List Envy

Top 5 physicists who influence our daily lives

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We’re all standing on the shoulders of giants. And there are no more impressive shoulders to stand on than the great physicists of the 19th and 20th centuries.


This week, Mark is in conversation with author and teacher Katherine Benfante, to determine who wins physics.


  • (00:00) - We need physics!
  • (00:32) - Introduction
  • (02:37) - Katherine’s pick: Sir Isaac Newton
  • (05:01) - Mark’s pick: Joseph Swan
  • (07:29) - Katherine’s pick: James Clerk Maxwell
  • (13:53) - Mark’s pick: William Shockley
  • (15:41) - Katherine’s pick: Ernest Rutherford
  • (19:13) - Mark’s pick: Heinrich Hertz
  • (21:22) - Katherine’s pick: Albert Einstein
  • (25:23) - Mark’s pick: Guglielmo Marconi
  • (28:12) - Katherine’s pick: Stephen Hawking
  • (33:26) - Mark’s pick: Alexander Graham Bell
  • (35:32) - Midamble
  • (38:28) - Building the final list
  • (41:26) - Honourable mentions
  • (42:13) - Katherine’s p ick: Sir Isaac Newton
  • (45:08) - Scattered


    • Find Katherine via her website, buy her book Scattered on Amazon, or follow her on Twitter.

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    List EnvyBy Mark Steadman