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Challenge for you

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Topic Starter
Ph0X
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
Stephen Fry, Stephen Hawking, and, erm...
Mashley
Stephen Hawkings, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton oh wait, still alive

EDIT: Okay, Hawkings, Richard Dawkins, uhhhh..
Krisom
Osho?

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

Oh wait that one died already~
anonymous_old

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.
Topic Starter
Ph0X

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
Pasonia thinks enough for three entire people. 8-) BAM 8-)
Loginer
Batman.
Shohei Ohtani
robloxman41.
Glass

CDFA wrote:

robloxman41.

Robloxman41 wrote:

DONT EVER, PUT ME, ON YOUR, SIG AGAIN!
Topic Starter
Ph0X
Batman isn't known for his thinking? He's known for fighting crime.
anonymous_old

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:
  1. The general population, and not just the intellectual elite, can record history, and
  2. 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.
Topic Starter
Ph0X
"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

Ph0X wrote:

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

I disagree. I feel like it's rising.

And by "educated" I assume you mean "not retarded".
Lizzehb
Believe it or not, I was known for my thinking in high school.
I was intelligent at one point in life. x_x
Jarby
Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, John Howard.

Now what?
iMuffin
Isn't this question impossible to answer?
Mismagius

Jarby wrote:

Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, John Howard.

Now what?
Who?
anonymous_old

iMuffin wrote:

Isn't this question impossible to answer?
Do explain.

Muffin.
Topic Starter
Ph0X

Jarby wrote:

Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, John Howard.

Now what?
Yeah, even I don't know a single one of those.

And according to my teacher it is, but although very hard, I believe we can find at least 3? D:
Cmon I already found one, and if we count stephen fry, it would be 2. We only need a third!
iMuffin

strager wrote:

iMuffin wrote:

Isn't this question impossible to answer?
Do explain.

Muffin.
because if a lot of people need to know said person then it is unreachable as not a lot of people know scientists and great thinkers. They just know who's "hot" and who's "not"
DeathxShinigami
Jack Layton, Koizumi Junichiro, Tony Blair.
anonymous_old

iMuffin wrote:

because if a lot of people need to know said person then it is unreachable as not a lot of people know scientists and great thinkers. They just know who's "hot" and who's "not"
What's that have to do with the original challenge?

OP wrote:

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

strager wrote:

What's that have to do with the original challenge?

OP wrote:

Name me 3 people who are still alive that are known for their thinking.
good point
Wojjan
The original challenge is incredibly vague though. People that are 'known' for their 'thinking' could mean bill gates because he though of running Microsoft, and could easily disqualify John Howard because he is not known in the slums of India.
kuyukiP
Kenny McCormick.
Topic Starter
Ph0X

Wojjan wrote:

The original challenge is incredibly vague though. People that are 'known' for their 'thinking' could mean bill gates because he though of running Microsoft, and could easily disqualify John Howard because he is not known in the slums of India.
People did bring up Bill Gates and Steve Jobs in class, and although it's a nice try, none of them is actually known for their thinking. Actually, we could even argue that Hawkins is known for being crippled and not for his science.

Point is, no one becomes known for his intelligence. It might get you rich, and later with that money, you can make a popular image for yourself, but you will be known for your money, not your thinking.
Krisom
what about the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso?
Pokebis
How can you be known for thinking if nobody can read your thoughts? People can only interpret you based on actions rather than your thoughts. This is kind of silly and, frankly, it isn't something I'd be worried about because if somebody just thinks and doesn't do anything else what does it matter for me? If they write about their thoughts then they'd be known as a theorist, psychologist, or something of that affect. Point is for you to think for yourself, nothing else really matters. Also keep in mind others can't think for you.
anonymous_old

Pokebis wrote:

How can you be known for thinking if nobody can read your thoughts? People can only interpret you based on actions rather than your thoughts. This is kind of silly and, frankly, it isn't something I'd be worried about because if somebody just thinks and doesn't do anything else what does it matter for me? If they write about their thoughts then they'd be known as a theorist, psychologist, or something of that affect. Point is for you to think for yourself, nothing else really matters. Also keep in mind others can't think for you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinker
Shohei Ohtani
I'm assumingg that you're asking for people who have like, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle status, right? >w<.
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