I know this is incredibly vague but I have a question regarding a scientific situation in history?

Question

I need an example of when a scientist proposed a theory and was thought to be crazy for it but was ultimately proven right later on, preferably after he died. Im doing a speech on thinking outside the box..

Answer 1

see galileo galilei

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei

Answer 2

Peter D. Mitchell and the Chemiosmotic Theory of respiration.
When Mitchell first proposed the chemiosmotic theory it was widely-disregarded; the current idea at the time was for a chemical intermediate between glucose breakdown and the production of ATP.
In 1961, Mitchell proposed an electrochemical gradient across the mitochondrial membrane as the intermediate and, despite having to fund his own research because of his low credibility, he eventually accumulated the evidence to prove that he was right.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1978. He died in 1992, so he did live to see his ideas accepted (they don't give posthumous Nobel prizes).

Answer 3

Alfred Wegener championed the theory of continental drift in the early 20th century. Unfortunately, he couldn't come up with a good mechanism to explain the observations, and was generally ignored. It wasn't until plate tectonics theory was developed in the 1960s, more than 30 years after his death, that he was proven correct.

Answer 4

I'll offer one that is outside the box. They have already found the specific gene relating to aging in humans. Since genes can be turn on and off using enzymes then in truth the discovery of immortality has been found by man. This isn't being acknowledged today and I can understand why. But generations from now it will be common knowledge! Do you want to live forever? It's technically possible!

Answer 5

An extreme example would be the Greek philosopher Aristarchus of Samos, who theorized that the Earth went around the Sun instead of the other way around. This idea wasn't widely accepted until about 2000 years after his death.

Answer 6

There have been several cases - see above for good ideas - but keep in mind that if they had no reason at all for thinking the way they did, it doesn't justify it. If I hypothesized that the world has 20 pink elephants at the center, it doesn't matter if I'm right or not, it's still a stupid idea.

Answer 7

How about philosopher Immanuel Kant,

He said those fuzzy things astronmers are seeing
are other galaxies
We talking 1.5 centuries before the fact.

Answer 8

gregor mendel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregor_Mendel
ignaz semmelweis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmelweis