+1 - I didn't know who it was but I lold. My own answer is Elvis. To be so talented and idolised but yet with enough wit and self-discipline to remain hidden among us makes him a one-off. For similar reasons Bin Laden takes a close second.
I don't think it has anything to do with society, no one can be at the forefront of a number of fields anymore as each one has become so advanced.
My bad; post restored. A bit of clarification of who the person is and why you chose him would be useful though.
Well, even in schooling, we're pushed to be superspecialists. As I have nigh unlimited free time now (this being sick has exactly one upside-that one) I've been working to remedy all the areas that I find myself deficient in. Unless you have time like mine, it takes preternatural genius to cover more than a few areas thoroughly.
Now this is tricky. My first instinctive reaction was heading for Stephen Hawking, but having read the reasoning behind other suggestions his contributions are simply stupendous but within quite a narrow field and don't really branch out much further. I'm finding it very hard to choose for that reason alone.
Probably either Brian Cox, or Michio Kaku, or that guy from the OneMinutePhysics youtube channel, as they all help explain their fields in such a way so that even the most simple minds can understand them.
They are leaders in their fields but I wouldn't call them the greatest mind, I do hope Cox becomes truly great. If only Feynman was still alive
Raw IQ = Marilyn Vos Savant, measured at 200+ (age adjusted in childhood), 190 (ish) in adulthood Brian Greene, Michio Kaku for theoretical physics Truth is it is such a subjective field and depends on your own interests (mine being physics/tech) but the answer would have to be someone that we've never heard of due to our narrow fields of view
Honestly can't narrow it down to one person, living or dead. Roland Barthes Carl Sagan Jacques Derrida ....all dead... this is depressing... Somehow, I'm so tempted to put a few comedians on this list simply because certain comedians have a great facility for drawing conclusions based on such a wide array of disciplines, knowledge and contexts.. and making us realise that no matter how powerful we think we are, we're all susceptible to the same human conditions.. that we're actually pretty stupid. If only more academic heavyweights managed to spread this message with such ubiquity. Two that spring to mind are Bill Bailey Eddie Izzard Gotta have a writer of fiction.. or two... Oh go on then... have three. Graham Greene... just because Ian M Banks John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
probably the jerky boys are the greatest minds of all time.. least in their prime http://mp3.rhapsody.com/player?type=undefined&id=tra.1977671 flower lady #1 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/player?type=undefined&id=tra.1977672 flower lady #2 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/player?type=undefined&id=tra.1977679 flower lady #4
If only indeed I think the brilliance of Cox (besides obvious work in physics) is the ability to get extremely complicated principles over to those without an interest in ways that can be understood by all, not an easy task. I'm sure he will become a great mind in time though.
Ants. The hive mind organises colonies of immense scale, builds structures that dwarf ours by comparison, build air conditioning and farm food.
Did he really do much over just improving the NMR (credit for which I'm claiming on behalf of all chemists)?
I think Sagan should get a mention, top of his field and spread science to millions of people. Also the nicest man to have ever existed.
She may have one of the highest recorded IQs, but that doesn't mean much by itself. As she readily admits, one of her greatest strengths is knowing her own limits, and knowing who to ask for help with a number of different subjects. And I believe this is a perfect example of the issue that has been raised a number of times: it is very difficult to pick one person to be considered the greatest living mind. I know some very bright people, but while they excel in one area they just can't compete in others. Even Marilyn Vos Savant has her limitations. Considering the above, If we expand the definition a bit I would offer the internet as the greatest living mind, if we assume a more generic definition of mind (collective storage of information interconnected by a network of electrical signals).
