Celebrities having an interest in the hard sciences

[Squall Leonhart]

And I am not talking about celebrities such as someone like Stephen Hawking, who are famous scientists. I am talking about those that are people you'd never expect having an interest in mathematics, chemistry, physics, etc.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Tom Hanks is apparently a space geek
http://www.amc.com/talk/2008/08/tom-hanks-space-geek

 

[Squall Leonhart]

Interesting. But then again, he seems more than likely to be interested as opposed to someone like say, Britney Spears.

 

[MarneMath]

Natalie Portman comes to mind. Brian May has a PhD in Astrophysics. Mayim Bialik has a PhD in neuroscience.

 

[russ_watters]

My personal favorite; Danica Mckellar:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danica_McKellar

 

[gleem]

Alan Alda . In 2012 actor Alan Alda started a competition in which scientists are asked to explain by whatever means a designated phenomenon or concept to 11 year olds. The explanations are judged by students whose schools are participating in the competition worldwide some 26,000 students so far.

This year the challenge is "What is Energy?"

 

[mheslep]

Hedy Lamarr was said to be a famous, old school Hollywood actress. Let's check her bonafides:

1. Starred in many big box office movies, including the classic Samson and Delilah: check
2. Married six times, last to her divorce lawyer: check
3. Invented spread spectrum communication devices, specifically frequency hoppers in WWII for torpedoes: ?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Lamarr#Inventor

 

[StatGuy2000]

My personal favorite; Danica Mckellar:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danica_McKellar

Given my own background in math, she was definitely on my list of celebrities interested in science.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Alan Alda . In 2012 actor Alan Alda started a competition in which scientists are asked to explain by whatever means a designated phenomenon or concept to 11 year olds. The explanations are judged by students whose schools are participating in the competition worldwide some 26,000 students so far.

This year the challenge is "What is Energy?"

It's also worth pointing out that Alan Alda was for many years the host of the PBS series Scientific American Frontiers, where he would be out there interviewing and interacting with scientists.

 

[Squall Leonhart]

Interesting. What subject is Natalie Portman's interest?

 

[StatGuy2000]

Natalie Portman comes to mind. Brian May has a PhD in Astrophysics. Mayim Bialik has a PhD in neuroscience.

If I recall, Natalie Portman majored in psychology at Harvard (which some may consider to fall under the "softer" sciences).

 

[Squall Leonhart]

Anyone who has like a deep passion for mathematics?

 

[StatGuy2000]

Hedy Lamarr was said to be a famous, old school Hollywood actress. Let's check her bonafides:

1. Starred in many big box office movies, including the classic Samson and Delilah: check
2. Married six times, last to her divorce lawyer: check
3. Invented spread spectrum communication devices, specifically frequency hoppers in WWII for torpedoes: ?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Lamarr#Inventor

I've read an article in Scientific American about Lamarr's invention of the spread spectrum communication device (with the help of composer George Antheil). It's interesting to note that the US Navy wasn't receptive to considering inventions from outside the military during WWII, and it wasn't until 1962 that the Navy implemented their version of the design on their ships.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Anyone who has like a deep passion for mathematics?

See post #5 above by @russ_watters .

 

[DrClaude]

Cindy Crawford had started a degree in chemical engineering.

 

[256bits]

Then there are the musicians,
For example, the rock band Queen

All four members have attended universities: Mercury has a degree in graphic design and illustration; May has a degree in physics and has done graduate work in astronomy; Taylor has a degree in biology; and Deacon earned a degree in electronics with first-class honors.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/queen

 

[Squall Leonhart]

See post #5 above by @russ_watters .

I saw it but it doesn't seem extremely hardcore. I mean someone who went out their away and is a professional mathematician. Not just someone who writes math books for kids and happens to have bachelors in it.

 

[MarneMath]

If I recall, Natalie Portman majored in psychology at Harvard (which some may consider to fall under the "softer" sciences).

Well, the OP was asking for celebs who had an interest in science. I was mostly thinking of her high school research paper.

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ed075p1270

She obviously had an interest in science at some point time. Even while I doubt it's her main focus or even a hobby, I'm sure she still watched the latest version of cosmos :).

 

[Squall Leonhart]

It has to be a hard science. My friend who has no interest in science whatsoever did that.

 

[OCR]

Bette Nesmith Graham, who was Michael Nesmith's mother, invented Liquid Paper© ... AKA correction fluid .

Nice song by Nesmith... here.

 

[StatGuy2000]

I saw it but it doesn't seem extremely hardcore. I mean someone who went out their away and is a professional mathematician. Not just someone who writes math books for kids and happens to have bachelors in it.

Well, in your original starting thread, you had asked about celebrities (mainly actors and musicians) who had a passion or an interest in the hard sciences who you never expected to have such an interest.

I would think that a former child actress who had starred in the hit TV series The Wonder Years -- who currently continues to work professionally as an actress -- is not someone you would expect to have a passion for mathematics, let alone actually co-publish a research paper on applied mathematics.

Co-publishing a math research paper while still in undergrad is about as hardcore as you can get!

http://www.danicamckellar.com/pdf/percolation.pdf

 

[Squall Leonhart]

I guess for her caliber, as in someone not too deeply invested like say a Gauss.

 

[newjerseyrunner]

Seth MacFarland is going to be an important one I think.

My favorite though is Shatner. Acting goal: be a space captain so iconic that http://www.blastr.com/2014-8-6/awesome-william-shatner-casually-chats-nasa-and-esa-twitter.

Dr Kim is a real life doctor, but I just find him annoying.

Winnie Cooper was probably one of my first childhood crushes. I loved when I found out that she's a math geek.

 

[MarneMath]

Squall it seems like you have a moving bar. First you want someone who has an interest, now you want someone who researchers it? Two completely different standards. As newjerseyrunner points out, people like Seth MacFarland have an interest in the sciences, but advocates for it, but you won't find him doing research. Secondly, how much interest is good enough? Is donating money to museums or grants important? Jason Alexander has a vested interest in finding the cure for Scleroderma, and often advocates on behalf of the Scleroderma foundation. Does that meet your threshold?

 

[papercace]

Do politicians count as celebrities? If so, Angela Merkel has a phd in physical chemistry.

 

[Ygggdrasil]

Anyone who has like a deep passion for mathematics?

Do athletes count as celebrities? John Urschel, an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens, is pursuing a PhD in math from MIT in his spare time.
http://www.espn.com/blog/baltimore-...l-gets-straight-as-in-four-phd-courses-at-mit

 

[Dante Augusto]

Will Smith's daughter seems to have an interest in Quantum mechanics and The connections between music and mathematics.

http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/04/willow-smith-teaches-quantum-mechanics.html

 

[Ryan_m_b]

I saw it but it doesn't seem extremely hardcore. I mean someone who went out their away and is a professional mathematician. Not just someone who writes math books for kids and happens to have bachelors in it.

So you're looking for someone who simultaneously has managed a successful career in acting/writing/music etc as well as an advanced, ongoing academic career? Talk about moving the goalposts from "celebrities having an interest"

 

[Vanadium 50]

Hedy Lamarr

If this were the Lame Jokes thread, I'd quote Harvey Korman, "That's Headley..."

I've read an article in Scientific American about Lamarr's invention of the spread spectrum communication device (with the help of composer George Antheil). It's interesting to note that the US Navy wasn't receptive to considering inventions from outside the military during WWII

Lamarr was Austrian, and during WW2 the US was at war with Austria. It's not surprising. By the way, this invention is also used in Wifi.

 

[StatGuy2000]

If this were the Lame Jokes thread, I'd quote Harvey Korman, "That's Headley..."
Lamarr was Austrian, and during WW2 the US was at war with Austria. It's not surprising. By the way, this invention is also used in Wifi.

Lamarr was living in the US as a refugee during WW2 and was a wartime fundraiser -- she had wanted to join the National Inventor's Council (NIC), but was reportedly told by NIC member Charles Kettering that she could better help the war effort by using her celebrity status to sell war bonds.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Lamarr#Wartime_fundraiser

So her Austrian nationality didn't seem to be the issue to the acceptance to her patent.

 

[f95toli]

Lamarr was Austrian, and during WW2 the US was at war with Austria. It's not surprising. By the way, this invention is also used in Wifi.

She was also from a Jewish family which should more or less automatically have meant this was not an issue. There were plenty of German and Austrian Jews who fought on the allied side during WWII and many of them had access to classified information, not to mention all the Jewish scientists who did not seem to have much trouble getting the necessary security clearance to work on very sensitive projects.

Hence, I agree with Statguy2000: the fact that she was Austrian can't have been the reason.