Alexander Fleming vs David Hume
Two child prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Alexander Fleming | David Hume | |
| Field | Music | Philosophy |
| Sub-field | Musician | Philosopher |
| Born | 1881 | 1711 |
| Died | 1955 | 1776 |
| Country of birth | SCT | SCT |
| Star sign | Leo | - |
Who they are
Alexander Fleming
In September 1928, a Scottish bacteriologist returned from his summer holiday to a cluttered laboratory at St Mary's Hospital in London, and noticed something unusual on a petri dish he had left behind. A mould had contaminated one of his cultures of Staphylococcus bacteria — and around the mould, the bacteria were dead. Alexander Fleming did not immediately grasp that he had just made the most important medical discovery of the twentieth century. But he was curious enough to look more carefully, and careful enough not to throw the dish away. That decision would eventually…
Full biography of Alexander Fleming →
David Hume
Master of Empiricism — Problem of Induction Causation as habit · Moral sentiment · Roused Kant from "dogmatic slumber" Born May 7, 1711 · Edinburgh, Scotland · Died August 25, 1776
Full biography of David Hume →
What they share
- Both born in SCT.
Where they part
- Different fields: Music for Alexander Fleming, Philosophy for David Hume.
- 170 years separate their births (1881 and 1711).
- Their lifetimes never overlapped.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Alexander Fleming or David Hume?
- David Hume. Alexander Fleming was born in 1881, David Hume in 1711.
- What field is each of them in?
- Alexander Fleming is filed under Music (Musician). David Hume is filed under Philosophy (Philosopher).
- Were they contemporaries?
- No - their lifetimes do not overlap.