Unknown scientist who changed the world

1955-Present

If it weren't for Tim Berners-Lee, you would not be able to read this article. He is the man responsible for the introduction of the World Wide Web, having developed it as a communication utility while working at CERN, the European Particle Physics Laboratory. Remarkably, he refused to patent his invention, giving it as a gift to the world instead. The internet has since revolutionized the way people communicate, as well as their ability to acquire information and the speed and efficiency with which global commerce operates. His invention was a truly revolutionary moment in communication, with the potential to surpass the discoveries of Marconi and Alexander Graham-Bell.

1868-1934

Fritz Haber was a German chemist whose work encapsulates both the wonder and the horror which science can uncover. Haber lends his name to a process for the industrial synthesis of ammonia, an important component of fertilizer in modern agriculture. This has helped in the intensive food production which has characterized the modern world, and in turn made possible the massive population growth of the 20th century. He was heavily involved in the development of chemical weapons such as chlorine gas for the Germans in World War I, and he is named by some as the father of chemical warfare. Haber's work helped the development of cyanide gas, used by the Nazis for some of the worst atrocities in human history.

1831-1879

Acclaimed by some as the father of modern physics, James Clerk Maxwell is a hugely influential figure in the fields of electricity, thermodynamics, photography, nuclear energy, and others. His discovery of the electromagnetic spectrum led to the development of television, radio, microwaves, as well as aiding in the development of radio and infrared telescopes. His equations on the electromagnetic field were essential for the Special Theory of Relativity, by one Albert Einstein. He also produced the first color photograph, a picture of a tartan ribbon. His work actually marked a departure from the work of another great scientist, Isaac Newton, and helped to inform the science behind many of the great technological developments of the modern era.