PHYSICIST
Heinz von Foerster
1911 - 2002
Heinz von Foerster
Heinz von Foerster (né von Förster; November 13, 1911 – October 2, 2002) was an Austrian-American scientist combining physics and philosophy, and widely attributed as the originator of second-order cybernetics. He was twice a Guggenheim fellow (1956–57 and 1963–64) and also was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1980. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Heinz von Foerster has received more than 297,128 page views. His biography is available in 15 different languages on Wikipedia. Heinz von Foerster is the 544th most popular physicist (down from 492nd in 2019), the 694th most popular biography from Austria (down from 617th in 2019) and the 15th most popular Austrian Physicist.
Memorability Metrics
300k
Page Views (PV)
51.31
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
15
Languages Editions (L)
4.25
Effective Languages (L*)
2.02
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, Heinz von Foerster ranks 544 out of 851. Before him are Dmitri Ivanenko, Abraham Alikhanov, Zygmunt Florenty Wróblewski, John Sealy Townsend, Alfred Perot, and Artem Alikhanian. After him are Norman Holter, Lev Artsimovich, C. P. Snow, Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, Theodore Lyman IV, and David Deutsch.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsDmitri Ivanenko
1904 - 1994
HPI: 51.44
Rank: 538
Abraham Alikhanov
1904 - 1970
HPI: 51.41
Rank: 539
Zygmunt Florenty Wróblewski
1845 - 1888
HPI: 51.41
Rank: 540
John Sealy Townsend
1868 - 1957
HPI: 51.39
Rank: 541
Alfred Perot
1863 - 1925
HPI: 51.35
Rank: 542
Artem Alikhanian
1908 - 1978
HPI: 51.32
Rank: 543
Heinz von Foerster
1911 - 2002
HPI: 51.31
Rank: 544
Norman Holter
1914 - 1983
HPI: 51.26
Rank: 545
Lev Artsimovich
1909 - 1973
HPI: 51.18
Rank: 546
C. P. Snow
1905 - 1980
HPI: 51.15
Rank: 547
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis
1893 - 1972
HPI: 51.14
Rank: 548
Theodore Lyman IV
1874 - 1954
HPI: 51.11
Rank: 549
David Deutsch
1953 - Present
HPI: 51.02
Rank: 550
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1911, Heinz von Foerster ranks 171. Before him are Guy Burgess, Yang Jiang, Tarō Okamoto, Xiao Hong, Broderick Crawford, and Otakar Vávra. After him are Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Klára Dán von Neumann, Nagarjun, Viktor Nekrasov, Hédi Amara Nouira, and George Seaton. Among people deceased in 2002, Heinz von Foerster ranks 161. Before him are Ray Brown, Raymond Firth, Robert Urich, John Thaw, Xavier Montsalvatge, and Vlado Perlemuter. After him are Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Martti Miettunen, André Clot, Sune Andersson, Arne Selmosson, and Norihito, Prince Takamado.
Others Born in 1911
Go to all RankingsGuy Burgess
EXTREMIST
1911 - 1963
HPI: 51.56
Rank: 165
Yang Jiang
WRITER
1911 - 2016
HPI: 51.56
Rank: 166
Tarō Okamoto
PAINTER
1911 - 1996
HPI: 51.56
Rank: 167
Xiao Hong
WRITER
1911 - 1942
HPI: 51.46
Rank: 168
Broderick Crawford
ACTOR
1911 - 1986
HPI: 51.45
Rank: 169
Otakar Vávra
FILM DIRECTOR
1911 - 2011
HPI: 51.43
Rank: 170
Heinz von Foerster
PHYSICIST
1911 - 2002
HPI: 51.31
Rank: 171
Faiz Ahmad Faiz
WRITER
1911 - 1984
HPI: 51.25
Rank: 172
Klára Dán von Neumann
MATHEMATICIAN
1911 - 1963
HPI: 51.22
Rank: 173
Nagarjun
WRITER
1911 - 1998
HPI: 51.15
Rank: 174
Viktor Nekrasov
WRITER
1911 - 1987
HPI: 51.12
Rank: 175
Hédi Amara Nouira
POLITICIAN
1911 - 1993
HPI: 51.10
Rank: 176
George Seaton
FILM DIRECTOR
1911 - 1979
HPI: 51.07
Rank: 177
Others Deceased in 2002
Go to all RankingsRay Brown
MUSICIAN
1926 - 2002
HPI: 51.79
Rank: 155
Raymond Firth
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1901 - 2002
HPI: 51.64
Rank: 156
Robert Urich
ACTOR
1946 - 2002
HPI: 51.59
Rank: 157
John Thaw
ACTOR
1942 - 2002
HPI: 51.43
Rank: 158
Xavier Montsalvatge
COMPOSER
1912 - 2002
HPI: 51.43
Rank: 159
Vlado Perlemuter
MUSICIAN
1904 - 2002
HPI: 51.41
Rank: 160
Heinz von Foerster
PHYSICIST
1911 - 2002
HPI: 51.31
Rank: 161
Manuel Álvarez Bravo
PHOTOGRAPHER
1902 - 2002
HPI: 51.22
Rank: 162
Martti Miettunen
POLITICIAN
1907 - 2002
HPI: 51.08
Rank: 163
André Clot
HISTORIAN
1909 - 2002
HPI: 51.00
Rank: 164
Sune Andersson
SOCCER PLAYER
1921 - 2002
HPI: 50.97
Rank: 165
Arne Selmosson
SOCCER PLAYER
1931 - 2002
HPI: 50.74
Rank: 166
Norihito, Prince Takamado
NOBLEMAN
1954 - 2002
HPI: 50.61
Rank: 167
In Austria
Among people born in Austria, Heinz von Foerster ranks 694 out of 1,424. Before him are Maurice Loewy (1833), Alexandru Vaida-Voevod (1872), Anton von Schmerling (1805), Erich Leinsdorf (1912), Franz Bartl (1915), and Leopold Hofmann (1738). After him are Alfréd Wetzler (1918), Rudolf von Alt (1812), Heinz Weixelbraun (1963), Joseph Hellmesberger Sr. (1828), Hans Hass (1919), and Josef Hickersberger (1948).
Others born in Austria
Go to all RankingsMaurice Loewy
ASTRONOMER
1833 - 1907
HPI: 51.48
Rank: 688
Alexandru Vaida-Voevod
POLITICIAN
1872 - 1950
HPI: 51.44
Rank: 689
Anton von Schmerling
POLITICIAN
1805 - 1893
HPI: 51.43
Rank: 690
Erich Leinsdorf
POLITICIAN
1912 - 1993
HPI: 51.43
Rank: 691
Franz Bartl
POLITICIAN
1915 - 1941
HPI: 51.41
Rank: 692
Leopold Hofmann
COMPOSER
1738 - 1793
HPI: 51.36
Rank: 693
Heinz von Foerster
PHYSICIST
1911 - 2002
HPI: 51.31
Rank: 694
Alfréd Wetzler
WRITER
1918 - 1988
HPI: 51.31
Rank: 695
Rudolf von Alt
PAINTER
1812 - 1905
HPI: 51.31
Rank: 696
Heinz Weixelbraun
ACTOR
1963 - Present
HPI: 51.29
Rank: 697
Joseph Hellmesberger Sr.
COMPOSER
1828 - 1893
HPI: 51.29
Rank: 698
Hans Hass
FILM DIRECTOR
1919 - 2013
HPI: 51.28
Rank: 699
Josef Hickersberger
SOCCER PLAYER
1948 - Present
HPI: 51.28
Rank: 700
Among PHYSICISTS In Austria
Among physicists born in Austria, Heinz von Foerster ranks 15. Before him are Victor Weisskopf (1908), Walter Kohn (1923), Fritjof Capra (1939), Marietta Blau (1894), Berta Karlik (1904), and Marian Smoluchowski (1872). After him are Friedrich Hasenöhrl (1874), Julius Wess (1934), Wilhelm Karl Ritter von Haidinger (1795), Sulamith Goldhaber (1923), Peter Zoller (1952), and Walter Munk (1917).
Victor Weisskopf
1908 - 2002
HPI: 61.09
Rank: 9
Walter Kohn
1923 - 2016
HPI: 60.99
Rank: 10
Fritjof Capra
1939 - Present
HPI: 59.60
Rank: 11
Marietta Blau
1894 - 1970
HPI: 54.25
Rank: 12
Berta Karlik
1904 - 1990
HPI: 54.21
Rank: 13
Marian Smoluchowski
1872 - 1917
HPI: 53.36
Rank: 14
Heinz von Foerster
1911 - 2002
HPI: 51.31
Rank: 15
Friedrich Hasenöhrl
1874 - 1915
HPI: 49.90
Rank: 16
Julius Wess
1934 - 2007
HPI: 48.07
Rank: 17
Wilhelm Karl Ritter von Haidinger
1795 - 1871
HPI: 48.03
Rank: 18
Sulamith Goldhaber
1923 - 1965
HPI: 47.47
Rank: 19
Peter Zoller
1952 - Present
HPI: 44.00
Rank: 20
Walter Munk
1917 - 2019
HPI: 42.93
Rank: 21