William Thomson Kelvin (1824 - 1907) who proposed the absolute or Kelvin temperature scale. He also established the second law of thermo-dynamics. He was brilliant. But he wasn't perfect. W. & D. Downey/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption W. & D. Downey/Getty Images 13.7: Cosmos And Culture The 'Brilliant Blunders' Of Science: Success Through Failure May 28, 2013 Mario Livio's new book profiles five brilliant scientists and thinkers who, despite their seminal contributions to our understanding of the world, were also wrong about some big questions. Commentator Adam Frank says Livio's engaging work highlights how the collective process that is science always gets it right in the end.