Joann H.

Justiniane
BS Chemistry 4H1

Learning the history of science is inspiring to study more about the world. I can say that
it really motivates other scientists to uncover the secrets the environment holds. From the day I
started learning about science, the first lesson taught was the characteristics of a scientist which
includes open-mindedness. But seeing the history of how scientist study atoms, I observed that
they were unable to accept ideas from other scientist. Example of these scientists were Albert
Einstein and Neils Bohr, Werner Heisenberg and Erwin Schrodinger, Richard Feynman and
Murray Gell Man and others.
The thirst for knowledge was common among the great men and women of science.
Example of these men and women were Albert Einstein, Ernest Rutherford, Neils Bohr, Paul
Dirac, Ludwig Boltzmann, Werner Heisenberg, Richard Feynman, Murray Gell Man, Erwin
Schrodinger, Marie Curie and others. They were so fixated on how things came to be that they
began to study even the smallest thing in the world. Ludwig Boltzmann, a German scientist
believed that everything is made of basic building blocks called atoms. But Boltzmann idea of
atom was not accepted by many scientist and was rumoured to have committed suicide because
of the criticisms he received from his fellow scientist. In the middle of 19th century, the question
whether atoms were real became very important because of steam. According to Professor Al-
Khalili, steam powered the mighty engine and the factories of the industrial revolution. Thus,
learning how to use it effectively became the key question of 19th century science.
In 1905, Albert Einstein published his paper which proved the existence of atoms. Erwin
Schrodinger, Niels Bohr and his two disciple Pauli and Heisenberg explained the behaviour and
structure of atoms. Ernest Rutherford and other scientists studies the components of atoms which
resulted to the discovery of the electron, proton and neutron. Fred Hoyle and George Gamow
studies about the origin of the atoms. Robert Wilson and Arno Penzias supported George Gamow
Big Bang theory by using the radio telescope called Holmdel Horn Antenna of New Jersey which
picks up radio signals from outer space. Paul Dirac an English theoretical physicist claimed the
existence of an anti-matter.
The discoveries of these early scientists are the beginning of a deeper understanding of
science.