The post Marie Curie Won the Nobel Prize Twice, But There Was a Scandal Involved appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1903 when she became a laureate in physics alongside her husband Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel, “in recognition of the extraordinary services they have rendered by their joint researches on the radiation phenomena discovered”. The committee initially only intended to reward the two male scientists, but Pierre Curie was informed and filed a complaint.
Curie received her second Nobel Prize in the field of chemistry in 1911, becoming the first person and the only woman to win it multiple times. Her second win was overshadowed by her affair with physicist Paul Langevin, which was exploited by her academic opponents.
Even though Curie’s husband passed away years earlier and Langevin was estranged from his wife, their relationship ruffled some feathers. She was asked not to attend, but refused, saying “there is no relation between her scientific work and the facts of her private life”.
Winning Nobel Prizes was quite a family affair for the Curies. In addition to Marie and Pierre Curie, their daughter Irène Joliot-Curie was also a Nobel laureate in chemistry, for her discovery of induced radioactivity alongside her husband Frédéric Joliot-Curie. The Curies became the family with the most Nobel laureates to date, while Marie and Irène remain the only mother-daughter pair to have won Nobel Prizes.
The post Marie Curie Won the Nobel Prize Twice, But There Was a Scandal Involved appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 3 Women Who Changed Science appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Marie Curie is one of the most renowned scientists in history, most famous for her groundbreaking work on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. She is also the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different scientific disciplines—Physics and Chemistry. Her discoveries of radium and polonium, as well as her development of mobile radiography units during World War I, have had lasting impacts on both science and medicine.
Rosalind Franklin was a British biophysicist. Her work with X-ray diffraction was critical in discovering the double helix structure of DNA. Although her contributions were initially overlooked and her data used without her permission, Franklin’s meticulous research and sharp insights were instrumental for the scientific breakthrough that unveiled the building blocks of life.
Rear Admiral Grace Hopper was a pioneer in computer science. She was one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer and developed the first compiler for a computer programming language. Her work laid the foundation for modern software development.
The post 3 Women Who Changed Science appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post How Ancient Egypt Shaped Modern Medicine appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Upon looking at ancient scrolls and manuscripts, it becomes apparent that Ancient Egyptians were the first ones to mention doctors. In around the 25th century B.C., the first mention of doctors was made. Apparently, the physician had cured the pharaoh of the time from an ailment in his nostrils. In fact, Egyptian doctors became so prolific that surrounding kingdoms including Greece and Persia began seeking them out. It wouldn’t be long before the Egyptians would begin developing remedies and medicines.
Researchers uncovered a 4,000-year-old skull from Egypt’s Old Kingdom that happened to show signs of nasopharyngeal cancer. Upon closer inspection, they discovered cutmarks, remarkably showing that physicians back then actually tried to treat cancer, the earliest attempt on record.
It wasn’t just cancer treatments that the Egyptians were onto first. By wrapping broken bones in splints made of wood, the Egyptians became experts at healing broken bones and damaged limbs. What’s more, they pioneered prosthetic limbs. The oldest prosthetic limb discovered was a 3000-year-old leather and wood artificial toe found in Egypt.
The post How Ancient Egypt Shaped Modern Medicine appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Weird History: Albert Einstein’s Brain Was Stolen appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Einstein is often considered one of the smartest people to have ever lived. This is why it isn’t surprising that scientists wanted to study his brain. Einstein himself wasn’t very fond of the idea and left instructions to cremate his body after his death. His wish was granted, but not entirely.
Following Einstein’s death on April 18, 1955, at Princeton Hospital, pathologist Thomas Harvey, who was called to perform the autopsy, decided to remove the brain of the legendary scientist. He did so without anyone asking him or having any permission to do so.
Once his actions were discovered, Harvey managed to get approval from Einstein’s son, Hans. Reluctantly agreeing, Hans added a stipulation that any study of his father’s brain has to be done for scientific purposes.
Don’t think it can get weirder than this?
While Harvey got the approval, he was soon fired from Princeton Hospital. He took the brain with him, took detailed photos, and later sliced it up into pieces. The pieces were preserved in a celloidin. At one point, Harvey kept the pieces of Einstein’s brain in his basement.
Years later, Harvey and a team of researchers have published several studies about their findings from examining Einstein’s brain. The studies mainly concluded that Einstein’s brain looked different compared to most other brains, but never got traction in the scientific community.
The pieces of Einstein’s brain were later returned to his heirs, who donated them to Philadelphia’s Mütter Medical Museum.
The post Weird History: Albert Einstein’s Brain Was Stolen appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 34+ Photos of Wild Things Found on Mars appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>From outlined shadows taking the shape of animals to patterns in the rusty soil resembling writing or symbols, these bizarre planetary quirks have sparked wonder about the mysteries of the Red Planet. Let’s explore some of the most baffling images brought back from our celestial neighbor.
The post 34+ Photos of Wild Things Found on Mars appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 34+ Interesting Facts About Evolution and Early Humans appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>From reasons behind common bodily experiences like goosebumps and morning sickness to discoveries from skulls and fossils, these are some of the most interesting facts about the evolution of humans. Get ready to learn a thing or two!
The post 34+ Interesting Facts About Evolution and Early Humans appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Mindbending Facts About the Human Body appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>While babies may be a lot more supple than adults, this isn’t because they lack bones and joints. In fact, we are all born with the exact number of bones we will have as adults. The fact of the matter is that a baby’s skeleton is made up mostly of cartilage, which turns into adult bone through a process called ossification.
Although you may stop growing in height by the time you hit your twenties, there are some body parts that never stop growing for the rest of your life. Both your nose and your ears continue to grow, never halting for a second. It just so happens that this growth is incremental, making it barely noticeable over the short term.
While we know that we need our brains to think, many of us don’t realize just how much effort this process takes. Although the brain is only 2% of your body weight, it uses 20% of your body’s oxygen and blood in order to operate.
The post Mindbending Facts About the Human Body appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Was Isaac Newton’s Theory of Gravitation Inspired By an Apple Falling From a Tree? appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>As the original story goes, Newton was sitting under an apple tree on a warm evening and gathering his thoughts. At one point, an apple fell from the tree and struck him in the head. Instead of being rattled, Newton exclaimed “Eureka” and came up with the theory of gravitation on the spot.
While this sounds like a remarkable story, it is most likely not correct. Modern scholars believe that Newton came up with the Theory of Gravitation after a long period of observation of the world that surrounds him, with a falling apple being just a part of the equation.
Newton’s friend, author William Stukeley, described the event in his book Memoirs of Sir Isaac Newton’s Life, notably leaving out the part where the apple falls on Newton’s head.
“Why should that apple always descend perpendicularly to the ground”, thought he to himself: occasioned by the fall of an apple, as he sat in a contemplative mood: “Why should it not go sideways, or upwards? But constantly to the Earth’s center? Assuredly, the reason is, that the Earth draws it. There must be a drawing power in matter. And the sum of the drawing power in the matter of the Earth must be in the Earth’s center, not in any side of the Earth. Therefore does this apple fall perpendicularly, or toward the center,” Stukeley writes.
There are also some scientists and experts who believe that Newton made up the falling apple event later in his life or gave it more importance than it deserved. However, we will never know, and maybe it is better that way because it is definitely a cool story.
The post Was Isaac Newton’s Theory of Gravitation Inspired By an Apple Falling From a Tree? appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 4 Interesting Facts About Galileo Galilei appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Galilei is one of the most famous school dropouts in history. He initially wanted to be a monk, but under his father’s influence, he enrolled in medical studies at the University of Pisa. While there, he realized he wasn’t interested in medicine and decided to leave the university without getting a degree so he could focus on his true passion: mathematics.
Galilei is credited for inventing an early version of the thermometer in 1593. Known as a thermoscope, the device measured temperature based on the levels of water in a thin glass tube. Thermoscope served as a starting point for the invention of the thermometer in the early 18th century.
A lot of people think that Galilei invented the telescope. This actually isn’t true, but he did improve it and became the first scientist to use it to observe space.
Roman Inquisition sentenced Galilei to life in prison in 1632 for his support of Copernicus’ heliocentric theory in his work “Dialogue of the Two Principal Systems of the World.” His sentence was later changed to house arrest and he spent his final days in a villa in the town of Arcetri while being forbidden to see his friends or publish new works.
The post 4 Interesting Facts About Galileo Galilei appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Mindboggling Facts About Albert Einstein’s Life appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Although known for his brilliant mind, fashion certainly wasn’t something that naturally came to Einstein. In fact, quite the opposite. The physicist would often walk around with messy hair and would never wear socks. He didn’t even wear socks when he met President F.D. Roosevelt at the White House.
When he wasn’t formulating life-changing theories, Einstein enjoyed music. He began music lessons at the age of five and loved playing his violin, which he affectionately nicknamed “Lina”.
Einstein was so highly respected that even those outside the world of physics craved his knowledge. In fact, he was once offered the opportunity to become the President of Israel by its prime minister. Einstein declined, however, insisting that he was not qualified for the role.
Naturally, incest is something that is broadly looked down upon. While not such close relatives, Einstein once became romantically involved with his cousin Elsa, who ultimately became his gatekeeper.
The post Mindboggling Facts About Albert Einstein’s Life appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Marie Curie Won the Nobel Prize Twice, But There Was a Scandal Involved appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1903 when she became a laureate in physics alongside her husband Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel, “in recognition of the extraordinary services they have rendered by their joint researches on the radiation phenomena discovered”. The committee initially only intended to reward the two male scientists, but Pierre Curie was informed and filed a complaint.
Curie received her second Nobel Prize in the field of chemistry in 1911, becoming the first person and the only woman to win it multiple times. Her second win was overshadowed by her affair with physicist Paul Langevin, which was exploited by her academic opponents.
Even though Curie’s husband passed away years earlier and Langevin was estranged from his wife, their relationship ruffled some feathers. She was asked not to attend, but refused, saying “there is no relation between her scientific work and the facts of her private life”.
Winning Nobel Prizes was quite a family affair for the Curies. In addition to Marie and Pierre Curie, their daughter Irène Joliot-Curie was also a Nobel laureate in chemistry, for her discovery of induced radioactivity alongside her husband Frédéric Joliot-Curie. The Curies became the family with the most Nobel laureates to date, while Marie and Irène remain the only mother-daughter pair to have won Nobel Prizes.
The post Marie Curie Won the Nobel Prize Twice, But There Was a Scandal Involved appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 3 Women Who Changed Science appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Marie Curie is one of the most renowned scientists in history, most famous for her groundbreaking work on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. She is also the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different scientific disciplines—Physics and Chemistry. Her discoveries of radium and polonium, as well as her development of mobile radiography units during World War I, have had lasting impacts on both science and medicine.
Rosalind Franklin was a British biophysicist. Her work with X-ray diffraction was critical in discovering the double helix structure of DNA. Although her contributions were initially overlooked and her data used without her permission, Franklin’s meticulous research and sharp insights were instrumental for the scientific breakthrough that unveiled the building blocks of life.
Rear Admiral Grace Hopper was a pioneer in computer science. She was one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer and developed the first compiler for a computer programming language. Her work laid the foundation for modern software development.
The post 3 Women Who Changed Science appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post How Ancient Egypt Shaped Modern Medicine appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Upon looking at ancient scrolls and manuscripts, it becomes apparent that Ancient Egyptians were the first ones to mention doctors. In around the 25th century B.C., the first mention of doctors was made. Apparently, the physician had cured the pharaoh of the time from an ailment in his nostrils. In fact, Egyptian doctors became so prolific that surrounding kingdoms including Greece and Persia began seeking them out. It wouldn’t be long before the Egyptians would begin developing remedies and medicines.
Researchers uncovered a 4,000-year-old skull from Egypt’s Old Kingdom that happened to show signs of nasopharyngeal cancer. Upon closer inspection, they discovered cutmarks, remarkably showing that physicians back then actually tried to treat cancer, the earliest attempt on record.
It wasn’t just cancer treatments that the Egyptians were onto first. By wrapping broken bones in splints made of wood, the Egyptians became experts at healing broken bones and damaged limbs. What’s more, they pioneered prosthetic limbs. The oldest prosthetic limb discovered was a 3000-year-old leather and wood artificial toe found in Egypt.
The post How Ancient Egypt Shaped Modern Medicine appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Weird History: Albert Einstein’s Brain Was Stolen appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Einstein is often considered one of the smartest people to have ever lived. This is why it isn’t surprising that scientists wanted to study his brain. Einstein himself wasn’t very fond of the idea and left instructions to cremate his body after his death. His wish was granted, but not entirely.
Following Einstein’s death on April 18, 1955, at Princeton Hospital, pathologist Thomas Harvey, who was called to perform the autopsy, decided to remove the brain of the legendary scientist. He did so without anyone asking him or having any permission to do so.
Once his actions were discovered, Harvey managed to get approval from Einstein’s son, Hans. Reluctantly agreeing, Hans added a stipulation that any study of his father’s brain has to be done for scientific purposes.
Don’t think it can get weirder than this?
While Harvey got the approval, he was soon fired from Princeton Hospital. He took the brain with him, took detailed photos, and later sliced it up into pieces. The pieces were preserved in a celloidin. At one point, Harvey kept the pieces of Einstein’s brain in his basement.
Years later, Harvey and a team of researchers have published several studies about their findings from examining Einstein’s brain. The studies mainly concluded that Einstein’s brain looked different compared to most other brains, but never got traction in the scientific community.
The pieces of Einstein’s brain were later returned to his heirs, who donated them to Philadelphia’s Mütter Medical Museum.
The post Weird History: Albert Einstein’s Brain Was Stolen appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 34+ Photos of Wild Things Found on Mars appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>From outlined shadows taking the shape of animals to patterns in the rusty soil resembling writing or symbols, these bizarre planetary quirks have sparked wonder about the mysteries of the Red Planet. Let’s explore some of the most baffling images brought back from our celestial neighbor.
The post 34+ Photos of Wild Things Found on Mars appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 34+ Interesting Facts About Evolution and Early Humans appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>From reasons behind common bodily experiences like goosebumps and morning sickness to discoveries from skulls and fossils, these are some of the most interesting facts about the evolution of humans. Get ready to learn a thing or two!
The post 34+ Interesting Facts About Evolution and Early Humans appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Mindbending Facts About the Human Body appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>While babies may be a lot more supple than adults, this isn’t because they lack bones and joints. In fact, we are all born with the exact number of bones we will have as adults. The fact of the matter is that a baby’s skeleton is made up mostly of cartilage, which turns into adult bone through a process called ossification.
Although you may stop growing in height by the time you hit your twenties, there are some body parts that never stop growing for the rest of your life. Both your nose and your ears continue to grow, never halting for a second. It just so happens that this growth is incremental, making it barely noticeable over the short term.
While we know that we need our brains to think, many of us don’t realize just how much effort this process takes. Although the brain is only 2% of your body weight, it uses 20% of your body’s oxygen and blood in order to operate.
The post Mindbending Facts About the Human Body appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Was Isaac Newton’s Theory of Gravitation Inspired By an Apple Falling From a Tree? appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>As the original story goes, Newton was sitting under an apple tree on a warm evening and gathering his thoughts. At one point, an apple fell from the tree and struck him in the head. Instead of being rattled, Newton exclaimed “Eureka” and came up with the theory of gravitation on the spot.
While this sounds like a remarkable story, it is most likely not correct. Modern scholars believe that Newton came up with the Theory of Gravitation after a long period of observation of the world that surrounds him, with a falling apple being just a part of the equation.
Newton’s friend, author William Stukeley, described the event in his book Memoirs of Sir Isaac Newton’s Life, notably leaving out the part where the apple falls on Newton’s head.
“Why should that apple always descend perpendicularly to the ground”, thought he to himself: occasioned by the fall of an apple, as he sat in a contemplative mood: “Why should it not go sideways, or upwards? But constantly to the Earth’s center? Assuredly, the reason is, that the Earth draws it. There must be a drawing power in matter. And the sum of the drawing power in the matter of the Earth must be in the Earth’s center, not in any side of the Earth. Therefore does this apple fall perpendicularly, or toward the center,” Stukeley writes.
There are also some scientists and experts who believe that Newton made up the falling apple event later in his life or gave it more importance than it deserved. However, we will never know, and maybe it is better that way because it is definitely a cool story.
The post Was Isaac Newton’s Theory of Gravitation Inspired By an Apple Falling From a Tree? appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 4 Interesting Facts About Galileo Galilei appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Galilei is one of the most famous school dropouts in history. He initially wanted to be a monk, but under his father’s influence, he enrolled in medical studies at the University of Pisa. While there, he realized he wasn’t interested in medicine and decided to leave the university without getting a degree so he could focus on his true passion: mathematics.
Galilei is credited for inventing an early version of the thermometer in 1593. Known as a thermoscope, the device measured temperature based on the levels of water in a thin glass tube. Thermoscope served as a starting point for the invention of the thermometer in the early 18th century.
A lot of people think that Galilei invented the telescope. This actually isn’t true, but he did improve it and became the first scientist to use it to observe space.
Roman Inquisition sentenced Galilei to life in prison in 1632 for his support of Copernicus’ heliocentric theory in his work “Dialogue of the Two Principal Systems of the World.” His sentence was later changed to house arrest and he spent his final days in a villa in the town of Arcetri while being forbidden to see his friends or publish new works.
The post 4 Interesting Facts About Galileo Galilei appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Mindboggling Facts About Albert Einstein’s Life appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Although known for his brilliant mind, fashion certainly wasn’t something that naturally came to Einstein. In fact, quite the opposite. The physicist would often walk around with messy hair and would never wear socks. He didn’t even wear socks when he met President F.D. Roosevelt at the White House.
When he wasn’t formulating life-changing theories, Einstein enjoyed music. He began music lessons at the age of five and loved playing his violin, which he affectionately nicknamed “Lina”.
Einstein was so highly respected that even those outside the world of physics craved his knowledge. In fact, he was once offered the opportunity to become the President of Israel by its prime minister. Einstein declined, however, insisting that he was not qualified for the role.
Naturally, incest is something that is broadly looked down upon. While not such close relatives, Einstein once became romantically involved with his cousin Elsa, who ultimately became his gatekeeper.
The post Mindboggling Facts About Albert Einstein’s Life appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>