Forrest Mims

Rolex Laureate, 1993

Forrest Mims III calls himself a "citizen scientist" – he has a degree in government, but no formal scientific qualifications. Yet he possesses a rare breadth of scientific and technical expertise in an age of narrow professionalism. One of his greatest achievements has been to set up a network to monitor ultraviolet radiation and ozone levels, using a hand-held device he invented himself.