Frank Zappa Coined the Term “Groupie” Fact
Frank Zappa claimed to have coined the term “groupie” to describe “women who followed rock groups.” Although we can’t prove he was the first to use the term, we can prove he was at least one of the first.
Fathers or Mothers of a Field
Fathers or mothers of a field are men and women who were significant figures in creating or innovating in field.
For example Alan Turing is the father of computer science, Ada Lovelace is the mother of computer programming, Adam Smith is the father of economics, and Frank Zappa is the father of the Mothers of Invention (joke).
See an awesome list from Wikipedia, or see our collection of fathers and mothers below.
Factoids tagged with "Fathers or Mothers of a Field"
William Jennings Bryan is the Father of Modern American Populism Fact
William Jennings Bryan can be considered the father of modern American left-wing and right-wing populism, including progressivism, the religious right, workers’ movements like the free-silver movement, the income tax, direct elections of Senators, and more.
The Founding Fathers Supported Slavery Myth
Slavery was legal when America was founded, but few founding fathers fully supported the nefarious institution. In fact, many founders fought to limit and abolish slavery.
John Locke is the Father of Liberalism Fact
John Locke can be considered the father of liberalism. His theories on life, liberty, property, consent, and the social contract form the foundation of classical liberalism.
Charles Babbage is the Father of the Computer Fact
Charles Babbage can be considered “the father of the computer” as he invented the first mechanical computer (the Difference Engine 1822) and ”the first general-purpose computer” (the Analytical Engine 1837).
Madison Drafted the Constitution and Bill of Rights Fact
Madison drafted both the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, but he wasn’t the sole author of either, both were debated and approved by committees.
Shirley Chisholm Was the First Black Congresswoman and Major Party Candidate Fact
Shirley Chisholm became the first black Congresswoman in 1968. In 1972 Chisholm ran for President as a Democrat, making her both the first female, or black, major party Presidential candidate.
Hillary Clinton was the First Woman Nominated by a Major Party Fact
Hillary Clinton became the first woman nominee of a major U.S. political party at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
The Issue is Always the Government or the Market Fact
For a given market, the choice always boils down to state intervention vs. the free-market, there is no third option (unless you count mixed-markets).
Niccolò Machiavelli is the Father of Modern Political Science Fact
Niccolò Machiavelli can be considered the father of modern political science, and his book The Prince one of the first works of modern political philosophy (if not just modern philosophy).
Saul Alinsky is the Father of Modern Community Organizing Fact
Saul Alinsky, the American community organizer and author of Rules for Radicals, can be considered the father of modern community organizing.
Nature Abhors a Vacuum Fact
Aristotle once postulated “horror vacui” (Nature Abhors a Vacuum). It turns out nature really can’t stand a perfect vacuum.
Probability Theory Was Invented to Solve a Gambling Problem Fact
Blaise Pascal and Pierre de Fermat invented probability theory in 1654 to solve a gambling problem related to expected outcomes.
Alexander Hamilton Founded the Federalist Party Fact
Alexander Hamilton founded the Federalist Party, the world’s first voter-based political party, which helped shape America’s economic policy and power structure.
Machines Can Think Fact
Whether or not machines can think, depends on our definition of “think.” Generally we can say, machines can think, but they think differently than humans.
Ramanujan Had no Formal Training Fact
Srinivasa Ramanujan had no formal mathematics training in his early years. He did his research in isolation, rediscovering old theorems and producing new ones.
Victoria Woodhull was the First Female Candidate for President of the United States Fact
Victoria Woodhull, an American leader of the woman’s suffrage movement, became the first female candidate for President of the United States in 1872.
Hume Inspired Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason Fact
After reading David Hume, Immanuel Kant avoided social engagements for decade while fusing Hume’s ideas with his own, the result was Kant’s, a Critique of Pure Reason.
The Bohr Model is the Most Accurate Model of an Atom Myth
The Bohr model of the atom (1913), the one that looks like a solar system, has been replaced by the more accurate Quantum Model of the atom since 1927.
Sir Isaac Newton Was an Economist Fact
Sir Isaac Newton is best known for his laws of motion and gravity, but he was also an economist of sorts serving as Britain’s Warden/Master of the Mint (from 1696 until his death in 1727).
Mary Wollstonecraft is the Mother of Feminism Fact
Mary Wollstonecraft can be considered “the first modern feminist” or “the mother of feminism” due to her advocating women’s rights in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792).
James Madison is the Father of the Constitution Fact
James Madison can be considered the father of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Madison drafted the Constitution, drafted and sponsored the Bill of Rights, and co-wrote the Federalist Papers.
Katharine Wright Was an Important Part of the Wright Brothers Fact
Wilbur and Orville Wright (the Wright Brothers) may not have gotten their aviation business off the ground without their sister Katharine (the Wright sister).
America’s Founding Fathers Were Liberals Fact
America’s founding fathers were classical liberals, this means they favored liberty, private property, capitalism, freedom of religion, and a limited Republican style of government.
Two Identical Things Can’t Occupy the Same Space Fact
The Pauli Exclusion Principle says, two identical fermions (matter particles) can’t occupy the same quantum state. In simple terms, two identical things can’t occupy the same space.
Benoît Mandelbrot Coined the Term “Fractal” Fact
Benoît Mandelbrot coined the term “fractal” in 1975 to describe the naturally occurring, never-ending, infinitely complex, [often] self-similar, geometric patterns, which look “fractured” or “broken.”
Lincoln was a Republican Fact
Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican President. Lincoln, a former Whig (and then “moderate” “anti-slavery” Republican), favored social justice and federal power over states’ rights regarding slavery.
Sir Isaac Newton Discovered the Laws of Motion Fact
Sir Isaac Newton can be said to have discovered the laws of motion, but more accurately, he refined the work of Aristotle, Galileo, Descartes, and others.
Adam Smith is the Father of Modern Economics Fact
Adam Smith can be considered the father of modern economics due to his influential works which explore the mechanics of morality, markets, and capitalism in an industrialized society.
Brian Eno Invented Ambient Music Myth
Brian Eno didn’t invent ambient music, but he did coin the term and popularize the genre drawing from underground experimental music and the work of Erik Satie.
Organized Noize Popularized Atlanta Hip Hop Fact
Organized Noize, a music collective founded in 1992, helped popularize Atlanta-based “dirty south” hip hop via their work with OutKast, Goodie Mob, TLC and more.
Stephen Sondheim is the Father of the Modern American Musical Fact
Stephen Sondheim can be considered “the father of the modern American musical”. Sondheim evolved the traditional American musical instead of adopting the more contemporary style of his peers.
Alan Turing is the Father of Computer Science and AI Fact
Alan Turing can be considered “the father of computer science and AI.” Turing made major contributions to computing, codebreaking, and even helped the Allies win WWII.
Edward Bernays Was the Father of Public Relations Fact
Edward Bernays, nephew of Sigmund Freud, can be considered the father of public relations and propaganda. Bernays literally wrote the book on propaganda, public relations, and manipulating public opinion.
The First Video Games Were From the 50’s Fact
The first video games were developed in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, while the first video games with physics were invented in the late 1950’s.
Democrats and Republicans Switched Platforms Fact
The US political parties, now called Democrats and Republicans, switched platform planks, ideologies, and members many times in American history.
The Sensorama Was the First VR Device Fact
The Sensorama (1962) can be considered the first Virtual Reality device, it was a head-mounted display that played 3D film accompanied by sound, moving air, and aromas to create a virtual sensory environment.
Venture Capital Helped Create Silicon Valley and Startup Culture Fact
Venture capital, which was just emerging in the late 50’s, helped create companies like Intel, which in turn created Silicon Valley and startup culture.
Ada Lovelace Wrote the First Computer Program Myth
British mathematician Ada Lovelace can be considered the mother of computer programing, as she wrote the first complex algorithm meant to be carried out by a machine. However, it is a myth that Ada Lovelace wrote “the first computer program” or was “the first computer programmer”, that title belongs to Charles Babbage.
Darth Vader’s Name Was Changed in Italy Because Vader Sounds Like Toilet Bowel in Italian Fact
In Italian “vaso” means “bowl” and can refer to “toilet bowel”, likewise “water” (pronounced “vater”) has the same connotation. This is likely the reason Darth Vader’s named was changed from Lord Vader to Lord Fener in the Italian version of Star Wars due to this.
René Descartes Slept in an Oven Myth
René Descartes didn’t sleep in an oven, but he did invent analytical geometry while sleeping in a room with an oven (likely a masonry heater).
Blog Posts tagged with "Fathers or Mothers of a Field"
The Birth of Modern Banking
Modern banking originated in Italy around 1150 as Jews fleeing persecution brought new practices, including “discounting”, to the merchant banks of the Italian piazzas.
Federalists and Anti-Federalists Explained
The Federalists and Anti-Federalists were the first political factions of the U.S.. They arose out of a debate over the ratification of the 1787 Constitution and went on to form the basis of our current two-party system.
The Origin of the Political Terms Left and Right
The modern usage of the political terms left and right comes from the French Revolution of 1789 when supporters of the king stood to the president’s right, and supporters of the revolution to his left.
A History of Human Rights and the Bill of Rights
We present a summary of the history of human rights documents including the Bill of Rights, Magna Carta, Declaration of Rights and Man, and English Bill of Rights.
The Age of Enlightenment and the Birth of Liberalism
Classical liberalism arose in opposition to state-imposed religion and aristocracy in the 1600 – 1700’s during the Age of Enlightenment in Europe and America.
Why Did the Founding Fathers Choose a Republic?
America’s founding fathers intended the U.S. to be a Republic (elected officials vote on laws), rather than a Direct Democracy (everyone votes on laws).
What is “the Invisible Hand”?
“The invisible hand” is a term used by Adam Smith to describe the theory that self-interest leads to social and economic benefits in a free-market.
American Politics Explained
A simple explanation of American politics including an overview of US history, the political parties, and the political system.