Uploaded October 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
From Dr. Frankenstein to Dr. Horrible, the mad scientist has become an icon in books, movies, comics and games. We love them, loathe them. We tremble and laugh at them, but why? Is it the fiendish devices, the willful disregard for the scientific orthodoxy, or is it all the maniacal laughter? Believe it or not, many of them are based on real scientists who pushed the boundaries of science, only to earn the scorn of their peers.
John Monahan is a science writer and long-time science teacher in Baltimore City. He has taught biology, chemistry and physics, at both the middle school and high school level, and has had the opportunity to integrate science fiction into his science curriculum. In addition he has taught classes on writing science fiction. He is also the author of the book They Called Me Mad: Genius, Madness and the Scientists Who Pushed the Outer Limits of Knowledge. John is a long-term resident of Baltimore and is a graduate of Towson University, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in science and a Master’s degree in professional writing. Currently, he blogs on his Mad4Science blog at mad4science.wordpress.com.
Views expressed in this video are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Capital Area Skeptics.
From Dr. Frankenstein to Dr. Horrible, the mad scientist has become an icon in books, movies, comics and games. We love them, loathe them. We tremble and laugh at them, but why? Is it the fiendish devices, the willful disregard for the scientific orthodoxy, or is it all the maniacal laughter? Believe it or not, many of them are based on real scientists who pushed the boundaries of science, only to earn the scorn of their peers.
John Monahan is a science writer and long-time science teacher in Baltimore City. He has taught biology, chemistry and physics, at both the middle school and high school level, and has had the opportunity to integrate science fiction into his science curriculum. In addition he has taught classes on writing science fiction. He is also the author of the book They Called Me Mad: Genius, Madness and the Scientists Who Pushed the Outer Limits of Knowledge. John is a long-term resident of Baltimore and is a graduate of Towson University, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in science and a Master’s degree in professional writing. Currently, he blogs on his Mad4Science blog at mad4science.wordpress.com.
Views expressed in this video are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Capital Area Skeptics.
