Riemann Soutle

Riemann Soutle was one of the most prodigious scientists of the early days of human expansion from Earth.

Background
Soutle first came to the attention of the academic world for his idea of using gravitational waves as a means of interstellar propulsion. Although this was never used his practice, his elegant solution to the problem of resonance impressed leading scientists. He continued to make contributions to mathematical physics throughout his career, but is most well known for his work on nuclear synthesis. When he began work in this field, humans had already managed to synthesise every naturally occuring element, in the same way that occurs within stars. However, it was in such small amounts and so expensive that it was not economically viable. Soutle's solution involved manipulating dark energy to create large, localized warping of time. This allowed large amounts of energy to be tapped from a vacuum, due to the uncertainty principle. This meant nuclear synthesis could be done very cheaply, for most elements at least.

Unfortunately, his scientific prowess was not matched by his financial acumen, as other, more business savy individuals took advantage of his discovery, and he died penniless and alone.