
Isambard Kingdom Brunel - benologist
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isambard_Kingdom_Brunel
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omegaworks
Dude even tried his own hyperloop:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isambard_Kingdom_Brunel#Brunel...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isambard_Kingdom_Brunel#Brunel.27s_.22atmospheric_caper.22)

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spinchange
I'm reading Voice Across The Sea now and Arthur C. Clarke called Brunel, "the
greatest engineering genius of the Victorian era - perhaps, indeed, the only
man in the last five hundred years to come within hailing distance of Leonardo
da Vinci."

He was also a fan of L.T.C Rolt's biography:
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1828514.Isambard_Kingdom...](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1828514.Isambard_Kingdom_Brunel)

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hardlianotion
His dad was remarkable as well. Brunel cut his teeth on his father's Thames
tunnel project
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Tunnel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Tunnel)).
There is a little Brunel museum on the site of the project's steam engine.
Well worth a visit if you are in the area.

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Malic
Brunel makes occasional appearances along side Ada Lovelace and Charles
Babbage in Sydney Padua's alternative-history web comic "2D Goggles", which is
worth your time...

[http://sydneypadua.com/2dgoggles/cast/](http://sydneypadua.com/2dgoggles/cast/)

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joshcrews
#2 on BBC's list of 100 Greatest Britons
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Greatest_Britons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Greatest_Britons)

The only one in the top 10 I had never heard of before.

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snowwrestler
For those who watched the London Olympics, this was the figure portrayed by
Kenneth Branaugh in the beginning when the Olympic rings were "forged."

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nikdaheratik
I first heard about him from the mini bio in _Railroad Tycoon II_ of all
things. Very interesting guy.

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mikeash
That was my thought as well. Railroad Tycoon was an interesting way to learn
about that particular slice of early industrial history.

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Animats
Now there was an engineer.

The musical version.[1]

[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21QqXumEWFU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21QqXumEWFU)

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TeMPOraL
I love such songs. Thanks for linking!

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fnordsensei
I hadn't heard of him before I came across him in a novel
([http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Affair-Spring-Swinburne-
Advent...](http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Affair-Spring-Swinburne-
Adventure/dp/1616142405)), and after that I had to read up on him. Quite a
remarkable fellow.

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danans
Darn, too bad I already named my kids.

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jacques_chester
My father wanted to name me Isambard, but was overruled by my mother.

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tgb
So, what's your middle name?

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jacques_chester
Dad missed out there too.

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jimjimjim
I first heard about him from Jeremy Clarkson
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwHnVH9jWmU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwHnVH9jWmU)

(punchy or not, clarkson makes great documentaries)

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qubex
I'm of Bristolian origin, and here's the local hero.

