Technology

There are hundreds of thousands of scientific discoveries made since the dawn of the human history. No one can actually ascertain which of these discoveries are the most important because the choice is dependent on the person who is making it. For me, I believe that the invention of the telescope and the discovery of the electromagnetic wave belong to the group of the most important scientific discoveries.

The invention of the telescope is attributed to several individuals. Some believe that it was a Dutch eyeglass maker named Hans Lippershey who discovered that lenses held several distance apart can make far objects appear closer. What is certain, however, is that it was the Italian scientist Galileo who first used the telescope to observe the heavens in 1609. With the aid of his own telescope design, Galileo was able to support the theory of Copernicus that the sun, and not the earth, was the center of the universe.

Over the years, the telescope has been a great help in the development of the exploration, either in space or otherwise. Explorers during the 18th century have used telescopes during their travels. This invention is a necessary tool especially for ocean navigations because it guides ship crews whenever they are approaching the rocky areas of the oceans. Christopher Columbus may probably have failed reaching the Americas if he was not equipped with a telescope.

Nowadays, the telescope has played, and is playing, an important role in space exploration. In fact, space age would not exist without telescopes. This invention has helped the humans advance in terms of knowledge and promises a new set of discoveries in the future. With telescopes, we can even see if a meteor would hit and annihilate the planet and generate contingency plans before its too late.

Another scientific milestone is the discovery of the electromagnetic wave and the further studies that were conducted regarding that discovery. It was James Clerk Maxwell who first proposed the idea of the presence of electromagnetic radiation in 1865. From then on, the discoveries of the different types followed  radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, gamma and x-rays. These radiations were not invented, but their discovery has helped the humans in using them effectively.

For example, with the discovery of radio waves, we are able to invent televisions and radios. These are entirely dependent on radio waves because what we see on TV and what we hear on radio are transmitted using radio waves. With the discovery of ultraviolet waves, we are able to understand why the sun causes illnesses like skin cancer.

Some scientific tools are also dependent on radiation. The magnetic resonance imagery or MRI uses radio waves to show an accurate image of the brain that can help in its diagnosis. Another is the X-Ray that is used in bone imagery.

Space exploration is also a product of the discovery of electromagnetic waves. Nobody would want to send a team, whether manned or unmanned, in the space without a definite communication line  which uses some form of electromagnetic radiation.

These two scientific milestones  the invention of telescope and the discovery of the electromagnetic wave  are very essential in the shaping the current, and future, state of the human kind. With these discoveries, we are armed to continue discovering future knowledge that will then be the key to answer our other questions.