Who was the greatest genius of all time?

1. 88

   SimeyCposted 12 years ago

   Who was the greatest genius of all time?
   
   I have heard many say the Leonardo DaVinci is the greatest genius of all time - who do you think was the greatest genius of all time? Why?

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2. 78

   cebutouristspotposted 12 years ago

   In my opinion it is nostradamus since up to now his prediction had people looking over their shoulder

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3. 60

   MickSposted 12 years ago

   'Of all time questions are absurd, they don't take account of what is yet to come, perhaps worded, up to now.. would be better.
   Up to now I would have to say, the English scientist/polymath, Thomas Young, he was known as the genius, Thomas Young.  One of his achievements was, I believe, deciphering Egyptien heiroglyphics.

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4. 64

   PhoenixVposted 12 years ago

   I think Gottfried Leibniz was. Because of his contributions to math and philosophy.

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5. 61

   kj forceposted 12 years ago

   I don't believe there is just one genius...I feel someone creates a stage of thought and each there after adds to the process..there are many ideas of creativity of which we never hear about, and the results never go public, due to possibly the world is not ready for the info. I believe there have been many great people who have done great things, in the past, but they actually only scratched the surface .

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6. 60

   C.V.Rajanposted 12 years ago

   You see, I am a very humble person and I always avoid boasting about myself!  Hehe...

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7. 66

   dilipchandra12posted 12 years ago

   Every Politician is a genius of all time...

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8. 80

   RetroBrothersposted 12 years ago

   Hard to say - but surely Albert Einstein must be up there?

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9. 66

   The Bardposted 12 years ago

   I'm not smart enough to answer this question, but if you'd asked "who was the greatest idiot of all time?" I would be able to make a valuable contribution, because I would have a wealth of choice! Seriously though, I think I would suggest Isaac Newton who is regarded as the greatest and most influential scientist that ever lived.
   
   Then again there are military geniuses such as Napoleon and Julius Caesar. The problem is there is a fine line between genius and madness. Therefore your question is difficult to answer.

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10. 50

    pjeuckposted 11 years ago

    How can one say who the greatest genius of all time might have been.   Probably someone who died in infancy, or in a battlefield before he could demonstarte his genius.   However, of those in history who we know something about, Isaac Newton gets my vote for whatever  that might be worth.   
    
    Newton contemplated  how the  force of gravity worked simply by observation.  Deduced it was an intrinsic property of matter, and then extrapolated  the  concept from terrestiral phenomena (i.e. and apple falling to the ground) to the celestrial, the orbiting of the moon and planets, the motions of the universe.   That marvelous demonstration of intellect in and of itself is worthy of considering him  the greatest genius.   But there was a big problem.    He needed a mathematical proof and the math of his day was not sufficient to prove his Law of Gravitation.   So what did he do?   Many years before Leibnitz (whom Newton accused  for good reason as having plagorized his calculus) Newton set out to invent the math necessary to prove his ideas.   Now how many people could do that!  He invented a math that did not even exist.   Not only did he revolutionaize  our understanding of the universe and how it works, but he invented calculus just so he could prove his ideas.   How many people could do that!  Not even Eintsein did that.  Einstein used  existing mathematics (actually math that rooted back into the calculus Newton invented) to develop his General Theory of Relativity.   
    
    The only other historical figure who compares to Newton's genius is Archimedes.  When Newton was in his 50s, a problem was circulated by Johan Bernoulli through Europe to solve, its called the Brachistochrome problem.  After six months it was not solved by any of Europes greatest mathematicians.  It was deliberately not sent to Newton the first time around.  The time to solve the problem was extended another six months by Bernoulli.  Over time the problem made it's way to Newton, the day before  the second six month limit was due. It was said Newton had the problem solved in one night, and submitted the solution  anonymously.  Bournoulli proclaimed he knew the "lion by its claw."  Newton was in his 50s. He had to again invent another branch of math to solve the brachistochrome problem.  We now know this new math as the Calculus of the Variations.  At age 54 Newton again invented a new branch of math to solve a problem overnight that no European mathmatician could solve in a year's time!

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