The biography of each scientist allows you to better understand his path to great achievements and get acquainted with some interesting facts. In order to have an idea of ​​the path that science takes, it is worth studying in detail at least a few stories about its leading figures.

The most significant figures

In each area it is worth paying attention to the most significant scientist. Thus, Fleming was the best British physician. The most important inventor from Russia is Popov. Leonardo da Vinci, as a true man of the Renaissance, showed many varied talents. Pascal, Tesla and others are the best mathematicians and physicists, whose contributions are visible in modern life. Which of them is the most? Each is equally worthy of attention.

Alexander Fleming

The future inventor of penicillin was born in August 1881 in the small Scottish town of Lochfield. After completing his secondary education, he went to London and became a student at the Royal Polytechnic Institute. On the advice of a professional physicist and his brother Tom, Alexander decided to pursue a career in science, and in 1903 he joined St. Mary's Hospital and began his surgical practice. After the war, where he saw a lot of death, Fleming decided to find a medicine that would cope with infections. Famous English scientists have already worked on the issue, but no one managed to achieve significant results. The only thing that was invented was an antiseptic, which only reduced the body’s protective functions. Fleming proved that such treatment is not suitable for treating deep wounds. By 1928, he began studying bacteria from the staphylococcal family. One day, returning from vacation, Fleming discovered fungal colonies on the table that had infected harmful microorganisms. The scientist decided to grow mold in pure form and isolated penicillin from it. Until the forties, he perfected its form and soon its production became large-scale and was accepted in hospitals. In 1944, together with his colleague, Flory received a knighthood. The names of famous scientists reached the Nobel Committee, and already in 1945 they received a prize in the field of medicine. The Royal College of Physicians made Fleming an honorary member. Not all famous English scientists can boast of such achievements. Fleming is an outstanding talent and a person worthy of mention on any list of the world's best doctors.

Gregor Mendel

Many famous scientists did not receive a thorough education. For example, Gregor Mendel was born in July 1882 into a family of simple peasants and studied at a theological institute. He acquired all his deep knowledge of biology on his own. Soon he began teaching, and then went to the university in Vienna, where he began to study hybrid plants. With the help of many experiments on peas, he developed a theory about the laws of inheritance. The names of famous scientists often went to their inventions, and Mendel was no exception. Gregor's works did not interest his contemporaries; he quit his job in the laboratory and became an abbot in a monastery. The revolutionary nature of his discoveries and their deep meaning became noticeable to biologists only at the beginning of the twentieth century, after the death of Gregor Mendel. Famous scientists in Russia and the world still use his theories today. Mendel's principles are studied in basic level in schools.

Leonardo da Vinci

Few famous scientists are as popular as Leonardo. He was not just an outstanding physicist, but also a creator, his paintings and sculptures delight people all over the world, and his life itself serves as a source of inspiration for his works: he is truly interesting and mysterious person. Greatest figure Renaissance was born in April 1452. Since childhood, Leonardo was interested in painting, architecture, and sculpture. He was distinguished by his impressive knowledge in the fields of natural science, physics and mathematics. Many of his works were appreciated only centuries later, and his contemporaries often did not pay attention to them. Leonardo was keen on the idea, but he failed to implement a working project. In addition, he studied many of the laws of fluid and hydraulics. Famous scientists are rarely famous as artists. Leonardo is a great artist, the author of the famous “La Gioconda” and the painting “The Last Supper”. Numerous manuscripts remained after him. Many foreign and famous Russian scientists still use the work of da Vinci, created by him before 1519, when he died while in France.

Blaise Pascal

This French scientist was born in June 1623 in Clermont-Ferrand, in the family of a judge. Pascal's father was known for his love of science. In 1631, the family moved to Paris, where Blaise wrote his first work on the sound of vibrating bodies - this happened when the boy was only 11 years old. Few famous scientists in Russia and the world can boast of such early success! Blaise surprised people with his mathematical abilities; he was able to prove that the sum of the angles of a triangle is equal to two right angles. At 16 he wrote a treatise on a hexagon inscribed in a circle. On its basis, the famous Pascal theorem will later be developed. In 1642 Blaise developed a mechanical calculating machine that could perform addition and subtraction operations. However, like many other famous scientists and their discoveries, Blaise and his “Pascalina” never became too famous among his contemporaries. Today, his variations on the theme of calculating machines are kept in the best museums in Europe. In addition, Pascal’s contribution to science is invaluable - modern scientists also use his calculations.

Alexander Popov

Many famous Russian scientists made inventions that are still used throughout the world. This includes the creator of the radio, who was born in a Ural village into the family of a priest. He received his first education at a theological school, after which he entered the seminary. Having gone to the University of St. Petersburg, Popov encountered financial difficulties, so he had to work in parallel with his studies. Alexander became interested in physics and began teaching it in Kronstadt. From 1901 he served as a professor at the Institute of Electrical Engineering in St. Petersburg, and then became its rector. The main interest of his life remained inventions and experiments. He studied electromagnetic oscillations. In 1895 he introduced the radio receiver to the public. Since 1897 he worked on its improvement. Popov’s assistants Rybkin and Troitsky confirmed the possibility of using it to receive signals by ear. Popov made the final modifications and thereby created a device that is now found in almost every home.

Nikola Tesla

This scientist was born in Austria-Hungary. Like Popov, Tesla was the son of a priest. In 1870 he graduated from high school and entered college, where he became interested in electrical engineering. He worked as a teacher at a gymnasium for several years, after which he went to the University of Prague. At the same time, Nikola worked for a telegraph company, and then for Edison. Throughout my years of study, I tried to invent an electric motor that runs on alternating current. He moved to the USA, where he carried out successful work to improve the machine created by Edison. However, Tesla did not receive any money from him, after which he quit and founded his own laboratory in New York. By the beginning of the twentieth century, Nikola already had several patents - he invented a frequency meter and an electricity meter. In 1915 he was nominated for the Nobel Prize. Never stopped working and made significant contributions to science, he died in 1943 after an accident - Tesla was hit by a car, and broken ribs led to too complicated pneumonia.

Friedrich Schiller

As everyone knows very well, famous scientists can be not only in the field. An excellent example for this is a historian and philosopher who has done a lot for his fields of knowledge and made an invaluable contribution to the literary heritage. He was born in 1759 in the Holy Roman Empire, but already in 1763 he moved with his family to Germany. In 1766 he ended up in Ludwigsburg, where he graduated from the medical faculty. Schiller began to create while still studying, and in 1781 his first drama was published and received such recognition that it was staged in the theater the following year. This play is still considered one of the first and most successful melodramas in Europe. Throughout his life, Schiller created, translated plays from other languages, and also taught history and philosophy at universities.

Abraham Maslow

Abraham Maslow is proof that famous scientists can be not only mathematicians and physicists. Absolutely everyone knows his theory of self-realization. Maslow was born in 1908 in New York. His parents treated him poorly and humiliated him in every possible way, and his Jewish origin became the reason for anti-Semitic behavior from his peers. This developed an inferiority complex in little Abraham, causing him to hide in the library and spend his days reading books. Later, he gradually began to establish himself in life - first at the High School, participating in various clubs, and then at the Faculty of Psychology, where he received a master's degree in 1931. In 1937, Maslow became a member of the faculty of a college in Brooklyn, where he worked most of his life. When the war began, Maslow was no longer fit for service, but he learned a lot from this bloody event - it influenced his research in the field of humanistic psychology. In 1943, Maslow developed his famous Theory of Personal Motivation, in which he stated that every person has a pyramid of needs that require satisfaction in order to achieve self-actualization. In 1954, he published the book “Motivation and Personality,” where he explained and developed his theory in as much detail as possible.

Albert Einstein

Any discussion on the topic “Famous Scientists and Their Discoveries” will not be complete without mentioning Albert Einstein, the brilliant physicist who stands at the origins of the modern understanding of this science. Einstein was born in Germany in 1879, he was always a modest and quiet boy, did not stand out from other children. And only when he became interested in Kant did Einstein discover his talent for the exact sciences. This helped him successfully graduate from high school and then from the Polytechnic of Zurich in Switzerland, where he moved. While still in college, he began writing various articles and other works, and conducting research. Naturally, this ultimately led to a number of discoveries that are known throughout the world - the theory of relativity, the photoelectric effect, and so on. After some time, Einstein moved to the USA, got a job there at Princeton and set himself the goal of working on the theory of the unified

Andre-Marie Ampère

Famous scientists of the world who worked in the field of physics are not limited to Einstein. For example, André-Marie Ampère was born in 1775 in France. His father did not want his son to study centrally, so he taught him himself, and books also helped him in this. Ampere was literally brought up on the works of Rousseau, which affected his further works. After the Revolution and the death of his father, Ampere marries and returns to normal life. He continued to teach, and in 1802 he became a teacher of mathematics and chemistry at one of the schools. However, at the same time, he conducted research on his famous theory of probability, because of which he ended up at the Paris Academy and wrote one of his most recognized works, “Mathematical Theory of Games.” In 1809 Ampere received the title of professor, and in 1814 he became a member of the Academy of Sciences. After this, he moved on to research in the field of electrodynamics, and in 1826 he created his most famous work, “Scientific Essay on the Mathematical Theory of Electrodynamic Phenomena.”

Until the 19th century, the concept of “biology” did not exist, and those who studied nature were called natural scientists, naturalists. Now these scientists are called the founders of biological sciences. Let us remember who the Russian biologists were (and we will briefly describe their discoveries) who influenced the development of biology as a science and laid the foundation for its new directions.

Vavilov N.I. (1887-1943)

Our biologists and their discoveries are known throughout the world. Among the most famous is Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov, a Soviet botanist, geographer, breeder, and geneticist. Born into a merchant family, he was educated at the Agricultural Institute. For twenty years he led scientific expeditions studying the plant world. He traveled almost the entire globe, with the exception of Australia and Antarctica. He collected a unique collection of seeds of various plants.

During his expeditions, the scientist identified centers of origin cultivated plants. He suggested that there were certain centers of their origin. He made a huge contribution to the study of plant immunity and revealed what made it possible to establish patterns in evolution flora. In 1940, the botanist was arrested on trumped-up charges of embezzlement. Died in prison, posthumously rehabilitated.

Kovalevsky A.O. (1840-1901)

Among the pioneers, domestic biologists occupy a worthy place. And their discoveries influenced the development of world science. Among the world-famous researchers of invertebrates is Alexander Onufrievich Kovalevsky, embryologist and biologist. He was educated at St. Petersburg University. He studied marine animals and undertook expeditions to the Red, Caspian, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. He created the Sevastopol Marine Biological Station and was its director for a long time. He made a huge contribution to aquarium husbandry.

Alexander Onufrievich studied embryology and physiology of invertebrates. He was a supporter of Darwinism and studied the mechanisms of evolution. Conducted research in the field of physiology, anatomy and histology of invertebrates. He became one of the founders of evolutionary embryology and histology.

Mechnikov I.I. (1845-1916)

Our biologists and their discoveries were appreciated throughout the world. Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1908. Mechnikov was born into the family of an officer and received his education at Kharkov University. He discovered intracellular digestion, cellular immunity, and proved, using embryological methods, the common origin of vertebrates and invertebrates.

He worked on issues of evolutionary and comparative embryology and, together with Kovalevsky, became the founder of this scientific direction. Mechnikov's works were of great importance in the fight against infectious diseases, typhoid, tuberculosis, cholera. The scientist was interested in the aging process. He believed that premature death is caused by poisoning with microbial toxins and promoted hygienic methods of control; he assigned a large role to the restoration of intestinal microflora with the help of fermented milk products. The scientist created the Russian school of immunology, microbiology, and pathology.

Pavlov I.P. (1849-1936)

What contribution did domestic biologists and their discoveries make to the study of higher nervous activity? The first Russian Nobel laureate in the field of medicine was Ivan Petrovich Pavlov for his work on the physiology of digestion. The great Russian biologist and physiologist became the creator of the science of higher nervous activity. He introduced the concept of unconditioned and conditioned reflexes.

The scientist came from a family of clergy and himself graduated from the Ryazan Theological Seminary. But in my last year I read a book by I.M. Sechenov about brain reflexes and became interested in biology and medicine. He studied animal physiology at St. Petersburg University. Pavlov, using surgical methods, studied the physiology of digestion in detail for 10 years and received the Nobel Prize for this research. The next area of ​​interest was higher nervous activity, to which he devoted 35 years to study. He introduced the basic concepts of the science of behavior - conditioned and unconditioned reflexes, reinforcement.

Koltsov N.K. (1872-1940)

We continue the topic “Domestic biologists and their discoveries.” Nikolai Konstantinovich Koltsov - biologist, founder of the school of experimental biology. Born into a family of an accountant. He graduated from Moscow University, where he studied comparative anatomy and embryology and collected scientific material in European laboratories. Organized a laboratory of experimental biology at the Shanyavsky People's University.

He studied the biophysics of the cell, the factors that determine its shape. These works were included in science under the name “Koltsov’s principle”. Koltsov is one of the founders of the first laboratories and the department of experimental biology in Russia. The scientist founded three biological stations. He became the first Russian scientist to use the physicochemical method in biological research.

Timiryazev K.A. (1843-1920)

Domestic biologists and their discoveries in the field of plant physiology contributed to the development of the scientific foundations of agronomy. Timiryazev Kliment Arkadyevich was a naturalist, a researcher of photosynthesis and a promoter of Darwin's ideas. The scientist came from a noble family and graduated from St. Petersburg University.

Timiryazev studied plant nutrition, photosynthesis, and drought resistance. The scientist was engaged not only in pure science, but also attached great importance to the practical application of research. He was in charge of an experimental field where he tested various fertilizers and recorded their effect on the crop. Thanks to this research, agriculture has made significant progress along the path of intensification.

Michurin I.V. (1855-1935)

Russian biologists and their discoveries have significantly influenced agriculture and horticulture. Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin - and breeder. His ancestors were small-scale nobles, from whom the scientist adopted an interest in gardening. Even in early childhood, he looked after the garden, many of the trees in which were grafted by his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Michurin began selection work in a rented, neglected estate. During the period of his activity, he developed more than 300 varieties of cultivated plants, including those adapted to the conditions of central Russia.

Tikhomirov A.A. (1850-1931)

Russian biologists and their discoveries helped develop new directions in agriculture. Alexander Andreevich Tikhomirov - biologist, doctor of zoology and rector of Moscow University. He received a law degree at St. Petersburg University, but became interested in biology and received a second degree at Moscow University in the department of natural sciences. The scientist discovered such a phenomenon as artificial parthenogenesis, one of the most important sections in individual development. He made a great contribution to the development of sericulture.

Sechenov I.M. (1829-1905)

The topic “Famous biologists and their discoveries” will be incomplete without mentioning Ivan Mikhailovich Sechenov. This is a famous Russian evolutionary biologist, physiologist and educator. Born into a landowner's family, he received his education at the Main Engineering School and Moscow University.

The scientist examined the brain and discovered a center that causes inhibition of the central nervous system, proved the influence of the brain on muscle activity. He wrote the classic work “Reflexes of the Brain,” where he formulated the idea that conscious and unconscious acts are performed in the form of reflexes. He imagined the brain as a computer that controls all life processes. Substantiated the respiratory function of blood. The scientist created the domestic school of physiology.

Ivanovsky D.I. (1864-1920)

The end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries was the time when great Russian biologists worked. And their discoveries (a table of any size could not contain their list) contributed to the development of medicine and biology. Among them is Dmitry Iosifovich Ivanovsky, a physiologist, microbiologist and founder of virology. He was educated at St. Petersburg University. Even during his studies, he showed interest in plant diseases.

The scientist suggested that diseases are caused by tiny bacteria or toxins. The viruses themselves were seen using an electron microscope only 50 years later. It is Ivanovsky who is considered the founder of virology as a science. The scientist studied the process of alcoholic fermentation and the influence of chlorophyll and oxygen on it, as well as soil microbiology.

Chetverikov S.S. (1880-1959)

Russian biologists and their discoveries made a great contribution to the development of genetics. Chetverikov Sergei Sergeevich was born a scientist in the family of a manufacturer, and received his education at Moscow University. This is an outstanding evolutionary geneticist who organized the study of heredity in animal populations. Thanks to these studies, the scientist is considered the founder of evolutionary genetics. He laid the foundation for a new discipline - population genetics.

You have read the article “Famous domestic biologists and their discoveries.” A table of their achievements can be compiled based on the proposed material.

They changed our world and significantly influenced the lives of many generations.

Great physicists and their discoveries

(1856-1943) - inventor in the field of electrical and radio engineering of Serbian origin. Nikola is called the father of modern electricity. He made many discoveries and inventions, receiving more than 300 patents for his creations in all the countries where he worked. Nikola Tesla was not only a theoretical physicist, but also a brilliant engineer who created and tested his inventions.
Tesla discovered alternating current wireless transmission energy, electricity, his work led to the discovery of x-rays, created a machine that caused vibrations in the surface of the earth. Nikola predicted the advent of an era of robots capable of doing any job.

(1643-1727) - one of the fathers of classical physics. Justified the movement of the planets solar system around the Sun, as well as the onset of tides. Newton created the foundation for modern physical optics. The pinnacle of his work is the famous law of universal gravitation.

John Dalton- English physical chemist. Discovered the law of uniform expansion of gases when heated, the law of multiple ratios, the phenomenon of polymerization (using the example of ethylene and butylene). Creator of the atomic theory of the structure of matter.

Michael Faraday(1791 - 1867) - English physicist and chemist, founder of the doctrine of the electromagnetic field. He made so many scientific discoveries during his life that they would be enough for a dozen scientists to immortalize his name.

(1867 - 1934) - physicist and chemist of Polish origin. Together with her husband, she discovered the elements radium and polonium. She worked on problems of radioactivity.

Robert Boyle(1627 - 1691) - English physicist, chemist and theologian. Together with R. Townley, he established the dependence of the volume of the same mass of air on pressure at a constant temperature (Boyle - Mariotta law).

Ernest Rutherford- English physicist, unraveled the nature of induced radioactivity, discovered the emanation of thorium, radioactive decay and its law. Rutherford is often rightly called one of the titans of 20th century physics.

- German physicist, creator of the general theory of relativity. He suggested that all bodies do not attract each other, as was believed since the time of Newton, but bend the surrounding space and time. Einstein wrote more than 350 papers on physics. He is the creator of the special (1905) and general theories of relativity (1916), the principle of equivalence of mass and energy (1905). He developed many scientific theories: quantum photoelectric effect and quantum heat capacity. Together with Planck, he developed the foundations of quantum theory, which represents the basis of modern physics.

Alexander Stoletov- Russian physicist, found that the value of the saturation photocurrent is proportional to the light flux incident on the cathode. He came close to establishing the laws of electrical discharges in gases.

(1858-1947) - German physicist, creator of quantum theory, which made a true revolution in physics. Classical physics, as opposed to modern physics, now means “physics before Planck.”

Paul Dirac- English physicist, discovered the statistical distribution of energy in a system of electrons. Received the Nobel Prize in Physics "for the discovery of new productive forms of atomic theory."

Aristotle (384–322 BC)

Aristotle is an ancient Greek scientist, encyclopedist, philosopher and logician, founder of classical (formal) logic. Considered one of the greatest geniuses in history and the most influential philosopher of antiquity. He made a huge contribution to the development of logic and natural sciences, especially astronomy, physics and biology. Although many of his scientific theories were refuted, they greatly contributed to the search for new hypotheses to explain them.

Archimedes (287–212 BC)

Archimedes was an ancient Greek mathematician, inventor, astronomer, physicist and engineer. Generally considered the greatest mathematician of all time and one of the leading scientists of the classical period of antiquity. His contributions to the field of physics include the fundamental principles of hydrostatics, statics, and the explanation of the principle of lever action. He is credited with inventing innovative machinery, including siege engines and the screw pump named after him. Archimedes also invented the spiral that bears his name, formulas for calculating the volumes of surfaces of revolution, and an original system for expressing very large numbers.

Galileo (1564–1642)

In eighth place in the ranking of the greatest scientists in the history of the world is Galileo, an Italian physicist, astronomer, mathematician and philosopher. He has been called the "father of observational astronomy" and the "father of modern physics". Galileo was the first to use a telescope to observe celestial bodies. Thanks to this, he made a number of outstanding astronomical discoveries, such as the discovery of the four largest satellites of Jupiter, sunspots, the rotation of the Sun, and also established that Venus changes phases. He also invented the first thermometer (without a scale) and proportional compass.

Michael Faraday (1791–1867)

Michael Faraday was an English physicist and chemist, primarily known for the discovery of electromagnetic induction. Faraday also discovered the chemical effect of current, diamagnetism, the effect of a magnetic field on light, and the laws of electrolysis. He also invented the first, albeit primitive, electric motor, and the first transformer. He introduced the terms cathode, anode, ion, electrolyte, diamagnetism, dielectric, paramagnetism, etc. In 1824 he discovered the chemical elements benzene and isobutylene. Some historians consider Michael Faraday to be the best experimentalist in the history of science.

Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931)

Thomas Alva Edison is an American inventor and businessman, founder of the prestigious scientific magazine Science. Considered one of the most prolific inventors of his time, with a record number of patents issued to his name - 1,093 in the United States and 1,239 in other countries. Among his inventions are the creation in 1879 of an electric incandescent lamp, a system for distributing electricity to consumers, a phonograph, improvements in the telegraph, telephone, film equipment, etc.

Marie Curie (1867–1934)

Marie Skłodowska-Curie - French physicist and chemist, teacher, public figure, pioneer in the field of radiology. The only woman to win a Nobel Prize in two different fields of science - physics and chemistry. The first woman professor to teach at the Sorbonne University. Her achievements include the development of the theory of radioactivity, methods for separating radioactive isotopes, and the discovery of two new chemical elements- radium and polonium. Marie Curie is one of the inventors who died from their inventions.

Louis Pasteur (1822–1895)

Louis Pasteur - French chemist and biologist, one of the founders of microbiology and immunology. He discovered the microbiological essence of fermentation and many human diseases. Initiated a new department of chemistry - stereochemistry. Most important achievement Pasteur's work on bacteriology and virology is considered, as a result of which the first vaccines against rabies and anthrax were created. His name is widely known thanks to the pasteurization technology he created and later named after him. All of Pasteur's works became a striking example of the combination of fundamental and applied research in the fields of chemistry, anatomy and physics.

Sir Isaac Newton (1643–1727)

Isaac Newton was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, historian, biblical scholar and alchemist. He is the discoverer of the laws of motion. Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of universal gravitation, laid the foundations of classical mechanics, formulated the principle of conservation of momentum, laid the foundations of modern physical optics, built the first reflecting telescope and developed the theory of color, formulated the empirical law of heat transfer, constructed the theory of the speed of sound, proclaimed the theory of the origin of stars and many other mathematical and physical theories. Newton was also the first to describe the phenomenon of tides mathematically.

Albert Einstein (1879–1955)

Second place in the list of the greatest scientists in the history of the world is occupied by Albert Einstein - a German physicist of Jewish origin, one of the greatest theoretical physicists of the twentieth century, the creator of the general and special theory of relativity, discovered the law of the relationship between mass and energy, as well as many other significant physical theories. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect. Author of more than 300 scientific papers on physics and 150 books and articles in the field of history, philosophy, journalism, etc.

Nikola Tesla (1856–1943)

The presentation of the Nobel Prize is one of the main scientific events of the year. This prize is one of the most prestigious awards, which since 1901 has been awarded for outstanding scientific research, revolutionary inventions, major contributions to culture or to the development of society. The prize was awarded to citizens of Russia and the USSR 16 times, and 23 times the prize winners were people who lived in other countries but had Russian roots. Our author's selection of Russian laureates in the field of medicine, physics and chemistry allows you to trace several time periods at the turn of which the prize was awarded, and you can also get acquainted with the contribution to science that these outstanding scientists made.

Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1904 – medicine).

We say “Pavlov” and immediately think of dogs. Those famous “Pavlov’s dogs”, which the scientist taught to salivate when the bell rang, thereby opening up conditioned reflexes.

Ivan Petrovich Pavlov built his entire scientific career in St. Petersburg. Having entered the law (!) Faculty of St. Petersburg State University after theological seminary, after 17 days he transferred to the Faculty of Natural Sciences and began to specialize in animal physiology.

During his scientific career, Pavlov essentially created modern physiology of digestion. And in 1904, at the age of 55, I.P. Pavlov was awarded the Nobel Prize for his research on the digestive glands. Thus, Pavlov became the first Nobel laureate from Russia.

Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov (1908 – medicine)

Medicine in the 19th century Russian Empire was in its prime. Russian scientists invented anesthesia and compiled detailed anatomical atlases that are still used today. And if such wonderful scientists as N.I. Pirogov, P.A. Zagorsky, F.I. Inozemtsev, E.O. Mukhin and others did not receive the Nobel Prize, this is only because in their times it simply did not exist.

Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, following in the footsteps of his great predecessors, studied microbiology. He discovered fungi that cause insect diseases and developed a theory of immunity. His scientific works touched on the most terrible diseases of that time, spreading in the form of epidemics - cholera, typhus, tuberculosis, plague... For his discoveries in the field of immunity, Mechnikov was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1908.

The sharp increase in life expectancy in the 20th century was due largely to the victory over infectious diseases, which were responsible for about 50% of deaths in the 19th century. And Mechnikov’s works played an important role in this.

Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov paid a lot of attention to issues of aging. He believed that a person ages and dies very early due to the constant struggle with microbes. To increase life expectancy, he proposed a number of measures - sterilize food, limit meat consumption and consume dairy products.

Nikolai Nikolaevich Semenov (1956 – chemistry)

Nikolai Nikolaevich Semenov is the first Soviet Nobel laureate. For almost forty years, from the October Revolution to the 50s, all the scientific discoveries of Soviet scientists were ignored by the rest of the world. Not least because of the “iron curtain” built by Stalin.

As a scientist, Semenov studied the theory of “chain reaction”, explosions and combustion. It turned out that these processes closely connect physics and chemistry. Thus, N.N. Semenov became one of the founders of chemical physics. His research was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1956.

Nikolay Semenov preferred to focus on one task until he got a result. Therefore, he published a very small number of scientific papers. And if you use modern assessment methods scientific achievements, which are based on the number of articles in scientific journals, Semenov would become the worst employee of the Institute of Chemical Physics during its entire existence.

Lev Davidovich Landau (1962 – physics)

Lev Davidovich Landau was very well versed in mathematics from childhood. At the age of 12, he learned to solve differential equations, and at the age of 14 he entered the Baku University, studying two faculties at once: chemistry and physics. It is not known what discoveries in chemistry we would owe to Landau, but he ultimately chose physics as his specialty.

In the course of his scientific work, Lev Davidovich Landau had the opportunity to communicate with such pillars of modern physics as Albert Einstein, Paul Dirac, Werner Heisenberg, Niels Bohr, and already at the age of 19 Landau made a fundamental contribution to quantum theory. His concept of the Density Matrix became the basis of quantum statistics.

Landau is considered a legend in the world of physics. He contributed to almost all areas of modern physics: quantum mechanics, magnetism, superconductivity, astrophysics, atomic physics, theory of chemical reactions, etc. Landau is also the author of a training course on theoretical physics, which has been translated into 20 languages ​​and continues to be republished in the 21st century (the latest edition in Russian was published in 2007).

Werner Heisenberg nominated Landau for the Nobel Prize three times - in 1959, 1960 and 1962. And finally, his efforts were rewarded, and Landau’s work was appreciated. For his research on liquid helium, Lev Davidovich Landau became a Nobel Laureate in 1962.

Lev Landau also developed the “theory of happiness”. He believed that every person must be happy, and for this you need to have a job you love, family and close friends.

Nikolai Gennadievich Basov (1964 – physics)

At the beginning of the 20th century, it seemed that physics had finished its development. Many scientists believed that fundamental discoveries and breakthroughs were no longer possible; humanity had largely understood and described physical laws. And just a few years later an incredible breakthrough happened - quantum physics, the discovery of atoms, the theory of relativity.

Based on new fundamental physical principles, discoveries, new laws and inventions poured out of a cornucopia.

Nikolai Gennadievich Basov specialized in quantum electronics. His research first proved the theoretical possibility of creating a laser, and then made it possible to create the world's first maser (it differs from a laser in that it uses microwaves rather than light rays).

It was for “fundamental work in the field of quantum electronics, which led to the creation of generators and amplifiers based on the laser-maser principle,” that Basov was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1964.

Until the end of his life, Basov continued to work in his chosen field. He designed several types of lasers that are still used today in a variety of fields, and also explored various areas of laser application, for example, in optics, chemistry, and medicine.

Petr Leonidovich Kapitsa (1978 – physics)

And again physics. Interesting fact, but Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa wrote his first scientific work together with Nikolai Semenov, whom we mentioned above. True, in 1918, neither one nor the other knew that both would become Nobel laureates.

Kapitsa's scientific specialization was magnetism. The scientist’s contribution to science is appreciated; the following are named after him: “Kapitsa’s law,” connecting the electrical resistance of metals and the voltage of the magnetic field; “Kapitsa pendulum” – a phenomenon of stable disequilibrium; The quantum mechanical Kapitsa-Dirac effect is also known.

Together with Landau, Kapitsa studied liquid helium and discovered its superfluidity. Landau built the theoretical model, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize. But Pyotr Leonidovich had to wait for recognition of his merits. Niels Bohr recommended Kapitsa to the Nobel Committee back in 1948, then repeated the recommendations in 1956 and 1960. But the award found its hero only 18 years later, and only in 1978 did Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa finally become a Nobel laureate - the last in the history of the Soviet Union.

Zhores Ivanovich Alferov (2000 – physics)

Despite the fact that science in the post-Soviet space has fallen into serious decline, our physicists continue to make discoveries that surprise the world. In 2000, 2003 and 2010, the Nobel Prizes in Physics were awarded to Russian scientists. And the first Nobel laureate Russian Federation became Zhores Ivanovich Alferov.

The scientist's scientific career took place in Leningrad (St. Petersburg). Alferov entered the Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute (LETI) without exams. After graduating from the institute, he began working at the A.F. Physico-Technical Institute. Joffe, where he took part in the development of the first domestic transistors.

Alferov's greatest scientific successes are associated with electronics and nanotechnology. In 2000, his developments in the field of semiconductors and microelectronic components were awarded the Nobel Prize.

Alferov is the permanent dean of the Faculty of Physics and Technology of St. Petersburg State University, the founding rector of the Academic University of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the scientific director of the innovation center in Skolkovo.

Alferov is also involved in public policy, since 1995 he has been a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, where he defends the interests of the scientific community, in particular opposing recent reforms Russian Academy Sci.