Most Genius Physicists on Earth?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around identifying the most brilliant physicists currently alive, with participants sharing their opinions on notable figures in the field of physics. The scope includes personal opinions, historical context, and reflections on the nature of genius in physics.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest Ed Witten as a top candidate for the most brilliant physicist, while others propose names like Stephen Hawking, Lisa Randall, and Brian Greene, often questioning the validity of these suggestions based on their popularity and public presence.
  • A few participants express frustration over the repetitive nature of the thread, indicating that similar discussions have occurred previously.
  • One participant argues that the question itself reflects a lack of awareness of the history of physics, suggesting that the contributions of physicists today are often collaborative and thus harder to attribute to a single individual.
  • Another participant shares a personal anecdote about their inspiring physics professor, Sultan Catto, highlighting the impact of teaching and mentorship in the field.
  • Some participants challenge the relevance of listing physicists based solely on their fame or book publications, suggesting that many lesser-known physicists may also be exceptionally intelligent.
  • There are mixed reactions to the contributions of various participants, with some defending the thread's purpose while others deem it pointless.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally do not reach a consensus on who the most brilliant physicists are, with multiple competing views and a significant amount of disagreement regarding the relevance and nature of the discussion itself.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express limitations in the discussion by noting that the question of brilliance in physics is subjective and influenced by public perception rather than purely academic achievements.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those curious about contemporary figures in physics, the nature of scientific genius, and the dynamics of academic discourse within the physics community.

Chaos' lil bro Order
Messages
682
Reaction score
2
I was wondeing whom you guys think are the most brilliant physicists on Earth?

I'm guessing the go-to #1 would be Ed Whitten, but who are a few others you can think of? Please don't say Brian Greene :)
 
Earth sciences news on Phys.org
alive? or any time period?
 
Who cares? ......Me. I am the greatest. Not another one of these threads...sigh.
 
Last edited:
Alive only.
 
Dude, seriously. This thread has already been done 1000 times in GD. Lame.
 
Well, I guess that some names that might come to the minds of most people might be Stephen Hawking, Brian Greene (sorry), Lisa Randall, and practically anyone else who's written a book about physics intended for the general public. Not to say that these people aren't brilliant, but to be perfectly honest, I've found most of my physics professors to be exceptionally intelligent individuals as well. Perhaps the question we should be asking is which physicists are not brilliant.

I'd certainly make that list! :smile:
 
Lisa Randall, Stephen Hawking, Brain Greene? Are you sure you're not just listing people that have written recent and famous books about physics?
 
Mk said:
Lisa Randall, Stephen Hawking, Brain Greene? Are you sure you're not just listing people that have written recent and famous books about physics?

That seems to be a problem. People just name drop to make themselves look good.
 
cyrusabdollahi said:
Dude, seriously. This thread has already been done 1000 times in GD. Lame.

Why don't you write 5 more posts about how you don't like this thread. Jeez. You aren't contributing anything positive to this thread so get out of here. Dude, how old are you? You write like your are 17.
 
  • #10
Because this thread is pointless and you should know better than to put it in the main physics section, when we already have 2 threads on this topic done before in GD.

If you really want to know, then READ through those threads.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=119243&highlight=greatest
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=155315&highlight=greatest+physics
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=117761&highlight=greatest+physics
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=104335&highlight=greatest+physics

HERE READ IT! <SMACK> :wink:

Do we really need ANOTHER thread about this?

Dude, how old are you? You write like your are 17...Most Genius Physicists on Earth?
 
Last edited:
  • #11
Mk said:
Lisa Randall, Stephen Hawking, Brain Greene? Are you sure you're not just listing people that have written recent and famous books about physics?

Well, actually I am, and that was my point exactly. In the earlier days of physics, most of the earth-shattering discoveries were made by specific individuals. A nineteenth century person might have mentioned Maxwell or Boltzmann as the "genius physicist" of the day. These days there still are still earth-shattering discoveries in physics, but they tend to be made by collaborations of researchers, and it's unclear which specific individual should receive the credit, if any. So it's harder to point to just two or three persons and call them the best physicists around. Again, I'm not saying that Hawking, Greene, Randall, and various other authors aren't great physicists. I'm just saying that the same could be said of many physicists that I know.
 
  • #12
cyrusabdollahi said:
Because this thread is pointless and you should know better than to put it in the main physics section, when we already have 2 threads on this topic done before in GD.

If you really want to know, then READ through those threads.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=119243&highlight=greatest
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=155315&highlight=greatest+physics
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=117761&highlight=greatest+physics
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=104335&highlight=greatest+physics

HERE READ IT! <SMACK> :wink:

Do we really need ANOTHER thread about this?

Dude, you write like you're 21.
 
  • #13
Chaos' lil bro Order said:
You write like your are 17.

Well I'm 17 sooo... This thread is the sucks!
 
  • #14
The mere fact that you ask who is the most brillant physicist is a blatant proof that you are unaware of the history of physics, and knowledge in general.

By the way, Witten is not a physicist as long as strings is not a theory about the physical world. Witten is a brillant mathematician, but strings do not even make a theory so far...
 
  • #15
Please lock this thread. Cyrus polluted it.
 
  • #17
Chaos' lil bro Order said:
Please lock this thread. Cyrus polluted it.

You're welcome! :biggrin:
 
  • #18
humanino said:
The mere fact that you ask who is the most brillant physicist is a blatant proof that you are unaware of the history of physics, and knowledge in general.

=

Ya, that's how questions work humanino. You ask about things you don't know and kind people answer your question to help you learn. But sometimes, you ask a question and an idiot attacks the question because he himself can offer no answers.

You must be unaware of the history of questions, and answers in general.
 
  • #19
Before you lock this thread I would like to add my first physics professor, Sultan Catto. He was pretty special! He has a way of inspiring his students that reached deep into my imagination. And he would do the "Macarena" for us too!
 
  • #20
Dude, I love this crappy thread :biggrin: :-p :biggrin:
 
  • #21
Shoshana, let's here an example of how he inspired you.
 
  • #22
Chaos' lil bro Order said:
Shoshana, let's here an example of how he inspired you.

Well, thank you, Professor Catto, back in the days before he became so important, he would walk around the city and sit in the cafes with his students and listen to thoughts we had about metaphysics (if you will.) He had a way of tying our ideas directly into established physics. He would ground our imagination and encourage us to use that part of our thinking when learning the basics of physics.
He was very generous with his time and willingness to share. I think I still have one of his poems. (not going to post in public.)
Even though I am not able to reach him anymore, he remains the single most inspiring teacher in my educational experience.
From what I read about Einstein, I think Einstein would have liked him because Prof Catto was so open minded. This I compare to professors I have had since who have been totally unwilling to listen to the raw imagination that is a result of running in and out of basic concepts of physics.
 
  • #23
Shoshana said:
Well, thank you, Professor Catto, back in the days before he became so important, he would walk around the city and sit in the cafes with his students and listen to thoughts we had about metaphysics (if you will.) He had a way of tying our ideas directly into established physics. He would ground our imagination and encourage us to use that part of our thinking when learning the basics of physics.
He was very generous with his time and willingness to share. I think I still have one of his poems. (not going to post in public.)
Even though I am not able to reach him anymore, he remains the single most inspiring teacher in my educational experience.
From what I read about Einstein, I think Einstein would have liked him because Prof Catto was so open minded. This I compare to professors I have had since who have been totally unwilling to listen to the raw imagination that is a result of running in and out of basic concepts of physics.

Very niice. Sounds like a a Genius physicist. Very inspiring.
 
  • #24
Chaos' lil bro Order said:
Shoshana, let's here an example of how he inspired you.



And he would do the "Macarena" for us too!


this should be obvious
 
  • #25
Gza said:
this should be obvious

The Macarena inspires you? You have a lot to learn then my friend.
 
  • #26
I'm pretty sure ZapperZ is one of the smartest physicists on Earth. If you don't believe me, just read his blog on the HUP. He explains HUP, 1000x better than any textbook ever written.

I nominate ZapperZ for a new type of prize, its called the Noble Prize, not to be confused with the Nobel.
 
  • #27
You have something brown on your nose.
 
  • #28
cyrusabdollahi said:
You have something brown on your nose.

You have mental health issues cyrus. Talk to me when you are cured and have posted at least one useful comment. Your avatar is a disgrace to a great man.
 
  • #29
Jesus man, you need to chill out. I was just teasing you. :smile:
 
Last edited:
  • #30
cyrusabdollahi said:
You have something brown on your nose.

LOL

Chaos, I think your taking cyrus a little to seriously, calm down.
 

Similar threads

The Oldest Rock on Earth?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
What is the Tidal Bulge Theory and its Controversies?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
4K
Is YouTube Responsible For Creating Flat-Earth Believers?
  • · Replies 86 ·
3
Replies
86
Views
11K
Why doesn’t the water fall out of the Earth?
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
35K
Programs What subject is better for an aspiring experimental physicist?
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
4K
Physics How to do research in theoretical physics or math?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
How Can a Math-Loving Physics Student Excel in Mathematical Physics?
  • · Replies 32 ·
2
Replies
32
Views
3K
Physics How hard is it to get a job in the semiconducter industry?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Undergrad For a relativistic spaceship, what is the most recent news the ship gets from Earth?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad How does an observer moving at relativistic speeds perceive a pulsar?
  • · Replies 34 ·
2
Replies
34
Views
3K