Our Most Popular Scientists – Top 100
A Luis Alvarez 1911 – 1988. The iridium layer, dinosaur death by meteorite impact, and subatomic particle discoveries. André-Marie Ampère 1775 – 1836. Discovered that wires carrying electric current can attract and repel magnetically; founded electromagnetic theory. Anaximander c. 610 BC – c 546 BC. An ancient scientific revolution: the first person in history to recognize that our planet is free in space and does not need to sit on something. Mary Anning 1799 – 1847. Ancient animals, fossils, and paleontology: discovered the first complete specimen of a plesiosaur; deduced the diets of dinosaurs. Archimedes c. 287 BC – 212 BC. Founded the sciences of mechanics and hydrostatics, calculated pi precisely, devised the law of exponents, created new geometrical proofs, invented numerous ingenious mechanical devices, and more. Aristarchus c. 310 BC – c. 230 BC. Promoted the idea that the earth follows a circular orbit around the sun eighteen centuries b