Lindsay Patterson

Some days, we just like to cut loose here at the Earth & Sky World Headquarters. We sit around eating leftover cake, and wondering, “Who have been the hottest scientists through time?”

Or, maybe that’s just me.

The cake is delicious, if you’re wondering. And I’m completely enamored of the Smithsonian Institution’s “Portraits of Scientists and Inventors” on the photosharing site Flickr. The Smithsonian joined Flickr to increase public access to their publicly-held and incredible photo archives. And that means you can spend all day watching beautiful slideshows of the scientists history has taken a photogenic shine to.

Thus, I bring you: HISTORY’S TOP FIVE HOT SCIENTISTS

(I apologize for the scattered nature of the photos. Our blogging software has a very frustrating kink in it. The links will take you to the original photo - feel free to peruse and nominate your own!)

5. Portrait of Ronald Impey Murchison (1792-1871), Geologist

The appeal here is mainly the sweet fossil he’s holding, and the faux-erudite background.

4. Portrait of Agnes Mary Clerke (1842-1907), Astronomer

The only woman in the flickr stream, Agnes Mary Clerke makes this list non-gendered.

3. Portrait of Hermann Weyl (1885-1955), Mathematician

Oh! The weight of complex mathematics! Dreamy.

2. Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937), Engineer and Physicist

Look at those eyes! And that cool machine he has! In his day, his radiotelegraph was the equivalent of inventing the iPhone.

1. Portrait of Felix Nadar (1820-1910), Photographer and Aeronautical Scientist

He had me at “I have a hot air balloon.”