Challenge for you

Ph0X

Joined March 2009

Topic Starter

Ph0X 2010-11-07T19:35:02+00:00

Name me 3 people who are still alive that are known for their thinking.

My teacher threw this challenge on me, and it's pretty sad that I could barely come up with one.
Actually, I was the only one in the class who able to come up with one. I said Stephen Hawkins.
The way he did it was by first making sure the person was known for his thinking, then he would ask everyone in the class about who knew him. I tried throwing some name, but the 75% of the class didn't know any scientist whatsoever. And even for Hawkins, you could argue that he's only popular because he's crippled.

So go, try coming up with 3 people that most people know (for their thinking) and are still alive.

NotShinta

1,021 posts

Joined September 2009

NotShinta 2010-11-07T19:37:34+00:00

Stephen Fry, Stephen Hawking, and, erm...

It's showtime!

Mashley

2,042 posts

Joined September 2008

Mashley 2010-11-07T19:39:55+00:00

Stephen Hawkings, ~~Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton~~ oh wait, still alive

EDIT: Okay, Hawkings, Richard Dawkins, uhhhh..

Last edited by Mashley 2010-11-07T19:44:12+00:00, edited 1 time in total.

Krisom

osu! Alumni

2,867 posts

Joined April 2009

Krisom 2010-11-07T19:41:13+00:00

Osho?

I don't like his way of thinking a lot though.

Love eases it's way into every fiber of your being

May you be in peace. With Love, Krisom ~

Lesjuh

Elite Mapper

2,442 posts

Joined October 2008

Lesjuh 2010-11-07T19:42:33+00:00

Mystearica

Oh wait that one died already~

mtmcl wrote:
I find it funny that a potentially haxed score inspired lesjuh to make a legit FC.

anonymous_old

0 posts

Here since the beginning

anonymous_old 2010-11-07T19:56:04+00:00

Ph0X wrote:
Name me 3 people who are still alive that are known for their thinking.

Most influential people who don't remain public don't remain public until after their dead.

Take Hitler for example. He wasn't that famous until after his party took over Germany killed a gatrillion and a quarter Jewfags.

Ph0X

1,043 posts

Joined March 2009

Topic Starter

Ph0X 2010-11-07T20:12:00+00:00

strager wrote:
Ph0X wrote:
Name me 3 people who are still alive that are known for their thinking.
Most influential people who don't remain public don't remain public until after their dead.

Take Hitler for example. He wasn't that famous until after his party took over Germany killed a gatrillion and a quarter Jewfags.

Hmm, yes and no. I think the point of my teacher was that in todays society, thinkers don't become popular anymore. Kids like justin bieber do. Stephan Fry is a pretty good one actually, but I'm sure half my class wouldn't even know him.

But yea, again, back to your thing strager, I'd argue that all these big thinkers won't become popular after their death either. Look at Mandelbrot who died a month ago. He created Fractals and Chaos theory, yet, not a single person in my class knew him.

Pokebis

2,047 posts

Joined April 2008

Pokebis 2010-11-07T20:43:21+00:00

Pasonia thinks enough for three entire people.

BAM

It ends.

Loginer

osu! Alumni

3,459 posts

Here since the beginning

Loginer 2010-11-07T21:12:50+00:00

Batman.

Placeholder signature. Will probably replace this tomorrow.

Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani 2010-11-07T21:46:40+00:00

robloxman41.

Glass

Glass 2010-11-07T21:54:03+00:00

CDFA wrote:
robloxman41.

Robloxman41 wrote:
DONT EVER, PUT ME, ON YOUR, SIG AGAIN!

Ph0X

1,043 posts

Joined March 2009

Topic Starter

Ph0X 2010-11-07T22:04:47+00:00

Batman isn't known for his thinking? He's known for fighting crime.

anonymous_old

0 posts

Here since the beginning

anonymous_old 2010-11-07T22:31:22+00:00

Ph0X wrote:
Hmm, yes and no. I think the point of my teacher was that in todays society, thinkers don't become popular anymore. Kids like justin bieber do. Stephan Fry is a pretty good one actually, but I'm sure half my class wouldn't even know him.

I know that. I think the phenomenon comes from the fact that popularity is becoming very disproportionate. The second derivative of Bieber's popularity is greater than that of Hawking's by an amount larger than it would have been, say, 100 years ago.

I can see at least two reasons for this:

The general population, and not just the intellectual elite, can record history, and
The advancements in communication in the past century have made it easier for the general population to spread information.

Combine this with the fact that individuals will likely care more (as in the opposite of "I don't care if this person existed") about a pop artist than a scholar.

Ph0X wrote:
But yea, again, back to your thing strager, I'd argue that all these big thinkers won't become popular after their death either. Look at Mandelbrot who died a month ago. He created Fractals and Chaos theory, yet, not a single person in my class knew him.

I'm sure he didn't create fractals, as I'm sure you know the golden ratio was discovered well before Mandelbrot's time. I'm also sure he didn't create chaos theory (but that doesn't mean he wasn't involved in its development).

It takes time for the importance of technological milestones to settle themselves into society.

I wonder if, say, an Elizabethan pheasant really cared or knew about thinkers.

Ph0X

1,043 posts

Joined March 2009

Topic Starter

Ph0X 2010-11-07T23:00:22+00:00

"He coined the term fractal and described the Mandelbrot set."
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beno%C3%AEt_Mandelbrot

But yes, he didn't start chaos theory, but his work on fractals greatly helped in it.
Point is, he's a very smart guy and a rather big name. I'm sure 90% of the people would recognize the mandelbrot set, but none of them actually know that it comes from benoit mandelbrot.

Also, like you said, the population is growing, but the % of actual educated people is decreasing.

anonymous_old

0 posts

Here since the beginning

anonymous_old 2010-11-07T23:26:34+00:00