Many adults cannot name a scientist

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Dimitri-IvanovskyUSA Today’s Snapshot for 29 June was a survey in which 1000 adults were asked to name a famous scientist. Here are the results:

47% named Albert Einstein
23% could not name anyone
6% named Marie Curie
4% named Louis Pasteur
4% named Thomas Edison

The survey was conducted by L’Oreal, but the methods were not revealed. Therefore it is not possible to determine if the results can be extended to the adult population in general. Nevertheless, the poor showing on naming a famous scientist is an indictment of the science education of those who participated in the survey.

I’m interested in how the readers of virology blog would respond to the question, ‘Name a scientist’ – it doesn’t have to be a famous scientist, and it should not be a relative, or the author of virology blog. Don’t look up someone in a book or online – I’m interested in who you would think of spontaneously. Post your answer – just one scientist – in the comments section, or send it to virology@virology.ws. I’ll reveal the results here in a few weeks.

In attempting to determine how the L’Oreal survey was conducted, I learned about the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Program, an effort to celebrate women who have dedicated their careers to scientific research, and to encourage emerging talent to pursue scientific discoveries. It’s a commendable program, and I do hope they impress upon the recipients of these awards the need to educate the public about their work.

220 thoughts on “Many adults cannot name a scientist”

  1. Jeff Katz

    Nikola Tesla came to mind first, after that, J.R. Oppenheimer …

    I suppose I have a perversion for the mass destructive.

  14. blankity blank

    Stephen Hawking jumped to mind first. Then Procter & Gamble… damn branding.

  16. Informer

    I'm sorry, but that is pure ignorance. I don't think you understand how incredible and prolific Einstein's theories were. Tesla was an extraordinary genius–there's no doubt. But Einstein completely laid the foundation for all of modern physics. He unified the electro and magnetic forces. He completely changed our understanding of gravity and managed to derive the fact that energy and mass were the same. Finally, he opened up the entire field of quantum mechanics-though ironically he was one of the most fervent fighters against qm. Look up the miracle year (1905).

  18. Hacksaw Jim Duggar

    Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

    Or however that's spelled. Microscope guy.

  33. Arturo

    I immediately think of the duo of Watson and Crick…..after that Bohr. I haven't read the comments section yet of course. Looking forward to seeing if others picked these dudes.

  34. Arturo

    I immediately think of the duo of Watson and Crick…..after that Bohr. I haven't read the comments section yet of course. Looking forward to seeing if others picked these dudes.

  35. test

    The traditionally held view is that Maxwell unified E&M. The energy mass equivalence is something that had been proposed by many before Einstien (and can be derived from Maxwell's work), although not as clearly laid out or boldly stated as Einstien.

    I thought of Feynman, Pauling first.

  40. Scott

    Francis Crick! Stanislav Ulam!

    Geneticists and nuclear physicists are my heroes.

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