We could see such people - no longer as mythical figures, but alive - as alive as their work

March 5, 2010 1:18 AM

"The people whose stories you watch on Peoples Archive are leaders of their field, whose work has influenced and changed our world as we know it." The archive includes talks by luminaries such as Hans Bethe, Benoit Mandelbrot, Donald Knuth, Quentin Blake, Stan Lee and many others.
posted by Blazecock Pileon (12 comments total)

This is an automatic "favorite" because of Donald Knuth.
posted by crataegus at 2:21 AM on March 5, 2010

There goes my day.

The twenty-two-to-one ratio of men to women is slightly disheartening though.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 2:24 AM on March 5, 2010

Great thinking appears to cause aging.
posted by srboisvert at 4:16 AM on March 5, 2010

The age and gender issues are discussed in the site's FAQ.
posted by effbot at 4:19 AM on March 5, 2010

Donald Knuth! thanks.
posted by shinybaum at 4:42 AM on March 5, 2010

Hahaha. Stan Lee.
Fifteen years ago I attended a talk he gave at the Smithsonian. He was a complete doddering loony. Can't wait to see him here.
posted by clarknova at 5:39 AM on March 5, 2010

San Lee is the world's most awkward cameo.
posted by edbles at 5:49 AM on March 5, 2010

Also: Holy Shit! Peter Hall.
posted by edbles at 5:50 AM on March 5, 2010

Mandelbrot has a really interesting early biography:

in fact, almost everyone in the family, all the women in her family were doctors as well. On my father's side most of the men were scholars, they had, some had in fact no clear occupation, They were wise men who were supported by a group of faithful who worked for advice, leadership etc.

I was tutored by this man who was quite unskilled in the art of being a tutor or a teacher. He didn't think it was fun to teach me the alphabet, so I didn't learn it. At least I learnt the beginning and the end, but not the middle. He didn't think it was fun to teach me table multiplication, so I never learned - well, I know most of it but with glaring gaps. He taught me how to read maps, how to play chess, how to argue, how to hold opinions on various subjects which he felt strongly about and, all in all, it was quite a strange, strange, strange beginning to my education.

posted by geoff. at 8:21 AM on March 5, 2010

Not a big comics fan, but I like Stan Lee. Particularly the role he's carved out for himself as the Grandfather of All Nerds. I especially liked when he "appeared" on Robot Chicken and was portrayed as still living with his mom, despite the fact that that's mathematically impossible and his mom probably died 30 years ago.
posted by DecemberBoy at 9:25 AM on March 5, 2010

Benoit Mandlebrot is 1.1-dimensional. Awesome.
posted by GuyZero at 3:05 PM on March 5, 2010

And they have Roger Penrose. Awesome. He gave one of the best lectures I ever attended about the art of MC Escher. So much genius.
posted by GuyZero at 3:06 PM on March 5, 2010