Who was the most influential person of the 20th century with regards to technolo

1. 72

   nmdondersposted 11 years ago

   Who was the most influential person of the 20th century with regards to technology and science?
   
   If you think there were a couple of individuals that were equally influential, list the most influential PEOPLE of the 20th century.

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2. 82

   DS Dubyposted 11 years ago

   Bill Gates was definitely one of the most influential people in technology

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3. 68

   Sue St. Clairposted 11 years ago

   Albert Einstein should be up there in the top rank. Others to consider are Nikoli Tesla, Thomas Edison, Karl Benz and Alexander Graham Bell. Although some were born in the 19th century, many of their great achievements were in the early 20th century.

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4. 59

   Neil Sperlingposted 11 years ago

   I would have to say it is all the marketing specialists. Products no matter how good they are do not sell themselves - it is the Marketing experts and sales people who are behind every good product that in the end makes that product great. The same holds true for scientists. If the word of the scientist does not get out to the public the scientist and their discovery will be found only on back pages of a news paper or on unread online pages.

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   1. 72

      nmdondersposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think that's an interesting way of looking at things.  I wonder if there could have been amazing discoveries, theories, or inventions simply lost because nobody found out about it and the idea died.

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   2. 59

      Neil Sperlingposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      There are many patents registered for products that are amazing.... but nothing done with them due to no-one knowing how to bring them to market.

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5. 77

   daskittlez69posted 11 years ago

   I would have to say Albert Einstein is the most influential person of the 20th century when it comes to technology and science.

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6. 62

   pisean282311posted 11 years ago

   albert einstein ..he has had most influence according to me...

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      nishlaverzposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree Einstein's equation is still on of the most influential equations from the 20th century. His theories of relativity to a point still stand even though we keep trying to knock them down.

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7. 71

   chuckd7138posted 11 years ago

   Some would say Albert Einstein. Younger generations would say Bill Gates and/or Steve Jobs. However, the one that deserves the most recognition, and receives none, is Nikola Tesla. He gave us a way to have alternating current (AC) power in our homes. He invented wireless communication. He developed the basic concept of what is now the modern-day computer. He wrote notes explaining robotic and laser theory long before they were invented. He also drew a Vertical Takeoff/Landing (VTO/L) craft that was more viable than that of da Vinci. Also, at science museums, that thing that makes your hair stand up when you touch it is called a Tesla coil. Lastly, the unit of measure for magnetic induction is the tesla. So, the many things that great scientists of the middle to late 20th century produced were from the foundations that the "Wizard of the West" created or imagined.

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      mattforteposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I completely agree. Einstein theorized a lot of important matters in physics which have helped us understand better the universe around us, but since the question was science and technology; Tesla wins hands down.

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   2. 72

      nmdondersposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for an awesome answer.  I learned a little something new.

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   3. 54

      whonunuwhoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, it was Tesla.

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8. 54

   whonunuwhoposted 11 years ago

   Nikola Tesla who died in January 1943, was the greatest contributor to the modern world in technology and perhaps the greatest mind of all time. He was a scientist, inventor, and engineer,as well as a futurist who used more than his imagination, he pursued his thoughts until they became reality. My next choice would be Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs.

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9. 74

   DFiducciaposted 11 years ago

   I would have to say Albert Einstein, because his theories have influenced a lot of the present technology and theories of modern physics that are now unfolding.

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10. 62

    SportsBetterposted 11 years ago

    I agree about Einstein and Telsa, not sure if they stole their ideas.
    
    But I know for sure Bill Gates and Steve Jobs did not become successful on their own inventions.  They were both ideas that other people made.

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    1. 82

       DS Dubyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Bill Gates did become successful on his own work then he used that money and success to build a corporation that includes thousands of intelligent people contributing to technology. But he started as an individual.

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    2. 62

       SportsBetterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Actually Bill Gates purchased DOS for $50,000 and licensed it to IBM.  So yes he did build a company but he didn't but he didn't build the product.

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    3. 54

       whonunuwhoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Tesla had his inventions stolen by other notable figures who later took credit and even Nobel prize. Einstein was a great mind, but Tesla was a mind who was a doer and not just a thinker.

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    4. 62

       SportsBetterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Didn't know that, but what about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs

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    5. 59

       Neil Sperlingposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       DS Duby - Gates bought another persons DOS system and closed a deal with IBM..... actually screwing a good friend Gary Kildal..... check out the real story.... Gates was and is a marketing guru and business manager.... Kildor had a better DOS

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11. 0

    JThomp42posted 11 years ago

    I would not say Einstein. From what I've read of several opinions about him is that he was very overrated. I know several will disagree, But it is what it is and the people making these assessments were actually there. I would think the name Stephen Hawking would have to be mentioned in this question. The Man even has a type of radiation named after him for discovering it.

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12. 88

    Doc Snowposted 11 years ago

    For science, Einstein, with an honorable mention to Max Planck:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Planck
    
    For technology, an interesting (ie., little-known) choice:  Lee de Forest, one of the three "fathers of electronics":
    
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_De_Forest
    
    For applied science, Guy Callendar, the man who, beginning in 1938, brought the science of climate change via the greenhouse effect into the 20th century:
    
    http://doc-snow.hubpages.com/hub/Global … d-The-Wars

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13. 76

    handymanbillposted 11 years ago

    Has to be Albert Einstein. His ideas are still being proven to this day.

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14. 0

    Larry Wallposted 11 years ago

    Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein would top my list. They were both born in the 19th century, but lived a portion of their lives in the 20th century. A third choice would be Jack Kilby, inventor of the integrated circuit.
    
    Of course there are a bunch of others, but I choose these because:
    Edison invented the light blub, help to make consumer use of electricity practical.
    
    Einstein help to harness atomic energy
    
    Kilby in inventing the integrated circuit made the computers we are using today and so many other things possible. He also invented the first hand-held calculator and thermal printer.

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15. 73

    Jim and Beyondposted 11 years ago

    The overwhelming "highlight" of the 20th Century was World War II and it's aftermath.  WWII ended with the dropping of two nuclear bombs, and the subsequent Cold War focused on an impending nuclear holocaust.  The foundation for the science behind the nuclear bomb is directly traced to the work of Albert Einstein.  It is for that reason that I would name him the most influential person of the 20th Century.

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