Your favorite Theoretical Physicist/Scientist

[Trekker4747]

There's plenty of scientists out there who specialize in theoretical physics, namely how they think the way the universe operates behind the scenes but we've no real way of knowing how right now.

For years now I've been a huge fan of Michio Kaku an American born Japanese man who's often seen on Discovery/Science Channels specials dealing with these kinds of things and even having a couple of specials of his own.

Two more notable and recent examples of his work as a scientist and a theoretical scientist is explaining on national news networks what the "missile" off the shore of California really was (an optical illusion of a jet con-trail) and being on the recent Back to the Future BluRay release presenting on what he thinks BTTF got right, and wrong, about time travel.

One of his books, Hyperspace, is one of my favorites on the subject of theoretical science.

Brilliant man.

So, who are your favorite notable scientists out there working today?

(For the purposes of discussion Stephen Hawking isn't eligible as he's on a whole other level of awesome.)

 

[Tom Hendricks]

Without a doubt Brian Greene, both The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos are incredible reads. I really like how he takes complicated theory and distill them for everyday people.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Douglas Hofstadter, for his research and writing on some of my favorite subjects. Not a physicist but deals in things that are highly theoretical and speculative, yet fascinating.

 

[Jadzia]

^ No love for Tachyon Shield?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I should hand out infractions for even mentioning his name.

 

[Admiral_Young]

My favorite is Michio Kaku who I first discovered through his frequent appearances on Coast to Coast Am. His books are brilliant reads. Brian Greene would be my second, my parents got me his Eloquent Universe book when I was a teenager for Christmas one year.

 

[Trekker4747]

I'm reading through "Hyperspace" again. When I first read through many years ago when I bought it in highschool. Now reading through it is a bit mopre fascinating becuase I can hear his voice in my head.

 

[Admiral_Young]

"Hyperspace" is my favorite of Dr. Kaku's books. He just makes science easy to understand and I love how he breaks things down.

 

[Meredith]

Michio Kaku - he is a star trek geek and a consummate nerd, he can actually act too....

 

[Sky]

My favorite theoretical physicist is my husband. But my second favorite would probably be Richard Feynman.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

My favorite theoretical physicist is my husband. But my second favorite would probably be Richard Feynman.

We all can't be as lucky as you, married to an actual Theoretical Physicist. True story, I dated a women for a while solely because she was a Physicist.

 

[Sky]

True story, I dated a women for a while solely because she was a Physicist.

 

[James Bond]

My favorite is Michio Kaku who I first discovered through his frequent appearances on Coast to Coast Am. His books are brilliant reads. Brian Greene would be my second, my parents got me his Eloquent Universe book when I was a teenager for Christmas one year.

Indeed. I couldn't agree more.

I'm also QUITE partial to Amy Mainzer.

 

[Trekker4747]

Ohhh, Amy Mainzer. I can think of no better reason to watch "The Universe." ... Well, I can, but... Yeah she's lovely.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I just might have to investigate her...errr I mean her work.

 

[Trekker4747]

I just might have to investigate her...errr I mean her work.

I really think she's not much more than just a run-of-the-mill physicist/scientist and not one of the "theoretical" ones. But if you want to see her "work" watch the TV series "The Universe." Not only is it fantastic series but, well, her.

 

[StarMan]

Michio Kaku - he is a star trek geek and a consummate nerd, he can actually act too....

He gets my vote too.

And while not on the subject of theoretical physics, I do particularly enjoy this commentary on Alien contact:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw8dcb8iKSM

 

[Satyrquaze]

Michio Kaku is right up there for me as well.

 

[Myasishchev]

Ohhh, Amy Mainzer. I can think of no better reason to watch "The Universe." ... Well, I can, but... Yeah she's lovely.

Man, I watched one episode of that show. I don't know if Amy Mainzer was in it, but I learned that liquids were like sheep. I didn't watch The Universe any more after that.

Anyway, like some others here, my favorite scientist--in the sense that I would be the most sad if he died or something--is a personal friend (although one I've not been in touch with for some time, sadly, albeit not entirely because one of us is a hifalutin astronomer at Yale and the other is preparing to join an army of unemployed lawyers), but I guess the one whose work matters the most to me is many worlds proponent David Deutsch.*

Frank Tipler is really cool too, in a "this guy's crazy but I hope he's right" sort of way.

Peter Ward's great, but he's a depressing cuss.

*Over whom I've had arguments with my astronomer friend. My friend's a knucklehead.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I've seen bits and pieces of "The Universe" but I don't remember Amy being on there. Does she write books?