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Swedish botanist and lecturer Carl Linnaeus, who established the concept of binomial nomenclature, or the system of naming organisms, is also known as the father of modern taxonomy. His system of classification is known as Linnaean taxonomy. He was the first to include humans and apes under the header Anthropomorpha.
Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist, engineer, and inventor. A prolific inventor, he held 355 different patents. Most popular as the inventor of dynamite, he was concerned with how he would be remembered after his death and bequeathed his fortune to the Nobel Prize institution. A wide traveler, he was proficient in several languages.
Lise Meitner was an Austrian-Swedish physicist best remembered for her contributions that led to the discoveries of nuclear fission and the element protactinium. Nicknamed the German Marie Curie by Albert Einstein, Lise Meitner became the second woman in the world to receive a doctorate in physics in 1905. In 1997, chemical element 109 meitnerium was named in her honor.
Emanuel Swedenborg was a Swedish pluralistic-Christian philosopher, mystic, theologian, and scientist. Swedenborg started hogging the limelight after writing a book on the afterlife titled Heaven and Hell, which released in 1758. A prolific scientist and inventor, Swedenborg experienced spiritual awakening after which he started working on reforming Christianity. He even claimed that he could converse with angels and demons.
Svante Arrhenius was a Swedish scientist who became the first Swedish person to win a Nobel Prize when he won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1903. Although he was originally a physicist, Arrhenius is widely accepted as a chemist and is best remembered for co-founding physical chemistry. Stockholm University houses the Arrhenius Labs, which is named in his honor.
Eva Ekeblad was a Swedish countess, agronomist, salon hostess, and scientist. In 1746, she discovered a method to make flour and alcohol from potatoes which earned her popularity. Her discovery made her the first female inductee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1748.
Jöns Jacob Berzelius was a Swedish chemist who is often counted among the founders of modern chemistry alongside Robert Boyle, Antoine Lavoisier, and John Dalton. He is also referred to as the Father of Swedish Chemistry. Jöns Jacob Berzelius is also credited with making immense contributions to the field of stoichiometry. In 1836, he was honored with the Copley Medal.
Born to math professor Harold S. Shapiro, Max Tegmark grew up to co-establish the Future of Life Institute, with funding from Elon Musk. The MIT professor is a specialist in cosmology, physics, and machine learning and had also penned a book on artificial intelligence, titled Life 3.0.
One of the co-founders of the torrent site The Pirate Bay, Fredrik Neij created headlines after being charged with copyright infringement. He spent 10 months in a prison in Skänninge, Sweden. After his release, he decided to set up base in Laos and work in the IT sector.
Gottfrid Svartholm is a Swedish computer specialist best known as the ex-co-owner of the web hosting company and Internet service provider PRQ. He is also credited with co-founding The Pirate Bay along with Peter Sunde and Fredrik Neij. In 2014, Gottfrid Svartholm was imprisoned for his connection with WikiLeaks and released the following year.
Harry Nyquist was a Swedish electronic engineer and physicist best remembered for his contributions to communication theory. His work earned him many prestigious awards such as the IRE Medal of Honor, the Stuart Ballantine Medal, and the Rufus Oldenburger Medal. Harry Nyquist is also remembered for his association with Bell Telephone Laboratories.
Niklas Zennström is a Swedish technology investor and entrepreneur. Also known for his philanthropic efforts, Zennström is credited with co-founding a charity organization called Zennström Philanthropies. In 2006, he was named in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People list for his innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2013, Niklas Zennström was honored with the prestigious H. M. The King's Medal.
Born to a German merchant, Carl Wilhelm Scheele was initially trained as a pharmacist but later switched to chemistry. He began his academic career in Sweden. He is best known for discovering oxygen, apart from countless chemical elements such as barium and chlorine and many organic acids.
Anders Jonas Ångström was a Swedish physicist best remembered for co-founding the science of spectroscopy. He is also renowned for his studies of terrestrial magnetism, astrophysics, heat transfer, and the aurora borealis. In 1850, Anders Jonas Ångström was made a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Tomas Lindahl is a Swedish-British scientist who specializes in cancer research. He is best known as the winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which he received alongside Turkish chemist Aziz Sancar and American chemist Paul L. Modrich. Over the years, Tomas Lindahl has also been honored with other prestigious awards such as the Royal Medal and Copley Medal.
Nobel Prize-winning Swedish electrical engineer Hannes Alfvén is best remembered for his research on plasma physics. He practically pioneered the field of magnetohydrodynamics, which deals with plasmas in magnetic fields. He also proposed the concept of plasma cosmology, challenging the big-bang model, and penned works such as Cosmic Plasma.
Swedish physicist and astronaut Christer Fuglesang scripted history as the first Swedish to go to space. He has had an 18-year stint as an ESA astronaut and has also taught math, particle physics, and space physics. A PhD from Stockholm University, he has also worked with CERN.
Georg Brandt was a Swedish mineralogist and chemist best remembered for discovering cobalt. He is also credited with identifying and exposing fraudulent alchemists. Georg Brandt also served as a professor at Uppsala University.
Swedish pharmacologist Arvid Carlsson’s research work establishing dopamine as a significant neurotransmitter in the brain resulted in the development of drugs for Parkinson’s disease. In the year 2000, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work. During his career, he was also awarded the Wolf Prize in Medicine, the Japan Prize and Italy's Feltrinelli Prize.
Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld was a Finland-Swedish geologist, aristocrat, Arctic explorer, and mineralogist. He is best remembered for leading the Vega Expedition of 1878–1880, the first Arctic expedition to steer through the Northeast Passage. The expedition is regarded as one of the greatest achievements in Swedish science history.
Swedish computer scientist and software engineer, Ivar Jacobson is known for the development of Unified Modelling Language (UML), Rational Unified Process (RUP) and Objectory. Previously he worked for Ericsson and in 2004 founded his current company Ivar Jacobson International. He is also an author who has published numerous books and papers. Additionally, he has also delivered talks at various conferences.
Gustaf Dalén was an industrialist, engineer, and inventor. The AGA cooker and the Dalén light are among his most prominent inventions. He was a long-term CEO of the AGA company. He received over 100 patents during his lifetime. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1912 for his invention of a special kind of automatic regulator.
Sune Bergström was a Swedish biochemist best remembered for winning the 1982 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine alongside John R. Vane and Bengt I. Samuelsson for their discoveries concerning prostaglandins. Over the course of his career, Sune Bergström was also honored with Columbia University's Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize and the Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh.
Carl Peter Thunberg was a Swedish naturalist best remembered as one of the apostles of Carl Linnaeus. Along with other students of Linnaeus, Thunberg spent seven years in Asia and southern Africa, gathering and describing animals and plants new to European science. Thanks to his extensive research on plants, Thunberg is referred to as the father of South African botany.
Renowned Swedish physicist Johannes Rydberg is most recognised for devising the Rydberg formula, a mathematical formula used to determine the wavelengths of photons. He was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize and was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1919. He worked at the Lund University as a provisional professor of physics before becoming a full professor.
Kai Siegbahn was a Swedish physicist best remembered for winning the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1981. He shared the Nobel Prize with Arthur Schawlow and Nicolaas Bloembergen for their contribution to laser spectroscopy. Kai Siegbahn also served as a professor at Uppsala University and the Royal Institute of Technology.
Lars Hörmander was a Swedish mathematician whose four-volume textbook titled Analysis of Linear Partial Differential Operators is regarded as a foundational work on linear partial differential equations. In 2006, his book earned him the Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition. Lars Hörmander was also a recipient of the Fields Medal and the Wolf Prize.
Manne Siegbahn was a Swedish physicist best remembered for winning the 1924 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discoveries in the field of X-ray spectroscopy. Over the course of his illustrious career, Manne Siegbahn was also honored with several other prestigious awards such as the Hughes Medal, Rumford Medal, and Dennis Gabor Medal and Prize.
Noted Swedish physiologist and pharmacologist Ulf von Euler was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology (1970) for his work on discovery of neurotransmitters. A full Professor of Physiology at Karolinska Institute for over three decades, he also received the Gairdner prize, became a Foreign Member of the Royal Society and a founding member of the World Cultural Council.
Ragnar Granit was a Finnish-Swedish scientist best remembered for winning the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with George Wald and Haldan Keffer Hartline for their discoveries concerning the chemical and physiological visual processes in the eye. From 1946 to 1967, Ragnar Granit also served as a professor at the Karolinska Institute.
Helge von Koch was a Swedish mathematician who served as a professor at the Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University College. He is credited with describing a popular fractal known as the Koch curve, which is named after him. Helge von Koch is also credited with writing many papers on number theory.
Gösta Mittag-Leffler was a Swedish mathematician whose contributions are connected mainly with the theory of functions or complex analysis as it is known today. A fierce advocate of women's rights, Gösta Mittag-Leffler played a major role in making Russian mathematician Sofia Kovalevskaya a full professor in Stockholm, the first woman to hold that position.
Christopher Polhem was a Swedish scientist, industrialist, and inventor. He is credited with making immense contributions to the industrial and economic development of Sweden, especially mining. His contributions to the technological development in Sweden were honored by King Charles XII of Sweden. Christopher Polhem is also credited with writing essays concerning medicine, astronomy, geology, social criticism, and economics.
Axel Fredrik Cronstedt was a Swedish chemist and mineralogist. He is best remembered for discovering nickel in 1751. Widely regarded as a founder of modern mineralogy, Cronstedt is credited with introducing the blowpipe for mineralogists. In 1753, Axel Fredrik Cronstedt was inducted into the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Elias Magnus Fries was a Swedish botanist and mycologist. He served as a professor at prestigious institutions like the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Uppsala University. He also served as the director of the University of Uppsala Botanical Garden. Among his most prominent works were Systema mycologicum, Elenchus fungorum, Monographia hymenomycetum Sueciae, and Hymenomycetes Europaei.
Well-known Swedish biochemist Arne Tiselius won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry (1948) for his research on electrophoresis and adsorption analysis, especially for discoveries related to the complex nature of serum proteins. During his career, he worked as a biochemistry professor at the Uppsala University, chaired the Swedish Natural Science Research Council and also became the president of the Nobel Foundation.
Torbern Olof Bergman was a Swedish mineralogist and chemist. He is best remembered for his 1775 work Dissertation on Elective Attractions, which contains the largest chemical affinity tables. He also contributed immensely to the development of quantitative analysis. Torbern Olof Bergman also taught physics and mathematics at the University of Uppsala.
Lennart Carleson is a Swedish mathematician best known for his contribution to the field of harmonic analysis for which he was honored with the Abel Prize in 2006. Over the years, Lennart Carleson has also been honored with other prestigious awards such as the Wolf Prize in Mathematics, the Sylvester Medal, and the Lomonosov Gold Medal.
In 1929, German-born Swedish biochemist Hans von Euler-Chelpin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, together with Arthur Harden, for their studies on the fermentation of sugar and fermentative enzymes. An alumnus of the Berlin University, he worked as a general and organic chemistry professor at Stockholm University and was later also appointed the director of its new biochemical institute.
Otto Nordenskjöld was a Swedish and Finnish geologist, polar explorer, and geographer. He is best remembered for leading the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901–1903, the first Swedish voyage to Antarctica. Otto Nordenskjöld also led mineralogical expeditions to Alaska, Patagonia, and the Klondike area. He also served as a professor at the University of Gothenburg.
Per Teodor Cleve was a Swedish biologist, chemist, oceanographer, and mineralogist. He is best remembered for his discovery of holmium and thulium. He is also credited with discovering aminonaphthalenesulfonic acids. Per Teodor Cleve is also remembered for his service as professor of general and agricultural chemistry at Uppsala University. His contributions were honored with the Davy Medal.
Bengt I. Samuelsson is a Swedish biochemist best known for winning the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1982. He shared the prize with John R. Vane and Sune K. Bergström for their discoveries concerning prostaglandins. Bengt I. Samuelsson is also a recipient of Columbia University's Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize which he received in 1975.
Hugo Theorell was a Swedish scientist best remembered for winning the 1955 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Theorell, who dedicated his career to enzyme research, earned the Nobel Prize for discovering oxidoreductase enzymes. Hugo Theorell's work led to pioneering development on alcohol dehydrogenases.
Vagn Walfrid Ekman was a Swedish oceanographer. He is credited with developing instruments like the Ekman water bottle and Ekman current meter. He also served as a professor of mathematical physics and mechanics at the University of Lund. In 1935, Vagn Walfrid Ekman was inducted into the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Ekman was also an amateur singer and pianist.
Swedish geologist and archaeologist Johan Gunnar Andersson was one of the pioneers of the study on prehistoric China. He discovered the origins of what later came to be known as the Yangshao culture. The Vega Medal winner also penned works such as Children of the Yellow Earth.
Johan Gottlieb Gahn was a Swedish metallurgist and chemist best remembered for discovering manganese in 1774. He is also credited with introducing improvements in copper smelting. In 1784, Johan Gottlieb Gahn was inducted into the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
