Muppets rated as top boffins

A poll to discover the nation's favourite on-screen scientists has seen Dr Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, from the Muppet Show, come out on top.

09:17 06 September 2004

A poll to discover the nation's favourite on-screen scientists has seen Dr Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, from the Muppet Show, come out on top.

Mr Spock and Dr Who came in second and third - beaten by the felt duo famed for antics that often reduced the hi-tech Muppet Labs to rubble.

The public vote on the top screen boffin was carried out as part of the celebrations surrounding the British Association's Festival of Science.

The Muppet Labs' top technicians were recovering from their latest breakthrough when they found out about their win and were therefore unavailable for comment. But speaking from their bedsides longstanding green friend Kermit escaped from Miss Piggy long enough to speak on their behalf.

"They have spread the message that science is not just for short round-headed bald guys and their orange-haired goggle-eyed sidekicks. It's also for people like you and frogs like me," he noted.

Current president of the BA, Dame Julia Higgins, noted: "I'm not sure that Dr Honeydew is quite the role model we would be looking at for a responsible scientist.

"His treatment of his faithful assistant Beaker is rather alarming, though admittedly also rather amusing."

The theme of the less than orthodox film scientists continued throughout the top ten. Austin Powers' brother Dr Evil came in ninth, while fellow time traveller Dr Emmett Brown was in fifth. Frank 'N' Furter from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, whose experiments in human cloning and genetic engineering massively predated conventional science, came eighth, with the original monster maker - Dr Frankenstein - at tenth.

The top ten in full:
1 - Honeydew and Beaker (The Muppets) - 33 per cent
2 - Mr Spock (Star Trek) - 15 per cent
3 - The Doctor (Dr Who) - 13 per cent
4 - Q (James Bond) - nine per cent
5 - Dr Emmett Brown (Back To The Future) - eight per cent
6 - Dana Scully (The X Files) - eight per cent
7 - Dr Strangelove - five per cent
8 - Frank 'N' Furter (Rocky Horror Picture Show) - four per cent
9 - Dr Evil (Austin Powers) - four per cent
10 - Dr Frankenstein - one per cent