It’s hard to imagine a time when these scientists weren’t celebrated. They were however considered to be heretics in their day because nobody wanted to believe their findings.

1. Isaac Newton: He may be the forefather of science and his discoveries may be revolutionary, but he wasn’t exactly viewed that way back in his day. The Catholic Church in particular completely discredited him and his findings were considered to be nonsense in nature. Therefore he was never celebrated for being the innovative and intelligent scientist that he is today—that didn’t come until much later.

2. Albert Einstein: Much of the issues around this mad scientist were that he was not properly educated. Though he was smart beyond his years and his day, his findings were considered to be rubbish because he never finished school in any form. This would come back as an unbelievable fact because he was so talented and wise beyond his years, but at the time he was thrown to the side and told he was stupid.

3. Sigmund Freud: Though his findings formed the basis of psychology as we know it today, he was considered to be quite perverse in his day. His findings and studies focused on things that were just not talked about in his day and therefore many people thought he was crazy. Though some of the subject matters still may be difficult to comprehend, he was still forming the basis of a very important scientific discipline.

4. Galileo Galilei: He’s another one that was discredited in his day, and again by the Catholic Church. People didn’t want to believe anything outside of their realm, and when you had a scientist who understood the way that the world worked and challenged religion or accepted beliefs, then they were cast aside. Such was the case with this man, who would later be celebrated as a huge contributor to modern science.

5. Ignaz Semmelweis: This scientist may not be as big in name as the others on the list, but he discovered something that is so very important today. He found a big correlation between doctors back in his day not washing their hands and delivering babies to detrimental effects. The doctors in Vietnam in his day would go from dissecting corpses and then tend to their duties in delivering babies—never washing their hands in between. This correlation stuck out as strange and the incidences of babies dying or getting very sick increased dramatically. He pointed this out to be scolded and put down, but eventually his findings would make great sense and ensure better and cleaner standards for every type of patient as we see it in modern medicine.

Though they formed the basis of modern science in various ways, they were cast aside. Many times, the most intelligent forces are often thrown to the side for great controversy.

Mary M Frederick writes on finding the best institution to get a master of science degree.