20世纪最有影响力的十位科学家

The10MostInfluentialScientistsofthe20thCenturyScientistslookattheworldandask,Why?AlbertEinsteincameupwithmostofhistheoriesjustbythinking.Otherscientists,likeMarieCurie,usedalab.SigmundFreudlistenedtopeopletalk.Nomatterwhattoolsthesescientistsused,theyeachdiscoveredsomethingnewabouttheworldweliveinandaboutourselvesintheprocess.1.AlbertEinsteinAlbertEinstein(1879-1955)mayhaverevolutionizedscientificthought,butwhatmadethepublicadorehimwashisdown-to-earthsenseofhumor.Knownformakingshortquips,Einsteinwasthepeople'sscientist.Despitebeingoneofthemostbrilliantmenofthe20thcentury,Einsteinappearedapproachable,partlybecausehealwayshaduncombedhair,disheveledclothing,andalackofsocks.Duringhisentirelife,Einsteinworkeddiligentlytounderstandtheworldaroundhimandinsodoing,developedtheTheoryofRelativity,whichopenedthedoorforthecreationoftheatomicbomb.2.MarieCurieMarieCurie(1867-1934)workedcloselywithherscientisthusband,PierreCurie(1859-1906),andtogethertheydiscoveredtwonewelements:poloniumandradium.Unfortunately,theirworktogetherwascutshortwhenPierrediedsuddenlyin1906.(Pierrehadbeentrampledbyahorseandcarriagewhiletryingtocrossastreet.)AfterPierre'sdeath,MarieCuriecontinuedtoresearchradioactivity(atermshecoined)andherworkeventuallyearnedherasecondNobelPrize.MarieCuriewasthefirstpersontobeawardedtwoNobelPrizes.MarieCurie'sworkledtotheuseofX-raysinmedicineandlaidthefoundationforthenewdisciplineofatomicphysics.3.SigmundFreudSigmundFreud(1856-1939)wasacontroversialfigure.Peopleeitherlovedhistheoriesorhatedthem.Evenhisowndisciplesgotintodisagreements.Freudbelievedthateverypersonhasanunconsciousthatcanbediscoveredthroughaprocesscalledpsychoanalysis.Inpsychoanalysis,apatientwouldrelax,perhapsonacouch,andusefreeassociationtotalkaboutwhatevertheywanted.Freudbelievedthatthesemonologuescouldrevealtheinnerworkingsofthepatient'smind.Freudalsopostulatedthatslipsofthetongue(nowknownasFreudianslips)anddreamswerealsoawaytounderstandtheunconsciousmind.AlthoughmanyofFreud'stheoriesarenolongerinregularuse,heestablishedanewwayofthinkingaboutourselves.4.MaxPlanckMaxPlanck(1858-1947)didn'tmeanto,buthecompletelyrevolutionizedphysics.Hisworkwassoimportantthathisresearchisconsideredthepivotalpointwhereclassicalphysicsendedandmodernphysicsbegan.Itallstartedwithwhatseemedaninnocuousdiscovery--energy,whichappearstobeemittedinwavelengths,isactuallydischargedinsmallpackets(quanta).Thisnewtheoryofenergy,calledquantumtheory,playedaroleinmanyofthemostimportantscientificdiscoveriesofthe20thcentury.5.NielsBohrNielsBohr(1885-1962),aDanishphysicist,wasonly37whenhewontheNobelPrizeforPhysicsin1922forhisprogressinunderstandingthestructureofatoms(specificallyhistheorythatelectronslivedoutsidethenucleusinorbitsofenergy).BohrcontinuedhisimportantresearchasthedirectoroftheInstituteforTheoreticalPhysicsattheUniversityofCopenhagenfortherestofhislife,exceptduringWorldWarII.DuringWWII,whentheNazisinvadedDenmark,BohrandhisfamilyescapedtoSwedenonafishingboat.BohrthenspenttherestofthewarinEnglandandtheUnitedStates,helpingtheAlliescreateanatomicbomb.(Interestingly,NielsBohr'sson,AageBohr,alsowontheNobelPrizeforPhysicsin1975.)6.JonasSalkJonasSalk(1914-1995)becameaheroovernightwhenitwasannouncedthathehadinventedavaccineforpolio.BeforeSalkcreatedthevaccine,poliowasadevastatingviraldiseasethathadbecomeepidemic.Eachyear,thousandsofchildrenandadultseitherdiedfromthediseaseorwereleftparalyzed.(U.S.PresidentFranklinD.Rooseveltisoneofthemostfamouspoliovictims.)Bytheearly1950s,polioepidemicshadbeenincreasinginseverityandpoliohadbecomeoneofthemostfearedchildhooddiseases.WhenthepositiveresultsfromanextensivetesttrialofthenewvaccinewasannouncedonApril12,1955,exactlytenyearsafterRoosevelt'sdeath,peoplecelebratedaroundtheworld.JonasSalkbecameabelovedscientist.7.IvanPavlovIvanPavlov(1849-1936)studieddroolingdogs.Whilethatmayseemlikeanoddthingtoresearch,Pavlovmadesomefascinatingandimportantobservationsbystudyingwhen,how,andwhydogsdrooledwhenintroducedtovaried,controlledstimuli.Duringthisresearch,Pavlovdiscoveredconditionedreflexes.Conditionedreflexesexplainwhyadogwouldautomaticallydroolwhenhearingabell(ifusuallythedog'sfoodwasaccompaniedbyabellbeingrung)orwhyyourtummymightrumblewhenthelunchbellrings.Simply,ourbodiescanbeconditionedbyoursurroundings.Pavlov'sfindingshadfarreachingeffectsinpsychology.8.EnricoFermiEnricoFermi(1901-1954)firstbecameinterestedinphysicswhenhewas14yearsold.Hisbrotherhadjustdiedunexpectedlyandwhilelookingfromanescapefromreality,Fermihappenedupontwophysicsbooksfrom1840andreadthemfromcovertocover,fixingsomeofthemathematicalerrorsasheread.Apparently,hedidn'tevenrealizethebookswereinLatin.Fermiwentontoexperimentwithneutrons,whichledtothesplittingoftheatom.Fermiisalsoresponsiblefordiscoveringhowtocreateanuclearchainreaction,whichleddirectlythecreationoftheatomicbomb.9.RobertGoddardRobertGoddard(1882-1945),consideredbymanytobethefatherofmodernrocketry,wastheveryfirsttosuccessfullylaunchaliquid-fueledrocket.Thisfirstrocket,namedNell,waslaunchedonMarch16,1926atAuburn,Massachusett