20 Famous Scientists with ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD-by Johns Hopkins Medicine-Wikimedia Commons

20 Famous Scientists with ADHD

As a result of the mental health disease known as ADHD, a person may experience problems with learning, concentration, hyperactivity, or impulsivity. People with this illness may also struggle with time management in addition to learning impairments. ADHD does not directly affect IQ, thus those who have it are not smarter than those without it. The good news is that you can lessen ADHD symptoms and have a much better life by using counseling, stimulant medications, or both.

9.4% of American school-age children report everyday struggles with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While the majority of people believe that ADHD only affects people under the age of 17, 4% of adults are said to have a daily diagnosis. Let’s look at this list of notable scientists that battled ADHD in their lifetimes.

Read also; 10 Famous People with ADHD

Famous Scientists in Physical Science with ADHD

1. Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein Head-by Orren Jack Turner-Wikimedia Commons

Einstein, a German-born scientist, is most known for his work on quantum mechanics and relativity, which he used to advance modern physics. In addition to creating the theory of relativity, Einstein also created the mass-energy equivalence, one of the most well-known equations ever. He created the rules governing photoelectric phenomena, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1921.
Did you realize that ADHD also affected Einstein? He was forgetful, and chaotic, and showed characteristics of ADHD in the same way that he displayed intellect.

2. Sir Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton was a mathematician and scientist from England. His numerous writings that spanned the whole 18th century are best remembered for his contributions to physics, optics, and astronomy. He made great contributions to astronomy. He was one of the pioneering researchers to postulate that the earth is not a sphere, but an oblate spheroid.

Newton’s contributions to optics altered the way humans perceive objects in space. He studied the solar system with the use of his reflecting telescope invention. Newton, one of the scientists who established modern physics, astronomy, and mathematics while having ADHD symptoms, is credited with these and other accomplishments.

3. Benjamin Franklin

BenFranklinDuplessis-by Joseph-Siffred Duplessis-Wikimedia Commons

Benjamin Franklin was born in Massachusetts Bay in the year 1706. He is among the most well-known and significant figures in American history. He is well-known as a scientist, statesman, inventor, and diplomat. His life is so full of history that a whole TV series might be based on it. His achievements as a statesman include signing the Declaration of Independence and serving as the country’s first postmaster general. His contributions to science include the Franklin Stove, lightning rod, and bifocals. One of the most well-known individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in history is Benjamin Franklin.

4. Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was a polymath who excelled in the arts, sciences, and engineering. The Italian lived during the High Renaissance, a period of significant advancement in the fields of engineering, science, and art. He was also a painter, and The Mona Lisa is perhaps his most well-known work. Aside from its beauty, this artwork has been said to as one of the most recognizable in history due to its iconic position.

He is best also recognized for his contributions to engineering, among others, and to the fields of optics, hydrodynamics, and anatomy. Despite not being published during his lifetime, his writings set the stage for a subsequent investigation into those areas. Da Vinci is another example of a well-known person who has ADHD. He was interested in a variety of topics since he had ADHD, which made it difficult for him to concentrate on just one thing.

5. Michael Faraday

Michael Faraday (1791-1867)-by Henry William Pickersgill-Wikimedia Commons

Michael Faraday, who was born in England, was the first to suggest a connection between electricity and magnetism. He made this discovery in 1831 after discovering that a magnet can impact an electrical current. While experimenting with magnetic fields to comprehend how electricity worked, Faraday made the discovery of electromagnetism. In addition, he created the idea of induction, commonly referred to as electromagnetic induction, which describes how electricity can be produced mechanically rather than chemically.

This was a significant finding at the time because it eliminated the need for batteries. He also made significant contributions to the chemical sciences by discovering benzene. Additionally, he developed an early Bunsen burner for the study of gases. Despite his dyslexia, Faraday won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1902 for his contributions to the field.

6. Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking.StarChild-by NASA-Wikimedia Commons

Stephen Hawking left an imprint on the world that will never be erased. He was born in England in 1942 and is best known for his theoretical physics research. He made a contribution to the study of the universe by concentrating on its formation and structure, which are still fascinating to millions of people throughout the world.
Stephen Hawking was not just a superb scientist but a voracious writer as well. Millions of readers throughout the world are still drawn to his books. In addition to having ALS, Stephen Hawking also suffered from ADD (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).

Read also; 15 Most Famous People with Dyslexia

7. Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison-by Unknown author-Wikimedia Commons

Thomas Edison, a native of Ohio in the United States, is most known for his numerous innovations in the fields of commerce, industry, and science. In the United States, he founded one of the first research labs. He made incredible advancements in the fields of mass communication, sound recording, motion pictures, and electric power generation as a result. Edison is recognized for coming up with the telegraph system that enabled long-distance communication as well as the motion picture camera, phonograph, and electric light bulb.

Today’s civilization has undergone a transformation because of these inventions. The fact that Thomas Edison helped usher in a new era of technology that has had a significant impact on our daily lives has earned him the nickname “The Wizard of Menlo Park.” The renowned American inventor Edison is thought to have suffered from ADHD. He had a constant need to study and uncover something new due to his hyperactivity.

8. Nikola Tesla

One of the most well-known engineers and inventors in history is Nikola Tesla. He was born in what is now Croatia in 1856, and he passed away in 1943. He is best renowned for his contributions to the modern alternating current (AC) system, which enabled families and companies all around the world to have access to electricity. He created a machine that generates high voltage and low amperage, the tesla coil. He was able to develop ultra-fast transmitters and motors as a result.
What this has to do with ADHD may be a question on your mind. Tesla, like the other people on this list, had ADHD, but it didn’t stop him from being an imaginative genius.

9. Wilbur Wright

Wilbur Wright-by Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright-Wikimedia Commons

American aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright was born in Indiana in 1867. He was a member of the Wright Brothers, along with his brother Orville, making him one of the most significant individuals in aviation. They were the creators of the first commercially viable airplane ever. The Wright family owned several different aircraft and were well known for their accomplishments in aviation. Along the way, they created a flight control system and constructed numerous more machines, including bicycles and even airplanes. The fact that Wilbur Wright had ADHD is an intriguing detail about him (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

10. Alexander the Great

One of the greatest generals in history was Alexander the Great, also known as Alexander III or Alexander of Macedonia. Alexander spent three years learning from Aristotle, and it was through his lessons that he came to love science in general and medicine and botany in particular. For the purpose of researching the regions he conquered, Alexander enlisted scientists and botanists in his army. One of the earliest people to be cited as having a disease that seems to be related to ADHD was Alexander the Great.

11. Jules Verne

Jules Verne-by Étienne Carjat-Wikimedia Commons

Jules Gabriel Verne, a French novelist, poet, and playwright, was born on 8 February 1828 and passed away on 24 March 1905. His books, which are consistently well-researched, are typically set in the second half of the 19th century, taking into consideration the period’s technological developments. Verne, the inventor of science fiction and a major influence on the steampunk movement, struggled in school. While he had trouble concentrating on his schoolwork, he had always enjoyed writing. Although he was never given an ADHD diagnosis, it is now widely acknowledged that he most likely had the disorder.

Famous Scientists in Earth Science with ADHD

12. Galileo Galilei

The Italian polymath Galileo Galilei is best renowned for his contributions to observational astronomy. He made important findings on the makeup of celestial bodies, such as the lunar craters, Saturn’s rings, and Venus’s phases. Additionally, Galileo made the heretical discovery that the earth revolves around the sun. In his capacity as an engineer, he also created a thermoscope and weather-resistant military compasses. He gained notoriety as one of history’s most significant scientists as a result of these achievements. Galileo wasn’t diagnosed even though he displayed symptoms of ADHD including impulsivity. He lived in an era before the term “ADHD” was coined.

Read more about Galileo Galilei here

13. Scott Kelly

Scott J. Kelly-by NASA/Robert Markowitz-Wikimedia Commons

Scott Kelly, a former NASA astronaut, was born in Orange, New Jersey, in 1964. His most notable accomplishment is that he was one of the Americans who spent the longest amount of time in space, over a year. His reputation also stems from the fact that he is one of the few people to publicly discuss their battles with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Famous Computer Scientists with ADHD

14. Bill Gates

Bill Gates was born in Seattle Washington and he is one of the most well-known business leaders of all time and the fourth richest man in the world as of June 6, 2022. Together, Gates and his pal Paul Allen started Microsoft. The business quickly achieved global success and altered how people interacted with technology, including phones, computers, and operating systems. But are you aware that he has ADHD? Although he did experience some difficulties with his own ADHD while he was in school, he was able to get through them by applying his extraordinary brainpower to build a business that has made him very wealthy.

15. Ted Nelson

Ted-nelson-1999-by Belinda Barnet-Wikimedia Commons

Ted Nelson is one of those people who can transport you through time and space. It is difficult to imagine that he was not born in the twenty-first century given the breadth of his contributions to computer science. Nelson is one of those people who can transport you through time and space. It is difficult to imagine that he was not born in the twenty-first century given the breadth of his contributions to computer science. Nelson, a Chicago native, is a multifaceted individual. He is a writer, philosopher, computer scientist, and sociologist.

His invention of the concepts of hypermedia, hypertext, intertwingularity, virtuality, and translucence made him renowned. Due to their relevance to how we interact with information, these concepts are crucial to computer science. Ted Nelson has a long history of attention deficit disorder (ADD).

16. Alexander Graham Bell

One of the most significant inventors in history was Alexander Graham Bell, who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1847. He created the first practical telephone, which transformed communication around the world. Aeronautics, optical telecommunications, and hydrofoils were all developed by Bell. In addition to being a pioneer in these areas, he also contributed to the founding of AT & T, one of the biggest corporations in the world. Bell battled ADHD all through his youth and adulthood. He had a reputation for forgetfulness and impulsivity, two characteristics that would subsequently be linked to ADHD.

17. Annie Antón

Annie Antón-by Elon University-Wikimedia Commons

Academic and researcher Annie Antón specialize in bioinformatics, mathematical logic, and computer science. Anton persevered through college despite having dyslexia and attention deficit disorder, finally earning her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology’s College of Computing. She is the creator and director of ThePrivacyPlace.org, a research institute focused on concerns of data privacy protection. 

Famous Scientists in Life Science with ADHD

18. Harvey Cushing

Harvey Williams Cushing was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1869. His groundbreaking work in brain surgery is what made him most famous. He discovered Cushing’s disease before any other physician. In addition, Cushing wrote William Olser’s biography, who was a founding professor at John Hopkins Hospital. One of the well-known medical scientists who was thought to have ADHD was Cushing.

Read more on; Top 10 Amazing Facts about Harvey Cushing

19. Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur (1822 – 1895), microbiologist and chemist Wellcome V0026980-by Paul Nadar-Wikimedia Commons

The work of French microbiologist and chemist Louis Pasteur is primarily recognized for its contributions to pasteurization, immunization, and microbial fermentation. He was a well-known physicist who struggled with ADHD. His most notable contribution was the creation of the principles of microbial fermentation, which are still useful in the fight against diseases. Additionally, he developed a rabies vaccine that has prevented millions of deaths worldwide. By demonstrating that germs cause sickness rather than the concept that germs might develop from non-living elements, Pasteur also refuted Aristotle’s theory of spontaneous generation.

2o. Sir John B. Gurdon

In the field of science, John Gurdon became well-known for his research on stem cells, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2012. Gurdon was born in Surrey, England on October 2, 1933. He received his doctorate from Caltech and was a lecturer of zoology at Cambridge University. The main claim to fame of John Gurdon is that he demonstrated the feasibility of transferring a nucleus from one cell to another. This was a significant advance in biology that made it possible to clone living things. Despite his many accomplishments, Gurdon had ADHD issues.