Skit 3

If we ask scientists to draw up a list of the top ten greatest scientists. Clearly, Newton, Aristotle, Einstein will be top of that list, I guess. Added to that will be people like Pythagoras, Galileo, Darwin and a few other familiar names. But I reckon, for most people in the West, that top ten will be entirely Europeans: either from Ancient Greece or from the time of the European renaissance and more recently. This evening what I want to talk about is a period in history that's, to a certain extent, been somewhat forgotten. Because I want to put the case for at least three other scientists who I think are worthy of being in that top ten list of greatest ever scientists.