Wednesday, April 19, 2006

(German) Computer Scientists Not At All Influential

The magazine "Cicero" compiled a list of the 500 most influential Germans. The list tries to reflect who the mainstream media asks, cites and interviews. I read the entire list to find the most influential computer scientist (my bet was on Wahlster). The result surprised me: There wasn't a single computer scientist! The number of other natural scientists is very small as well - most of them medics or physists; there was not a single mathematician.
When trying to explain the world, German media apparently turns to writers, philosophers, journalist, historians ... most of them male and old (average age of the top 100 is 66 years, 91% male). Anyone still surprised that the German public opinion is sceptical when faced with new technologies?