Which prominent figure/person in history would you consider to be a true eminent genius?

[Anonymous]

[oldpigg]

Isaac Newton is, without a doubt, one of the greatest geniuses in history.

He was a physicist, astronomer, chemist, mathematician, and natural philosopher. His genius is reflected in multiple fields of knowledge, revolutionizing our understanding of the universe.

In 1671, he presented his Method of Fluxions and Infinite Series, in which he laid the foundations of differential calculus.

Later, in 1687, he published his masterpiece Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica , in which he formulated the famous three laws of motion and explained that the planets move in elliptical orbits due to a gravitational force that decreases with the square of the distance, providing mathematical proofs where others had only conjectured.

Furthermore, in his treatise Opticks , Newton proposed the corpuscular theory of light, challenging the prevailing view of his time.

In the 1718 edition of this work, he added the famous Query 31, where he reflects on the nature of chemical affinities and intermolecular forces, stating:

> "Is it not for lack of an attractive power between the parts of water and oil, of mercury and antimony, of lead and iron, that these substances do not mix? And is it because of a weak attraction that mercury and copper mix with difficulty, and because of a strong attraction that mercury and tin, antimony and iron, water and salts, mix easily?"

These approaches laid the foundations of affinity chemistry, a field that would later evolve into chemical thermodynamics.

Newton was also one of the first to suggest that chemical interactions could be analyzed in terms of forces, concepts that centuries later would crystallize in terms such as the Gibbs free energy.

His legacy not only transformed the science of his time, but also laid the foundations upon which modern natural sciences would be built.

[OneViewpoint]

There have been a lot of geniuses down through the last 3,000 years of recorded history. I think I'm more impressed with the earliest ones who became the shoulders everyone who came after them have stood on. Those people had no or very little help. They were literally making it alone up from scratch on brute force intellect. What the hell motivated these people to do something so out of the ordinary for their time with no precedent or peer group to draw on? On the contrary, they were often persecuted for their ideas. But it didn't stop them. They created the foundations of math, science, logic, music, visual arts, medicine, engineering, technology, etc.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

I’m assuming you mean aside from those we already praise as geniuses like Einstein. In which case, I would say Stan Lee. The man was an innovator in entertainment and knew how to create incredibly complex yet simplistic stories for an ever-growing and changing audience.

[jennifer_bloom]

Martha Stewart is a PR genius, and her social intelligence is what got her, her big pay cheque.

[AviatorTom]

Sun Tzu, an ancient Chinese military person, was a true genius in his field. His military tactics, defined in his treatise The Art of War, though thousands of years old, are still used by modern militaries.

The Art of War

[Coden7]

The person who hit two rocks together and made fire. Absolutely underrated, we don’t even know their name

[Dargil]

DaVinci and ELON MUSK.

[exitseven]

Nikola Tesla. He is underrated.

[Anonymous]

The austrian painter

[Lokiion]

Leonardo da Vinci

[Agape93]

Fritz Haber