20th Century Science
The science of the 20th century is so expansive
that it needs to be split into two parts. Classroom discussions
involve science prior to World War II and science post war.
Here are some highlights of this era.
General
--Science goes completely public
--more scientists in the 20th century than all
the other eras combined
--Science done by teams of scientists rather than individuals
--However, lead scientists often given the credit
--Teams put together small pieces of the puzzle
--Germany loses scientific power
--most leading scientists were German
--Hitler took control
--Scientists left
--Industries take hold
--companies start hiring their own scientists to work for
them
--money is available
--expensive equipment could not be afforded by individuals
Anthropology
--Java Man was vindicated
--Dubois made this discovery and hid the specimens under
the floor boards in his house.
--He was criticized for claiming that the remains were
not from Homo sapiens.
--Later, specimens in China and Africa supported his claim
--Cave paintings were also criticized as being forgeries.
Paintings found later through out the world changed these
complaints to whispers.
--With the discovery of DNA, the link between today's humans
and their ancestors was explored.
--DNA provided a link between humans and chimpanzees more
than humans or chimpanzees to gorillas
Astronomy
--Edwin Hubble proves the universe is expanding with
the Red Shift. -
--Pluto discovered in 1930.
--The age of stars is discovered.
--Black holes are found
--Radio astronomy begins in the 1950's
--This proved the universe was at least twice as big as
previously thought
--Big Bang Theory becomes more popular
--1960s saw the exploration of nearby space by space probes.
--The Great Space Race started in the early 1960s and ended
by the end of the decade.
--Better space probes and telescopes as well as space travel
made the solar system and eventually the universe a smaller
place.
--communication satellites in outer space made our own
Earth smaller
Biology
--The discovery of DNA
--Chemistry aids Biology with the identification of enzymes
and hormones.
Earth Science
--Alfred Wegener and Continental Drift
--not widely accepted until the 1960's
--tectonic plates discovered
--Discovery of the Iridium Layer
--between the Cretaceous and Tertiary Layers
--foreign substance
--many fossils found at this time.
--Earthquake waves used to determine the internal structure
of the Earth.
--Sonar was used to determine the depth of the ocean.
--Why would this become very important during WWII?
Physics
--a majority of the discoveries during this era dealt
with atoms, particles and x-rays
--nuclear reactions also made major advancements
--nuclear bombs created.When Scientists Sin
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