Max Planck and Quantum Theory

Study Notes

Scientists Who Changed History

This book details the lives and achievements of notable scientists
Focuses on individuals who significantly advanced various fields.

Paradigm Shifts (1895-1925)

This section highlights pivotal changes in scientific understanding between 1895 and 1925.
Key milestones in advancements in various fields are outlined.

Milestones

Santiago Ramón y Cajal:
- Nobel Prize winner in neuroscience (1906)
- Developed methods of microscopy to study the nervous system
- Credited with understanding that the nervous system is composed of individual cells.
Max Planck:
- Nobel Prize winner in Physics (1918)
- Introduced the concept of quanta in energy transmission and absorption.
- This challenged classical physics, paving the way for quantum mechanics.
- His work was influential in understanding the subatomic level.
Nettie Stevens:
- US biologist (early 20th century)
- Discovered sex determination is linked to chromosomes.
George Washington Carver:
- American agricultural scientist (1864-1943)
- Developed hundreds of new products from peanuts and sweet potatoes.
- His work aimed at improving southern US agriculture and livelihoods
Thomas Hunt Morgan:
- Developed groundbreaking work on genetics and heredity via fruit fly research
- Proved the idea of linked genes by studying patterns of genes carried on chromosomes.
Marie Curie:
Nobel Prize winner in Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911).
Discovered two new radioactive elements, polonium, and radium.
Her work is foundational to the use of radiation therapy in medicine.
She coined the term radioactivity.
Antoine Henri Becquerel:
French physicist (1852-1908)
Discovered natural radioactivity
His work led to the development of different scientific areas.
Ernest Rutherford:
- Early 20th-century physicist
- Conducted experiments, disproving that atoms were indivisible, and revealed internal structures in atoms.
Antonio Egas Moniz:
- Pioneer in psychosurgery in the 1930s.
Developed the frontal lobotomy technique for treating mental illness.
Awarded a Nobel Prize for his work on psychosurgery.
Lise Meitner:
- Austrian physicist (1878-1968)
- Coined the term "nuclear fission" and elucidated the physics of the splitting of the uranium atom.
- Her discoveries led to pivotal applications in nuclear physics and related industries.
Albert Einstein:
His theory of relativity fundamentally changed our understanding of space, time, gravity.
His work contributed to breakthroughs in cosmology, astrophysics, and technology.
Alfred Wegener:
Proposed the theory of continental drift
Provided considerable evidence throughout his long career
His work eventually became an essential part of modern geology.
Tim Berners-Lee:
Developed the World Wide Web in 1989, making it freely available
Widely credited with inventing this useful tool for worldwide communications and networking.
James Watson and Francis Crick:
- Discovered the structure of DNA
Rosalind Franklin: Made significant contributions to the discovery of the DNA double helix.
Frederick Sanger:
Pioneer in biochemist, DNA sequencing techniques.
Sequence the components of DNA, RNA, and proteins.
Santiago Ramón y Cajal:
- Nobel Prize winner in medicine (1906)
- Discovered the structure of nervous system.
Sydney Brenner: Research focused on developmental genetics.
J.C.R. Licklider: Early computer science visionary and influenced the development of the modern internet.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell: Discovery of pulsars.
Tak Wah Mak: -Immunologist. Discovered the genetic encoding of human T-cell receptors.
Henry Stommel:
US oceanographer. Explored the powerful forces driving ocean currents, including the Gulf Stream.
Tu Youyou:
- Discover the antimalarial drug artemisinin
Stephen Hawking:
Theoretical physicist. Invented concepts related to black holes and the beginning of the universe.
Patricia Bath:
Ophthalmologist who made vital sight-saving contributions in the field of blindness prevention.
Made significant strides in techniques and invention for cataract treatment.