Scientists dream big and work on theoretical research. They aim to sketch out whole areas, and they must follow their instinct and their interests. But along the way, their work can also bring a few additional commercial benefits. They must spread the word, and make sure everyone understands what they have found. They must also apply the technologies they have incubated in different areas in order to facilitate breakthroughs in these areas.
The discovery of the elements. Supplementary note on the discovery of phosphorus. Journal of Chemical Education, 10 5 , The early research of John B. Watson: Before the behavioral revolution. The Behavior Analyst, 9 1 , In The Origins of Digital Computers pp. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. Communication between viruses guides lysis—lysogeny decisions.
Nature, , Back to Main Menu Huawei Websites. Select a Country or Region. Hot Search. Introduction The world of radiation and atomic power sprang from an unexpected observation of the element radium. Image: Archie Comics We've selected some of the biggest lucky finds in the history of science.
Image: giphy. The most in-gene-ious invention ever Image: Massive Science If lightning had not struck that day A mind-bending boardgame based on the scientific rivalry Image: Dirk Knemeyer Tesla's future wireless world Image: Wikimedia Commons But computers are more special still, aren't they?
A reproduction "analytical engine" Image: Wikimedia Commons If it wasn't for that boring job Antonie van Leeuwenhoek's first microscope Image: Wikimedia Commons Human blood viewed through a microscope made by van Leeuwenhoek Image: researchgate. Rosalind Franklin and DNA. Online Services. Gobal Service Hotline.
It turned out to be a massive, spinning neutron star, sweeping a powerful beam of radio waves across the sky — not unlike a lighthouse in space. She recalled the experience in this New Scientist exclusive.
From radio waves, we slide up the electromagnetic spectrum into microwaves. In , an engineer called Percy Spencer at US firm Raytheon was working with a radar machine when he noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket was melting unnaturally fast. Realising it must be connected with the microwave radio signals from the radar, he began experimenting with food and an electromagnetic generator inside a metal cage.
A few years later, Raytheon produced the first commercial microwave oven. And from microwaves, up to X-rays. It remains one of the biggest advances in medical history. The consequences of this radiation exposure were disastrous. A paragon of modesty, he named the plastic "Bakelite" in honor of himself.
You know what else is a derivative of coal tar? Saccharin, of course. And the discovery of the world's first artificial sweetener happened because Russian chemist Constantin Fahlburg forgot to wash his hands. In , after a day spent reacting coal tar with phosphorous, ammonia, and other chemicals, he realized at home that his hands tasted sweet. Sweet'N Low, that is. The microwave oven was invented in , when a Raytheon engineer named Percy Spencer was fiddling with energy sources for radar equipment.
Then, he realized that the chocolate bar in his pants was melting. He celebrated his discovery with pocket fondue. But, not on purpose.
He was experimenting with cathode ray tubes when he noticed a strange glow in his dark lab some distance away from the tube. Now upon seeing the image, she said "I have seen my own death!
Now, X-rays caused such a stir in the scientific community that another accidental radiation discovery soon followed.
In France in , Antoine Henri Becquerel was testing the hypothesis that sunlight could excite uranium to cause it to emit X-rays, and these X-rays would expose photographic film. But in this case of scientific serendipity, a few cloudy days forced Becquerel to leave his experiment inside in a closed drawer. Now developing the film anyway, Becquerel was startled to find the film had been exposed, and he realized that the uranium itself was emitting this invisible radiation.
Okay, new category: how about vulcanized rubber? In , none other than Charles Goodyear accidentally dropped a mixture of rubber, sulfur, and lead onto a hot stove. The mixture hardened, but was still usable, and the world finally had a durable rubber resistant to both heat and cold. Robert Chesebrough was looking to strike it rich in the oil fields, but in he noticed workers complaining about rod wax, an annoying, waxy substance that gummed up their drilling equipment.
Chesebrough called it Vaseline, and he used it to treat cuts and burns. Sir Alexander Fleming, in , noticed that mold had started to grow in a petri dish of one Staphylococcus bacteria cultures.
While trying to salvage cultures unaffected by the mold, he noticed that bacterial colonies would not grow near the mold. Fleming soon realized that the mold must be releasing some kind of substance that inhibited bacterial growth. Penicillin was later introduced in the s, saving countless lives since.
Back in the lates, two doctors were attempting to uncover the pancreas' role with digestion. After removing one from a test dog, they noticed that flies were gathering around the dog's urine. A little later, further experiments during the s built on their work and were able to isolate the pancreatic secretion known as insulin.
Charles Goodyear spent many years trying to turn rubber into something that wouldn't freeze when it's cold or melt when it's hot. After trying many things, he eventually tried using some sulfur. In frustration, he tossed it into the air, as the story goes , and it landed on a stove.
But instead of melting it charred creating a leathery, heat-resistant and waterproof substance. Roy Plunkett was working in the Dupont Company's Jackson Laboratory in when he started researching new refrigerants. One such substance he experimented with was tetrafluoroethylene TFE gas. After returning to an open cylinder he'd stored some of the gas in, he discovered a strange white powder on the inside. Curiosity compelled him to conduct some tests on it, and he found that it was heat resistant, had low surface friction and was inert to corrosive acids.
Back in the lates, one chemist Robert Chesebrough was investigating an oil well in Pennsylvania. He caught upon a rumor of some strange substance called "rod wax" that intermittently gunked up some of their machinery. He also heard that workers at the well had been using it to soothe cuts and burns on their skin and took some home to conduct tests.
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