The most knowledgeable person on Earth

[Loren Booda]

Who do you think is the world's greatest polymath (a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas)?

 

[PAllen]

World's greatest, I don't know. But in the top, Murray Gell-Mann.

 

[jobyts]

https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=2546096&postcount=376"

 

[Ivan92]

Sheldon Cooper. You never said he had to be a real character x)

 

[Functor97]

Saul Kripke http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Kripke"

 

[rhody]

World's greatest, I don't know. But in the top, Murray Gell-Mann.

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.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Saul Kripke http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Kripke"

He's the guy who discovered that water is H2O.

 

[arildno]

Me!

 

[BishopUser]

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