Voting Station

Vilhelm Bjerknes

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Meteorologist

The Resume

    (March 14, 1862-April 9, 1951)
    Born in Oslo, Norway
    Physicist and meteorologist
    Developed the basic equations for numerical weather prediction and climate modeling
    Pioneer of modern weather forecasting

Why he might be annoying:

    He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics twelve times without winning.
    His equations for numerical weather prediction did not produce reliable results until after his death, when computers had enough power to handle the volumes of data required.
    Even with the use of computers, the results from the equations are useful for only about five days. (Small errors in the initial data propagate over time, becoming large enough after five to six days to make further predictions too inaccurate for use.)

Why he might not be annoying:

    Even before going into meteorology, he made important contributions to electromagnetism.
    He theory on electric resonance contributed significantly to the development of radio,
    One of his graduate students described him as 'an extraordinarily charming man and utterly unassuming for all his genius,'
    His equations remain in use in meteorology over a century later.
    He has craters on the Moon and Mars named after him.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying