Historical badassery.

May 14, 2010 10:12 AM

The question? I need your favorite badasses of history and science. The replies? 87 and counting. There's some great reading in this Ask thread, covering luminaries from Archimedes to Margaret Sanger.
posted by jokeefe to MetaFilter-Related at 10:12 AM (32 comments total)

This feels like an update thread with no update.
posted by grouse at 10:46 AM on May 14, 2010

That's interesting enough. It does have the same kind of ring as any "pimp out my mixtape" type of question, though.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:47 AM on May 14, 2010

The question was posted yesterday. I haven't even had the chance to forget about it yet.
posted by Hiker at 10:49 AM on May 14, 2010 [2 favorites]

The thread? Historical badassery. The replies? 4 and counting. There are 100 words in this MeTa thread, covering letters from A to Y.
posted by SpiffyRob at 10:58 AM on May 14, 2010 [4 favorites]

Glad to see that someone mentioned Stanislav Petrov.
posted by joedan at 11:02 AM on May 14, 2010

A badassery can usually be found near a haberdashery.
posted by Burhanistan at 11:02 AM on May 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

This feels like an update thread with no update (grouse)

No it's a different kind of thread. This is a "this is an awesome thread; people should pay attention to it" thread.
posted by ocherdraco at 11:03 AM on May 14, 2010 [3 favorites]

There are 100 words in this MeTa thread, covering letters from A to Y.

izzat so?
posted by Nothing... and like it at 11:10 AM on May 14, 2010

A badass haberdashery however, is a harder find.
posted by The Whelk at 11:10 AM on May 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

I missed the original thread and it is iinteresting and well deserving of the callout.
posted by biffa at 11:13 AM on May 14, 2010

87 comments and no Dr. Arliss Loveless? This isn't the Metafilter I know.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:38 AM on May 14, 2010

There are 100 words in this MeTa thread, covering letters from A to Y.

Are you suggesting... this is an alphabet thread?
posted by backseatpilot at 11:39 AM on May 14, 2010

Just go buy adwords or something.
posted by GuyZero at 11:40 AM on May 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

Now I support abusing MetaTalk like a fetishist pornstar, but this is...well...an abuse of MetaTalk.
posted by slogger at 11:50 AM on May 14, 2010

I like taquitos.
posted by entropicamericana at 11:56 AM on May 14, 2010

I prefer my luminaries covered.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 12:05 PM on May 14, 2010

I think there's too many badassery threads being posted.
posted by The otter lady at 12:56 PM on May 14, 2010

Sigh. I just thought people might enjoy reading the thread, in a "Metafilter is awesome" kind of way.
posted by jokeefe at 1:00 PM on May 14, 2010 [2 favorites]

No it's a different kind of thread. This is a "this is an awesome thread; people should pay attention to it" thread.

This is my interpretation as well.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:08 PM on May 14, 2010

Sigh. I just thought people might enjoy reading the thread, in a "Metafilter is awesome" kind of way.

We do! We also love making detours to and from the badassery.
posted by Burhanistan at 1:09 PM on May 14, 2010

My snark may have suggested otherwise, but I can honestly say that I don't care how much people post to MeTa. Or what. Even if they're posting to say people shouldn't post as much. It's all gravy, and I'm actually really glad you posted this, jokeefe. Others might find it unnecessary, but I find others unnecessary, so it's a wash.
posted by SpiffyRob at 1:09 PM on May 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

The only thing Metafilter loves more than talking about how awesome Metafilter is is talking about how awesome Metafilter isn't.
posted by edbles at 1:09 PM on May 14, 2010 [2 favorites]

Mr. Hamm was a badass of science. He made a hovercraft out of a canister vacuum cleaner and rode it around the classroom.
posted by vapidave at 1:25 PM on May 14, 2010

I just thought people might enjoy reading the thread, in a "Metafilter is awesome" kind of way.

I'm glad. I wouldn't have seen it, and I had an answer!
posted by adamdschneider at 2:01 PM on May 14, 2010

Quick, someone post Lady Gaga and Ebert in that thread! Go go go!
posted by NoraReed at 3:26 PM on May 14, 2010

Background: I have an idea for a podcast that tells the stories of the bravest, most daring, and most innovative men and women the world has known

If nothing else, this thread will provide a good excuse to burn through half a day on Wikipedia.

Hero worship + thin research = hit podcast.
posted by LarryC at 5:54 PM on May 14, 2010

I'm a history nut & there's some budget-busting reading suggestions going on in that thread. Thanks.
posted by Devils Rancher at 6:40 PM on May 14, 2010

Hero worship + thin research = hit podcast.

I too hate it when people are in the early stages of planning a cool idea that isn't fully fleshed out, yet. I demand all projects and ideas to behave like Athena and spring fully formed from their creator's heads.
posted by edbles at 7:39 PM on May 14, 2010 [2 favorites]

I was a history (and philosophy) of science (and medicine) major and this thread was nerdily fun. If you want to mix the two, start with with Galen and end with...well, for our basic History of Science in Western Civ it was the superconducting supercollider. The WWII part is fascinating, with Einstein's letters, etc.
posted by Pax at 8:21 PM on May 14, 2010

No it's a different kind of thread. This is a "this is an awesome thread; people should pay attention to it" thread.

This is my interpretation as well.

I hope your interpretation stands when 100 people start doing this everytime they post an askme.

"I think its great that 7 people responded to my question of eating non-refrigerated sausage".
posted by hal_c_on at 5:59 PM on May 15, 2010

I hope your interpretation stands when 100 people start doing this everytime they post an askme.

Yeah, get back to me when that happens. As is, we've got one person pointing out one other person's neat askme in large part because of what a whole bunch of other people from this community offered up in response, and that's something that's always been fine on Metatalk as an occasional thing.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:01 PM on May 15, 2010 [2 favorites]

I hope your interpretation stands when 100 people start doing this everytime they post an askme.

I hope there's no confusion about who originally posted the question on Ask. It wasn't me, if that's relevant.
posted by jokeefe at 12:24 AM on May 16, 2010