Living Legends: 90 Under 90

In the spirit of celebrating longevity, brilliance, and the profound impact on our world, we present a vibrant tour-de-force of living scholars and contributors to science and well-being. Inspired by the jestful aspiration to make it to a "90 Under 90" list, akin to the renowned "30 Under 30" style lists, we invite you to embark on a journey through the lives and achievements of these remarkable individuals. Our collective goal is to recognize, learn from, and engage with these luminaries who continue to shape our understanding of the world and push the boundaries of human knowledge.

As we delve into the contributions of these exceptional minds, we encourage you to share your thoughts, opinions, and favorites. Many of these distinguished individuals are accessible on platforms like LinkedIn, offering us a unique opportunity to connect and be inspired by their ongoing work. Let’s celebrate their achievements, learn from their experiences, and draw inspiration for our paths forward. Together, we can build a community of learners and doers who honor the past while forging a brighter future.

1. David Attenborough (1926) - Broadcaster and natural historian, renowned for wildlife documentaries

2. Noam Chomsky (1928) - Linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and social critic

3. James Watson (1928) - Molecular biologist, co-discoverer of DNA structure

4. Eric Kandel (1929) - Neuropsychiatrist and Nobel laureate for studies on memory storage

5. Jürgen Habermas (1929) - German philosopher and sociologist known for his work on communicative rationality and the public sphere.

6. Tu Youyou (1930) - Pharmaceutical chemist and Nobel laureate for discovering artemisinin

7. Martin Karplus (1930) - Theoretical chemist and Nobel laureate for multiscale models of complex chemical systems

8. Sir Roger Penrose (1931) - Mathematician and physicist, known for work in mathematical physics and cosmology

9. Elliott H. Lieb (1932) - Mathematical physicist, contributions to statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics

10. Rainer Weiss (1932) - Physicist and Nobel laureate for gravitational wave detector LIGO

11. Francois Englert (1932) - Theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate for the Higgs mechanism

12. John Gurdon (1933) - Developmental biologist and Nobel laureate for cell reprogramming

13. Amartya Sen (1933) - Economist and Nobel laureate for welfare economics

14. C. N. R. Rao (1934) - Indian chemist, known for work in solid-state and materials chemistry

15. Jane Goodall (1934) - Primatologist and anthropologist, known for groundbreaking work with chimpanzees

16. James Peebles (1935) - Physicist and Nobel laureate for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology

17. Mario Capecchi (1937) - Geneticist and Nobel laureate for gene targeting in mouse embryo-stem cells

18. Jared Diamond (1937) - Geographer, historian, and author of "Guns, Germs, and Steel"

19. Ratan Tata (1937) - Indian industrialist and philanthropist, former chairman of Tata Group

20. Raj Reddy (1937) - Indian-American computer scientist, pioneer in AI and robotics

21. David Baltimore (1938) - Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine for reverse transcriptase discovery

22. Jean-Marie Lehn (1939) - Chemist and Nobel laureate for development of supramolecular chemistry

23. Jean-Pierre Herve (1939) - French mathematician known for contributions to various fields of mathematics, including algebra and number theory.

24. George Whitesides (1939) - Chemist, known for contributions to nanotechnology and soft lithography

25. Harold Varmus (1939) - Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine for discovery of cellular origin of retroviral oncogenes

26. Ada Yonath (1939) - Nobel Prize-winning crystallographer for studies of ribosome structure

27. Joachim Frank (1940) - Biophysicist and Nobel laureate for developing cryo-electron microscopy

28. Srinivasa S. R. Varadhan (1940) - Mathematician, known for work in probability theory

29. Kip Thorne (1940) - Theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate for contributions to LIGO and gravitational waves

30. M. Stanley Whittingham (1941) - Chemist and Nobel laureate for developing lithium-ion batteries

31. Richard Dawkins (1941) - Evolutionary biologist and author, known for "The Selfish Gene"

32. Joan A. Steitz (1941) - Molecular biologist, known for discoveries in RNA biology

33. David Gross (1941) - Theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate for discovering asymptotic freedom

34. Michel Mayor (1942) - Astronomer and Nobel laureate for discovering the first exoplanet

35. Martin Rees (1942) - Astronomer Royal and cosmologist, contributed to understanding of cosmic microwave background

36. Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard (1942) - Developmental biologist and Nobel laureate for genetic control of embryonic development

37. Tasuku Honjo (1942) - Immunologist and Nobel laureate for cancer immunotherapy research

38. Stanley B. Prusiner (1942) - Neurologist and Nobel laureate for discovering prions

39. Jocelyn Bell Burnell (1943) - Astrophysicist, discoverer of pulsars

40. Howard Bloom (1943) - Author and public intellectual, known for integrating scientific concepts

41. Tim Hunt (1943) - Biochemist and Nobel laureate for discoveries concerning cell cycle regulation

42. Vint Cerf (1943) - Computer scientist, one of the "fathers of the Internet"

43. Raghunath Anant Mashelkar (1943) - Indian chemical engineer, known for polymer science and intellectual property rights

44. Jean-Pierre Sauvage (1944) - Chemist and Nobel laureate for design and synthesis of molecular machines

45. Michael Rosbash (1944) - Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries in circadian rhythms.

46. Richard Henderson (1945) - Biophysicist and Nobel laureate for development of cryo-electron microscopy

47. Edwin Catmull (1945) - Computer scientist, co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios

48. Michael Marmot (1945) - Epidemiologist, known for research on health inequalities

49. Azim Premji (1945) - Indian business tycoon and philanthropist, former chairman of Wipro Limited

50. Robert J. Shiller (1946) - Economist and Nobel laureate for empirical analysis of asset prices

51. Craig Venter (1946) - Geneticist and biotechnologist, known for sequencing the human genome

52. Vijay P. Bhatkar (1946) - Indian computer scientist, known for developing PARAM supercomputer

53. H. Robert Horvitz (1947) - Biologist and Nobel laureate for discoveries on genetic regulation of organ development

54. Linda B. Buck (1947) - Biologist and Nobel laureate for discoveries on olfactory system

55. Michio Kaku (1947) - Theoretical physicist, popularizer of science

56. Francoise Barré-Sinoussi (1947) - Virologist and Nobel laureate for discovery of HIV

57. Robert Langer (1948) - Bioengineer, pioneer in drug delivery systems and tissue engineering

58. Randy Schekman (1948) - Cell biologist and Nobel laureate for research on cell membrane trafficking

59. Akira Yoshino (1948) - Chemist and Nobel laureate for development of lithium-ion batteries

60. James P. Allison (1948) - Immunologist and Nobel laureate for cancer immunotherapy breakthroughs

61. Elizabeth Blackburn (1948) - Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine for telomere and telomerase research

62. Paul Nurse (1949) - Geneticist and Nobel laureate for discoveries of protein molecules that regulate cell division

63. K. Radhakrishnan (1949) - Indian space scientist, former chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation

64. Alan Rayner (1950) - Biologist and poet, known for work on natural inclusionality

65. Francis Collins (1950) - Geneticist, leader of Human Genome Project, former NIH director

66. Ben Feringa (1951) - Chemist and Nobel laureate for molecular machines

67. Tejinder Singh Virdee (1952) - British-Indian experimental physicist, contributed to Higgs boson discovery

68. Vandana Shiva (1952) - Environmental activist and eco-feminist

69. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (1952) - Indian-American structural biologist and Nobel laureate for studies of ribosome

70. George Church (1954) - Geneticist, known for his contributions to genomic sequencing and gene editing

71. Peter J. Ratcliffe (1954) - Physician-scientist and Nobel laureate for oxygen sensing discoveries

72. Katalin Karikó (1955) - Biochemist, pioneer in mRNA technology for vaccines

73. Svante Pääbo (1955) - Geneticist and Nobel laureate for discoveries in the field of paleogenetics

74. Brian K. Kobilka (1955) - Nobel laureate in Chemistry for work on G protein-coupled receptors

75. Frances Arnold (1956) - Nobel laureate in Chemistry for directed evolution of enzymes

76. Gregg L. Semenza (1956) - Physician-scientist and Nobel laureate for oxygen sensing discoveries

77. Ashoke Sen (1956) - Theoretical physicist, known for work in string theory

78. Arturo Casadevall (1957) - Microbiologist and immunologist, known for work on infectious diseases

79. William G. Kaelin Jr. (1957) - Physician-scientist and Nobel laureate for oxygen sensing discoveries

80. Fabiola Gianotti (1960) - Particle physicist, Director-General of CERN

81. Hiroshi Amano (1960) - Physicist and Nobel laureate for the invention of blue LEDs

82. Salim Abdool Karim (1960) - South African epidemiologist, known for HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 research

83. Carol Greider (1961) - Molecular biologist and Nobel laureate for research on telomeres and telomerase

84. Zhong Lin Wang (1961) - Nanoscientist and materials scientist, pioneer in nanogenerators

85. Gagandeep Kang (1962) - Indian microbiologist, known for rotavirus and typhoid research

86. Edvard I. Moser (1962) - Neuroscientist and Nobel laureate for discoveries of grid cells in the brain

87. Shinya Yamanaka (1962) - Stem cell researcher and Nobel laureate for induced pluripotent stem cells

88. Satyajit Mayor (1963) - Indian cell biologist, known for work on cell membrane organization

89. May-Britt Moser (1963) - Neuroscientist and Nobel laureate for discoveries of grid cells in the brain

90. Garry Kasparov (1963) - Former world chess champion, political activist, and author, known for his work in chess and contributions to political thought.

(Updates and corrections welcome!)

Explore Deeper

A deeper journey through the lives of these extraordinary individuals will reveal the power of dedication, curiosity, and an unyielding commitment to the betterment of humanity. From groundbreaking discoveries in physics and chemistry to transformative contributions in biology, medicine, and social sciences, these scholars and contributors have paved the way for countless innovations and advancements.

As we reflect on their achievements, let us also consider how we can apply their wisdom and insights to our endeavors. Engage with their work, follow them on LinkedIn, some are active here! Share what you learn as we immerse ourselves in the wealth of knowledge of those who've contributed so much. By fostering connections and continuing the dialogue, we honor their legacy and inspire future generations to reach new heights of achievement.

Let’s take this call to action seriously: delve deeper into the works of these brilliant minds, celebrate their contributions, and stoke the spirit of inquiry, innovation, and compassion. May it continue to thrive in us all through our solidarity in scholarship, leaving a lasting impact for generations to come.

See the longest of journeys as lifelong learning and shared discovery. Celebrating the brilliance of those who's spark remains as a demonstration of dedication of a life expanding the horizons of human knowledge.

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