know How significant Newton Eisten ,Bacquerel has been to science. Yet your ranking doesn’t potray that
Thanks for your comment! These are not my personal opinions but they are the collected wisdom of 20 different list-makers who made “best scientists of all time” lists. The greatest scientists of all time meta-list was created by collecting lists of “greatest scientists of all time” – I found 20 lists in books and on the Internet. Then I compiled these lists into one meta-list, by giving one point to each scientist for each list they were on. Einstein was on 19 of the lists I found, so he goes at the top of the meta-list in first place. Newton, Galileo and Marie Curie were all on 17 of the 20 lists, so they are tied for second place. Becquerel was only on 2 of the lists, so he is near the bottom of the meta-list, far below Einstein and Newton.
on point
wrong list;first is newton,then einsten, galileo,much before currie and hawkins done done much shuold be on bottom, tesla is more inventor than scientist.
Peter: Thanks so much for your feedback. Characterizing the list as “wrong” seems a bit harsh, but you are entitled to your opinion. As I see it, one of the fun things about lists is the opportunity to agree or disagree with the list. I don’t take your criticism personally because these are not my personal opinions. This is a meta-list, which means it is a compilation of many lists made by others in books, magazines and websites. So technically, the names at the top are not the “best” scientists but the scientists on the most “best scientists” lists.
Great list, fantastic help while choosing which scientists to research for a school project, thanks!
Where is Lorentz?
I was also disappointed that Lorentz didn’t make the meta-list.
Actually, I misspoke. Lorentz is on the chronological list, which is longer than the ranked list: https://beckchris.wordpress.com/science-nature-technology/greatest-scientists-of-all-time/the-greatest-scientists-of-all-time-chronological/
Thanks for the feedback, Mike!
Eratosthenes – the greatest scientist ever
worked out 2220 years ago:
may have been the first to use the word geography. He invented a system of longitude and latitude and made a map of the known world.
He also designed a system for finding prime numbers — whole numbers that can only be divided by themselves or by the number 1.
invented a system of latitude and longitude, and a calendar that had leap years.
He also invented a mechanical device that astronomers used for many years to figure out where the stars were in the sky how they appeared to move (as the Earth turns). That device was called the armillary sphere
• He was the first person to explain why the River Nile flooded every year – i.e. heavy, seasonal rains fall near the source of the river causing an annual flood in Egypt.
• He rejected the commonly held view that people could be divided into ‘Greeks’ and ‘Barbarians.’ He thought people should be judged as individuals on their good and bad qualities.
in about 240 BC Eratosthenes calculated Earth’s size with good accuracy. This was a moment of triumph for the human intellect: first to recognize our planet is a sphere, then to use the powers of observation, deduction, and mathematics to calculate its size.
I am also surprised that Eratosthenes did not make the meta-list!
While I understand your methodology, and this list is not terrible, in fact the best I have seen so far, I propose a different methodology. Use lists of the greats of each field, then weight them by the number of doctorates regularly awarded in each field. Of course, picking what is a field and what is a sub-field might be treacherous, but I still think the results will be better. And the lists of greats should be compiled by people intimate with those fields. This could bias results toward the last hundred and fifty years, and skip especially people from ancient times. But still better, in my opinion. Consider that probably the greatest psychologist is not on this list: B.F. Skinner, yet others are: Freud, and Pavlov. Piaget should also be there. In chemistry Robert Burns Woodward and Gilbert N. Lewis should be present. In geology Nicolas Steno invented geology. But he is a no show. No Oceanographers. Robert S. Dietz, Bjørn Helland-Hansen and Henry Melson Stommel could be candidates.
Other than missing very important scientists, the biggest problems I am seeing are 1.Inclusion of engineers and inventors. These are very important people with great contributions, but the topic is “scientists”. 2.Inclusion of mathematicians. Again great contributors…but not scientists. Computer “scientists” are also mathematicians or engineers. I can’t understand this trend. Science is about making hypotheses and collecting data to give support inductively. Anything else is not science. 3.Trying too hard to represent women/minorities. It is wonderful to show that a variety of people can contribute greatly, but intellectual honesty is more critical in my opinion. And I am not saying women don’t belong on this list, certainly some do…just that there is a distortion. 4.leaders of projects, but not necessarily people who did the science or even the theorizing. I suspect even on the lists of field greats, this is not going to drop away. And credit hogs are bountiful, though inventors are the most prone to this. Bell, Edison and Marconi are all usurpers to varying degrees. 5.Bias toward including more physicists and astronomers. 6.Including science popularizers rather than big thinkers and doers.
Noodle-Naut: Thanks so much for the excellent feedback! I appreciate the points you make here. Your alternate methodology would definitely make for an interesting, perhaps better list. It is interesting to me that so many of the people who created “Best Scientists” lists included inventors, mathematicians and engineers. I guess different people define “scientist” differently. Since my job as a meta-lister is to collect and combine the lists other people make, I don’t have much input into how they define their subject. One of the interesting things about lists (in fact, I think it is one of their main purposes) is to spark conversations about what should be on the list that isn’t and what is on the list that shouldn’t be. I like the idea that these discussions can be open-ended with no definitive “right” answer. I recognize that the meta-list methodology I use is not perfect, but I’m sticking with it for now. I would love to see your list of the best scientists of all time! – John B.
Can you please send me the link of all the lists you have encountered? You took a base list, and based on this list you numered how many the names of this list appear on other lists, am I right? But I would like to know all the names from all the lists, not just your base list. That is why I am asking for all the lists, because I myself want to do a meta-list based on this.
I’m asking that because I have my personal list of cientists (I am an afctionate for lists too) and I am trying to make the best possible list I can. I would be very thankful if you provided me the lists.
Sir, I am so sorry to disappoint you but I did not keep close track of all the lists I found so I am unable to provide them to you. Most of them you could find yourself by Googling “Best Scientists of All Time” or “Most Important Scientists of All Time.” There are many lists available online and also in books at your local library. I am so glad you enjoy making lists, and I look forward to seeing your meta-lists of the best scientists. Please note that I haven’t updated my meta-list since 2017 so there may be new lists out there to collect. I wish you the best of luck!
I don’t have a meta-list yet, but I have a personal list of the 100 most important scientists of all time. Do you have this kind of list too? If so, can you post it for us to see it?
I don’t have a personal list of the 100 most important scientists, but I would love to see yours if you are willing to share it.
Of course I can share it. The list is as follows:
1. Isaac Newton (1643-1727) – UK
2. Albert Einstein (1879-1955) – Germany
3. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) – UK
4. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) – Italy
5. James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) – UK
6. Niels Bohr (1885-1962) – Denmark
7. Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976) – Germany
8. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) – Poland
9. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) – Germany
10. Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794) – France
11-20
Michael Faraday (1791-1867) – UK
Gregor Mendel (1822-1884) – Czech Republic
Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) – France
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) – UK
Max Planck (1858-1947) – Germany
Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) – New Zealand
Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961) – Austria
Edwin Hubble (1889-1953) – USA
Linus Pauling (1901-1994) – USA
Paul Dirac (1902-1984) – UK
21-30
Claudius Ptolemy (100-170) – Ancient Greece
Galen of Pergamon (129-216) – Ancient Greece
Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) – Belgium
Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) – Sweden
John Dalton (1766-1844) – UK
Dmitry Mendeleyev (1834-1907) – Russia
Joseph John Thomson (1856-1940) – UK
Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866-1945) – USA
Francis Crick (1916-2004) – UK
James Watson (1928-) – USA
31-40
Edward Jenner (1749-1823) – UK
Claude Bernard (1813-1878) – France
Robert Koch (1843-1910) – Germany
Pierre Curie (1859-1906) – France
Marie Curie (1867-1934) – Poland
Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) – UK
Howard Florey (1898-1968) – Australia
Wolfgang Pauli (1900-1958) – Austria
Enrico Fermi (1901-1954) – Italy
Ernst Chain (1906-1979) – Germany
41-50
Alhazen (965-1040) – Arabian Empire
Henry Cavendish (1731-1810) – UK
William Herschel (1738-1822) – Germany
Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749-1827) – France
Charles Lyell (1797-1875) – UK
Justus von Liebig (1803-1873) – Germany
William Thomson (1824-1907) – UK
George Gamow (1904-1968) – Ukraine
Richard Feynman (1918-1988) – USA
Murray Gell-Mann (1929-2019) – USA
51-70
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) – Netherlands
Amedeo Avogadro (1776-1856) – Italy
Jöns Jacob Berzelius (1779-1848) – Sweden
Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1894) – Germany
Gustav Kirchhoff (1824-1887) – Germany
Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839-1903) – USA
Fritz Haber (1868-1934) – Germany
Sewall Wright (1889-1988) – USA
Ronald Fisher (1890-1962) – UK
Louis de Broglie (1892-1987) – France
J.B.S. Haldane (1892-1964) – UK
Georges Lemaître (1894-1966) – Belgium
Ernst Mayr (1904-2005) – Germany
Sin-Itiro Tomonaga (1906-1979) – Japan
Hans Bethe (1906-2005) – Germany
John Bardeen (1908-1991) – USA
Norman Borlaug (1914-2009) – USA
Fred Hoyle (1915-2001) – UK
Julian Schwinger (1918-1994) – USA
Frederick Sanger (1918-2013) – UK
71-100
Roger Bacon (1214-1292) – UK
William Harvey (1578-1657) – UK
Robert Boyle (1627-1691) – Ireland
Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) – Netherlands
Robert Hooke (1635-1703) – UK
Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) – Germany
Georges Cuvier (1769-1832) – France
Thomas Young (1773-1829) – UK
André-Marie Ampère (1775-1836) – France
Humphry Davy (1778-1829) – UK
Louis Agassiz (1807-1873) – Switzerland
Julius von Mayer (1814-1878) – Germany
James Prescott Joule (1818-1889) – UK
Rudolf Clausius (1822-1888) – Germany
Joseph Lister (1827-1912) – UK
Ludwig Boltzmann (1844-1906) – Austria
Emil Fischer (1852-1919) – Germany
Robert Millikan (1868-1953) – USA
Max von Laue (1879-1970) – Germany
Alfred Wegener (1880-1930) – Germany
Max Born (1882-1970) – Germany
Arthur Eddington (1882-1944) – UK
Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975) – Ukraine
John von Neumann (1903-1957) – Hungary
Ralph Alpher (1921-2007) – USA
Abdus Salam (1926-) – Pakistan
Sheldon Glashow (1932-) – USA
Steven Weinberg (1933-) – USA
Jennifer Doudna (1964-) – USA
Emmanuelle Charpentier (1968-) – France
Idade Antiga: 2
Lucas: This is excellent! Thanks for sharing it with us!
the list is great. but is there a way to display the list from the oldest (the first invention) to the newest. I rather see how things evolve. I believed the first science came from the far east and the middle east before the European expanded on those one. – thanks.
Miguel: Here are two lists that are chronological (oldest to newest):
https://beckchris.wordpress.com/science-nature-technology/greatest-scientists-of-all-time/the-greatest-scientists-of-all-time-chronological/
https://beckchris.wordpress.com/science-nature-technology/science-and-technology-timeline/
thanks so much Beck Chris. this is great!!!
Most interesting !! As a young scientific researcher, I had often wondered why there was no attempt to prepare a list of this nature. About 15 years ago, I had an opportunity to interview Sir Paul Nurse , the then President of the Royal Society and he revealed that there was indeed an effort in this direction. Philip Barker had written a book called TOP 1000 SCIENTISTS;FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME TO 2000 AD which was available in the Royal Society Library which had results from inputs from 80 universities across the world and had a list of this nature. I had to leave for Stockholm to commence my fellowship the very next day hence could not visit the Royal Society Library, but made it a point to ask for it at the Nobel Library . Lo and behold, it was there in the reference section-and I have checked ; it is still there. I recall it had a foreword by Professor Ludmilla Jordanova. And if my memory serves me right, most of these names were there.
Gerald- I’m going to try to find that book so I can add that list to my meta-list. Do you know if it’s available in the U.S.?
I looked up the Amazon. I think it is still available. And I note on the net that it is still in the reference section of the Nobel Library . My understanding is that the library is extensively used by the different Nobel Committes https://lib.nobelbiblioteket.se/search*swe/?searchtype=t&SORT=D&searcharg=top+1000+scientists+
The criteria is good. however, the lists do not include great scientist such as Al-Razzi whose works in medicine are unsurpassed. , Al- Jazzri whose works entitled him to be the father of the Robots.
You made the common mistake of equating engineering with science. For instance, Edison was not a scientist he was an engineer and businessman who stole most of his “ideas” from others. You also have listed a number of other engineers and “managers” who’s actual scientific contributions do not put them in the highest ranks. You list very few people in the Earth sciences and totally miss James Hutton (uniformitarianism, deep time, etc.). He should be in the top 20 in terms of his impact on how we understand the universe. He was a primary influence on both Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin, who you do manage to list.
Thanks for the feedback, Jay. You make some really interesting points here. Unfortunately, I have little control over what names go into the meta-list. That is determined by the people who make the original source lists who make up my meta-lists. As is clear from your comment (and some others), the people who make “Greatest Scientists of All Time” lists apparently have very different (and in some cases, according to you, incorrect) definitions of “scientist.” A meta-list is only as good as the lists that were used to make it. If you can direct me to some lists of “Greatest Scientists” that use your definition of “scientist”, I would appreciate it. As for James Hutton, I, too, am surprised he wasn’t on more of the original source lists of Greatest Scientists. If I find his name on more lists, I will include him in the meta-list.