Bank of England releases list of scientists nominated to be featured on £50 note - Sensationalist Headlines

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46343965 To be on the list, the individual must be real, deceased and have contributed to the field of science in the UK. Further names will be considered up until nominations close on 14 December. After that the decision will be considered by the Bank's Banknote Character Advisory Committee.

Reminded me of how Harriet Tubman was to be on the front of the 20 dollar bill and Jackson on the back, but the Trump admin stopped that.

Uhh... Newton? Father of classical mechanics? Wasn’t James Clark Maxwell also from the UK? Electromagnetism?

Shit, I didn't hear about that. Fuck that. Jackson needs his ass kicked off our money period - but what a surprise that Trump would stop his favorite president from (rightfully) getting booted off of currency he wouldn't have even approved of.

The list, which includes more than 600 men and almost 200 women, includes (...) Margaret Thatcher, who was a scientist before becoming prime minister. feckin' y tho

"The definition of eligibility for this list is pretty broad at the moment, but stricter criteria are likely to be applied once the names are considered by the Bank's committee. Thus, while Margaret Thatcher's contributions to politics are considerable, it remains to be seen whether the committee will judge her an equally significant scientific figure. Hers is just one of the names that some observers will think fall outside some of the stricter definitions of a scientist."

Put all of these people EXCEPT Thatcher on it

I think Thatcher invented soft-scoop ice cream, haha. In fairness, Thatcher was the first politician in the world to speak about how important an issue Climate Change is in 1989, but I don't think she is worthy enough for this honour. In my opinion, this should go to Ada Lovelace.

Lovelace needs more...love (sorry). Nobody outside of computing science students who had to learn some history, or actual history nerds really know about her and it sucks so much.

It's sad, yeah. I've always found it perplexing that people like Hawking are more known about than Lovelace, as black holes are so much more theoretical than programming. Still, they're both awesome in their own way!

Just read about Ada Lovelace and wtf I want her on the note now

if it ain't Dorothy Hodgkin I'm moving to Scotland

Alan Turing will always be the most deserving and a fitting way to honour the utter betrayal by his own country's government.

He'd get my vote that's for sure.

Carl Sagan please.

Attlee before Thatcher. Created the NHS. Led Parliament and the home front during WWII with Churchill. Led Britain through the aftermath of the war and helped start the decolonization process. Basically laid the foundation for the benefit system we have today. Didn't put the country on the path it is now with runaway capitalism and disdain for the poor, unlike Thatcher. All round good lad and needs more credit.

Ada's overrated not deserving of some respect but overrated, she's been better packaged recently as a mascot for stem when someone like Grace Hopper I find as an inspiration for everyone. And it urks me a little in how people talk about Ada not because they truly investigated her and her work, but some talking point at a water cooler or snapple bottlecap. As a programmer I'd say 1. Rosalind Franklin 2. Turning as my hypothetical choice.

Not to discount the impact Franklin had but I think Hodgkin's work is far more influential today. She laid the foundations of X-ray structure determination of biomolecules with her work on steroids, penicillin, vitamin B12, and insulin.

There are so many extraodinary English scientists throughout history. There should be like 350 different notes with 2 people on each. Make it like a very expensive collectable game

I don't disagree with the general sentiment but Grace Hopper was American while Lovelace was English. (Hopper's fucking awesome though anyways.)

Valid point besides the fact that Thatcher was a massive fucking cunt

Screw it, let's put Todd Howard on the fifty instead.

Yes you're correct, wasn't rating Ada within famous British academics, but as a whole.

Yes, let's not forget that when she died "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart and topped the Scottish Singles Chart. David Cameron and his millionaire chums tried to make her an icon and gave her a £3.6 million state funeral out of taxpayers' pockets, but there are large parts of the UK where she'll always be remembered through four letter words. Honouring the most divisive PM in living memory with a banknote is not a good idea.

You're right We'll put Blair on the note instead

has to be turing or ada lovelace, no messing about here

Yeah if we could have a non-Brit on the note, Hopper would be a great replacement for Lovelace by quite a margin. Lovelace was important, but Hopper is more interesting by far. Turing is probably my next pick, mainly because we really, really fucked that dude over and he did so much for us.

considering the Bank of England's rules against living people on banknotes, does this mean we get to kill him?