Spanish People's Topics

TRINITY COLLEGE TOPICS SUGGESTED BY M JOSÉ AND SARA

Who is the most influential scientist? Choose among the top 10

We have shortlisted the top 10 scientists in history and compared their contributions. Find out who people consider most influential. Vote & tell us why, and suggest other names to the list.

Science and scientific progress has not always been easily accepted in our societies. Not everyone trusts scientists and it is impossible to deny that technological progress entails some side effects and risks for humanity. However, for the most part, science has contributed to expanding our understanding and helps make our lives much more comfortable and pleasant. Medicine, physics,biology, chemistry, mathematics, and other natural sciences have allowed humans accumulate knowledge of the world we live in. Archimedes, Aristotle, Curie, Darwin, Einstein, Galileo, Maxwell, Newton, Pasteur and Tesla are among the most influential scientists of all time. If you had to pick one, who would it be? Who is the world's greatest scientist of all time? 

Famous scientists and their greatest scientific discoveries

• Aristotle (384 – 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and scientist who made contributions to physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, linguistics, politics and government. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, "Aristotle was the first genuine scientist in history”.
• Archimedes of Syracuse (circa 287BC – circa 212BC) is considered as the greatest mathematician of antiquity. However we should not forget that Archimedes was also a physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer. He made major discoveries in calculus and mathematical analysis.
• Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher, and mathematician and is often considered as the father of observational astronomy. He was tried by the Inquisition, found “suspect of heresy", forced to retract, and spent the rest of his life under house arrest.
• Isaac Newton (1642-1726) was an English physicist and mathematician and is widely recognized as one of the most influential scientists of all time. He laid the foundations for classical mechanics, made contributions to optics and developed calculus.
• Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was an English naturalist and geologist. He is best known for establishing the theory that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, following a process known as natural selection.
• Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist known for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization. His work on the causes and preventions of diseases has saved countless lives ever since.
• James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) was a Scottish mathematical physicist. He formulated the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, bringing together for the first time electricity, magnetism, and light as manifestations of the same phenomenon.
• Nikola Tesla (1846-1943) was a Serbian American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system.
• Marie Skłodowska Curie (1867-1934) was a Polish (naturalized-French) physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She is arguably one of the greatest female scientists in history.
• Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist. He developed the general theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics, among other discoveries. He is probably the most famous scientist of our times and an icon in popular culture.
  Who do you think was most influential among this great scientists top 10? Who else do you think should make it to the top 10 list? You can add other great geniuses in the comment section.

Pedro Almodovar best movies - Which period do you prefer: the earlier/crazier films or the later/serious ones?

                                       

   

Pedro Almodovar is probably the best known Spanish filmmaker overseas. The style of his movies has evolved considerably. We discuss his filmography and specifically if his later drama period is better than his early, crazier comedy approach.
Pedro Almodovar has been one of the most prolific and finest European filmmakers and has greatly contributed to the promotion of Spain's cinema abroad. His first global success was his Oscar-nominated film "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" in 1988 and since then his work has been internationally acclaimed, acknowledged with Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay for the comedy-drama "All About My Mother" (1999) and the drama "Talk to Her" (2002).

Pedro Almodovar's best movies

Centered around obsessive and traumatised characters but also strong female personalities, his body of work has transformed over time. His films in the 1980s and early 1990s were mostly farces and black comedies such as "Pepi, Luci, Bom", "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", and "Tie me Up! Tie me Down!". The film "All About my Mother" in 1999 was the beginning of a series of more dramatic films, such as "Talk to Her", "Bad Education", "Volver", and "The Skin I live in", which critics have described as Almodovar's more mature period - although his latest film 'I'm so Excited!' in 2013 was a return to comedy. "Silence" ("Silencio" in Spanish) is the title of Pedro Almodovar's next movie. Once more Almodovar offers us a hard-hitting drama which travels through twenty years of the life of a woman called Julieta. The cast includes Emma Suarez, Ariadna Ugarte, Rosy de Palma, Dario Grandinetti, and Inma cuesta among others. Will "Silence" match Almodovar's best films?