Astronomy – Explore the Universe

General Relativity (1915 – 1919)

Albert Einstein unveils his theory of general relativity in which he proposes that mass warps both time and space, therefore large masses can bend light.

The Universe Is Expanding (1924 – 1929)

Science: Big questions, small answers

With leading scientists, we set out to answer some of the fundamental questions of life, the universe and everything

Background

• Jodrell Bank founder condemns closure plan

• Britain’s window on the stars faces closure

• Turning a blind eye to marvellous things

Background

• Clouds of acid make sky bright but eat the ozone

• Encyclopedia of Life to be published online

• Branson calls for hydrogen filling stations

Background

• Biofuels cannot save the planet

• Biofuels rush threatens starvation

• Forget biofuels — we need our daily bread

Edwin Hubble determines the distance to many nearby galaxies and discovers that the farther they are from us, the faster they are flying away from us.

The Universe Is Accelerating (1998 – 2000)

Unexpectedly, astronomers find that instead of slowing down due to the pull of gravity, the expansion of the universe at great distances is accelerating.

Biology – Explore the world around you

Microorganisms (1674)

Microscope lens grinder Anton Van Leeuwenhoek accidentally discovers microorganisms in a drop of water.

Cell Differentiation (late 19th century)

Cells that are not yet differentiated and have the potential to become any type of cell are called stem cells.

The Krebs Cycle (1937)

Hans Krebs identifies the mysterious process that all living things use to convert sugars, fats and proteins into energy. .

Ecosystem (1935)

Arthur George Tansley coins the term ecosystem.

Tropical Biodiversity (15th century to the present)

On sailing expeditions around the world, early European explorers notice that the tropics host a much greater variety of species.

Chemistry – Explore the world under a microscope

Plastics (1869 and 1900s)

John Wesley Hyatt formulates celluloid plastic for use as a substitute for ivory in the manufacture of billiard balls.

Earth Science – Explore the Earth under your feet

Earth's Inner Core (1930s)

It becomes clear that the Earth has an inner core consisting of a small, solid iron sphere that is surrounded by a thick outer core composed of liquid iron.

Continental Drift (1911)

Alfred Wegener proposes that all the continents in the world once formed a single, giant landmass that was eventually split apart.

Global Warming (late 20th century)

A number of scientists see evidence of a warming trend on the Earth's surface and attribute it to a rise in the concentration of "greenhouse gases."

Periodic Ice Ages (1930s)

Serbian astrophysicist Miultin Milankovitch develops a theory relating Earth's motion to long-term climate change and ice ages.

Evolution – Explore the past

First Dinosaur Fossils Identified (1820s – 1840s)

Sir Richard Owen comes up with the word "dinosaur" to describe several spectacular creatures whose fossils are discovered across England.

Potential for Life Created (1953)

Graduate student Stanley Miller, combining the ideas of other scientists, reproduces the early atmosphere of Earth by creating a chamber containing only hydrogen, water, methane and ammonia.

New Life-forms Discovered Around Hydrothermal Vents (1977)

Bob Ballard and the crew of the submersible Alvin find amazing new life-forms living completely independent of the sun's energy around deep-sea, hydrothermal vents.

Theory of Natural Selection (1858)

Charles Darwin challenges contemporary beliefs about the creation of life on Earth.

Toumai skull (2002)

Michel Brunet unearths the oldest hominid fossil to date in the desert of the central African nation of Chad.

Genetics – Explore what makes you you

Rules of Heredity (1850s)

Austrian monk and botanist Gregor Mendel discovers how genetic information is passed down through generations

Humans Have 20,000 to 25,000 Genes (2003)

Upon sequencing the human genome, it's discovered that humans have approximately 20,000 to 25,000 genes.

Medicine – Explore developments in health

Blood Circulation (1628)

William Harvey discovers that blood circulates through the body and names the heart as the organ responsible for pumping the blood.

Vitamins (early 1900s)

Frederick Hopkins and others discover that some diseases are caused by deficiencies of certain nutrients, later called vitamins.

Physics – Explain how stuff works

The Law of Falling Bodies (1604)

Galileo Galilei overturns nearly 2,000 years of Aristotelian belief that heavier bodies fall faster than lighter ones by proving that all bodies fall at the same rate.

Special Relativity (1905)

Einstein overthrows basic assumptions about time and space by describing how clocks tick slower and distances appear to stretch as objects approach the speed of light.

Superconductors (1911 – 1986)

The unexpected discovery that some materials have no resistance to the flow of electricity promises to revolutionize industry and technology.

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