History Main / AbsentmindedProfessor

* Wayne Szalinski from ''Film/HoneyIShrunkTheKids''. He is an absent-minded professor, mixed with ManChild to the point of lampshading it in ''Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves'', and he's even more so in the TV series starring Peter Scolari.

* Justified in ''Literature/SeptimusHeap'', where Marcellus Pye is this owing to his old age of 500 years.

* Candace of ''Literature/TheUltraViolets''. Somewhat {{justified|Trope}} in that she is an extremely busy scientist, and things inevitably fall through the cracks.

* Ambrose/Glitch from ''Series/TinMan''. Somewhat justified as the BigBad really did take half his brain and keep it in a jar.

* In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' DLC ''Old World Blues'', [[spoiler:[[AntiVillain Dr. Mobius]]]] turns out to be this. [[JustifiedTrope In his case]], it's a combination of [[spoiler:[[TheWoobie crippling senility, brain degradation due to being a]] BrainInAJar [[TheWoobie and being heavily addicted to multiple drugs]].]]

* A non-human example from ''Literature/{{Foreigner}}'': Grigi the Astronomer Emeritus of the ''atevi'' University. He is much more open and much less formal than other ''atevi'', blithely ignores protocol (even in the presence of extremely annoyed [[MurderInc assassins]]), and would much rather discuss astronomy and physics than things like political upheaval and the looming threat of war.

* ''Series/{{Supercar}}'': Dr. Beaker (no relation to the above), and (less often) his co-inventor (of the titular wonder-vehicle), Professor Popkiss. Beaker in particular is known for often humming and hawing for several long seconds before remembering the final word of the line he's in the process of, ummmmmm, ahhhhhh, ermmmmmm, delivering.

* ''Series/{{Supercar}}'': Dr. Beaker (no relation to the above), and (less often) his co-inventor (of the titular wonder-vehicle), Professor Popkiss. Beaker in particular is known for often humming and hawing for several long seconds before remembering the final word of the line he's in the process of, ummmmmm, ahhhhh, ermmmmmm... delivering.

* Good news everyone! Professor Farnsworth of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', who is also very old. [[spoiler: And capable of making you [[MemeticMutation read this in his voice.]]]] Extra credit goes to the episode "A Big Ball of Garbage", where he goes to an inventors' competition, realizes the invention he brought (the death clock) is the same one he showed last year, attempts to invent the same thing again after it's pointed out to him ("I need a new invention! Perhaps some kind of death clock..."), quickly creates a new invention (the smell-o-scope) to replace it, then only hours later... "Eureka!" "You built the smell-o-scope?" "No, I remembered that I'd already built it last year!"

... What am I doing here again?
----

* Dr. Von Goosewing from ''WesternAnimation/CountDuckula'' fits this trope very well. In fact, if an absent-minded professor type character ever shows up in a Cosgrove-Hall cartoon, there's a better-than-average chance he'll be voiced by Jimmy Hibbert.
* In ''[[WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory Dexter's Laboratory Ego Trip]]'' Old Man Dexter is a ''much'' more brilliant scientist than the present-day Dexter, creating miraculous technology for the good of humanity. However, he suffers from poor memory due to his old age, and can't remember the details of the battle with Mandark, even though Mandark's BrainInAJar is proof of the villain's defeat. Thus, when present-day Dexter arrives in his TimeMachine, they both have to go to the actual time period where it happened (with Dexter's teenage self) to inquire with their ''adult'' self.

* A villainous example is Professor Calamitus from ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutron'', who was unable to finish anything (including his... um... his... ''sentences!'' That's it!) and had to kidnap Jimmy so that he could finish his inventions for him.

* In [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] ''Comicbook/TheFlash'', Iris West's dad, Professor Ira West, was an extreme version of this. According to ''The Life Story of the Flash'', he has every physics award available, but no idea where he put any of them. In his first appearance, he nearly learns Barry's secret identity, but gets distracted before he can put the clues together. A later {{retcon}} takes it further; Barry ''told'' him he was the Flash, and Ira assisted him in creating his super-compressible costume, but a blow from some burglars gave him EasyAmnesia, wiping his memory of the day and leaving him permanently forgetful.

* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/{{Jokester}}": [[SmartPeoplePlayChess Grand Master]] Meyerhof had forgotten to turn on the "do not disturb" sign at the start of this story, so Whistler walks in when he's telling jokes to [[MasterComputer the superintelligent Multivac]].

Compare MadScientist and MadMathematician who may exhibit this trait, demonstrating that even their vast intellect has limits. For those whose absent-minded brilliance shines in engineering and applied science, compare BunglingInventor. One with an extreme case of this may resemble an IdiotSavant. And then there are those who are BrilliantButLazy or a GeniusDitz.

* "Doc" Emmett Brown from the ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy.

* One ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' comic has a science lab with a scientist saying "What the-!? This is lemonade! Where's my culture of amoebic dysentery!?", while in the foreground a man consuming a half-finished glass [[OhCrap has a bug-eyed look of horror on his face]]. Some labs use this cartoon to demonstrate exactly ''why'' food and drink are not allowed in science labs.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Despite being a rather ingenious chemist with an interest in archeology Prof. Chemico is not a terribly good planner, and is really good at missing signs that things are about to get dangerous for him requiring his students, and on one occasion ComicBook/SteveTrevor, to rescue him from the mishaps he occasionally gets himself into.

* One ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' comic has [[https://www.chemwatch.net/188222/amoebic-dysentery a science lab]] with a bug-eyed guy drinking while another behind him says "What the-!? This is lemonade! Where's my culture of amoebic dysentery!?" Some labs use this cartoon to demonstrate exactly ''why'' you don't eat in labs.

* ''Animation/KeremAKovetkezot'': Doctor Bubo is an anthropomorphic owl doctor whose flawed diagnoses and attempts to help out troublesome animals with psychology often lead to trouble.

*** Wait...isn't that a G.K. Chesterton parable?

A subtrope of TheProfessor. And some sort of genius, they used to call me, what was it?-- TVGenius, that was it. Compare also... um... blast it!... ah yes, the MadScientist, who often exhibits this trait. I do so only [[ReluctantMadScientist reluctantly]]. And of course, I must mention my colleagues in [[MadMathematician the math department]]. Some of them go [[IdiotSavant a bit beyond absent-minded]], though. And then there's the ones who are BrilliantButLazy. And if they're not in academia, they're merely a GeniusDitz.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must nip on home, as I seem to have forgotten to put on my pants. Ah, [[EinsteinHair the hair]]? Oh, yes, I should try to comb it some time... I ''do'' have a comb, don't I? A {{subtrope}} of... oh, yes, ForgetfulJones. Compare with AttentionDeficitOohShiny.

* ''Manga/{{Gunnm}}'''s Desty Nova is much more of a MadScientist, but ''some'' [[SendInTheClones of his more friendly incarnations]], mainly Nova The Flan Cook (AKA Nova X, [[spoiler:though he later turned out to be [[FauxAffablyEvil no better than the others]]]]) or Nova Pod (AKA Porta-Nova), can fit this trope pretty well.

A subtrope of TheProfessor. And some sort of genius, they used to call me, what was it?-- TVGenius, that was it. Compare also... um... blast it!... ah yes, the MadScientist, who often exhibits this trait. I do so only [[ReluctantMadScientist reluctantly]]. And of course, I must mention my colleagues in [[MadMathematician the math department]]. Some of them go a bit beyond absent-minded, though. And then there's the ones who are BrilliantButLazy.