WorldChanging – Listorati https://listorati.com Fascinating facts and lists, bizarre, wonderful, and fun Sat, 07 Oct 2023 15:57:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://listorati.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/listorati-512x512-1.png WorldChanging – Listorati https://listorati.com 32 32 215494684 10 World-Changing Scientists You’ve Never Heard Of https://listorati.com/10-world-changing-scientists-youve-never-heard-of/ https://listorati.com/10-world-changing-scientists-youve-never-heard-of/#respond Sat, 07 Oct 2023 15:57:32 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-world-changing-scientists-youve-never-heard-of/

Everyone’s heard of Einstein, Newton, Galileo, and Darwin. But they weren’t the only people who advanced our understanding of the physical universe by leaps and bounds. Sadly, many other men and women (emphasis on women, whose contributions to science have historically but unsurprisingly been criminally overlooked) never got the recognition they deserved for their hard work and groundbreaking discoveries.

The following researchers essentially founded epidemiology, discovered the Big Bang, laid out the periodic table of the elements, and made vital contributions to discoveries that other people got the credit for, like pulsars and the double helix structure of DNA. Maybe it’s time we give these big brains a little more love.

10. John Snow 

Most people know nothing about John Snow. But that’s a shame, because this 19th-century English researcher made groundbreaking contributions that forever altered the fields of public health and epidemiology, centering around his investigations into a cholera outbreak in mid-1800s London. When people across the city began falling seriously ill, Snow painstakingly studied and mapped the outbreak’s geographical distribution, identifying patterns that led him to the source of contamination. 

Through meticulous record-keeping and a combination of statistical analysis and observational data, he traced the majority of cases to a single water pump on Broad Street. Snow’s insights challenged the prevailing miasma theory, which blamed foul odors for the spread of diseases, and instead pointed to contaminated water as the primary culprit. His pioneering approach effectively established the foundation for modern epidemiology and became a testament to the power of data-driven decision-making. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Snow also pioneered the field of surgical anesthesiology. So a pretty enormous number of people ever since have been spared short, brutal lifetimes of illness and suffering because of this one guy. How is he not a household name? 

9. Dmitri Mendeleev 

He’s far from unknown in the scientific community, but Dmitri Mendeleev isn’t exactly the household name he should be. Which is a surprise, since anyone who’s studied chemistry in school or seen an episode of Breaking Bad, has certainly come across his work. Yes, Mendeleev is responsible for developing the periodic table of the elements. 

His simple visual representation organized elements based on their properties and atomic weights, making the subject far easier to study for everyone. (We’re not saying it’s easy, but imagine passing 9th grade without it!) In 1869, he unveiled his creation, arranging the then-known elements into rows and columns, while still leaving gaps for yet-to-be-discovered ones. Remarkably, Mendeleev’s foresight allowed him to accurately predict the existence and properties of several elements that were unknown at the time, earning him widespread acclaim even after his death. His periodic table provided a comprehensive framework for understanding the relationships between elements and facilitated the prediction of new elements with remarkable precision, transforming chemistry and serving as the cornerstone for countless scientific discoveries and advancements in fields ranging from materials science to medicine. Let’s give the guy a little more love. 

8. Fritz Haber

Fritz Haber‘s contributions to science occupy a complex, and sadly controversial, space. On the one hand, this German chemist’s pioneering work in the field of chemical synthesis revolutionized agriculture, when he developed a process for synthesizing ammonia, a crucial component in the production of fertilizers, in 1909. This landmark discovery, known as the Haber-Bosch process, played a pivotal role in bolstering agricultural productivity and alleviating global food shortages, saving countless lives. 

However, Haber’s involvement in chemical warfare during World War I tarnished his reputation, as he led the development of chlorine and other poisonous gasses used to murderous effect on the battlefield: one of the darkest chapters of the war. This dual legacy has sparked ongoing discussions regarding the ethical responsibilities of scientists and the ethical boundaries of scientific advancements.

It’s highly likely his positive contributions outweighed his negative ones by saving countless innocent lives from starvation, but it’s impossible to decouple his name from the horrors of the trenches. 

7. Lise Meitner

Despite being a brilliant physicist whose contributions paved the way for groundbreaking discoveries, Lise Meitner’s name remains unfairly obscure to the general public. As a female scientist working in a male-dominated field, Meitner’s remarkable achievements were often overshadowed in favor of her supervisors and partners, even when it was her contributions that moved the ball forward. 

Meitner’s crowning achievement came in the late 1930s when she, along with colleague Otto Hahn, discovered nuclear fission, helping to set the stage for the atomic age. Through meticulous experimentation and theoretical insights, Meitner and Hahn discovered that bombarding uranium atoms with neutrons resulted in their splitting into smaller nuclei, followed by the release of an enormous amount of energy. This groundbreaking breakthrough laid the foundation for nuclear energy and, sadly, weaponry. Although Meitner’s pivotal role in the discovery was undeniable, she was unjustly overlooked when Hahn was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry alone in 1944. Nevertheless, her intellectual contributions and unwavering determination continue to inspire future generations of scientists. She did get some accolades later in life and after her death, however. Perhaps most notably, element 109, the heaviest element known to science, was named Meitnerium in her honor in 1992. 

6. Rosalind Franklin

Everyone’s heard of James Watson and Francis Crick, who discovered the distinctive double helix structure of DNA. But let’s not forget Rosalind Franklin, the unsung hero of this scientific saga, whose pioneering work in X-ray crystallography gave us crucial images that helped crack the code. In particular, “Photo 51,” one of her many X-ray diffraction photographs, provided the smoking gun Watson and Crick later used to make their groundbreaking discovery. Unfortunately, Franklin’s contributions were initially overlooked due to sexism of the day, poor reporting, and other factors, leaving her in the shadows of scientific recognition. 

Tragically, her early death in 1958 further dimmed the spotlight on her accomplishments. But in recent years, there’s been a growing appreciation for her expertise, dedication, and vital role in one of the greatest scientific moments of the 20th century. The scientific community has begun to recognize Franklin as an essential figure in the discovery of DNA’s structure. It’s time the public does, too. 

5. Norman Borlaug

There are many reasons mass hunger is no longer a major killer, even though there are vastly more mouths to feed today than there used to be when it was. There are many reasons for this, but Norman Borlaug, “Father of the Green Revolution,” is near the top of the list. His pioneering work in crop breeding and modernizing agricultural practices had an enormous impact on global food production, saving billions from famine. Yet, amazingly, he’s not the household name he deserves to be. 

Borlaug dedicated his life to developing high-yielding and disease-resistant crop varieties, launching the “Green Revolution.” By crossbreeding different strains of wheat and incorporating modern farming techniques, Borlaug achieved astonishing results, successfully developing varieties that could withstand harsh conditions and deliver higher yields, helping to feed a rapidly growing global population.

His revolutionary work extended beyond the laboratory, too. He shared his knowledge and collaborated with farmers and scientists worldwide, advocating for the adoption of modern agricultural practices. Soon, Asia, Latin America, and Africa were reaping the benefits. 

Fortunately ,Borlaug’s remarkable achievements did not go unnoticed in the scientific community, earning him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work. 

4. Jocelyn Bell Burnell

As a young postgraduate student at Cambridge University in the 1960s, Jocelyn Bell Burnell made a remarkable discovery, while analyzing data from a radio telescope she helped construct: a highly precise, rhythmic pattern of radio signals originating from deep space. These mysterious signals, initially dubbed “LGM-1” (short for “Little Green Men”), turned out to be pulsars—rapidly spinning neutron stars with immense magnetic fields. The discovery, a testament to Burnell’s tenacity and scientific prowess, has inspired countless scientists and continues to be a captivating reminder of the wonders awaiting exploration beyond our world.

But she never got the recognition she deserved, with the 1974 Nobel Prize for the discovery going to two men instead: her supervisor, Antony Hewish, and astronomer Martin Ryle. 

Jocelyn Bell Burnell’s pioneering spirit and enduring legacy remind us of the boundless possibilities of scientific exploration and the importance of recognizing the contributions of scientists from all backgrounds. Sadly, it’s also a reminder of just how recently we were completely overlooking the contributions of women, even when they were proving their ability in front of our faces. 

3. Georges Lamaitre

When pondering the origins of the universe, the name Georges Lemaître is one that deserves a lot more recognition than it actually gets. This Belgian priest, mathematician, and astronomer proposed a radical idea in the early 20th century: that the universe originated from an initial, infinitesimally small singularity and expanded rapidly: a cosmic explosion known ever after as the  “Big Bang.” Building upon Einstein’s theory of general relativity, Lemaître developed mathematical models that supported the concept, laying the groundwork for the modern incarnation of the theory and revolutionizing our understanding of the universe forever.  

Lemaître’s theories were met with initial skepticism in the scientific community (and plenty of cultural backlash today), but gained recognition and acceptance among his peers over time. Today, his ideas form the very basis of modern cosmology, and serve as a much-needed reminder that science and faith don’t need to be eternally at odds. Maybe if more people knew that a priest first proposed the concept of the Big Bang, his theories wouldn’t have caused such a cultural rift. 

2. Barbara McClintock

Despite her groundbreaking contributions in the field of genetics, Barbara McClintock‘s name remains almost entirely unfamiliar outside the scientific community. But that really shouldn’t be the case. Through her meticulous research on maize (corn) plants, McClintock made a groundbreaking discovery in the 1940s: she unveiled the existence of mobile genetic elements, known as transposons or “jumping genes,” which can change their position within the genome. Sounds a little convoluted, we’ll admit, but this discovery challenged the prevailing notion that genes were static entities and shed light on the dynamic nature of genetic regulation.

As is the case with most groundbreaking discoveries that challenge the prevailing understanding of the day (especially those made by women), McClintock’s work was initially met with skepticism and largely overlooked by the scientific community. It wasn’t until several decades later that her discoveries were fully appreciated, eventually making her the first woman to ever receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, in 1983. 

McClintock’s discoveries transformed our understanding of genetic regulation, highlighting the intricate dance of genes within our genomes. And her legacy is a reminder that science is all about challenging what we think we know, even if it forces us to toss existing theories in the trash.

1. Gerty and Carl Cori

Ever heard of Gerty and Carl Cori, a husband and wife duo who changed our understanding of carbohydrate metabolism? Yeah, probably not (as evidenced by their placement on this list). But it’s time we change that.

In the early 20th century, the Coris focused their research on understanding the intricate processes by which carbohydrates are broken down and utilized in the body. They elucidated the biochemical pathway now known as the Cori cycle, explaining how glucose is converted into energy and stored as glycogen in the liver. This discovery was instrumental in unraveling the complexities of carbohydrate metabolism and provided key insights into disorders such as diabetes and glycogen storage diseases. So yes, their research saved lives. Perhaps even yours. 

Despite their groundbreaking work, prevailing gender norms of the time robbed them of well-earned recognition. Gerty, in particular, encountered obstacles in her career progression and often went unrecognized for her contributions. Nevertheless, they were jointly awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries related to carbohydrate metabolism.

]]>
https://listorati.com/10-world-changing-scientists-youve-never-heard-of/feed/ 0 7987
Top 10 World-Changing Inventions You Didn’t Know Were Scottish https://listorati.com/top-10-world-changing-inventions-you-didnt-know-were-scottish/ https://listorati.com/top-10-world-changing-inventions-you-didnt-know-were-scottish/#respond Wed, 12 Apr 2023 05:32:47 +0000 https://listorati.com/top-10-world-changing-inventions-you-didnt-know-were-scottish/

Scotland is a small country, but its impact on the global stage has been massive, particularly when it comes to inventions. With a population of only 5.47 million people (less than the population of Minnesota), you might be surprised to learn just how many inventions came from Scottish minds.

Well-known Scottish inventors include Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone, and Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin. But besides these two great Alexanders, Scotland has been home to much more than just the creation of haggis and bagpipes. This list is far from exhaustive but rounds up 10 of the best world-changing inventions that you might not have known were created by Scots.

Related: 10 Life-Changing Inventions That Were Discovered By Accident

10 The Toaster

This might seem hard to believe, but the electric toaster was actually invented before sliced bread hit the shelves. Sliced bread was introduced in 1928, but the first electric toaster arrived 35 years earlier, in 1893. We have Scotsman Alan MacMasters to thank for the toaster, which he called the Eclipse Toaster. This original toaster only toasted one side of the bread, though, so people had to flip the bread over manually halfway through.

Initially, the toaster was not that successful due to electricity not being widespread at the time and sliced bread having not been invented. It was also a challenge to develop a heating element that could sustain repeated high temperatures that wouldn’t eventually burst into flames. This problem was solved in 1905 by Albert Marsh from Illinois, who created a filament wire with a nickel and chromium alloy. By 1913 toasters could toast both sides of the bread without the manual flip, and by 1921 a Minnesotan named Charles Strite created the pop-up toaster.[1]

9 The Hypodermic Syringe

Hypodermic syringes are one of the most important medical technologies ever developed. Attempts at intravenous injection go back to at least 1656, with experiments done by Renaissance man Christopher Wren (he was an architect, anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist, and I don’t know when he found time to sleep). Wren used a goose quill as a needle and an animal bladder as a syringe to inject dogs with opium.

The first recognizable hypodermic syringe was developed by the Scottish physician Alexander Wood in 1853. Remarkably, a French surgeon named Charles Gabriel Pravaz independently developed a similar invention in the same year. Large needles attached to tubing were used at this time, but both Wood and Pravaz improved upon this design.

Both men created a fine needle that fit onto a syringe, but there were differences. Pravaz’s syringe was made of silver and used a screw mechanism to inject the medicine. Wood’s was more closely related to modern syringes, as it was made of glass—to see and measure the contents—and used a plunger to inject the medicine. While this was a large medical step forward, many years passed before the danger of infection via needles was understood and the process of sterilization was adopted.[2]

8 The Bicycle and the Pneumatic Tire

So this entry is two in one, but they go together like peanut butter and jelly: the bicycle and the pneumatic tire (admittedly, that doesn’t sound as catchy). The first bicycle was invented by a German, Baron Karl von Drais. It was delightfully called a “dandy horse” but, unfortunately, did not feature pedals. As a result, the rider had to push their feet on the ground in order to move them forward.

The inventor of the modern pedal-driven bike was Kirkpatrick Macmillan, who from his name alone was obviously Scottish. Macmillan was fascinated by the dandy horse but wanted a better means of propulsion, so he endeavored to attach pedals to the contraption. It is thought that by 1839 he had succeeded, though whether he was the first creator or merely a copycat is unknown. Bicycle expert Alastair Dodds explains that either way, “it is almost certain that the inventor was Scots.”

The first pneumatic tire was patented in 1845 by Scottish inventor Robert William Thomson, but it was never practically applied. That did not occur until 1888 when John Boyd Dunlop, also Scottish, realized that a pneumatic tire could make bicycle rides more comfortable. That name should be familiar to anyone who has bought car tires as three brands dominate the market: Michelin, Goodyear, and Dunlop.[3]

7 ATMs

Multiple people attempted to create automated teller machines, or ATMs, during the 1960s, but the man who created the version we use today is James Goodfellow from Paisley. He considered a variety of solutions to ensure that only a verified customer could access money from a machine, including fingerprints (more on that next), voice recognition, and retinal patterns. All of these suggestions were discarded because of technical practicalities or cost.

Goodfellow eventually designed a system with a machine-readable encrypted card and a Personal Identification Number. The invention was patented in 1966, was installed nationwide soon after, and was so successful that it is now ubiquitous worldwide. Also, if you’ve been saying ATM machine and PIN number for your whole life, then you know now that it’s just ATM and PIN, as the extra word at the end is redundant.[4]

6 Forensic Fingerprinting

Life for criminals became much harder at the turn of the 20th century thanks to Henry Faulds from North Ayrshire, who thought up forensic fingerprinting. While on an archaeological dig in Japan, he noticed fingerprints on ancient clay fragments. He became convinced that the pattern of ridges on a person’s fingertips was unique and thus could aid the police in identifying criminals. Faulds had first-hand experience of the usefulness of fingerprinting when he assisted the Tokyo police in identifying a burglar.

Faulds published his research on the forensic possibilities of fingerprinting in Nature magazine in 1880 and sought the help of Charles Darwin (yes, as in the man who proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection) to get the idea off the ground. However, Darwin had no interest and passed the information onto Francis Galton. Galton published works on the idea starting with a paper in 1888 but failed to credit Faulds as the starting point for his research. As a result, Faulds never received the widespread recognition that he felt he deserved.[5]

5 The Refrigerator

Food preservation, such as drying and fermenting, dates back to ancient times, maybe as early as 10,000-12,000 years ago, according to some anthropologists. But change was in the air in 1755 when the Scottish professor and physician William Cullen created the first artificial refrigerator. Cullen used a pump to create a vacuum over a container of diethyl ether and then heated the ether, thus absorbing the heat from the surrounding air and cooling the container.

Cullen’s experiment was purely scientific, though, and he did not pursue the practical application of his creation. But it was his research that provided the starting point for the commercialization of artificial refrigeration. Of course, the impact of refrigeration goes well beyond food storage; it’s useful for anything that needs to be kept cold and even allowed for the creation of towns and cities in previously inhospitably hot locations.[6]

4 Color Photographs

You might know that Scotsman John Logie Baird was responsible for not only the television but also for color television. But did you know that a Scotsman was also responsible for color photographs? In 1861 the mathematician James Clerk Maxwell created the foundation for all practical color processes: the three-color method.

The first color photograph was of a tartan ribbon (very appropriate given that it was the experiment of a Scot) for one of Maxwell’s lectures on color theory. Maxwell realized that all colors could be counterfeited to the human eye by mixing three colors. The actual picture taking was done by Thomas Sutton, who photographed the ribbon three times through red, blue, and green filters. When the images were combined into one composite photograph, the blend recreated the true color of the ribbon.

A decade earlier, the American minister Levi Hill claimed to have produced a color photograph, but it was largely fraudulent. His process, called heliochromy, had only a limited ability to reproduce color, so Hill hand-applied color to his photo. Therefore, Maxwell takes the crown.

Maxwell is actually better known for his advancements in the field of physics. His research on electromagnetism was vital for the creation of technology such as the telephone, radio, television, microwaves, and x-rays. Albert Einstein also used it when he was developing the Theory of Relativity.[7]

3 The Steam Engine

The steam engine was really created by two men: the Englishman Thomas Newcomen, who in 1712 created the atmospheric engine, the first practical fuel-burning engine; and the Scot James Watt, who improved the steam engine to such an extent that he is better known today as its originator.

By 1765 Watt had designed an engine with a separate condenser which improved efficiency. That may not sound impressive, but by 1778, Watt’s design could be applied to power machinery in mines, mills, and factories instead of relying on water power. He was an essential figure in the Industrial Revolution, and his influence is still felt today. It was Watt who popularized the term “horsepower,” and his contribution to the world was deemed so significant that the “watt” unit of power was named after him.[8]

2 Modern Anesthetic Marvel

If you have had an operation that required a general anesthetic in the last 30 years, then Scotsman John B. Glen is why you (hopefully!) didn’t feel any pain. Glen was originally a vet, but in 1972, he joined ICI Pharmaceuticals (later acquired by AstraZeneca) as a research biologist, investigating a replacement for the anesthetic thiopental. This drug was good at knocking patients out but left them feeling sick and dizzy when they regained consciousness.

In 1973 Glen realized that propofol, a substance that was already synthesized by the company, was fast-acting but also left the system quickly. Glen explains that during trials for the drug, they “had mice walking on little rods like tightropes, and they regained their balance 3 minutes after waking up from propofol.” It took 13 years to get the drug right, but it is now so widely used that the World Health Organization lists it as an “essential medicine.” So while not exactly the creator of the drug, his work essentially saved it from a life sitting on a dusty shelf in a storeroom somewhere—or something like that.[9]

1 The Flushing Toilet

Scotland lays claim to not only the earliest indoor toilet but also the invention of the flushing mechanism that is the foundation of modern sanitation. Some of the earliest known indoor toilets are found on Scotland’s Orkney Islands, at the Neolithic site of Skara Brae. The stone huts of this 3,000 B.C. village featured a very basic sewer system, where waste was flushed into a drain with pots of water. Even earlier, toilets in the Indus Valley region also included a pipe system to carry the soiled water away. But these early models required someone to manually pour water into the basin to “flush.”

Contrary to popular belief, Thomas Crapper did not invent the flushing toilet; rather, he was one of the leading manufacturers who later modified what had already been invented. Instead, Englishman Sir John Harrington (ancestor of Games of Thrones actor Kit Harrington) is usually credited as the true inventor. While Harrington’s Renaissance-era toilet featured many of the trappings of the modern toilet, he, unfortunately, failed to solve the smell issue.

The award for solving that problem goes to Edinburgh-born Alexander Cumming, who in 1775 developed and patented the “S bend” to block out bad smells from the connecting sewers. He also linked the water valve to the flush mechanism, which allowed users to empty the pan and refill it with fresh water with the pull of one handle.[10]

]]>
https://listorati.com/top-10-world-changing-inventions-you-didnt-know-were-scottish/feed/ 0 5336