Molly Wood

Executive editor at CNET and co-host of CNET’s Buzz Out Loud podcast, which I absolutely have to listen to every day on my drive home. 

Rosalind Franklin

Scientist and pioneer of DNA discoveries.  Franklin died in 1958 and was shortchanged when four years later Watson, Crick, and Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize for their contribution to the discovery of the double helix.  Her research has been critical to this discovery; ultimately Crick and Watson published their findings first, which Franklin had helped them with.  A fair amount of backstabbing went into the study of the double helix.

Pierre de Fermat

Fermat was a mathematician largely credited for the development of calculus.  His Last Theorem apparently took a very long time to solve.  I don’t have a clue why the Last Theorem is important; I only know of him because an old friend was trying to write a play about it.  My brain just doesn’t work this way.  I’d rather be watching Dirty Jobs.   

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Wittgenstein was one of the important 20th century philosophers.  His work is primarily concerned with logic and language.  He dabbled in piano, and in his early years he lived to antagonize Bertrand Russell.

Kim Goodman

Kim Goodman holds the Guinness world record for eyeball popping.  She can extend her eyeballs out almost a 1/2 inch from their rightful place.