Many of the scientific breakthroughs we take for granted today are the so-called Age of EnlightenmentIn addition to advances in theoretical knowledge in projects such as Diderot’s Encyclopedia, the era was fertile for applied sciences. Specifically, three inventions were very important to today’s technological development.
In this article
- John Barber’s gas turbine (1791)
- Battery of Alessandro Volta (1800)
- Edward Jenner’s Vaccine (1796)
Major Scientific Breakthroughs of the Age of Enlightenment
Of course, the Age of Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries had many more important inventions. for example, Diving Bell (Edmund Halley, 1717), Fire extinguisher (French C. Hopffer, 1722), Thermometer (Gabriel Fahrenheit, 1724), Sextant (John Campbell, 1757) or Flush toilet (Alexander Cummings, 1775)Many of these inventions, such as the coal-fired steam engine, have been superseded by more efficient and sustainable technologies, such as solar and wind power, but their operating principles have been traced to later technologies. shaped development. As an example, this article will focus on his three scientific breakthroughs from the Age of Enlightenment and their contemporary scientific legacy.
Gas turbines in barbershops, technology driving sustainable aviation
The technology that powers today’s fastest aircraft the invention of Patented by John Barber 1791.
There was no patent on that “horseless carriage” patent, practical applicationwas the first time Gas turbine principle advocated. Gas is compressed along with air in a conical compressor, and the mixture is combusted, releasing a jet of hot gas that spins a turbine.
160 years later, another Englishman named Frank Whittle patented a barber-inspired jet engine. new generation aircraftFirst, the new propeller will eventually previous propeller systemAnd second, it laid the foundation for the rocket engines that powered the conquest of outer space and the recent voyages of big names like Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson. , gas turbines promise to be one of the keys to the development of sustainable aviation.
Mountain of Volta, the power source that made modern smartphones possible
One of the most common units of energy, the volt, is named after the Italian inventor who developed the first battery in history.
The mountains of Alessandro Volta Conductive copper and zinc discs Sandwich with cardboard soaked in salt water. A new device, introduced in 1800, studying electricity for the first time since Continuous and reliable power supply was available.
The voltaic battery enabled scientific breakthroughs such as the first experiments in electrolysis. Electrolysis is today a technology that enables the production of hydrogen and the purification of wastewater. In addition, the Voltaic cell can be considered a pioneer of batteries that power modern electric vehicles and multiple devices such as:
- laptop
- smartphone
- tablet
- Remote controller
- wearable
From Jenner’s vaccines, smallpox to coronaviruses to malaria
If you’ve ever wondered if vaccines have anything to do with cattle, it’s not beside the point. British physician Edward Jenner observed that cowpox victims appeared to be immune to smallpox in humans.
so he inoculated some candidates with biological material from pustules associated with this disease And he succeeded in proving the effectiveness of his new system beyond any doubt. In the process, he earned his place in history.
vaccine development Since then, microbiological testing methods have come a long way. Scientists who recently developed the first coronavirus vaccine based on messenger RNA (mRNA) malaria vaccine Based on the same technology.
Interestingly, the story of the developer of the first vaccine has another connection with our time. There is an 1808 engraving showing Jenner and other doctors standing up to anti-vaccine factions of the time.
Isaac Newton He said that if he could see further, it was because he stood on the shoulders of giants. I was.Today, many modern scientific breakthrough stand on the shoulders of enlightenment Giants like Volta, Fahrenheit, James Watt and Benjamin Franklin.
sauce: Thoughtco, Wikiwand, Edubilla, https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/history/history.html
