Charles Darwin came up with the theory of evolution. It's interesting learning about why we're here.
I would say how we are here rather than why we are here.
I’m a fan of Richard Feynman, myself. He is up there with Einstein only with quantum physics.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson once said that if only one piece of scientific knowledge survived some cataclysm that he thought the most important single piece of knowledge would be basic atomic theory, that all matter is built of the basic atomic building blocks and from that one could eventually figure out the rest of science.
Meanwhile, here’s Feynman on Why
According to top respected scientists, Earth is not a perfect place that life can only evolve on. Life is good at adapting to the condition it find itself in. If there was a planet similar to ours that had the ingredients for life, but was hotter, a different kind of life would evolve that can tolerate the heat. I believe that in our vast universe that there is life in other star systems. We'll just never meet them since we're so far away.
Earth was created only to last 7 years. And humanity with change with it. It will be taken back from where it discended and another earth will be out here. No one can travel any where to other planets and none can come here, there's divine laws that limit man as mortals.... Earth is not our beginning nor our destiny..
We are literally star stuff. Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe which forms stars and the hydrogen atoms fuse making other elements. Eventually a dying star will explode and scatter the carbon and the other ingredients necessary for life.
@Mike403 I'm not entirely sure about calling Darwin one of the greatest minds.
In 1858, Alfred Russel Wallace (a naturalist living in Australia) sent Darwin a letter outlining his ideas about evolution. The two collaborated on a scientific paper, discussing their evidence for natural selection and evolution. In 1859, Darwin published his book On the Origin of Species, which presented his theory of natural selection. The theory of evolution by natural selection became known as Darwin’s theory. Although it isn't entirely how much of the work came from Wallace.
It has been my experience that something will be discovered when it is ready to be discovered. It really is amazing how often something is discovered by two people at just about the same time. It tends to happen when the current state oh knowledge is such that the discovery becomes inevitable.
The case of Darwin and Wallace in known as Darwin's theory, merely because he published first. This is not a unique situation.
Everybody knows that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. He filed his patent application on Feb. 14, 1876, and was subsequently awarded a patent. Fewer people are aware that also on Feb. 14, 1876, Elisha Gray filed a patent for a similar device.
If you were a mathematician living in the English spearing world in the 18th century, you knew for certain that Isaac Newton invented calculus. If you were a mathematician living in the German speaking world in the 18th century, you were equally certain that Gottfried Leibniz invented it.
The question was "officially" settled in 1714, when Leibniz's ex patron, the Elector Georg Ludwig of Hanover, became King George I of Great Britain in 1714. Newton won. The modern consensus is that the two men developed their ideas independently.
These are just a few examples. There are many others. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_discovery.
Earth was created only to last 7 years.
Holy crap! Earth was created by Chrysler?
@GreatHornedOwl I agree that surroundings shape the inventor/author more than the person's intrinsics.
John von Neumann was razor-sharp and went on a pretty amazing mathematical rampage in his life. But even he was probably shaped by his culture, since there were a bunch of Hungarian thinkers at the time that were simultaneously nailing it.
@GreatHornedOwl - There were a lot of smart people in history. This thread was intended to start a discussion about them. I got tired of thinking about Einstein and Newton, so Darwin was the only other guy that came to mind at the time.
Noam Chomsky.
Professor Irwin Corey
In terms of musical genius, it has to be Chuck Berry. If you are a fan of the Beatles or Elvis then you should be a fan of Berry too because he inspired them. He is the father of Rock and Roll.
@GreatHornedOwl: I learned! I think that last paragraph got scrambled in the editing process, though. Did you mean
If you were a mathematician living in the English-speaking world in the 18th century, you knew for certain that Issac Newton invented calculus. If you were a mathematician living in the German-speaking world in the 18th century, you were equally certain that Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz had invented calculus.
?
@DaringSprinter - Thanks. It was even more scrambled than you thought. I fixed it.
@GreatHornedOwl: That's much better! You're welcome, and thank you again.
Newton and then Einstein
I look up to gurus, saints, and monks for their singular focus and devotion - includes famous figures too like Socrates, Gandhi, and Jesus. Some Himilayan masters are pple that can hold a meditative pose for 3 to 5 hours, meditative in sub freezing cold weather with just a loin cloth, and won't waiver from their purpose or principles regardless of the situation or temptation.
One example are the marathon monks in Japan. They walk, trot, or run most of the day while praying (in the mountian side). If they stop in their daily trek , they discover or hang themselves. Very few deaths in 70 years:
Why do average people feel the need to rank the greats? It’s like asking the poor to tell you their favorite rich person.
@FunCartel Bc they are pple we look up to and try to emulate .
@cylee1180 I think you took my post way too literally
@FunCartel I apologize. Why don't you explain for us lay people.
People in this country complain about being poor while they're typing it on their iPhone while those in actual poor countries have to worry about where their next meal is gonna come from.
I read it as a joke laughing at both the teller and the rest of us. Especially since poor people do rank their favorite rich people. Ah, humanity! We are like this.
It’s called an aside or you could say a bemusing thought. But, if you want to emulate a great mind I don’t think the CC forums is where you will find them necessarily. But it is a place to fart opinions and rankings because farts, opinions and rankings all appear from the same orifice.
People like Einstein made GPS satellites possible. They have to take relativity into account for them to work correctly.
People like John Harrington made toilets possible. They have to take gravity into account when solving drop splash back.
@FunCartel CC has quite the eclectic group of people. I meant emulate Einstein or Darwin. Although Confucius did say if you're walking with two people, you can learn from both: what to do and what not to do.
Besides that, maybe you think lowly of pple bc of forum posts, but pple will surprise you. There are folks w post grad degrees, folks w a lot of money, folks w a lot of wisdom or knowledge here.
For example, you wouldn't guess that I was a national team member of my martial art and that I had represented the US medaled in an international competition. On CC, I'm just a gag cuddle guy. Other folks might just surprise you.
@cylee1180 Again you took it all way too seriously and literally. No I don’t look down on people on the forums but geniuses of the caliber you speak of rarely waste time on a social site as much as many of the people is my point. They are geniuses and do genius things rather than rank and attempt to emulate. Ranking great minds doesn’t make you smarter it just marks you as a fanboy. I don’t take it that seriously as you because it is all bloviation in the end.
I am also aware of accomplished people with advanced degrees and some wealth. I have been around this site longer than you and I am actually a member of those groups like many are, but it does not mean I am an Einstein. There is the attainable then there is the gifted and touched by the gods. There is a huge difference. Can we learn from them? Certainly. To an extent. But what you will be lacking is the something innate they possess.
And yes I would guess that about you as you have told us multiple times. Maybe keep that in your back pocket if you want to spring a gotcha moment.
@FunCartel - I'm not sure why you have to attempt to hijack/troll my thread because you don't agree with the topic. I'm fascinated with scientific topics and learning from the people who made it possible which inspired me to create this thread.
@Mike403 not hijacking just answering another members misinterpretation of an aside. Relax…here’s the keys to your jumbo jet of great minds. I wasn’t trying to be malicious or make you self-delete for a third time. Just joking around. Even Einstein liked to joke around.
