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My wife probably could name many 40 years ago when she worked in a university physics department. But do retired scientists still count ?

And the most famous ones aren't exactly famous *as scientists.* (To say nothing of apartheid Clyde making the list)

I'm going to repeat this here: The last words out of my principal's mouth before I said, "I quit." ... "You have to let the *math thing* go. Your job is to make them feel good about themselves." So, here we are.

I’ll be honest if you did this to me and didn’t let me cheat and name my research scientist father, I would pause for a moment because John B Goodenough has passed on.

It's not saying those answers are right. It's just breaking down the answers.

I thought of @katharinehayhoe.com

I was scrolling up my feed, saw this, and my brain instantly went “Katie Mack”, then I scrolled slightly further up and noticed you were the one who posted it 😀👍

I'm not surprised, but have still managed to be disappointed.

Elon musk is on the list. That’s hilarious. He as much a scientist as RFK, Jr.

Elon Musk? Wut?

Can I answer “Katie” ?

Thankfully Brian May is still an acceptable answer who will also Rock You

I was so thrilled when I got to meet Hutton as a teenager 🥹

Musk?

They surround us, Scientists, in so many ways. Rural Farm Soil Scientis and River Water Scientists and Agriculture Scientists for our orchards and rice fields here throughout California's country

No fair. Alan Greenspan just died. And it’s “fewer.”

Elon muskrat at 2% i mourn.

Daniel Swain! Zack Labe!

*respondents

Huh. It’s interesting that we (I) can know an ungodly amount about someone without knowing basic things like what their undergrad field was.

Apparently the best way to become a famous living scientist is to stop being one of those things.

Um…Dr Fauci?

How do they judge whether someone's a scientist? They are clearly getting some wrong...

This is worse than I would have expected

Quick name one scientist serving in Congress. Fairly easy, since there is only one, physicist Bill Foster. Probably the only Congress critter who actually understood the Iran Nuclear Deal.

Is the answer "et al." accepted?

WHO IS KILLING THE SCIENTISTS

On the spot like that, I would probably have said Tyson (derogatory) just because I'm bad at recalling things under pressure. I'm also very positive he's alive because he has not stopped talking, and won't until he's dead.

Definitely loses points on him being a creeper. A lot of people seemed to name non-scientists though. Overall, not a great sign of what we are at.

Dr. Alan Grant, of course.

Did you make the "Other" category? I tried to find if Research American had a list of "others" but could not find one. I wondered about Don Lincoln, for example.

Nick Lane. I love his books.

"Elon Musk," FFS

No Elizabeth Holmes? * runs *

Musk is not a scientist

Sigh. I should start my “I’m a scientist AMA” at my local pizza joint. Been thinking about that a lot.

Is it possible we forgot as a society (broad strokes) that people we see on our screens normally have jobs or careers that arent always "TV actor/actress, personality, or influencer"? On know individually thats not true, but in the "survey 100 people" might just have forgotten what scientist means.

No Dawkins though

My wife!!

Naming yourself is the only way to be 100% sure you're not naming a dead scientist if no colleagues are present.

Wonder if the revulsion people feel about Elon Musk is leaking into their growing distaste of AI?

Scientists:

Elon Musk? WTF?

One of my colleagues did this with her classes a few years ago, and almost 100% were successful, but a whole bunch named one or more of their parents. Ah, the joys of teaching at a private high school in a university town.

I live in such a bubble. 😛

Im a scientist, I run experiments daily in the kitchen and someday I will get the formula correct 😂

Von Doom, Richards, Banner 😄

Hey I *might* be in that "Other"! (You know, if they polled one of my sisters or domething)

I stg that after Fauci my next thought was Phil Plait and you and also @angierasmussen.bsky.social

XKCD!

I would have said Douglas Hofstadter, then argued whether he's a real scientist or a philosopher. His book saved my life in highschool.

You will be happy to know that *your name* popped immediately into my head. With great power comes great responsibility

Internally? Probably a few. Research scientists at pharma companies also are scientists.

xkcd.com/435/

Engineering is an applied science! But not every engineer does science. I say this as someone with an engineering credential.

I am an engineer and I approve this message.

www.youtube.com/shorts/rSU-f...

The fuck they aren't.

Of course they are! The scientific method is very analogous to the engineering design process!

Come on. He is Bill Nye the SCIENCE GUY!!

Believe it or not, you can be both an engineer and a scientist

Science is a method, not a credential.

I will grant that he wasz absolutely, a scientist ... 40 years ago. He left science to become an entertainer, specifically to pursue comedy. And he's great at his job! People are many things throughout their lives. Now he's a science popularizer and educator. Very important jobs that are not lesser!

Sobering. Some of the scientists they named aren’t scientists. Musk? 😬

I wouldn't call it living.

Dr. Dexter Holland, PhD. Lead singer of The Offspring.

Who the hell considers Elon Musk a scientist?

In a previous year I think they included that 2% said “me”

ELON MUSK IS NOT A SCIENTIST thank you for your attention to this matter omg

That truly blows my mind. If you did that survey in just my Bay Area county, I would bet that nearly half would be able to name a living scientist who is actually a friend or relative.

My spouse asked me and I said you. The advantages of following interesting people?

Elon Musk is a glorified car salesman and shyster (from German Scheißer, from Scheiße, meaning shit)

I don't know what exactly a scientist is. Does it need to be your paid profession? Can I be a scientist if I conduct research? What type of research counts ?

Oof, I'm trying to look for a silver lining here. At least nobody said Vani Hari?

Ida said Fauci. He ain’t dead yet.

I’ve read your book so you were first on my list!

Elon Musk is a scientist in the same way Jeffery Dahmer is a food critic.

Tbf Science is a long game. No one really knows them in the moment.

How the hell does Elon count?

Sorry to dunk on the Musk haters but like it or not he is a fellow of probably the most prestigious scientific institution in the world. That's not to pass judgement on whether he ought to be, the fact remains that he is.

I would say katie Mack and my kids would too!

Uff…

Me. I’m still alive.

Dr Noc!

Ugh nobody even said 'Albert Epstein'?

My instinct would be to go for one of the ones I grew up knowing and I'm at the age where they're dying off so... I donno if I'd be able to just because of that. I *assume* somebody would've told me... I mean my first thought was "my dad" and it's been nine years.

Lots of my favorites like EO Wilson have died in the past 5-10 years. Reviewer #2 is still alive and kicking’ though.

I wonder how many of those who *can't* name a scientist actually have a child who's a working scientist or in a PhD program, but doesn't consider them real scientists, just children who disappointed them by not going to med school.

Is Elon Musk a scientist? He dropped out after two year of engineering at Queens. I have two friends that were in his class.

I’d rather 100% of people be unable to name a living scientist than any percentage of people think “Elon Musk” is a valid answer

Elon Musk lol

I'm sure your followers would do much much better.. 😊👍

Every cat is a natural physicist but that's probably not what they're looking for

It's a stretch to call Neil Tyson a scientist. Same goes for Nye. Neil Tyson's last 1st author paper was in 1993..

I was sweating cause I wasn't sure I could think of one, but then I remembered who posted this.

Yup, I lecture on a MSc level programme including a module on CRISPR and Innovative medicines and most of my students have never heard of her before that module

Elon Musk is not a scientist.

Hmm — Geoffrey Hinton not on the top ten, in spite of Nobel and mega exposure. But overall I guess the results are (depressingly) close to what I’d expect.

I do not think that Muskrat is a scientist

A society that benefits from scientific breakthroughs should probably know a few of the people making them happen.

Not saying condescending things like “sweet summer child” to them when you encounter them online would help

Leon Umsk counts as a scientist??