Most of us think of chemical weapons as a twentieth century phenomenon. But did you know that one existed in the medieval world as well? We call that chemical weapon Greek fire. For many, the term chemical weapon has negative connotations. We recall the gas mask as an essential piece of equipment for World War […]
Category: History of Science
Enrico Fermi Sustains a Nuclear Reaction
December 2 of 1942 was a critical day in the history of the twentieth century. On that day, Italian scientist Enrico Fermi, working under the stands of Stagg Field in Chicago, achieved the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction in history. In an event fraught with meaning for the future safety of life on earth, Fermi created […]
Wilhelm Röntgen Discovers X-rays
November 8 is an important anniversary in the history of science, technology, and medicine. On this day in 1895 a German scientist named Wilhelm Röntgen discovered x-rays in his lab (by experimenting with the help of his wife) in Wurzburg. A true scientist, Wilhelm Röntgen dubbed the energy waves he discovered x-rays because the letter […]