Science in Seconds - Ronald Fisher

Science in Seconds Know Everything People of Science RONALD FISHER Brit Trogen: Ronald Fisher is one of those scientists who makes everyone else look bad. Not only was he one of the greatest evolutionary biologists of his day, he was a phenomenal statistician, geneticist, and eugenicist to boot, transforming the fields of biostatistics and population genetics in the post Darwin era. Born in East Finchley, London, Fisher was the youngest of five doting siblings, who despite the hardship of extremely poor eyesight, thrived in school from an early age. His vision was so bad that he was forced to learn mathematics without the aid of paper or pen. Though this disability would later become an asset, he learned instead to visualize problems in geometrical terms, often to the wonder of teachers and classmates. At 19, he won a scholarship to Cambridge, where his interest in evolution led to the study of Mendelian genetics. It was at this time that he began to recognize the value of statistics in biological events, a concept that would drive his extraordinary career. It was only by luck, however, that he was able to immediately continue working. Graduating in 1912 in anticipation of World War I, Fisher tried repeatedly to join the army, only to be rejected repeatedly due to his vision. As a result, he spent the next few years working as a statistician for the City of London, and later at the Rothamsted Experimental Station. The highlights of his career are too numerous to name: he was the founding father of modern statistical science, the creator of quantitative and population genetics. His achievements can be found simply by following his name: Fisher's equation, Fisher's exact test, Fisher information, Fisher's z‑distribution, and dozens of other scientific theories carry his name. But of all his legacies, none inspire quite so much as his ability to make the best of a bad situation. Licensed for educational/non-profit purposes only. (Translators are welcome to put their name here)