Welcome to Catnapin's
Science Trivia
This page is under construction. |
*****************************************************************
Listed are interesting scientific discoveries and events I found surfing the web.
These people molded our understanding. It is amazing how old, or new, some of these ideas are.
*****************************************************************
Year | Scientist | Age of Earth etc. |
Notes on Discovery or Theory |
372-287 BC |
Theophrastus |
|
Student of Plato and Aristotle and the next great teacher Father of Taxonomy - first systematic listing of botany including plants brought back by followers of Alexander the Great Proved the Atlantic Ocean flowed into the Mediterranean Sea His ideas dominated science until the Scientific Revolution |
1088 |
Meng Xi Bi Tan (China) |
|
Hypothesized that land was formed by erosion and sedimentation, then was uplifted above the ocean Discovered that compasses do not point to true north |
1400's |
|
|
The end of Medieval times and the beginning of The Renaissance period of Europe. |
1430's |
Johann Gutenberg |
|
introduction of the first printing press |
1500 |
Leonardo da Vinci |
|
deduces that fossil shells are on mountains because the land rose out of the sea. |
1543 | Nicolaus Copernicus |
First modern theory of the solar system (Earth not the center) Scientific Revolution began The book was band until the publisher changed statements that referred to the ideas as certain instead of theory |
|
1556 |
Georg Agricola |
|
First systematic book on mining, smelting, wind energy, hydrodynamic power, ore extraction |
1571-1630 | Johannes Kepler | 3992 BC |
Laws of planetary motion 1606-1619 |
1564-1642 |
Galileo Galilei |
|
Invented the thermometer in 1606 Father of modern theories of astronomy, physics, and science published his first telescopic observations and discovers Jupiter's larger moons 1610 first observed sunspots in 1611 Says the Catholic church is wrong and Copernicus right 1616 and sentenced to house arrest 1633 First test for the speed of light 1638 |
1620 |
Francis Bacon |
|
Proposed a method of developing philosophy using inductive reasoning instead of deductive reasoning = scientific method Facts must be behind any law and a philosopher must free his mind of false notions. "a little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion" Noticed how continents of Africa, South America, Antarctica, and Australia fit together like puzzle pieces. see Plate Tectonics |
1621 |
William Oughtred |
|
invention of the slide rule |
1638-1686 |
Nicolas Steno |
|
Anatomy - showed that contracting muscles changed shape but not volume by using geometry 1667 - determined "tongue stones" found in rocks were ancient shark teeth not that they fell from the sky or grew there. He argued that compositional differences were altered by the the current idea of corpuscular theory of matter 1669 - Described how minerals could form inside of other rocks. Steno's Law: for any kind of crystal the face angles will be the same. Defined the principles of stratigraphy (how strata is formed). Principles that made possible geologic time scales - rock layers are laid down in succession with older rocks under younger rocks. |
1640 |
Blaise Pascal |
|
First calculator invented |
1644 | John Lightfoot | First day on the equinox 9:00 A.M. September 3298 B.C. |
Used Biblical genealogies for the creation of the world |
1643-1727 | Sir Isaac Newton | 4000 BC |
Used mathematics to prove that motion, one Earth or by planets, are governed by the same natural laws |
1650 | James Ussher | First day on Sunday, October 23, 4004 B.C. |
Used Biblical genealogies, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean histories for the creation of the world |
1705 | Edmund Halley |
Realized that the comet was a recurring object orbiting the sun, not an atmospheric phenomena |
|
1707-1778 |
Carolus Linnaeus |
|
Father of Taxonomy We still use his system to name, rank, and classify plants animals and minerals |
1746 |
Jean-Etienne Guettard |
|
Wrote on the distribution of minerals and rock, noted erosion of mountains by rain, first to recognize former volcanoes. |
1788 |
Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon |
75,000 year old Earth |
Wrote an encyclopedia on all known natural history to date. Noted regions have distinct plants and animals, that climate changes may have contributed to the spread. First to conclude that species have improved or degenerated since creation. By estimating the time it would take for a molten planet to cool |
1744-1829 |
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck |
|
Wrote a series of flora of France. Buffon had him appointed to the Paris National History Museum He believed in unchanging species until he studied mollusks (he coined the word invertebrate). The evidence made him realize that transmutations happed over time. "Law of Use and Disuse" - function precedes form - adaptation "Inheritance of Acquired Traits" but he believed a non-genetic trait could be passed on to children |
1772 |
James Burnett, Lord Monboddo |
|
First to associate humans with primates: common ancestor Developing tools, social structures, and language as an adaptive response to environment: adapt to survive Understood selective breading Believed Adam & Eve story as an allegory |
1774 |
Abraham Werner |
|
1774 - first modern book on descriptive mineralogy Proposed the theory of Neptunism - rocks formed from crystallization of minerals in the early Earth's oceans. Receding ocean levels exposed the land. Currently only sedimentary rocks fit this description. Precursor to creationism. |
1774 |
Nicolas Desmarest |
|
Recognize former volcanoes as a series of ancient events, rocks had changed due to weathering, the origin of valleys |
1785 |
James Hutton |
Earth is much older than 4004 BC |
First modern geologist Earth must be much older than 4004 BC because mountains erode and sediments turn to stone then rise up to become dry land |
late 1700's |
Nicholas Steno |
|
First geological time scale had 4 periods. Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Quaternary Rock layers are laid down in succession and represent separate slices of time |
1811 |
Georges Cuvier & Alexandre Brongniart |
Earth is much older than 4004 BC |
Cuvier discovered fossil elephant bones in Paris. They proposed a theory of stratigraphic succession similar to William Smith's |
1815 |
William Smith |
|
Father of English Geology As a coal miner, he observed that strata was found in the same relative positions and could be identified by the fossils it contained. As a canal surveyor and map maker, he drew the first geologic map, showing the strata of England and Wales |
1820-1850 |
|
|
A series of detailed maps of European strata and fossils formulated the geological periods we use today. |
1831 |
Charles Lyell |
240 million year old Earth |
By estimating the life of fossils of marine mollusks. Advocate of Uniformitarianism instead of Catastrophism First to divided Tertiary rocks into three Epochs Close friend of Charles Darwin, helped to arrange the co-publication of the theory with Alfred Russel Wallace. Never fully accepted natural selection as driving evolution because it was too slow |
1785-1873 |
Adam Sedgwick |
|
One of the first modern geologists. Proposed the Devonian and Cambrian periods Opposed evolution and the book by Chambers - he believed in a succession of Divine Creative acts throughout a long history - Man is separate from animals |
1844 |
Robert Chambers |
|
Book - Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation A working theory tying together many peoples' theories using "natural laws" (some true some not) instead of miracles. Lamarck had been publicly discredited for belief in non-genetic traits being passed on to offspring. So Chambers published the book anonymously. Simple to complex changes (with Caucasian man as ultimate) but realized there is a "shifting as well as advance" (now called extinction) Transmutation (now called evolution) everything current developed from earlier forms, planets, minerals, plants, animals, man Believed God set up the process of Natural Laws but did not constantly fiddle with it. An omnipotent creator, who was always with the creation, would know it would succeed. |
1823-1913 |
Alfred Russel Wallace |
|
A naturalist who went in search of evidence to prove Robert Chambers' theories. 1853 - Realized geographical barriers separate closely related species. 1858 - co-author with Darwin on the paper that describes natural selection 1867-1878 - with Jenner Weir - theory that conspicuous coloration could be used as a warning to predators - Darwin preferred coloration as only for sexual selection 1889 - book defending natural selection Early environmentalist and socialist |
1809-1882 |
Charles Darwin |
|
Geological student and friend of Adam Sedgwick Observations while on the Beagle supported Uniformitarianism of Charles Lyell's 1837 - first - role of earthworms in the formation of soil 1938 - his first thoughts on natural selection theory 1839 - book Voyage of the Beagle 1858 - co-author with Alfred Wallace on the paper that describes natural selection 1859 - book On the Origin of Species |
mid 1800's |
James Hall & James D. Dana |
|
Two geologists studying the Appalachian Mountains Developed the Geosynclinal theory that explained the origin of mountain ranges. Accepted until the mid 1960's when replaced with Plate Tectonics. |
1896 |
Henri Becquerel |
|
discovered radioactivity |
1897 | William Thomson, Baron Kelvin | Between 20 and 400 million year old Earth |
Leader in the physical sciences - helped unify the discipline of modern physics. Developed the Kelvin scale of absolute temperature measurement By estimating the time it would take for a molten planet to cool using improved calculations |
1901 | John Joly | Between 90 and 100 million year old Earth |
by calculating the rate salt is delivered to oceans |
1903 |
George Darwin & Joly |
|
Realized that radioactivity allowed the Earth and Sun an internal heat source. Geologist had argued for a much older Earth than 100 million years for generations. |
1905 1907 | Ernest Rutherford & Bertram Boltwood | up to 1.3 billion year old rocks |
Devised the technique to use radioactive decay to determine the age of rocks and minerals. |
1908 |
Frank B. Taylor |
|
Proposed the concept of "Continental drift" thinking continents were dragged towards the equator by lunar gravity. He proposed the Himalayan and Alps mountain ranges formed with an increased activity during the Cretaceous. |
1912 |
Alfred Wegener |
|
German meteorologist Revolutionary book, On the Origin of Continents and Oceans, proposed drifting continents where all the worlds land masses were once joined in a super-continent named Pangaea (meaning "all lands"). First to use the phrase "continental drift" in a thesis, but could not provide a realistic mechanism. Scientific community thought drift was ridiculous. Not excepted until the 1960's. This became the theory of Plate Tectonics. He also went against poplar belief in stating that lunar craters are the result of impacts not volcanism. |
1920’s |
Emile Argand |
|
Swiss geologist Believed the Himalayan Mountains range resulted from a collision between India and Asia |
1929 | Edwin Hubble | 2 billion year old universe |
Using the Hubble constant of a uniformly expanding universe |
1947 | George Garnow | universe expansion started 2-3 billion years ago |
Using the Hubble constant of a uniformly expanding universe but thought "recent" data made it older. |
1952 | Bart Jan Bok | Galactic clusters 1 to 10 billion years old |
Estimated age of galactic clusters. |
1963 & 1965 | Tuzo Wilson |
Canadian geologist - first to propose the theory of Hotspot volcanism Added the third kind of plate movement, horizontal slip |
|
1971 | W. Jason Morgan | Proposed a source for hotspot volcanism as deep inside the mantle, possibly at the core. The rise and current of the super hot magma is the mechanics behind plate tectonics. | |
1980's |
instruments able to measure the movement of continents, volcanoes, glaciers Photos of asteroids hitting the moon. |
||
1999 | NASA | 12 billion year old universe |
Using Hubble constant to estimate age of very distant stars |
2002 | Hubble Space Telescope | 13-14 billion year old universe |
Estimated age of the oldest white dwarfs thought to have been stars 1 billion years after the Big Bang |
2003 | Krauss & Chaboyer | 11.5 to 20 billion year old universe | Estimated age of the oldest star clusters. |
~2008 | British Geological Survey |
One Geology project. First searchable data base for global geological features. To have all the geological maps in one location, accessible by all. |
*****************************************************************