Fastest scientist and fastest engineer?

SciencishInquisition

I guess I'm interested in the overlap of the most sciencish runner and the fastest scientist.

Using that standard, I'll mention Dr. Thomas Wessinghage, who, I believe, ran 3:31 some years AFTER completing medical school.

Had Some Myself wrote:

What we need here is some equivalent to the Erdos-Bacon number.

Maybe the science side could be degrees of connection to publishing in Science (e.g. co-authored with someone who co-authored with someone who... published in Science) and degrees of victory over a world champion or world ranked #1 athlete (e.g. once defeated Alistair Cragg who once defeated Bekele).

On second thought the degrees of victory over world champ probably won't work out too well as it'd reward victories over people not in their prime.

Maybe some scale based on ratio WR:Best mark in competition.

Also only counting marks and publications produced in the same year.

And Dr. Delano Meriwether.

You could use h-index to quantify an academic scientist, or something related to nobel prizes or fields medals.

If we're allowed to include average college runners, this dude is a great scientist:

http://www.pnas.org/content/104/52/20651.full

"An avid runner from middle school on, Davis strode to the University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY) on a track and field scholarship and would letter in the sport. Of the many awards that he has received, one of the first was from the university for being the top scholar-athlete among all students in varsity sports. Today, the Warren and Katharine Schlinger Professor of Chemical Engineering at California Institute of Technology continues to run, competing in 100- and 200-meter events in master's track meets. Living close to the Pacific Ocean, he also scuba dives and travels around the world photographing sharks, rays, and whatever else he encounters underwater. "

Avocado's Number wrote:

I'll mention Dr. Thomas Wessinghage, who, I believe, ran 3:31 some years AFTER completing medical school.

Bob Kempainen did his best marathon running while he was in medical school, or more accurately, taking breaks from medical school (it took him seven years from his first class to his final rotation at the U. of Minnesota, I believe).

Uta Pippig earned a medical degree in Berlin in 1994, well before her most prominent successes. I believe that she planned to work as a pediatrician, but I don't think this ever happened.

Ed Eyestone has creds very similar to Pete's.

Kyle Heffner made the 1980 Olympic Team in the marathon and ran 2:10, and is also an exercise physiologist. Tony Sandoval won the 1980 Trials and I think he was a medical resident at the time.

Had Some Myself wrote:

What we need here is some equivalent to the Erdos-Bacon number.

Maybe the science side could be degrees of connection to publishing in Science (e.g. co-authored with someone who co-authored with someone who... published in Science) and degrees of victory over a world champion or world ranked #1 athlete (e.g. once defeated Alistair Cragg who once defeated Bekele).

I like this thinking -- I had a professor (Eric Bach) with a combined Erdos-Elvis number of 4.

But -- is degrees of victory/publishing sufficient? Some people have a lower number of very high impact contributions or races: quality vs. quantity. That is perhaps another philosophical discussion.

Anyway, a smart scientist should be able to devise an algorithm/formula to answer this question Once and For All.

Claire Hallissey has a Ph.D. in mucosal immunology.

... and Ron Hill has a Ph.D. in textile chemistry.

Bill Donakowski is an engineer and was a pretty fast marathoner (2:10:40).....think he still lives in the Berkeley area.

Thanks again for the comments. Designing an algorithm or system to rank the academic and athletic achievements is outside the scope of what Im trying to do here. However, I do want to make a list of exact and maybe even natural scientists/distance runners in a future (if you want to make such list, I would surely appreciate it). For now, I will stick to engineers

Having said that, I will continue researching and waiting your data to complete this list

ENGINEERING MEN

800 1:46.32 Andrew Baddeley (University of Cambridge - Aerospace Eng.)

1500 3:31.71 Kevin Sullivan (University of Michigan - Civil Eng.)

Steeple ?

5000 13:19.00 Daniele Meucci (University of Pisa - Automation Eng.)

10000 27:32.86 Daniele Meucci (University of Pisa - Automation Eng.)

Marathon 2:13:49 Daniele Meucci (University of Pisa - Automation Eng.)

ENGINEERING WOMEN

800 ?

1500 4:15.85 Freya Murray (Heriot Watt University - Structural Eng.)

Steeple ?

5000 15:02.00 Julia Bleasdale (University of Cambridge - ? )

10000 30:55.63 Julia Bleasdale (University of Cambridge - ?)

Marathon 2:28:10 Freya Murray (Heriot Watt University - Structural Eng.)

hey civil engineering doesn't count.

note: if I was an EE or ChemE I would be saying the same about MEs (AE, AutoE, ect) LOL

We are scientists wrote:

Thanks again for the comments. Designing an algorithm or system to rank the academic and athletic achievements is outside the scope of what Im trying to do here.

I was only half-kidding about the algorithm, but I like the list.

Say what you want about the distance and the runners, but how about Tim Twietmeyer for 100M (and possibly 50), esp. with regard to Western States?

Yup.

We are scientists wrote:

Touring is considered by many, including me, the most important person of the past century

Even more than Alexander Fleming?

Um...ever heard of Paul Gompers?

Edwin Moses

BS Physics

Jeff Wigand wrote:

We are scientists wrote:

Touring is considered by many, including me, the most important person of the past century

Even more than Alexander Fleming?

First of all, it's Alan Turing (not Touring). Turing is considered to be the father of computer science (and artificial intelligence).

Everything we have these days in computers and technology stems from the work of Turing and John Von Neumann (whom I'm quite sure was not a runner). Not to leave out Turing's so-called Enigma machine and the major impact it had against the Nazis.

90890 wrote:

Um...ever heard of Paul Gompers?

I was about to add both Donakowski and Gompers.

Gompers, American Junior Recordholder in the marathon is probably the most prolific academic researcher of anyone mentioned here. A biochemist as a Harvard undergrad, then sequed into a professor of economics at Harvard.

I could use an edit option and post this list in my original message...

Anyway, still waiting for more contributions!

ENGINEERING MEN

800 1:46.32 Andrew Baddeley (University of Cambridge - Aerospace Eng.)

1500 3:31.71 Kevin Sullivan (University of Michigan - Civil Eng.)

Steeple ?

5000 13:19.00 Daniele Meucci (University of Pisa - Automation Eng.)

10000 27:32.86 Daniele Meucci (University of Pisa - Automation Eng.)

Marathon 2:10:41 Bill Donakowski (University of Michigan - Mechanical Eng.)

ENGINEERING WOMEN

800 ?

1500 4:15.85 Freya Murray (Heriot Watt University - Structural Eng.)

Steeple ?

5000 15:02.00 Julia Bleasdale (University of Cambridge - ? )

10000 30:55.63 Julia Bleasdale (University of Cambridge - ?)

Marathon 2:28:10 Freya Murray (Heriot Watt University - Structural Eng.)

We are scientists wrote:

I could use an edit option and post this list in my original message...

Anyway, still waiting for more contributions!

You ignored Twietmeyer -- at your peril!

100M (trail) 16:51 Tim Twietmeyer (Hewlett Packard -- R&D Engineer/Manager)