Very, very underrated individuals

[albionmoonlight]

Abe's Norman Borlaug thread got me thinking. Who are, in your mind, some of the most underrated individuals/historical figures in the world. I don't want to set too many limits on this, but I also don't want it to devolve into "the first guy to put peanut butter and jelly together" or a list of your top 25 indie guitar players.

Norman Borlaug actually provides a pretty useful guide. I am thinking of individuals who actually did something--not just people who got lucky or happened to be in the right place in the right time. And, they can be people who are known in their field and who are even regarded by "experts" as one of the greatest ever. But people who, for whatever reason, are not on the tip of the general public's tounge.

In terms of people (artists, scientists, military, etc.) I am open to any and all participants. In terms of time, let's keep it to the last 200 years or so. I think that it is more interesting that way. If someone wants to start a "most under-rated people of the 1300s" thread, then they can do that.

Can we do better than Mr. Borlaug?

[Draft Dodger]

Kristy McNichol

[cartman]

He has been getting more recognition over the past few years, but Nikola Tesla still isn't one of the great inventors that instantly springs to mind. Part of the reason is that he was black-listed by Thomas Edison after Tesla's AC electrical standard won out over Edison's DC standard. Tesla was also a head case, and didn't possess the best social tools.

[DaddyTorgo]

yes - Tesla

George Washington Carver?

[JPhillips]

Alfred Thayer Mahan was hugely influential in terms of naval development and doctrine for almost every major nation in WWI and WWII.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Thayer_Mahan

[DaddyTorgo]

Alfred Thayer Mahan was hugely influential in terms of naval development and doctrine for almost every major nation in WWI and WWII.

Alfred Thayer Mahan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Thayer_Mahan)

good call

[panerd]

Ayn Rand. Not sure what your definition of underrated is though.

[cartman]

Bob Bemer, the guy who was credited with the invention of ASCII

[RomaGoth]

Robert Jordan (real name is James Oliver Rigney, Jr.). He authored the "Wheel of Time" series of books, but never finished it because he died in 2007. He had a unique writing style, and while some of the latter books in the series were a little convoluted, he brought his characters and worlds to life with fantastic realism.

[Malificent]

Does Alan Turing count as underrated?

[fantom1979]

Federico Faggin, one of the primary designers of the first microprocessor



... and of course:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jqLPHrCQr2I&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jqLPHrCQr2I&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

Kary Mullis (Kary Mullis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kary_Mullis)) put together the pieces for PCR (Polymerase chain reaction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCR)), a technique for rapidly copying DNA which has greatly changed the way biological research, both academic, industrial, forensic, what have you, is done. Basically we couldn't do much DNA-related without this process.

[Warhammer]

He has been getting more recognition over the past few years, but Nikola Tesla still isn't one of the great inventors that instantly springs to mind. Part of the reason is that he was black-listed by Thomas Edison after Tesla's AC electrical standard won out over Edison's DC standard. Tesla was also a head case, and didn't possess the best social tools.

+1

[Warhammer]

Also, Buckminster Fuller

[I. J. Reilly]

Ayn Rand. Not sure what your definition of underrated is though.

I bet she'd be on a lot of overrated lists too.

[Warhammer]

I bet she'd be on a lot of overrated lists too.

I think you'd be right. I think on the whole, she is underrated, but overrated by the people who do know who she was.

[JPhillips]

Can I suggest wiki links for those that want to learn more?

(But are too lazy to type)

[flounder]

Rosalind Franklin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin) contributed a great deal to the discovery of the structure of DNA, but received almost no credit at the time (or today for that matter).

[DanGarion]

Can I suggest wiki links for those that want to learn more?

(But are too lazy to type)
Sure.
<form action="http://www.wikipedia.org/search-redirect.php" method="get">
Search Wikipedia:
<input type="hidden" name="language" value="en" />
<input type="text" name="search" size="20" />
<input type="submit" name="go" value=" Go! " />
</form>

[DaddyTorgo]

Sure.
<FORM method=get action=http://www.wikipedia.org/search-redirect.php>
Search Wikipedia:
<INPUT value=en type=hidden name=language>
<INPUT name=search>
<INPUT value=" Go! " type=submit name=go>
</FORM>

how you do dat?

[cartman]

Nikola Tesla: Nikola Tesla - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_tesla)
Bob Bemer: Bob Bemer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Bemer)

[DanGarion]

how you do dat?

I did a google search for. "wiki search box code" and figured out the rest from there.

[Young Drachma]

Ayn Rand. Not sure what your definition of underrated is though.

Here's a story about her that was pretty interesting peep into the world of Objectivism.

Wealthcare | The New Republic (http://www.tnr.com/article/books-and-arts/wealthcare-0)

[illinifan999]

Ayn Rand. Not sure what your definition of underrated is though.

heh we just learned about her in my white collar crime class today.

[Logan]

Captain Sully still hasn't gotten enough credit, even with him appearing on red carpets and other Hollywood functions shortly after the Hudson River landing.

[larrymcg421]

I'm gonna mention Admiral Raymond Spruance. Halsey gets all of the attention of the carrier admirals during WW2, despite his numerous screwups (Leyte Gulfe, typhoons). Spruance was quiet and reserved and didn't play things up to the press. But his precise planning and steady judgment were crucial time and time again. Not enough people know about him, but he was the real naval hero of World War 2.

[Ramzavail]

Cecil Travis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Travis)

Always thought this guy was underappreciated and he should be in the HOF.

[whomario]

Ayn Rand. Not sure what your definition of underrated is though.

tough call here. Have studied her works myself and it really is as said before : Either you find her amazing or you can´t relate to her "style" of ideas at all. That´s if you know her of course, which is very rarely the case .

Fact also is that she has been put on a pedestal as well as been taken out of context so much it´s not even funny. Just recently my girlfriend got me watching the first frew Episodes of a Teen Series called "One Tree Hill" and they have the lead character quote her in the context of the build-up to a basketball game

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swaps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists. It is real. It is possible. It's yours.

Used in such a profane way is just putting me off for some reason ...


2 of my own, which may be more tragic than underrated today:

Alfred Russel Wallace (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Russel_Wallace)

Basically studied the same things that Charles Darwin did (among a myriad of other things) and when Darwin more or less beat him to the punch he a) helped him formulate his theories and b) defended him strongly. That´s class.

Guideon Mantell (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon_Mantell#Later_years)

in the 19th century hunt for dinosaurs and their origin he was the ultimate odd man out. Made huge discoveries and theories while financing everything himself (from a middle class family, became a doctor) that weren´t taken seriously or worse systematically destroyed by the most popular, respected and powerfull men in the field (Georges Cuvier and Richard Owen, respectively), and later on suffered a horible spine injury.
In one of the more macabre twists in history his arch-nemesis Richard Owen put his damaged spine on display at the Royal College of Surgeons ...

[Schmidty]

Robert Jordan (real name is James Oliver Rigney, Jr.).

He said underrated, not overrated.

[Schmidty]

tough call here. Have studied her works myself and it really is as said before : Either you find her amazing or you can´t relate to her "style" of ideas at all.

Anyone who can't relate to an awesome book such as "Anthem"......well, I just feel sorry for them.

[spleen1015]

Derek Jeter

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Hazen Pingree. Detroit mayor in the 1890's who essentially created the Progressive movement, influencing many city mayors & relief efforts during the depression that began three decades after his death. He was such a figure that one of his political enemies ended up pulling a 180 & instituting his governmental reforms as mayor of Cleveland.

Charles Kettering is another name that comes to mind. Inventor who came up with the cast registor & the electric starter, among many other things. Think that's not big? Go start your car & think about how it is getting your mower going.

[OldGiants]

Philo Farnsworth, inventor of the first working television system.

Philo Farnsworth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo_Farnsworth)

[spleen1015]

Al Gore. Without him, this thread wouldn't exist.

[Izulde]

Ayn Rand. Not sure what your definition of underrated is though.

Heh, no. Not on college campuses anyway. If anything, she's overrated.

[Lathum]

Eli Manning

[Schmidty]

Heh, no. Not on college campuses anyway. If anything, she's overrated.

I used to like you.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Richard Mulligan

[boberot]

Kathy Griffin

[MJ4H]

Jim Gaffigan.

[RomaGoth]

He said underrated, not overrated.

A matter of opinion.

[Nogram]

Ron Paul. And this is coming from a Canadian who leans more left than right.

[Schmidty]

A matter of opinion.

I know. I wasn't trying to insult you. In fact, "The Eye of the World" is one of the better fantasy novels I've read. The next two were pretty good too. After that, it went horribly wrong. Too much bloat. Too wordy. Pointless plot directions.

Just my opinion of course.

[RomaGoth]

I know. I wasn't trying to insult you. In fact, "The Eye of the World" is one of the better fantasy novels I've read. The next two were pretty good too. After that, it went horribly wrong. Too much bloat. Too wordy. Pointless plot directions.

Just my opinion of course.

Can't argue with you on this. I could not get through the last couple of books, I had no idea who was who and what the hell was going on. He incorporated way too many "main" characters and it gave me a headache. I still really enjoy his books though, and might try and read them again. I also like the Sword of Truth series by Richard Goodkind.

[headtrauma]

Vic Tayback

[Fonzie]

No idea. My scout sucks.

[Super Ugly]

This is a really interesting idea for a thread. Not sure who to nominate yet, but I did read an interesting article today on Ayn Rand:

hxxp://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=408138&c=2

I've never read any of her books, but I'm curious. Which one would you recommend?

[whomario]

anthem, definitely. It is by far the most accessible as it is a) the shortest with only about 220 pages for the paperback (in comparison, Atlas Shrugged has well over a 1000 depending on edition) and b) the most straight-forward in that it´s not going over a whole lot of topics and basically focusses on 1 central theme of her world-view

Really gives you a brief glance, makes no sense to start with her non-fiction stuff or a monster of a book like Atlas Shrugged (which basically contains every single one of her ideas built into a pretty complex story).

Alternatively i´d say We The Living which is her first novel-like book (a couple screenplays before) which is more or less auto-biographic.

You can read or download Anthem for free at project Gutenberg if you don´t mind reading on the screen or have a device for it : Anthem by Ayn Rand - Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1250)

[3ric]

Tim Berners-Lee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_berners-lee)

[Karlifornia]

I had a whole list of people that I was going to name, but I decided that they only qualify as "very underrated", and not "very, very underrated"

[cuervo72]

Are we talking pre-6.0e "very underrated", or post-6.0e "very underrated?"

[Super Ugly]

anthem, definitely. It is by far the most accessible as it is a) the shortest with only about 220 pages for the paperback (in comparison, Atlas Shrugged has well over a 1000 depending on edition) and b) the most straight-forward in that it´s not going over a whole lot of topics and basically focusses on 1 central theme of her world-view



Thanks, I'll check it out.

[RomaGoth]

Pumpy Tudors is very, very underrated.

[Fidatelo]

The Tragically Hip (by everyone outside Canada)

[Pumpy Tudors]

Pumpy Tudors is very, very underrated.
Yes, he is. He most certainly is.

[Karlifornia]

The Tragically Hip (by everyone outside Canada)

Thread title clearly asks for individuals...try again.

[Fidatelo]

They are all individuals, and each is equally underrated.

[Schmidty]

Jon Cena.

Well, underrated by internet pseudo-intellectual wrestling fans anyway.