Mad scientist

A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, either villainous, or benign and scatterbrained. Whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, the mad scientist is often working with some utterly fictional technology in order to forward his or her evil schemes. Alternatively, he or she doesn't see the evil that will ensue from the hubris of "playing God". Because of recent profusion of geek culture modern mad scientist depictions are often satirical and humorous rather than critical. Some are actually protagonists, such as Dexter in the cartoon series Dexter's Laboratory.

Fields of research

• archaeology, at least where magical artifacts are involved
• astrophysics
• biochemistry
• biology, especially genetics and eugenics
• botany
• chemistry
• cryptozoology
• electrical engineering
• entomology
• mechanical engineering and mechatronics
• physics, especially nuclear physics
• psychology, particularly its application to mind control and similar topics
• relativity theory, with a special emphasis on time travel
• robotics
• surgery