Tag: science & technology

Robert Koch discovered the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 1882, identifying it as the cause of tuberculosis. He also developed Koch's postulates for establishing disease causation. While Koch did work on cholera too, his most famous discovery was the TB bacterium.

The Wright Brothers (Orville and Wilbur) invented and flew the first successful airplane in 1903. They made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft. Balloons existed much earlier, and bicycles were invented by others.

Philology is the study of languages in written historical sources - it combines literary studies, history, and linguistics. It focuses on language evolution and historical texts. The other options refer to osteology (bones), myology (muscles), and architecture.

William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781 using a telescope he built himself. This was the first planet discovered with a telescope. Copernicus developed the heliocentric model but didn't discover Uranus.

Charles Babbage designed the first mechanical computer - the Analytical Engine in the 1830s. He is called the 'father of the computer' for his pioneering work on programmable machines. Edison worked on electricity and lighting.

Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity in 1896 while studying uranium salts. He found that they emitted radiation that could penetrate opaque materials. This discovery was fundamental to nuclear physics. Babbage is associated with computers.

William Harvey discovered the circulation of blood in 1628, demonstrating that blood circulates throughout the body in a closed system pumped by the heart. Edward Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine, and Joseph Lister introduced antiseptic surgery.

Alexander Oparin proposed the theory of chemical evolution in 1924, suggesting life arose from gradual chemical evolution in Earth's early atmosphere. His theory explained how simple organic compounds could form and eventually lead to the first living cells. Darwin proposed natural selection.

Joseph Lister pioneered antiseptic surgery in 1865 by introducing carbolic acid (phenol) to sterilize surgical instruments and clean wounds, dramatically reducing infection rates. Edward Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine, not antiseptic techniques.