A mad scientist or mad professor is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction.
The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if they even have a coherent scheme. Alternatively, they fail to see the potential objections to playing God. Not all mad scientists are evil or villains such as Simon Bar Sinister. Some may have benevolent or good spirited intentions, even if their actions are dangerous or questionable, which can make them accidental villains. In the same relation, some are protagonists (or at least positive forces), such as Dexter in the animated series Dexter's Laboratory, Professor Calculus in The Adventures of Tintin, Dr. Muto, Professor Farnsworth, Philo in UHF, Dr. Benjamin Jeffcoat, or Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown from the Back to the Future movies. Occasionally, there are self parodies of mad scientists making fun of the stereotype.
Famous quotes containing the words mad and/or scientist:
“Men first feel necessity, then look for utility, next attend to comfort, still later amuse themselves with pleasure, thence grow dissolute in luxury, and finally go mad and waste their substance.”
—Giambattista Vico (1688–1744)
“Well, it seems to me a scientist has need for both vision and confidence.”
—Harry Essex (b. 1910)