Essential Scientific Discoveries in the 20th Century
With the introduction of new discoveries and inventions, the twentieth century is often seen as the “golden age of science.” Some of these inventions are still used today, while some are forgotten. I chose some discoveries that had a significant impact on our society and that will continue to shape our future.
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
Einstein’s theory of relativity is one of the most important and most successful theories in the history of physics.
It has many important implications on our understanding of space and time, gravity, and even quantum mechanics.
To put it succinctly, Einstein’s theories say that the speed at which an object moves is relative to an observer’s frame of reference. This means that there is no such thing as a universal speed limit. It also means that space and time are intimately related: time can slow down or even stop when you move close to the speed of light and space.
The Discovery of Helium
On August 18, 1898, a group of scientists from the University of Chicago discovered a new element. The scientists named this new element “helium”. Helium is one of the noble gas elements on the periodic table. It has been used for many different things including its use in nuclear bombs.
DNA
DNA is a sophisticated molecule that contains our genetic information. Its discovery is one of the most important scientific discoveries in the twentieth century.
The nucleic acid DNA was first discovered by a Swiss doctor and researcher Friedrich Miescher who describes his findings in 1869. The structure of DNA was finally solved by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953, which led to its revolutionary discovery.
The Discovery & Structure of Atomic Nucleus which Changed Everything Forever!
In 1909, Ernest Rutherford and his collaborators discovered the atomic nucleus. This discovery caused a major shift in the way we think about matter.
Prior to this discovery, it was believed that all of an atom’s mass was concentrated in a small, dense core. Rutherford’s experiment showed that most of an atom’s mass is actually concentrated in a very small space: the atomic nucleus and surrounded by electrons.
Evolutionary Theory by Charles Darwin — A Fundamental Concept that Changed Science
Charles Darwin was one of the first people to propose the idea of evolution. He believed that all living things were related and evolved from a common ancestor. His work on natural selection, as well as his theory of evolution, is well-known today and has been applied in many fields such as biology, sociology, and psychology.
Even with all these great discoveries behind us, the “golden age” of science is far from over. A new golden age is dawning in the twenty-first century with huge strides in the fields of AI, machine learning, and quantum mechanics. The future seems brighter than a photon.
