Two More For The Intelligence Hall Of Fame
January 15, 2019 at 1:55 p.m.
By Max [email protected]
Both gentlemen were experts in multiple fields, and their works and concepts are an integral part of modern engineering, astronomy, medicine, physics, and other fields as well. Euler derived modern mathematical principles and contributed to the fields of geometry, trigonometry and calculus. In calculus alone, he provided hundreds of discoveries and proofs along with many computations to simplify and clarify differential calculus, infinite series and integral techniques. He was a revolutionary thinker in such diverse fields as astronomy, acoustics, hydrodynamics, mechanics, music, ballistics, navigation and topology.
His productivity was equally amazing. During his career he wrote more than 850 publications, including 18 books.
Thomas Young was a polymath, a linguist, physician and physicist who established the theory of light, color perception, anatomy, the significance of energy, elasticity and because of his uncanny knowledge of language, the study of Egyptology and hieroglyphics. The latter was instrumental in his ability to help translate the previously undecipherable and mysterious Rosetta stone. Young also worked on liquid molecule size and surface tension measurement. While he was still a medical student he discovered how the lens of the eye changes shape to focus on objects at different distances which led to the discovery of the cause of astigmatism.
On further deliberation and careful thought I nominate two others to consider – Hermann Helmholtz and Joseph Leidy.
Hermann Helmholtz
According to David Cahan's book, Helmholtz’s scientific achievements and his philosophical reflections on science ultimately became a collection of seven thick volumes: three of collected scientific papers (containing about 175 original papers plus five or six dozen reprinted versions or translations), a three-part tome on physiological optics, a volume on physiological acoustics and music, and two volumes of essays on popular science and philosophy, as well as a six-volume (in seven) set of lectures on theoretical physics that was assembled posthumously (and apparently considerably recomposed) by several of his last students.
As this publishing record suggests, Helmholtz was a workhorse and, at times, a workaholic as well. He also helped construct and single-handedly directed three scientific institutes (one for physiology in Heidelberg and two for physics in Berlin).
Helmholtz helped set the direction in a range of scientific fields during the second half of the 19th century. He remained an inspirational and instructive figure for many 20th and 21st century scientists.
Joseph Leidy
Joseph Leidy has been described as the last man who know everything by author Leonard Warren.
Leidy was for many years America's foremost microscopist and human anatomist, the discoverer of Trachina larva in pigs (a notable achievement at that time) and the founder of American parasitology.
Actually, he introduced the idea of parasitism here. He was also the founder of American vertebrate paleontology, the first to describe the dinosaur in America and give it its present-day configuration. Moreover, he discovered and identified several varieties of amoebas, plants, worms, reptilian and mammalian fossils, and was the first to transplant human cancer cells in an animal.
Leidy was appointed professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania, appointed surgeon at Satterlee General Hospital, the founding member of National Academy of Science, and professor of natural history at Swarthmore college. He received a number of prestigious awards and was a prolific writer and lecturer. At the University of Pennsyl-vania he founded the Department of Biology and was named director and professor of zoology and comparative anatomy.
Helmholtz and Leidy’s intellectual gifts differed from those of Darwin or Einstein, for example, who concentrated their efforts almost exclusively on elucidating foundational theories in one field, such as biology or physics. Helmholtz and Leidy's achievements, by contrast, ranged across the physical and life sciences (including medicine), and each did transformative work in others. Few, if any, individuals have accomplished as much in their lifetimes.
It should be noted that there was no true analytical measurement method to determine intelligence in the 19th century, and even if there were IQ tests, they would not be the only measure of genius. According to historian Roy Porter, "there seems to be no common denominator except uncommonness."
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. He can be reached by email at maxsherman339@ gmail.com.
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Both gentlemen were experts in multiple fields, and their works and concepts are an integral part of modern engineering, astronomy, medicine, physics, and other fields as well. Euler derived modern mathematical principles and contributed to the fields of geometry, trigonometry and calculus. In calculus alone, he provided hundreds of discoveries and proofs along with many computations to simplify and clarify differential calculus, infinite series and integral techniques. He was a revolutionary thinker in such diverse fields as astronomy, acoustics, hydrodynamics, mechanics, music, ballistics, navigation and topology.
His productivity was equally amazing. During his career he wrote more than 850 publications, including 18 books.
Thomas Young was a polymath, a linguist, physician and physicist who established the theory of light, color perception, anatomy, the significance of energy, elasticity and because of his uncanny knowledge of language, the study of Egyptology and hieroglyphics. The latter was instrumental in his ability to help translate the previously undecipherable and mysterious Rosetta stone. Young also worked on liquid molecule size and surface tension measurement. While he was still a medical student he discovered how the lens of the eye changes shape to focus on objects at different distances which led to the discovery of the cause of astigmatism.
On further deliberation and careful thought I nominate two others to consider – Hermann Helmholtz and Joseph Leidy.
Hermann Helmholtz
According to David Cahan's book, Helmholtz’s scientific achievements and his philosophical reflections on science ultimately became a collection of seven thick volumes: three of collected scientific papers (containing about 175 original papers plus five or six dozen reprinted versions or translations), a three-part tome on physiological optics, a volume on physiological acoustics and music, and two volumes of essays on popular science and philosophy, as well as a six-volume (in seven) set of lectures on theoretical physics that was assembled posthumously (and apparently considerably recomposed) by several of his last students.
As this publishing record suggests, Helmholtz was a workhorse and, at times, a workaholic as well. He also helped construct and single-handedly directed three scientific institutes (one for physiology in Heidelberg and two for physics in Berlin).
Helmholtz helped set the direction in a range of scientific fields during the second half of the 19th century. He remained an inspirational and instructive figure for many 20th and 21st century scientists.
Joseph Leidy
Joseph Leidy has been described as the last man who know everything by author Leonard Warren.
Leidy was for many years America's foremost microscopist and human anatomist, the discoverer of Trachina larva in pigs (a notable achievement at that time) and the founder of American parasitology.
Actually, he introduced the idea of parasitism here. He was also the founder of American vertebrate paleontology, the first to describe the dinosaur in America and give it its present-day configuration. Moreover, he discovered and identified several varieties of amoebas, plants, worms, reptilian and mammalian fossils, and was the first to transplant human cancer cells in an animal.
Leidy was appointed professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania, appointed surgeon at Satterlee General Hospital, the founding member of National Academy of Science, and professor of natural history at Swarthmore college. He received a number of prestigious awards and was a prolific writer and lecturer. At the University of Pennsyl-vania he founded the Department of Biology and was named director and professor of zoology and comparative anatomy.
Helmholtz and Leidy’s intellectual gifts differed from those of Darwin or Einstein, for example, who concentrated their efforts almost exclusively on elucidating foundational theories in one field, such as biology or physics. Helmholtz and Leidy's achievements, by contrast, ranged across the physical and life sciences (including medicine), and each did transformative work in others. Few, if any, individuals have accomplished as much in their lifetimes.
It should be noted that there was no true analytical measurement method to determine intelligence in the 19th century, and even if there were IQ tests, they would not be the only measure of genius. According to historian Roy Porter, "there seems to be no common denominator except uncommonness."
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. He can be reached by email at maxsherman339@ gmail.com.
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