Scientists, Inventors And Techno Wizards

[maryportfuncity 10,584]

I'll leave it to the crew in charge to decide if we should subsume the Nobel laureate thread into this but I was struggling to see where else to post the fact that I've just read a remarkably chipper interview with Carl Djerassi 87 years old yesterday. The length and quality of his remarkable life doubtlessy improved by his involvement in the development of the birth control pill. He'd probably have been competing more strongly for resources, a seat on the bus, space in a supermarket aisle etc if every one-night stand in the last fifty years had resulted in a sprog, or summat.

 

There are probably many other obit-worthy 'Tomorrow's World' types we should be listing here, before we list them in search of points.

[maryportfuncity 10,584]

Apologies for starting the same thread twice.....didn't realise I'd got this first post through before my internet went down on me!

[Magere Hein 1,399]

Apologies for starting the same thread twice.....didn't realise I'd got this first post through before my internet went down on me!

Damage repaired. Which of the two starting posts should stay?

 

regards,

Hein

[Paul Bearer 6,074]

Apologies for starting the same thread twice.....didn't realise I'd got this first post through before my internet went down on me!

 

Pervert!

[maryportfuncity 10,584]

Apologies for starting the same thread twice.....didn't realise I'd got this first post through before my internet went down on me!

Damage repaired. Which of the two starting posts should stay?

 

regards,

Hein

 

The first one.

Edited October 30, 2010 by Lady Grendel
Second post deleted.

[TAFKAG 70]

Didn't realise that the MDMA (and many other psychoactive drugs) 'inventor' Alexander Shulgin was still around, an estimated "4,000 psychedelic experiences" down the line, who "at 85 suffers severe short-term memory loss". No shit.

[wildstorm 297]

How about The 'inventor of the laser/maser', Charles H. Townes? No word on his health, but turns 96 next year.

[Guest Pointless reporting club]

CEO of Sigma-Aldrich

[InquilineKea 75]

Townes is still in very good health for his age, and he's still very active (he's still mobile and publishing papers). Anything could happen at age 96 (falls can be fatal), but I'm not betting on him going anytime soon. (I think he'll surpass Bethe as the oldest Physics Nobel laureate)

 

Among all the older Nobel laureates, I'd bet against him and Chen Ning Yang dying. The others probably have higher chances of dying.

[The Unknown Man 584]

Australian scientist Frank Fenner has died aged 95.

[InquilineKea 75]

I was going to put him on my DDP next year (after he got in the news for his prediction) but when i googled his name again, i realized that he suddenly died. o_0

 

But he seemed to be as unusually active as Townes was (for his age)

 

I might be able to get some insider information on Hans Dehmelt. He was aggressively pursuing a paleolithic diet several years ago. I'm not sure what he is up to now though. Here's his website: http://faculty.washington.edu/dehmelt/. And a sample diet of his: http://faculty.washington.edu/dehmelt/shreds102708B.htm

 

And a paper of his: YOU ARE A PRIMATE, LIVE AS ONE: faculty.washington.edu/dehmelt/110508.rtf

 

I certainly do hope that he lives as long as possible though.

[Monoclinic 39]

I might be able to get some insider information on Hans Dehmelt. He was aggressively pursuing a paleolithic diet several years ago. I'm not sure what he is up to now though. Here's his website: http://faculty.washington.edu/dehmelt/. And a sample diet of his: http://faculty.washington.edu/dehmelt/shreds102708B.htm

 

Blue cheese dressing has been around since the paleolithic times? That discovery merits a Nature publication.

[TAFKAG 70]

Maurice Vincent Wilkes, somewhat obscurish British computer scientist and second winner of the Turing Award aka. the "Nobel" for computing sciences. Obit assured and he turns 94 this year, but no news on his health. Thought I'd bring him up though, since I stumbled on him accidently.

Some news on his health - he's dead. Someone probably stumbled on him accidentally.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,348]

Samuel Cohen, inventor of the neutron bomb, which in his opinion was "the most sane and moral weapon ever devised", has died at the age of 89.

[thefunkyfaz 51]

The legendary Professor Heinz Wolff is now 82, although recent photos show him looking not much older than he did in his Great Egg Race days. So not really a contender for a year or two yet (even though The Sun erroneously published his obit a few years back...)

[VSBfromH 74]

Reg Moores

 

The inventor of the suitcase on wheels and the radio microphone has died at his Brighton home. A former RAF man, ice skater and magician, he was also European Whistling Champion in 1966.

[time 8,548]

Reg Moores

 

The inventor of the suitcase on wheels and the radio microphone has died at his Brighton home. A former RAF man, ice skater and magician, he was also European Whistling Champion in 1966.

 

 

Had I realised that this bloke lived that close I'd have gone round and slapped him. There's nothing worse than some flight attendant returning from Gatwick at stupid o'clock in the morning dragging one of these past your window, across the joints in the paving slabs.

 

Its even worse if they're whistling too.

 

(admin, please feel free to transfer to Room 101).

[VSBfromH 74]

Reg Moores

 

The inventor of the suitcase on wheels and the radio microphone has died at his Brighton home. A former RAF man, ice skater and magician, he was also European Whistling Champion in 1966.

 

 

Had I realised that this bloke lived that close I'd have gone round and slapped him. There's nothing worse than some flight attendant returning from Gatwick at stupid o'clock in the morning dragging one of these past your window, across the joints in the paving slabs.

 

Its even worse if they're whistling too.

 

(admin, please feel free to transfer to Room 101).

 

Get your entry in now!

[VSBfromH 74]

Ron Hickman

 

The inventor of the Black and Decker Workmate and designer of the Lotus Elan has died aged 78.

[time 8,548]

Leland Snow.

 

Inventor of the modern aerial spray aircraft died on Sunday, aged 80...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...while jogging near his home.

[VSBfromH 74]

Christian J. Lambertsen

 

A lot of inventors going recently! This guy is credited with developing a "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus" for US combat frogmen in WWII, thus coming up with the acronym "SCUBA".

[Spade_Cooley 9,459]

Didn't realise that the MDMA (and many other psychoactive drugs) 'inventor' Alexander Shulgin was still around, an estimated "4,000 psychedelic experiences" down the line, who "at 85 suffers severe short-term memory loss". No shit.

 

There was an interview with him on one of those fuck-awful BBC3 "LET'S TALK ABOUT DRUGS" documentaries this evening. He looks like he's tweaking permanently.

[time 8,548]

Mikhail Simonov, Russian aircraft designer, the man behind several Sukhoi jets, has died, aged 81.

[time 8,548]

While I'm here...

 

Edwin Kilbourne, a virologist who, seemingly single-handedly, developed the annual 'flu vaccine, has died aged 90.

 

No cause of death revealed, but one would hope 'flu is not implicated.

[Spade_Cooley 9,459]

Jerry Lawson, inventor of the video game cartridge, dead at 70. Presumably medics tried blowing on his corpse and shaking him around from side to side before declaring him dead.