Scientists and Their Contributions

Scientists and Their Contributions

• Fred Hoyle (1915-2001): British astrophysicist, investigated the origin of elements in stars.
• Irene Uchida (1917-2013): Canadian medical geneticist, studied gene/chromosome effects on health and the impact of X-rays on chromosomes.
• Katherine Johnson (1918-): American mathematician, crucial calculations for space missions, including Apollo 11, began work at NACA (early NASA) in 1953.
• Yvonne Brill (1924-2013): Canadian, worked for Douglas Aircraft and NASA, invented a propulsion system for stationary spacecraft orbits, worked on thrusters, rocket designs, and Mars observer.
• Abdus Salam (1926-1996): Pakistani physicist, developed the electroweak theory, explaining the interaction between subatomic particles, and their unification with the electromagnetic force, which was later proven correct at CERN in 1973 and earned him a Nobel Prize in Physics (1979).
• Vera Rubin (1928-2016): American astronomer, discovered stars at the outer edge of galaxies move as quickly as those near the center proving the existence of dark matter; work influenced understanding of galactic dynamics.
• Peter Higgs (1929-): British physicist, developed the theory explaining the origin of particle masses through interaction with the Higgs field; predicted the Higgs boson, whose existence was later confirmed at CERN's LHC in 2012, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1964.
• Eric Kandel (1929-): American neuroscientist, studied the cellular basis of behavior, focusing on synapses role in memory and learning. His work, based on studies of sea slugs, clarified short- and long-term memory processes. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2000).
• Mario Molina (1943-): Mexican chemist, demonstrated that CFCs damage the ozone layer; this work contributed to banning/limiting CFC use and earned him a Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1995).
• Lap-Chee Tsui (1950-): Canadian medical geneticist, helped determine the gene responsible for cystic fibrosis.
• Mae Jemison (1956-): First African-American woman in space, participated in space shuttle missions and bone cell research experiments.
• Donna Strickland (1959-): Canadian optical physicist, developed chirped pulse amplification (CPA) technique for producing extremely short and intense laser pulses, which earned her a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018.
• Carol Greider (1961-): American molecular biologist, studied telomeres and telomerase and their role in cell lifespan and cancer. Aided in the discovery that inhibiting telomerase in cancer cells slows tumor growth and earned her a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, (2009).

Additional Concepts

• Extra chromosome: A condition where an individual has an extra chromosome in their cells (e.g., Down syndrome).
• Steady State Theory: A now-discredited theory in cosmology that posits the Universe maintains a constant average density as new matter is created while expanding.
• CERN: The European Organization for Nuclear Research.
• LHC: Large Hadron Collider (a large particle accelerator at CERN for high-energy particle physics).
• Higgs boson: A fundamental particle predicted by the Higgs theory; its discovery verified the theory describing the origin of particle mass and interactions.
• CFCs: Chlorofluorocarbon compounds, harmful to the ozone layer.
• Telomeres: DNA segments at the chromosome ends.
• Telomerase: An enzyme that maintains telomeres.

This quiz explores the significant contributions of renowned scientists such as Fred Hoyle, Irene Uchida, Katherine Johnson, and others. Discover their groundbreaking work in astrophysics, genetics, mathematics, and more, reshaping our understanding of science and technology. Test your knowledge about their lives and achievements!