Today in Science Blog Posts
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Celebrates Li-Ion Battery Research
John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino, winners of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, come from different places and researched lithium-ion batteries at different times.
Happy Birthday, Niels Bohr
Niels Bohr’s work in physics started in college, when he solved a surface tension problem for the Academy of Sciences. He went on to work in atomic structure and quantum mechanics.
Happy Birthday, Sir William Ramsay
Argon got its name, which means “lazy”, because it doesn’t react with other elements in air — or seem to do much of anything. The chemist behind this discovery went on to find the noble gases.
Happy Birthday, Adrien-Marie Legendre
From polynomials and functions to a moon crater and main belt asteroid, French mathematician Adrien-Marie Legendre has quite a few namesakes.
Zeiss, Abbe, and the Evolution of Microscopes and Optical Research
The story of Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe involves a picturesque town in Germany, compound microscopes, and a hammer and anvil. See for yourself with a glimpse into the history of optical research.
The Origin Story of the Sampling Theorem and Vladimir Kotelnikov
Less than a century ago, we didn’t have the theorem that is fundamental to our understanding of electronic communication today. Fortunately, Vladimir Kotelnikov entered the picture.
Happy Birthday, James Joseph Sylvester
Ever heard the word combiants? What about plagiograph, allotrius, or zetaic? The Shakespeare of mathematics, James Joseph Sylvester used his love of poetry to find new ways to describe theories.
A Look Back at Early Film Technology
Did you know that one of the most prominent filmmakers during the advent of cinema was Thomas Edison? Here, we discuss early film technology, instruments, and the people who used them.
Happy Birthday, Samuel P. Langley
The person behind the NASA Langley Research Center, Samuel P. Langley once invented a system of standardized time in order to get more funding for his astronomical observatory.
Happy Birthday, Frederick Sanger
Thanks to English biochemist Frederick Sanger, we have a method for sequencing DNA, which has enabled us to learn more about the building blocks of life.
Defeating Giant Movie Monsters Using Mathematical Modeling
The predator-prey equation can predict how we’d fare in a monster invasion, as well as real-world biology and ecology scenarios like shark overpopulation and tumor movement.
Happy Birthday, Joseph Keller
Mathematician Joseph Keller is best known for his geometrical theory of diffraction, but he also pursued other areas of study, even developing a teapot spout that doesn’t spill.