Five Cool Nerds

These are five of the coolest nerds you've probably never heard of. They are among my personal favorites.

Brian Greene

Theoretical physicist Brian Greene has been instrumental in popularizing elements of string theory and cutting edge physics. A rising celebrity in his own right, he has even appeared as himself on pop-culture television including The Big Bang Theory, in addition to hosting his own educational documentaries on NOVA based on his top-selling books Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos and The Hidden Reality. Professor Greene is a Harvard graduate with a doctorate from Oxford where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He now teaches at Columbia University. All this is in addition to real contributions to understanding mirror symmetry and topology in string theory. You can read more about him on BrianGreene.org.

Cara Santa Maria

Senior science correspondent for The Huffington Post, Cara Louise Santa Maria, is one of most broadly talented journalists around. Former cheerleader, jazz vocalist, model and tattoo enthusiast, Cara has performed advanced research in neuropsychology, has taught biology and psychology and now reports on a wide range of science topics where she has interviewed and been interviewed by scores of celebrities. She has appeared on episodes of Larry King Live, The Young Turks, The Point and StarTalk Radio. This highly intelligent and highly attractive journalist is responsible for introducing the phrase "talk nerdy to me" far and wide across the Internet.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist and rising celebrity popularizing astrophysics and science in general to a broad audience. He has also appeared as himself on The Big Bang Theory as well as making appearances on dozens of television and Internet talk shows and multiple NOVA science documentaries. Dr. Tyson graduated from Harvard and got his doctorate in astrophysics from Columbia University. He is widely credited (or blamed depending on whom you ask) for suggesting the redefining of Pluto as a dwarf planet. The coolest thing about Dr. Tyson is that he is one of few physicists to know Superman personally, having appeared as himself in a recent issue of DC Comics’ Action Comics.

Michio Kaku

Science popularizer, Michio Kaku, has authored New York Times best sellers on physics as well as hosting several science documentaries for BBC-TV, the Discovery Channel and the Science Channel. Dr. Kaku graduated from Harvard and received his doctorate from UC Berkley. Born in California, Michio Kaku served state-side in the U.S. Army where he completed basic training and advanced individual training.

Bathsheba Grossman

Bathsheba Grossman is an artist promoting the marriage of advanced mathematics, sculpture and technology. Her geometric sculptures are among the best selling on Shapeways.com and are often cited not only as promotion of the idea that math is beautiful but also as prime examples of the viability and success of 3D printing technologies which she uses to generate sculptural works from computer-aided-design (CAD) drawings. Artwork created by Bathseba is viewable and available for purchase at Bathsheba.com.

The Gyroid sculpture by Bathsheba Grossman