The 52 most famous scientists in history

The progress of humanity has always been associated with science. In times of greater freedom to exercise it, civilizations have achieved greater splendor. Definitely, Today we are what we are and we do what we do thanks to her. As a small tribute, below we will show you the 52 most famous scientists in history.

Making a list of this type is not easy. For each discipline we could have chosen this same number of exponents, although we believe that our selection includes the most important in all the sciences of knowledge. We have left great scientists out, but the truth is that very few could oppose the place occupied by those who make it up..

The most important scientists in history

Physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics are just some of the disciplines that contribute the most names to our list of the most famous scientists in history. We invite you to discover this list in chronological order according to the birth of each personality.

1. Hippocrates (460-370 BC)

We begin this list of the most famous scientists in history with the father of medicine, whose legacy lives on today through the Hippocratic Oath. Although it is not known if he was the author of it, his ideas are reflected in the so-called Corpus hippocraticuma set of works on diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

As if that were not enough, these Hippocratic treatises told the doctor how he should behave with his patients and colleagues. Thus, his intention was always not to cause any harm to the sick. Thus, They are the basis of Western medicine.

2. Democritus (460-370 BC)

We know the ideas of this ancient thinker due to fragments cited by other authors. Although he made various contributions to science, was the first thinker to formulate the idea of ​​the atom. Democritus believed that the basis of the universe was small structures that could not be destroyed or decayed.

He proposed that they had different shapes and sizes. Also, that they were indivisible and that the way in which they were grouped determined the state of matter. However, most of his contemporaries did not like his proposal.

3. Aristotle (384-322 BC)

Aristotle was one of the most renowned scientists of antiquity. His conception of nature characterized him as a reference on the subject until many years after his death. He was a “natural philosopher”a title that, for us, corresponds to that of “scientist.”

He studied at Plato’s Academy for 20 years and then tutored Alexander the Great. He dedicated part of his life to studying plants and animals. Thus, with his teleological thinking, he deduced that each part of a species was destined for a particular function.

Aristotle is another of the most famous scientists in history because he believed that there must be a final cause that sets the movement of the universe in motion. His vision remained in science for two thousand years.

4. Euclid (335-265 BC)

The “father of geometry” has left us, among other things, the work Items. This is one of the most important treatises on mathematics in the history of humanity.

Over there, brought together the basic assumptions, rules and processes of geometry. For example, that two parallel lines never touch or that the sum of the interior angles of a triangle is 180 degrees. His ideas focus on Euclidean geometry.

5. Aristarchus of Samos (310-230 BC)

Long forgotten, He was the first scientist in history to propose that the Earth revolves around the Sun (heliocentric model), according to the World History Encyclopedia . None of his works are preserved, but some of his ideas indirectly through Plutarch and Archimedes.

6. Archimedes of Syracuse (287-212 BC)

Although it is probably more myth than truth, The expression eureka It is attributed to him during his discovery of the so-called Archimedes principle. This indicates that every submerged body receives a thrust proportional to the weight of the liquid that was displaced.

In addition to this rule, we highlight the contributions of the Archimedes screw, the practical use of the lever, the Archimedes claw, the odometer and the improvement of the catapult. Also, works around mathematics and geometry.

7. Eratosthenes (276-194 BC)

Also known as Eratosthenes of Cyrene, he was the first person to determine the circumference of the Earth using geometry. His approach was very accurate for his time.

He calculated that it was 40,074 kilometers when, in reality, on that meridian it is 40,008 kilometers. That is to say, his error was only 66 kilometers. Furthermore, it should be noted that Eratosthenes believed that the Earth was rounddespite the multiple beliefs of the time about its flat shape.

8. Claudius Ptolemy (100-170 AD)

Ptolemy was one of the great thinkers of his time in areas such as astronomy, music, nature, physics and geography. His main contribution was the book Almagesta treatise on astronomy in which he developed celestial maps, calculations on the movement of the planets and the organization of the universe.

It should be noted that, although his theory explained the movement of the planets, he was faithful to the geocentric theory. In fact, he believed that the Earth was the center of the universe and that both the Sun and the Moon revolved around it.

9. Hypatia of Alexandria (370-415 AD)

The figure of Hypatia of Alexandria has survived to this day as a myth. His main contributions are found in mathematics, algebra, geometry and astronomy..

She is considered to have been the inventor of the densimeter, a device that allows measuring the density of liquids. She was one of the first women in history to venture into these sciences, thus earning her respect among her contemporaries.

10. Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543)

Although Aristarchus of Samos was the first to formulate the idea of ​​heliocentrism, it was not consolidated in a treatise until the arrival of Copernicus. Born in Poland, his passion was analyzing the sky. To do this, he built a tower without a roof.

In 1514 he wrote a manuscript in which he stated that the center of our planet was not the center of the universe. Indeed, For him the Earth revolved around the Sun, just like the other planets did..

Modern astronomy was born with the publication of About the revolutions of the celestial spheres (1542). This work would not see the light of day until the following year, with an introduction by Andreas Osiander that questioned the writing. Today, the term “Copernican revolution” or “Copernican turn” is due to its milestones.

11. Andrew Vesalius (1514-1564)

Other of the most famous scientists in history made contributions that we find in medicine. Vesalius was born in Brussels and In 1543 he published the most important work to date on anatomy: About the structure of the human body (1543). She is known by the name Factory.

In it he carefully described the bones, cartilage, muscles, ligaments, veins, arteries, nerves; digestive and reproductive system, heart, lungs and central nervous system. He even collected illustrations with extreme detail, since he knew its components thanks to the dissections he carried out.

12. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

Galileo was born in Pisa, Italy. Even though he was Catholic, His ideas angered the Church, making him one of its unacceptable authors.. He made many contributions in various fields of science, although the world will recognize him as one of the most famous scientists in history for his astronomy studies.

One of his main contributions was his improvements to the telescope in order to continue with his observations, reflected in his book The sidereal messenger (1610). Thus, he discovered that the surface of the Moon was irregular and that the planets had moons and rings. Also, that the Milky Way is made up of millions of stars.

Thus, Galileo continued Copernicus’ observations on the heliocentric theory. His ideas earned him a retraction and his arrest. Even so, they anticipated very famous later works, such as Newton’s.

13. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

We owe Kepler’s three laws to the German astronomer and mathematician. In principle, described the movements of the planets around the Sun and how those who are closer to the star move faster.

Also, he discovered that the planets do not move in perfect circles, but in ellipses. That’s why, Thanks to him we know the reason for elliptical movements. Finally, he explained that there is a relationship between the time it takes a planet to orbit the Sun and the distance between them. In this way, later astronomers were able to calculate the distances between the Sun and the stars.

14. René Descartes (1596-1650)

Although he is best remembered for his philosophical work, Descartes continued Galileo’s legacy when examining human and animal bodies. In turn, his search for new bases for science encouraged him to doubt everything. His only security was reflected in his classic phrase: “I think, therefore I am.”

His thoughts told him that The universe was made according to a dualism: matter and spirit. For him, matter was the object of science. in his book The world (1633) wrote about astronomy, the movement and fall of objects, although his scientific ideas did not stand out compared to that of other physicists.

However, his theories persist today when doing algebra problems. In fact, it was he who distinguished between to, b and c for the known and x, and and z for the unknowns.

15. Robert Boyle (1627-1697)

Boyle was an Irish scientist who today He is considered the father of chemistry.I was not convinced that the universe was made up only of atoms and vacuum. Therefore, he called the basic units of matter “corpuscles.”

Likewise, his skepticism led him to contradict the Aristotelian theory that there are only 4 elements. In turn, he pointed out that some substances can decompose. For example, gold can melt and return to its original shape when it cools.

However, His greatest contribution was the well-known Boyle’s law. This precept indicates that, at a constant temperature, the volume of any gas is related to the pressure to which it is subjected. Later, the law would be useful for the invention of the steam engine.

16. Robert Hooke (1635-1703)

Hooke made contributions to almost all disciplines of knowledge. He stood out in physics, medicine, biology and architecture. The Royal Society hired him to perform experiments, such as measuring the speed of sound or analyzing blood transfusions.

He was one of the first to make extensive use of the microscope.. Thus, he first described the cells, which adopted that name thanks to his discovery. In turn, he also invented a clock that worked by springs and suggested that the functioning of the lungs includes a kind of combustion.

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