Who made the greatest contribution to Science?

[Serenegoose]

Jesus.
Why do I say that? Because he is the progenitor or Christianity. The first modern scientists were Christians, motivated to discover God's creation. Without Christianity we wouldn't have science as we know it today. All fields of science stem from the humble beginnings of those early modern scientists. They laid the groundwork of the scientific method from which everything else stems.

Utterly untrue. Sorry, but primitive scientists existed before christianity came along, and existed afterwards utterly unfettered by its influence. Unless you're seriously saying that Chinese scientists 400AD were somehow influenced by a religion they'd never heard of? What about Mayan Hydroponics experts, astronomers, and mathematicians? What's Jesus got to do with them? You're just simply not correct here.

OP: Whilst I don't think there's such a thing as the 'greatest contribution to Science' my favourite Scientist is Lady Ada Lovelace, the worlds first computer programmer. Total badass. Tesla comes pretty close in second for being all kinds of hot and also badass too.

 

[Megacherv]

For me, it's probably be Galileo for disproving Aristotle's theory of Universal Rest (I think that's what it was called) and proving that everything is naturally moving in a straight line. He also created the original theory of relativaty.

 

[colourcodedchaos]

Jesus.
Why do I say that? Because he is the progenitor or Christianity. The first modern scientists were Christians, motivated to discover God's creation. Without Christianity we wouldn't have science as we know it today. All fields of science stem from the humble beginnings of those early modern scientists. They laid the groundwork of the scientific method from which everything else stems.

*coughcoughGREEKScough*

In all seriousness though, one could say that about pretty well every religion that has existed at the same time as scientific endeavour. A prime example would be Muhammad; around the time of the 'first scientists' you allude to (Roger Bacon et al.), Islamic sciences were streets ahead of Christian ones.

If, however, you mean the gentleman scientists from the 17-8th century then I must ask you to look up what the Enlightenment is. If you cannot be arsed, I will summarise: the Enlightenment gave rise to rational thinking (the cornerstone of scientific endeavour) as a backlash against the stifling view of the Church. It's a fight that's been going on ever since and shows no signs of stopping.

Back on topic now.

Tempted as I am to give my most influential scientist award to the inventor of the chocolate-and-candy-eating T1000, to me it goes to... well, all of them.

Seriously, every scientist.

All scientists have something to offer. Science is an ancient network of ideas; remove one, you remove many others. Sometimes all a scientist has to offer is the wrong answer, and every scientist knows - every REAL scientist knows - that a wrong answer is almost as good as a right one. So they're all welcome to the award.

Except Chocolatey-T1000-Guy. They killed Cadbury's, dammit!

 

[Snake Plissken]

Newton. Period. Smartest man to ever walk the face of the planet.

In terms of making science accessible to everyone?

This guy:

 

[KindOfnElf]

Everyone here's forgetting Einstein's counterpart in the world of physics... Max Planck.
Where'd we be today without the complex world of quantum physics!

C'mere and choose an option of all potential realities where you give me hi5!!!

Sure, but be warned that I chose the universe wherein we both are liquid metal terminators in a land made out of chocolate and candy.

:O You did not just made us metal terminators that CAN NOT eat chocolate and candy!!! WHYYYYYYYYYY?!!! *cries liquid twisted metal tears*

Nonononoooo, this is the universe in which liquid metal terminators can eat tasty chocolate and candy!
Did you really think I could have missed that?

I was VERY afraid that you've missed that!
*puts HUGE silver smile on face* *noms a chocolate tree*

(and without me wanting it, somehow I picture Schwarzenegger eating a tree in Terminator 2)

So... I like this place. *scans around with mouth filled with chocolate* Are we off to some strawberry milkshake waterfalls? Tee hee!! ^_^

 

[Wolfram23]

Newton. But then I do love physics.

 

[Flamezdudes]

Whoever created the written word.

/thread.

That's not really exact... written words from where? There's different languages across the world.

 

[SaturdayS]

The guy who invented magnets! Oh wait...

 

[Daveman]

Newton. Just for basically all mechanics and the behaviour of light. What's more the man invented the "Sting" Operation without which, crime films would suck major balls.

 

[messy]

Everyone here's forgetting Einstein's counterpart in the world of physics... Max Planck.
Where'd we be today without the complex world of quantum physics!

Where would we be? Hmm I'll take a look...Damn different every time!

OT: Darwin, pretty bad ass to go against creationism. Until then a fair few, not all, scientist made their work fit in with "God's scheme" etc.

The guy who invented magnets! Oh wait...

The real question is

"Magnets, how do they work?"

 

[TPiddy]

Heather Kane? Discoverer of DNA?

 

[Marowit]

Aristotle would get my vote - he didn't just do physics like Sir Newton - for this overall contribution to humans, in the western world, starting to look at the world in a scientific manor. Which, laid the ground work for for much of what followed.

Either him, or Leonardo Da Vinci - his books on anatomy for the most part still hold up very very well (names have changed obviously).

 

[Marowit]

Heather Kane? Discoverer of DNA?

So far as I know it was James D. Watson and Francis Crick (who got credit)and Rosalind Franklin (who actually did the ground work) who have that honor.

 

[Ham_authority95]

Whoever invented fire or agriculture, which are the two things that have gotten humans to where we are today.

 

[BrashHulk]

I believe it was the Archangel Gabriel who thus spake: "Study your math, kids. Key to the universe!" Based on that lofty decree, I guess I'd have to go with Rootin' Tootin' Newton, who transformed simple mathematics into the scourge of many hopeful scientists who couldn't quite grasp differential equations, turning them into liberal arts majors.

 

[Quaxar]

Everyone here's forgetting Einstein's counterpart in the world of physics... Max Planck.
Where'd we be today without the complex world of quantum physics!

C'mere and choose an option of all potential realities where you give me hi5!!!

Sure, but be warned that I chose the universe wherein we both are liquid metal terminators in a land made out of chocolate and candy.

:O You did not just made us metal terminators that CAN NOT eat chocolate and candy!!! WHYYYYYYYYYY?!!! *cries liquid twisted metal tears*

Nonononoooo, this is the universe in which liquid metal terminators can eat tasty chocolate and candy!
Did you really think I could have missed that?

I was VERY afraid that you've missed that!
*puts HUGE silver smile on face* *noms a chocolate tree*

(and without me wanting it, somehow I picture Schwarzenegger eating a tree in Terminator 2)

So... I like this place. *scans around with mouth filled with chocolate* Are we off to some strawberry milkshake waterfalls? Tee hee!! ^_^

You mean the Great Milkshake Falls at Brittle Hill? Sure, I'll get us two tickets for the CandyCane-Train.

 

[Legendsmith]

Jesus.
Why do I say that? Because he is the progenitor or Christianity. The first modern scientists were Christians, motivated to discover God's creation. Without Christianity we wouldn't have science as we know it today. All fields of science stem from the humble beginnings of those early modern scientists. They laid the groundwork of the scientific method from which everything else stems.

*coughcoughGREEKScough*

Ah but the Greeks did not use the modern scientific method. (I'm making a generalisation here) they did not test their hypotheses. To them, if their reasoning was sound then the hypothesis was fine. Of course, since they were making these hypotheses based off a flawed and incomplete view of the world, they were often incorrect.

In western culture, the belief in a logical God who had made the universe gave the early scientists their motivation to discover their God's creation. If a logical god makes a universe, he will make the universe logical. Since we are logical beings (made in the image of this logical God) we can comprehend the universe.

 

[Frotality]

HP lovecraft, who discovered the infinitely futile efforts of man to understand that which he cannot even comprehend.

obviously not serious, but i do think its very important for us to realize there is always more to learn, and the scientific fact of today could be the 'the world is flat' of tomorrow.

relativity was pretty groundbreaking, but i have to go with the monkey from 2001 who discovered that "hard object+ smash something= profit", or his real life equivalent.

 

[randomsix]

Tesla
zzeeewewewewe-SHHEEEAAAAWWWMMM

2 charged shots to take out a mammoth tank is a great achievement indeed.

OT: Michael Faraday. His discoveries led to Einstein's.