Wikipedia crisply defines discovery as the act of detecting something new or something previously unrecognized as meaningful. I would say that discovery is finding something that already existed for the first time.
A discovery made should have some significance to it. It should influence human life. It may be by increasing our understanding, providing a novel explanation or reasoning, or causing a breakthrough in one or the other fields.
Discoveries have sustained human life. From the finding of fire around 420 million years ago to the magnets just 4000 years ago, discoveries have drastically changed our ways of living. Mostly, for the better. Discoveries happen all the time-in every era, century, or decade.
Discoveries happen in various fields-Astronomy, Physics, Biology, Oceanology, Archaeology, and more. While all of them are essential, some Discoveries become more notable than others.
So, without further ado, I present to you what I think are The Ten Greatest Discoveries of the 20th century.
Discovery of Penicillium notatum
Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered the bacteria Penicillium notatum on the morning of September 3rd, 1928. Fleming was in his lab, sorting through the Petri dishes containing colonies of Staphylococcus, when he noticed something much unusual.
Staphylococcus is the bacteria that cause boils, sore throats, and abscesses. Fleming observed that in a small area of a Petri dish, a blob of mold was growing.
The intriguing thing about this mold was that the area immediately around it was clear. It was as if something secreted by the mold had inhibited bacterial growth. Though baffled at first, Fleming and his team soon found out the reason.
The mold, later identified as a rare strain of Penicillium notatum, secretes a juice that can kill a wide range of harmful bacteria.However, the extraction of pure penicillin from the mold juice did not happen until later. Fleming, his assistants, and many other professionals made painstaking efforts to achieve the feat, only to be met with failure.
Finally, it was in 1939 that the lifesaving penicillin was successfully developed. This achievement marked the start of an era. As before penicillin, there was no effective treatment for infections at all.
Discovery of The Dead Sea Scrolls
Discoveries not only bring about scientific changes but also broaden our cultural understandings. There are several examples of this. One of them being the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient manuscripts found on the shore of the Dead Sea. First discovered in 1947, these manuscripts, mainly in Hebrew, are the most significant findings in the records of modern archaeology. They have caused cultural reforms by providing a new understanding of the History of Palestine, and the emergence of Christianity, and Rabbinic Judaism.
The archeologists found these scrolls were in five primary sites ranging from the timeline 3rd century BCE to the 2nd century CE. However, according to the article in Britannica, these Dead Sea Scrolls usually refer to manuscripts found in 11 caves near the ruins of Qumrān, which most scholars think was the home of the community that owned the scrolls.
Discoveries related to Blood Banking
Before 1914, there were no scientific means of transfusing blood from one person to another. Several foolish attempts to do so resulted in grave consequences. Then, in 1901, there was a discovery of the three main human blood groups: A, B, and O. This helped us understand how to transfuse blood successfully. The discovery of the blood group AB only aided us.
Later, in 1907, cross-matching was used to check the blood of donors and recipients for signs of incompatibility. Finally, in 1914, scientists discovered that adding sodium citrate to blood prevented the blood from clotting. And that led to the first successful non-direct blood transfusion.
They also observed that refrigerating the blood made it possible to store it for days. And this paved the way for blood banking, as we know it today.
Discovery of The Double Helix of DNA
DNA is the chemical name for the molecule that carries genetic instructions for all living things. The instructions are for a variety of tasks like development, functioning, growth, and reproduction.
The complete expansion of the molecule DNA is Deoxyribonucleic acid. This molecule comprises two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a shape known as the double helix.
James Watson and Francis Crick discovered this structure of DNA in the year 1953. They were the first ones to conclude that the DNA molecule exists as a three-dimensional double helix. However, this would not have been possible without the scientific foundations laid by many other scientists through the decades.
Understanding the structure of DNA has led to a revolution in the way of living of humans. It has helped diagnose genetic disorders, formulate new drugs, create better crops, find forensic pieces of evidence, and even identify pathogens. DNA is the blueprint of life. The discovery of its structure has been one of the most remarkable achievements of humans to date.
Development of Levodopa
Levodopa (L-DOPA) is a revolutionary miracle drug for Parkinson's disease. It manages the symptoms of the disease like tremors, stiffness, and slowness of movement. Despite coming under fire for its adverse effects, Levodopa remains the most effective treatment for Parkinson’s.
The creation of this wonder drug resulted from the discovery made by Swedish pharmacologist Arvid Carlsson. During one of his researches, Arvid found that dopamine was a neurotransmitter, and could control movement. This discovery aided the swift process of developing L-DOPA as the first-ever effective treatment for Parkinson’s.
Discovery of the Tomb of King Tutankhamen
On November 26th, 1922, two British archaeologists, Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon, entered the interior chambers of King Tut’s Tomb for the first time. This was after decades of speculations and excavations. To their surprise, the interiors of the tomb were perfectly intact and were filled with various treasures.
An article by History tells us that the most incredible treasure found there was the stone sarcophagus containing three coffins nested within each other. The final coffin, made of solid gold, contained the mummy of the boy-king Tutankhamen, preserved for over 3,000 years.
This discovery not only changed the understanding of ancient Egypt forever, but it also paved the way for the world to find the meaning of heritage. The media went into a frenzy after this discovery, which led to a variety of fascinating outcomes.
King Tutankhamen became the icon of national independence for the Egyptians. The tomb led to the first-ever complete enforcement of antiquity laws in the public interest. It also brought forth international cooperation and usage of technology and open-source data in archaeology.
Discovery of the Ozone Layer and the Ozone Hole
Wikipedia says that the ozone layer is a region of the lower stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation. It was first discovered in 1913 by the French physicists, Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson.
Ozone prevents up to 98 percent of the ultraviolet radiation from entering the earth. These radiations, when exposed to various life forms, can severely damage them. Hence, the ozone layer becomes a safety blanket provided by the universe to life forms.
In 1985, scientists also discovered that there had been a depletion in the ozone levels over Antarctica. Joe Farman, Brian Gardiner, and Jonathan Shankline were the first to observe this phenomenon over the Antarctic stations of Halley and Faraday.
Adding further, Farman suggested that the depletion was because of compounds called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These chemicals are present in aerosol cans and cooling devices such as refrigerators. We famously know this phenomenon as the Antarctic Ozone Hole and was the first deadly warning sign of environmental damage by humans.
Discovery of CRISPRs
CRISPRs, when fully expanded, are the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. They are the DNA sequences that repeat themselves throughout the double helix chain and are present in the genomes of prokaryotes like bacteria and archaea. They were first discovered in E. coli by a team of researchers headed by a Japanese scientist, Yoshizumi Ishino, in 1987.
It was an accidental discovery, but a rather significant one. Because CRISPRs changed the landscape of genome editing forever. From allowing us to perform targeted epigenome editing to revolutionizing the field of biotechnology and genetics, CRISPRs have started a new era.
Discovery of Antipsychotics
According to an article by the British Association of Psychopharmacology, the term antipsychotic refers to medicines or drugs primarily used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. However, they also specify that antipsychotics are also drugs used for treating other mental health conditions, including severe depression. Despite having such grave importance, antipsychotics only came into play in the 1950s.
The first antipsychotic drug ever synthesized was Chlorpromazine. Initially, though, it was not an antipsychotic. Rhône-Poulenc had developed it as a pre-anesthetic agent in the year 1950. But then, his mentor, Henri Laborit, observed its calming effect and suggested its use in psychiatry.
This led to Chlorpromazine being used to treat patients suffering from schizophrenia and mania. The discovery of psychiatric effects of Chlorpromazine paved the way for the age of antipsychotics.
Discoveries in Olduvai Gorge
Olduvai Gorge is one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world. This site holds key significance in the understanding of early humans. Hence, it is labeled the cradle of mankind. The site has caught the attention of various researchers through the years. A few accidentally stumbled into it, while the other deliberately planned to enter it.
Out of all the research teams, The British/Kenyan paleoanthropologist-archaeologist team of Mary and Louis Leakey is the most well-known one. They handled most of the excavations and discoveries of the hominin fossils in the area. One of their most notable findings is the skull of Zinjanthropus or Australopithecus boisei.
Bonus
Along with these vital discoveries, the 20th century also witnessed two other crucial revelations. One of them is International Teamwork. The 20th century was the first time that different countries came together in hopes of a better future. The establishment of the United Nations in 1945 was the first step, and the eradication of Smallpox in 1980 the first result.
Another vital discovery of the 20th century was that of the concentration camps. It was on April 4th, 1945 that the American army units first came across these camps. Their discovery exposed the world to the true extent of human cruelty and prejudice.
Written By - Chandana.C .K
Edited By - Nidhi Verma
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