- #1
Loren Booda
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Who do you think is the world's greatest polymath (a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas)?
The most knowledgeable person on Earth
- Thread starter Loren Booda
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Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around identifying the world's greatest polymath, exploring various candidates and their contributions across multiple fields of knowledge. Participants share opinions on individuals known for their expertise in diverse areas, including physics, linguistics, and memory capabilities.
Discussion Character
- Debate/contested
- Exploratory
Main Points Raised
- Some participants suggest Murray Gell-Mann as a top contender for the title, citing his extensive knowledge in physics and linguistics.
- Others mention Sheldon Cooper, a fictional character, humorously contributing to the discussion.
- Saul Kripke is proposed by multiple participants, with one noting his significant contributions to philosophy and language.
- One participant reflects on the difficulty of reading Gell-Mann's work, indicating a deep but challenging understanding of complex subjects.
- Richard Feynman is mentioned for his remarkable teaching ability and inspirational work in physics, though not everyone agrees he should be considered the greatest polymath.
- Kim Peek is brought up as a potential candidate due to his extraordinary memory, raising questions about the nature of knowledge versus mere recall.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants do not reach a consensus on who the greatest polymath is, with multiple competing views and candidates presented throughout the discussion.
Contextual Notes
Some contributions highlight the subjective nature of defining a "greatest polymath," suggesting that criteria such as quality versus quantity of knowledge may influence opinions.
- #2
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World's greatest, I don't know. But in the top, Murray Gell-Mann.
- #3
jobyts
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- #4
Ivan92
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Sheldon Cooper. You never said he had to be a real character x)
- #5
Functor97
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Saul Kripke http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Kripke"
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- #6
rhody
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PAllen said:
I am inclined to think this too. I had trouble reading: "The Quark and the Jaguar", on top of all of his knowledge is that he is a linguist, his writing I found difficult. I put the book away a couple of times before finishing it, but I did finish. His deep knowledge of so many areas of physics, history, etc, etc... borders on the unbelieveable. He is one of the few authors I have read that actually made my head hurt.
Rhody...
P.S. Feynman has been mentioned yet, but personally I find his work amazing and his ability as a teacher to inspire others unsurpassed, even to this day. I wish he were still here with us.
- #7
Jimmy Snyder
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He's the guy who discovered that water is H2O.Functor97 said:
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- #8
arildno
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Me!
- #9
BishopUser
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I guess it depends on quality or quantity of knowledge, but it is worth mentioning Kim Peek (I guess he died two years ago though). I saw a documentary on the science channel some time ago that credited him as probably the most knowledgeable person.
"According to an article in the Times newspaper, he could recall the content of at least 12,000 books from memory" I wonder if he had a true understanding of what he read or whether it was just pure memory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Peek
"According to an article in the Times newspaper, he could recall the content of at least 12,000 books from memory" I wonder if he had a true understanding of what he read or whether it was just pure memory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Peek