Talk:Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

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A fact from this article was featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the On this day section on September 7, 2007.

Untitled

He liked Waffles, what? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.67.116.174 (talk) 09:33, 20 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

What's with the picture of Drouais?64.12.116.197 02:45, 31 December 2005 (UTC)Lestrade[reply]

Heh, took me a moment to figure out - it's a portrait of Buffon by Drouais. One of our French-speaking editors slipped in the confusing de when changing to the commons pic. 14:22, 31 December 2005 (UTC)

Wood Tests

I find this paragraph not very illuminating. What was the problem Buffon set out to solve by his laborious tests? Why is this problem so interesting while learning about Buffon?--Lupercus 20:26, 2 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Disambiguation

I think there needs to be a disambiguation with the name `Buffon' I've never heard of this French guym but I sure know who the World Cup Winning GoalKeeper is - and I would expect so would most other people who search for Buffon and get directed here. Can someone do this? jkm 02:45, 10 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There's a link on top. I think that's enough. The Comte de Buffon's quite a big deal. Hornplease 21:01, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think that in ten years everybody will have forgotten about an Italian goalkeeper, we must think long term. Hektor 08:44, 6 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not really, do any search on a search engine with 'Buffon' and theres only references to the goal keeper. I think most people would be looking for the keeper not this old fool.

Goal keeper vs. scientist, the choice is easy. Hektor 20:48, 6 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What was his job?

Was he keeper of the royal garden for the rest of his life? The biography seems to stop there. AxelBoldt 04:44, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Buffon the buffoon...

Shouldn't it be mentioned that the term "Buffoon" was derived from his given name, "Buffon?" I was lead to believe that, though his ideas and theories were valid, many scoffed at him turning "Buffon" into a joke and then literally a foolish man. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Maika0* (talk • contribs) 20:02, 27 January 2007 (UTC).[reply]

The term buffoon was in parlance 200 years before the said Buffon and according to one source, comes from the word "bouffon". Extra 'U'.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=buffoon

gb —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gbmillion (talk • contribs) 14:36, 13 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

"It included everything known about the natural world up until that date."

Buffon sounds like an extraordinary Biologist and Polymath. Nevertheless, however incredible his "Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière" is, it must surely be more accurate to state "His aim was for it to include everything known...", or does someone here know better?

John. —Preceding unsigned comment added by DenningJ (talk • contribs) 15:22, 20 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Anachronisms

"Many scientific racialists pointed out at the time that it would have been difficult for races to change so markedly in genotype and phenotype in such a short period of time" -- if "many" did point out something to this effect, they certainly didn't do it in these terms, as genotype and phenotype were not used until the twentieth century. This should be rephrased. Also, 'many . . . at the time' needs to be clarified and quantified. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.233.236.145 (talk) 20:54, 14 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I am moving this sentence here, not only is it anachronistic, it is "weasel-worded", dubious and smells like WP:OR. ~E:74.60.29.141 (talk) 04:02, 18 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Many scientific racialists pointed out at the time that it would have been difficult for races to change so markedly in genotype and phenotype in such a short period of time.

Buefon

What about the spelling of his name on the (photo) pedestal of his statue: "Buefon" (literally carved in stone)? - One would assume the French would know how to spell his name. This needs clarification, non? ~E:Modified:74.60.29.141 (talk) 02:53, 20 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Good catch but if you look closer, you'll see that it is just a glitch in the photo. It is actually spelled Buffon. I've seen it in person. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Eburg Editor (talk • contribs) 16:11, 27 November 2014 (UTC)[reply]

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Bryson, Jefferson, and Buffon's bull moose

With apologies to Bryson, whose book I haven't seen, it seems highly improbable that Thomas Jefferson sent 20 soldiers to New Hampshire to find a bull moose for Buffon. Aside from other issues (20 soldiers to find a moose?!!), Buffon died in 1788. How would Jefferson, as American ambassador to France, have been in a position to order soldiers to New Hampshire, even under a government less weak than that under the Articles of Confederation?Isidorpax (talk) 16:01, 16 April 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Jefferson dealt thoroughly with Buffon's theories of American degeneracy, both of quadrupeds and humans, without benefit of moose carcasses in "Query VI" of his Notes on the State of Virginia. See Thomas Jefferson, Writings, Library of America, 1984, pp. 165-192.Isidorpax (talk) 17:27, 16 April 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Well, it does sound like some bull moose product, and Bryson can hardly be called a reliable historical source, but we have it on much better authority that there was some such story: American Scientist: "Marginalia: Jefferson, Buffon and the Moose". Chiswick Chap (talk) 19:12, 16 April 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Correction

Do you can change it, please? I can not.

{{Rue Buffon (Paris)}|fr}}, a{{Rue Buffon (Paris)}|fr}}, Lkirsteng (talk) 20:04, 2 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]