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Muppets Named Top Scientists
praedictus writes "Apparently Bunsen and Beaker of Muppet fame have been nominated favorite TV scientist in a poll conducted by the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA). and the BBC, soundly beating other contenders such as Mr. Spock, and Agent Scully."
This may offend some but Scully is certainly not a scientist. Now, as for Bunsen and Beaker they may have been somewhat inept but scientists they were!!
I mean for gosh sakes, I never saw Scully make a battery out of a coconut!!
Fictional characters can be a better role model for young people than real scientists and engineers. Perhaps a few children will think of becoming scientists because of these characters.
"Scotty" on Star Trek has just got his star on the sidewalk (covered by slashdot). Many student engineers at one US school said they were inspired to take engineering by Scotty. (I can't find the link.)
Prof. Hubert J. Farnsworth from Futurama? He get's my vote!
"Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it." - John Lennon.
You'll notice Beaker and Honeydew were the only traditional scientists on the list. Mr. Spock, the doctor, and Dana are more explorers than scientists, Q is an engineer, Frank 'n Furter, Mr Evil, and Dr Frankenstein are, well, mad. Dr Strangelove is a consultant. Even Emmett Brown is portreyed as more mad than scientist.
Why not include more traditional scientists on the list, such as Bill Nye, Mr. Wizard, or popular untraditional ones like Peter Venkmin or the Answer Guys?
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