On 16 August 1960, Kittinger jumped from a balloon high in the stratosphere to make the longest skydive from the highest altitude in history. It is a common misconception that Kittinger exceeded the speed of sound during his fall, but this was not the case. He did reach a peak velocity of 614 mph (988 km/h), however, a mark that still stands as the fastest speed ever reached by a human without a vehicle. Though Kittinger fell short of supersonic speeds, he did get pretty close and achieved a maximum of about Mach 0.9, or 90% of the speed of sound. Joseph Kittinger
Who Are the People That Study Reptiles & Amphibians? Every type of animal from birds to insects is studied by scientists under a particular branch of biology called zoology -- the study of animals. The scientists that study reptiles and amphibians are called herpetologists. These scientists dedicate large portions of their lives to the understanding of these creatures.
A nerve doctor is called a neurologist. A neurologist who specializes in surgical care of nerve-related injuries is called a neurosurgeon. Neurology is a branch of medicine that studies the nerves, brain, nervous system and spine, according to the Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library. Continue Reading.