We talk about molecular population and evolutionary GENETICS and GENOMICS. You know, the caliper measurement of a gene's evolvability in moles....like who? I'm really late on this, but Dan has asked us to name some rock-star scientists. He suggested Nobel Laureate David Baltimore. Baltimore isn't a rock-star because of his guitar chops or his rotating drum kit. If you want one of those, you can have Dexter Holland. Baltimore is a science advocate -- a public figure who fights against politicians abusing science and pushes for valuable science funding.
Who else would you consider a rock-star scientist? Carl Sagan would be a good one, but he's D-E-D, dead. David Suzuki is another good option, and he's still alive. So is that wheelchair guy. And what about Paul Sereno? He's a big shot scientist with a popular culture presence. If only they started a band. The Gimpy Dead Dinosaur Hunting Canucks.
Comments
What about Doug Schemske? I hear he was in REO Speedwagon.
Posted by: Josh | August 14, 2006 12:38 PM
Suzuki and Hawking would both be at the top of my list of living rock-star scientists. So would E.O. Wilson, Jane Goodall, Richard Leakey, and -- atheist-haters be damned -- Richard Dawkins.
Posted by: Julie Stahlhut | August 14, 2006 4:03 PM
How about Sylvia Earle? And I know he's young, but Brian Fry has a pretty kick-ass job.
Posted by: Cameron | August 14, 2006 5:38 PM
Josh, as long Steve Perry can make the list too. He isn't a scientist, but the dude can rock (a mullet).
Good call on Wilson, Goodall, Leakey, and Dawkins.
I'd never heard of Earle and Fry, so they would probably have trouble earning rock star grades.
Posted by: RPM
| August 14, 2006 6:58 PM
Sylvia Earle is the grandmother of marine biology and National Geographic Explorer. Fry studies the evolution of snake venom (among other things). His site is: http://www.venomdoc.com. Well worth checking out. Carl Zimmer wrote about him here: http://scienceblogs.com/loom/2005/04/04/doctor_venom.php.
Posted by: Cameron | August 14, 2006 7:50 PM
Ok, I have heard of Fry. One of our department members is a collaborator of his.
Posted by: RPM | August 14, 2006 8:07 PM
How about Eric Kandel ? Craig Ventner ? Ray Kurzweil ?
FH "Rusty" Gage ? Candy Pert ? All are rock start scientists.
While you're editing, please REMOVE Dawkins; he is no scientist at all. He failed in the lab, failed as a teacher, failed to build a research team or department (look up his "career"), and is basically a populizer of his particular religion (atheism).
Posted by: Chris Frederickson | October 7, 2006 1:01 PM
Rock Star scientists? Well Brian May of Queen has just co-published a book on astronomy, and Skunk Baxter (ex-Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers) is now a defence analyst at the Pentagon and various defence companies. Whether that counts as a proper scientist is a matter of taste, I guess.
Posted by: chris y | October 20, 2006 1:52 PM