Stephen Wolfram

British-American scientist and businessman (born 1959) · United Kingdom · Scientists

Stephen Wolfram is read about 566 times a day, in 39 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 15 October 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 83 days, one point a day.

Something wrong?

Compare Claim

Stephen Wolfram is a British-American computer scientist, physicist, and businessman. He is known for his work in computer algebra and theoretical physics. In 2012, he was named a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.

A life in dates

2023Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAward2020“Can we use programs instead of equations to make models of the world? ...In the beginning of the 1980s ...I did a bunch of computer experiments.”In their words15 September 2020Lex Fridman Podcast #124, a source.Read the whole statement

“What's happened is, for 300 years people basically said, "If you want to make a model of things in the world, mathematical equations are the best place to go.”In their words15 September 2020Lex Fridman Podcast #124, a source.Read the whole statement

“We live... in the pockets of reducibility. ...I should have realized [that] very many years ago, but didn't...”In their words15 September 2020Lex Fridman Podcast #124, a source.Read the whole statement

“Figuring out where those pockets [of reducibility] are... is an essential thing... in science.”In their words15 September 2020Lex Fridman Podcast #124, a source.Read the whole statement

“Science has become used to... using the little... pockets of computational reducibility (An inevitable consequence of computational irreducibility...”In their words15 September 2020Lex Fridman Podcast #124, a source.Read the whole statement

“I think there is an infinite collection of these local pockets [of reducibility]. We'll never run out...”In their words15 September 2020Lex Fridman Podcast #124, a source.Read the whole statement

2013Fellow of the American Mathematical SocietyAward2009Friedrich L. Bauer PrizeAward1981MacArthur Fellows ProgramAward1959Born29 August 1959

Also in Deutsch

Photos 2

A spatial hypergraph

In their own words 10

Stephen Wolfram

10 statements, newest first

Can we use programs instead of equations to make models of the world? ...In the beginning of the 1980s ...I did a bunch of computer experiments.
Sep 15, 2020, Lex Fridman Podcast #124, a source., Own words
It's a lot easier for one person to have a crisp new idea than it is for a big committee... It can happen that you have a great idea but the world isn't ready... for it.
Sep 15, 2020, Lex Fridman Podcast #124, a source., Own words
What's happened is, for 300 years people basically said, "If you want to make a model of things in the world, mathematical equations are the best place to go.
Sep 15, 2020, Lex Fridman Podcast #124, a source., Own words