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JULY 21, 2012
Science Saturday - When Science Kills

Thanks to some of the brilliant people of the past we have an amazing understanding of how our world works.  Some of these noble scientists not only contributed their genius but also gave their lives:

Madame Curie - Discovered radiation and invented the x-ray.  She and her eldest daughter died of cancer caused by radiation exposure.  Her notebooks, on display in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, are still radioactive.

Alfred Wegner - Credited with the idea of continental drift (All the continents were once a single land mass and drifted apart over time).  He was a meteorologist who did experiments in the arctic using weather balloons.  He delivered supplies to a remote camp, celebrated his 50th birthday and then died on the return trip.

Pilatre De Rozier - French physicist and balloonist.  He is known as the first person to go up in a hot air balloon.  While attempting to cross the English Channel his balloon ran out of gas and he plummeted to his death.

Alexander Bogdanov - Created "techtology" which is regarded as a precursor to systems theory.  He died from malaria and tuberculosis from a blood transfusion.  He underwent 11 blood transfusions in the quest for eternal youth.

Sir Humphrey Davy - Discovered Nitris Oxide and inventor of arc lamps. He had a very haphazard style of experimentation and would often inhale the gasses created by his experiments and suffered from frequent poisonings due to this practice.

 

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(1 comment)
posted by Arra, Lakewood Library

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Comments

vacationreaderasia said, on Jul. 22 at 2:44AM
WOW! We should thank all these brillant people who gave their lives for the future.

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