Greatest Discoveries of All Time

There have been many great discoveries throughout the history of humanity, so that it is difficult to objectively determine which discoveries should be considered the greatest. To be great a discovery needs to reveal to us concepts that hadn’t been considered or fully understood before. Also, a great discovery is one that propels humanity forward, advancing our understanding of the Universe. It is also worth noting that many discoveries would not have been possible if it weren’t for earlier discoveries that laid the building blocks. That being said, there are several discoveries that warrant recognition as some of the top discoveries of all time.

The Solar System: Several astronomers can be credited with this discovery, as many theories about Earth’s place in the heavens shaped our understanding of the Universe. We now know why we have night and day, the seasons, and we know the cause of the ocean’s tides. Indeed our knowledge on this subject is constantly evolving, and there are yet many things about the Universe that we do not know or understand.

Gravity: Gravity is one of the four fundamental interactions and was the first to be discovered. The others are: electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force. Understanding gravity was necessary in understanding how the Earth and planets move. Initial discoveries regarding gravity can be attributed to Galileo, but it wasn’t until Sir Isaac Newton devised the Law of Universal Gravitation that these ideas were solidified.

Micro-organisms: When microscopic organisms were first discovered in 1675, we knew very little about the biological processes that affected the human body. Following this initial discovery, humanity was eventually able to determine what causes diseases, infections, and decomposition as well as advances in the field of genetics.

DNA: The discovery of DNA in 1869 opened up a host of opportunities in the field of Science. The discovery of DNA shaped our understanding of genetics, leading to applications in the field of forensics, genetic engineering, physical anthropology, and nanotechnology.

Penicillin: When this drug (eventually group of drugs) was discovered in 1928, it opened the door to the discovery of antibiotics. Penicillin remains the most widely used antibiotic, despite the fact that many diseases it was once used to treat have now become resistant to it. Nevertheless, this discovery had a far reaching impact in the medical world.

America: It’s not just on the list because I’m American, but because it’s an awesome place. It was awesome even before white people found it. There were a multitude of previously unknown plants and animals in America that were discovered when Europeans first settled there. It also opened up an entire continent of land for Europeans to spread to (and spread diseases to), allowing the disenfranchised to finally be able to own their own land, practice their beliefs in relative autonomy, and exercise the human propensity to explore the unknown. It was an inevitable discovery, but a monumental one nonetheless.