Top 10 Greatest Modern Polymaths

1. Jacob Bronowski

   

   Polish-born, British Jewish mathematician, biologist, historian of science, theatre author, poet, and inventor.

   Jacob told us the truth: "Science is only a Latin word for knowledge. Knowledge is our destiny."

   Again! If one could live with and listen to only one person, it would be Jacob Bronowski.

2. Jonathan Miller

   British theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, humorist, sculptor, and medical doctor.

3. Buckminster Fuller

   American inventor, engineer, architect, mathematician, philosopher, and professor of poetry. There is more written about Richard Buckminster Fuller (sadly no relation) in the American 'Who's Who' book than anyone else!

4. John von Neumann

   

   John von Neumann (December 28, 1903 - February 8, 1957) was a Hungarian American mathematician, physicist, and polymath. He formulated the mathematical framework for quantum mechanics and co-developed the von Neumann architecture for computers.... read more

   John von Neumann possessed a phenomenal ability to systematically topple the hardest mathematical problems that stumped the world's most brilliant minds. His speed was unchallenged, and he possessed knowledge of a vast number of topics, especially in mathematics. He was "the last representative of the great mathematicians," in the same breath as Euler and Friedrich Gauss. He played a crucial role in the development of computers. The Von Neumann architectural model is present in almost every digital device in the world, and he was one of the first and probably its greatest programmer.

   Von Neumann made major contributions to many fields, including mathematics (mathematical logic, measure theory, functional analysis, ergodic theory, group theory, lattice theory, representation theory, operator algebras, matrix theory, geometry, and numerical analysis), physics (quantum mechanics, hydrodynamics and ballistics, nuclear physics, and quantum statistical mechanics), economics (game theory and general equilibrium theory), computing (Von Neumann architecture, linear programming, numerical meteorology, scientific computing, self-replicating machines, stochastic computing), and statistics. He was a pioneer in the application of operator theory to quantum mechanics in the development of functional analysis, and a key figure in the development of game theory and the concepts of cellular automata, the universal constructor, and the digital computer.

5. Anthony Burgess

   

   British novelist, critic, composer, poet, playwright, librettist, screenwriter, essayist, travel writer, broadcaster, translator, linguist, and educationalist.

6. Steve Allen

   

   American comedian, writer, poet, lyricist, composer, actor, concert artist, and lecturer. He wrote 54 books and about 10,000 songs!

7. Bruce Dickinson

   

   Paul Bruce Dickinson (born August 7, 1958) is an English musician, airline pilot, and broadcaster. He's best known as the lead singer of Iron Maiden and for his solo career.

   Outside music, Dickinson worked as a commercial pilot for Astraeus Airlines and flew Iron Maiden's converted charter aircraft... read more

   British heavy metal singer, record producer, airline pilot, television presenter, author, businessman, competitive fencer, and devoted family man.

   Musician, pilot, world-class fencer, author, filmmaker, DJ...

   Radio presenter can also be added to the list.

8. Paul Robeson

   

   African-American bass-baritone concert singer, film and stage actor, All-American and professional athlete, writer, multilingual orator, scholar, and lawyer. He was also noted for his wide-ranging social justice activism.

9. Rowan Williams

   Welsh Anglican bishop, poet, theologian, and polyglot. The 104th Archbishop of Canterbury. He speaks 11 languages!

10. Steve Jobs

    

    Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 - October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur and business magnate. He co-founded Apple Inc., serving as chairman and chief executive officer. He also founded NeXT, where he was chairman and CEO.... read more

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Clare Boothe Luce

    
12. ?

    Raymond Tallis

    
The Contenders

13. Edward Said

    

    Another polymath who I admire is Professor Carl Sagan (1934 - 1996), an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer, and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. In watching his masterpiece television series, Cosmos, I am taken aback by his all-encompassing knowledge!

    Palestinian-American author, literary theorist, cultural critic, public intellectual, and advocate for Palestinian rights. He was a founding figure in postcolonialism via his book 'Orientalism.'

14. F. Story Musgrave

15. Ludwig Wittgenstein

    

16. Bertrand Russell

    

    Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, writer, social critic, political activist, and Nobel laureate. He was one of the founders of analytic philosophy and is considered one of the 20th century's most important logicians. Russell... read more

17. Stephen Hough

    British-born classical pianist, composer, writer, poet, novelist, piano teacher, professor, and blogger, who has also exhibited his paintings.

    He won the Firstwriter.com 6th International Poetry Competition with his poem Early Rose in 2008.

    Listed in The Economist as one of 20 living polymaths.

18. Christopher Hitchens

    

    Christopher Eric Hitchens was a British-American author, columnist, essayist, orator, journalist, and social critic. He was known for his wit, sharp criticism of religion, and outspoken views on politics and culture. Hitchens authored numerous books, including God Is Not Great and Hitch-22: A Memoir... read more

19. Stephen Fry

    

    Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English comedian, actor, writer, presenter and activist. After a troubled adolescence during which he was expelled from two schools and at age 18 was convicted of credit-card fraud, serving several weeks in prison, he secured a place at Queens' College, Cambridge... read more

20. Dolph Lundgren

    

    Hans "Dolph" Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, screenwriter, producer, martial artist, and chemical engineer. He earned a degree in chemical engineering before winning the 1979 Mr. Universe title and going on to international fame with his breakout role as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV (1985).

    This guy astonishes me. He won a European martial arts championship, has a master's degree in chemical engineering, speaks seven languages (though not completely fluently in some), won a Fulbright scholarship to MIT, and oh yeah, did a little acting on the side. Wow.

21. Carl Sagan

    

    Carl Edward Sagan (1934-1996) was an American astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. He co-founded the Planetary Society and helped popularize science through his television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage and books like The Demon-Haunted World. Sagan... read more

    Great writer and communicator with the ability to explain complex issues in amazingly clear ways and to inspire people to learn more about science and the universe. Sagan was key in drilling through boneheaded politicians to make them realize the danger of thermonuclear war to the very existence of our species.

    Best all-time science communicator. Excellent scientist in multiple fields. Easy to understand and inspiring author.

22. Richard Feynman

    

    Richard Phillips Feynman (May 11, 1918 - February 15, 1988) was an American theoretical physicist known for the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics. He shared the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on QED.... read more

    Did a lot for science. Interesting as an amateur philosopher of science.

23. Brian May

    

    Brian Harold May (born July 19, 1947) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist. He is best known as the lead guitarist of Queen. He co-founded the band in 1970 and contributed iconic guitar parts and vocal harmonies on hits like Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, and Another One... read more

    Guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, astrophysicist with a PhD, mathematician, and animal rights activist.

24. Erwin Schrodinger

    

    Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger, sometimes written as Erwin Schrodinger or Erwin Schroedinger, was a Nobel Prize-winning Austrian physicist known for his foundational contributions to quantum theory. He formulated the Schrödinger equation, a fundamental result in quantum mechanics that describes... read more

25. Isaac Asimov

    

    Isaac Asimov, born Isaak Ozimov (c. January 2, 1920 - April 6, 1992), was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He was known for his works of science fiction and popular science. Asimov wrote or edited more than 500 books, including the Foundation series and I, Robot... read more

26. Donald Glover

    

    Donald McKinley Glover Jr. is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, and DJ. He performs music under the stage name Childish Gambino and works as a DJ under the name mcDJ.

    He has appeared in several films, including Guava Island, The Martian, Spider-Man... read more

    American comedian, singer, rapper, director, and actor. He was the first black director to win an Emmy for his work on his television series "Atlanta."

27. Noam Chomsky

    

    Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, and political activist who revolutionized the field of linguistics with his theory of generative grammar. Beyond academia, he has been a prominent critic of political systems, advocating for human rights and social justice. Throughout his prolific... read more