The Legends of Meteorology series investigates the most famous historical figures in weather. I will go beyond a simple recount of the great work that helped them to achieve legend status by evaluating their status in several other ‘non-standard’ categories. Along the way you will likely learn some new things about each person.
As you peruse the categories, click on the names for more information about how legends are evaluated. The numerical ratings are from 0 to 99 (elite).
Today’s legend is Benjamin “Ben” Franklin, American scientist, newspaperman, diplomat, and Founding Father (ok, ok, you’re pretty good).
Scipio Africanus (Name Coolness) 70
Pretty vanilla, but kind of cool that his name is invoked when referring to C-notes (e.g., “Perhaps a couple of Benjamins will raise your grade”)
Contributions 84
Charted and named the Gulf Stream. Pioneered understanding of electricity and lightning. Has a unit of electric charge named after him (Fr). Demonstrated evaporative cooling/wet bulb depression. Explored concepts of albedo (reflectivity) and thermal conductivity. Observed that prevailing winds did not always ‘push’ storms in that direction. Noted that major volcanic eruptions cool the climate.
Certainly not one of the most prolific lists of meteorological accomplishments, but this guy was busy doing other things. And, Franklin didn’t have modern observation networks, satellites, or other cool things to help develop his theories and experiments. He was very curious, perceptive, and open minded – qualities of a great scientist.
Youth Potential 99
He didn’t waste any time getting going. His childhood was unique and quite fascinating.
His father had 17 kids – Ben was the 15th of 17. Had to drop out of school at age 10. Started printing letters in the paper at 15. Ran away from home at 17 to Philadelphia. World traveler before the age of 18 (London).
Let’s compare to my childhood. At age 10 I was picking my nose in Mrs. Elmer’s 4th grade class. By age 15 I was ‘playing’ squeaky notes on the clarinet in 9th grade band and making a deformed magazine rack in shop class. You win, Ben.
Athleticism 90
Franklin struggled with his weight later in life and many portraits of him depict a portly man. But to my surprise, he had a little Michael Phelps in him. He was very athletic, lean, and muscular in his youth. He was an avid swimmer who dabbled in wind surfing. He regularly jogged, lifted weights, and even invented hand paddles. I always thought that yeah, maybe he accomplished a little bit more than I did in life, but I could take him in a fight. Now, I’m not so sure.
Online Dating Profile 94
I think Franklin would have had one of the most desirable profiles on Match.com. He was a global player. Wealthy. Trim and athletic. He was into so many things that the dinner conversations would theoretically never become stale. He could pay for dinner by taking out money with his picture on it. Imagine a romantic date on the beach with a thunderstorm in the distance and Ben whips out a kite and key and sparks fly. Hell, he’s considered the “First American” by historians. I think a lot of ladies would like to get to know him. Only negative might be the risk for awkward dinner conversation (see Beer Buddy category below).
Rate My Professor 96
Franklin had very little formal schooling as a child and was did not have experience as a formal educator. He had a number of apprentices during his times running newspapers and was considered a good mentor to them. Although I think he was too big in many ways to confine himself in academia, he would have been a great professor. As a successful diplomat, he was a master at nuance and detecting cues from his audience – a great tool to have as a professor. He would have been a great teacher of writing. Franklin had a vast social network that he could rely on to bring real-world experiences into the classroom.
He was not known as the greatest speaker, which for most ‘normal’ professors would limit the effectiveness of classroom lessons. But learning in Franklin’s classroom would be all about experimentation, not lecture. It would be a fascinating experience, no matter what subject matter he was teaching.
Hobbies 99
He had a few: inventor (Franklin stove, bifocals, lightning rod), chess, swimming, master diplomat, founding newspapers, writing, postmaster, revolutionary, being a genius, President of Philadelphia, constitutional convention delegate…the list goes on. Of course, these are more than just hobbies. This guy had quite the life.
Survivor 99
A young Ben Franklin would be the Survivor GOAT. His combination of athleticism, genius intellect, inventions, and negotiating tactics would seal the deal every season. Can you imagine going up against him? He would have the hut with the lightning rod on top, sending out daily letters to his competitors – carefully worded to manipulate alliances in his favor. Perhaps his Achilles Heel would be being Ben Franklin. All of the contestants would be like “We gotta get this guy out of here before he helps found a new country or something”.
Beard 0
As common for men during Franklin’s period, he did not have one.
Beer Buddy 75
Would it be cool to hang out with Ben Franklin? At first, I thought “Of course! This guy has a lot going on!”. But the more I think about it, I’m not so sure. It’s kind of like hanging out with Bono – sounds awesome, but what do you actually have in common? “So, uh, Joshua Tree was a pretty cool album, huh?” “I played the recorder in 4th grade. Do you play any instruments?”
It might be fine if the beers were flowing. Franklin did drink regularly so that would be helpful for our night together. But the first hour would be uncomfortable. It might go like this:
Ben: In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.
Me: So, was George Washington a cool guy?
Ben [stares in bewilderment, gets up and leaves]
Overall 92
I think meteorologists should be grateful that Ben was into weather! Franklin’s superpower as a meteorologist was his intellect and curiosity. He proved that you don’t need to go school for 20 years to do good work. His work in meteorology – particularly lightning and electricity – was pioneering but he didn’t devote nearly as much time to it as others in this series would. But’s that’s quite ok! The world needed Ben Franklin exactly at the time that he came into it and his legacy continues to inspire today.
Here’s Ben’s final players card:
Next up in the Legends of Meteorology series – Tetsuya Fujita
Dr. Chris Hennon is the Founder and Lead Consultant for Hennon Weather Services LLC. He is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist and former Professor of Atmospheric Science with expertise in Tropical Meteorology and Weather Forecasting.
