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Oh wow... shit... it's the same guy for all of these indeed. I think I would've been super proud of myself just for accomplishing even one of these things... I

by saganus 11y ago

Oh wow... shit... it's the same guy for all of these indeed. I think I would've been super proud of myself just for accomplishing even one of these things... I guess these are the type of guys that would start to approach the definition of a modern polymath maybe? Not saying he is one necessarily (or that he isn't), but what would examples of modern polymaths are there? considering a lot of the fields to be mastered need enough detail and knowledge that it seems hard to find one.

eggy 11y ago
Yes, he has quite a resume there. However, maybe I'm just older, but my ideal polymath is not just coding/hacking electronics. I personally think it should be those plus knowing more diverse fields and skills such as: applied mathematics, celestial navigation, biohacking, chemistry, milling/lathe work, building machinery from scratch by smelting and casting [1], animatronics, boatbuilding, horology, mechatronics, music, languages etc... I picked these things, because they are things I personally strive to keep learning. They are not everybody's list. I guess today the emphasis is on coding/small electronics because of the world it opens up to you (except those things that are purely mechanical or require other skills). In any case, my hat is off to him. Impressive! [1] http://gingerybooks.com/
- saganus 11y ago
  Do you have any examples of someone that would fit this description? I think a modern polymath could look a bit different than the ones in the classical sense. To be able to make contributions to the fields you mentioned, I guess you would need more years of study than anyone could dedicate to, just because those fields seem to be very hard, especially considering the degree at which nowadays we would consider someone proficient in any of these. Well, I'm not sure, I'm actually wondering. For your particular definition, or something close to it, who would you say it gets close?
  - steve19 11y ago
    Ben Krasnow is easily one. The amount that guys knows about everything (electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, material science, chemistry and some programming) is staggering. His Youtube channel is great. https://www.youtube.com/user/bkraz333 https://www.youtube.com/user/bkraz333 http://benkrasnow.blogspot.com/ http://benkrasnow.blogspot.com/
  - atmosx 11y ago
    Archimedes, Da Vinci, I. Newton are just a few that came to mind.
    - e12e 11y ago
      Tesla?
    - celticninja 11y ago
      anyone more recent? You see it seems to be that it was a lot easier to know a lot when there was a lot less to know. Now people tend to specialise in one field and know a lot about that field as opposed to knowing quite a bit about a multitude of fields.
      - atmosx 11y ago
        You're right. I guess there are polymaths at this age and time, we just don't know about them. Maybe as you imply, it's impossible nowadays to stand out of the crowd the way Newton, Archimedes, Gauss, Tesla (as another commentator pointed out) did in the past.
    - saganus 11y ago
      That's why I said modern polymaths. Most people always think of the usual guys when talking about polymaths, and it seems like modern ones are never mentioned.
- brbsix 11y ago
  Wow, surprised to see Gingery books are still around! They got me started melting down aluminum cans with a coffee can charcoal furnace as a kid. I always wanted to build the lathe but never got around to it.

by saganus 11y ago

eggy 11y ago

Yes, he has quite a resume there. However, maybe I'm just older, but my ideal polymath is not just coding/hacking electronics. I personally think it should be those plus knowing more diverse fields and skills such as: applied mathematics, celestial navigation, biohacking, chemistry, milling/lathe work, building machinery from scratch by smelting and casting [1], animatronics, boatbuilding, horology, mechatronics, music, languages etc... I picked these things, because they are things I personally strive to keep learning. They are not everybody's list. I guess today the emphasis is on coding/small electronics because of the world it opens up to you (except those things that are purely mechanical or require other skills). In any case, my hat is off to him. Impressive! [1] http://gingerybooks.com/

saganus 11y ago
Do you have any examples of someone that would fit this description? I think a modern polymath could look a bit different than the ones in the classical sense. To be able to make contributions to the fields you mentioned, I guess you would need more years of study than anyone could dedicate to, just because those fields seem to be very hard, especially considering the degree at which nowadays we would consider someone proficient in any of these. Well, I'm not sure, I'm actually wondering. For your particular definition, or something close to it, who would you say it gets close?
- steve19 11y ago
  Ben Krasnow is easily one. The amount that guys knows about everything (electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, material science, chemistry and some programming) is staggering. His Youtube channel is great. https://www.youtube.com/user/bkraz333 https://www.youtube.com/user/bkraz333 http://benkrasnow.blogspot.com/ http://benkrasnow.blogspot.com/
- atmosx 11y ago
  Archimedes, Da Vinci, I. Newton are just a few that came to mind.
  - e12e 11y ago
    Tesla?
  - celticninja 11y ago
    anyone more recent? You see it seems to be that it was a lot easier to know a lot when there was a lot less to know. Now people tend to specialise in one field and know a lot about that field as opposed to knowing quite a bit about a multitude of fields.
    - atmosx 11y ago
      You're right. I guess there are polymaths at this age and time, we just don't know about them. Maybe as you imply, it's impossible nowadays to stand out of the crowd the way Newton, Archimedes, Gauss, Tesla (as another commentator pointed out) did in the past.
  - saganus 11y ago
    That's why I said modern polymaths. Most people always think of the usual guys when talking about polymaths, and it seems like modern ones are never mentioned.
brbsix 11y ago
Wow, surprised to see Gingery books are still around! They got me started melting down aluminum cans with a coffee can charcoal furnace as a kid. I always wanted to build the lathe but never got around to it.