Name Dropping #30: Scientists #3

1894–1974. Physicist. Contributed to the discovery of boson particles through research that crossed over into condensed matter physics, quantum statistics, astronomy, optics, particle physics, chemistry and string theory.

1857–1911. Developmental psychologist, IQ test developer.

1736–1813. Mathematics giant who made major contributions to the development of physics, celestial mechanics, calculus, algebra, number theory, and group theory. Created a new vision of mechanics using the calculus of variations. Developed a mathematical function (used in advanced physics) to subtract potential energy from kinetic energy.

1778–1829. Discovered potassium; isolated barium, boron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, strontium. Researched analgesic effects of nitrous oxide. Invented the arc lamp (the first practical electric light). Named chlorine after determining it was an element, not a compound.

1048–1131. Calculated the length of the solar year. (And was a polymath and a poet … Rubaiyat.)

1932–1985. Study and conservation of the mountain gorilla.

1947–. Study of olfactory receptors, primarily how pheromones and odors are detected in the nose and interpreted in the brain.

1895–1973. Chemist who developed AIV fodder, whereby an acidic solution is added to green fodder to increase storage length without compromising the fodder’s nutritive value.

1948–. Developed methods to laser cool and trap atoms; introduced methods to visualize and manipulate single bio-molecules simultaneously with optical tweezers. Served as the 12th US Secretary of Energy.

1877–1944. Discovered characteristic X-rays.

1826–1866. Mathematician who laid the foundations of the mathematics of general relativity. Defined a geometric concept in complex analysis that essentially allows the visualization of a multi-valued function (like the square root of a complex number) as a single-valued function on a "surface" with multiple sheets. This concept is still being being applied in novel ways to mathematical physics.

1901–1976. Authored a paper that established modern quantum mechanics, the application of which led to the discovery of the allotropic forms of hydrogen.

1753–1814. His thermodynamic innovations relying on the conservation of heat and economy of fuel drove him to design improved stoves and fireplaces. Invented the double boiler, a kitchen range, and a coffee percolator. Improved the design of the kilns used to make quicklime.

1866–1943. Amateur biologist, mycologist and entomologist. (Women were excluded from most branches of science during the period she focused on the natural sciences.) Her detailed scientific drawings of lichens showed that they were actually not one but two different organisms that lived together. Advanced a theory of lichen symbiosis. After becoming frustrated with not being taken seriously by the scientific community, retired to a farm to write about Peter Rabbit and his friends.

1799–1847. Paleontologist, geologist.

1928–1997. Geologist and astronomer. Co-discovered a comet whose impact with Jupiter was televised internationally. Directed the team that produced the first geologic map of the moon. Helped pioneer the field of astrogeology. Chosen to be the lunar geology principal investigator for Apollo 11, Apollo 12 and Apollo 13.

1902–1992. Cytogeneticist who discovered transposing (“jumping genes”) that can change their position within a genome, sometimes creating or reversing mutations and altering the cell's genetic identity and genome size. Demonstrated the physical basis of chromosomal crossover. Genetic structure of maize.

1900–1998. Co-developer of a mathematical model of ferromagnetism in statistical mechanics.

1854–1915. Discovered basophils (a type of white blood cell). Advanced the “magic bullet” theory of using drugs to target specific microbes, the foundation of modern immunology. His research resulted in Salvarsan, the first effective treatment for syphilis.

1884–1939. Malacologist (studied mollusks). With his father, collected 15,000 specimens, about 70% of which were destroyed during the WWII bombing of Tokyo.

1928–2012. Microbiologist and biophysicist who recognized that Archaea is a taxonomic domain of life.

1713–1781. Biologist and Catholic priest who advanced a theory of spontaneous generation of microbes (which was later disproven).

1901–1958. Invented the cyclotron (a particle accelerator), the calutron (a mass spectrometer that separates the isotopes of uranium), the chromatron (a color television cathode ray tube). Contributed to the Manhattan Project.

1932–. Contributed to the unification of the weak and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles (the Weinberg–Salam theory). Co-developer of the GIM mechanism, which proved that a fourth, undiscovered quark existed. Very special relativity. Trinification model.