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Writer's pictureAnnie Wu

The Discovery of X-rays

Difficulty Index: ★★★☆☆


Annie Wu '27


The Nobel Prize is the highest recognition for scholars who made extraordinary contributions that benefited the whole of mankind. It was established by Alfred Nobel to reward the people who are capable of helping to improve society through knowledge, science, and humanism. 


However, most of the time, only the names of the laureates and their research are recognized, we don’t understand how their research can change the whole world. “Why is it important to me?”, “How does it benefit my life?”, “Why do I need to understand?” – these are the questions that most people will ask while they ignore the outstanding results that researchers spend years and years working on. 


Therefore, this series aims to dive deeper into the research outcomes of the Nobel Prize Winners and form a more comprehensive understanding of how exactly they are changing the world. I will walk you through some of the most important Nobel Prize laureates in “Physics”, “Chemistry”, and “Physiology or Medicine”. You may also learn about some of the earlier discoveries in your science classes, the importance of these findings speaks for itself.


Let’s begin our journey from the Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntge in 1901, for the discovery of X-ray. 


Have you ever wondered why is X-ray named after the letter “X”, one of the least used alphabets in our lives? It is actually because when Röntge discovered this new type of radiation that can pass through screens, its nature was unknown, just like the unknown variable “X”. Who would have expected that this mysterious ray would have revolutionized the medical field?


On November 8, 1895, Röntge was playing with cathode rays in his lab to work on light phenomena. The cathode rays are now known as electrons, it was emitted by a Crookes tube when high voltage ran through it. When Röntge covered the Crookes tube with black cardboard, the fluorescent screen placed nearby still glowed. This was an unexpected result because the cathode rays should have been covered by the black cardboard. 


He soon realized that this must be a type of invisible ray that can penetrate objects. With further experiments done Röntge soon found that this type of ray can pass through most common materials such as paper, wood, thin sheets of metal, and even human soft tissue. It was also found that it can be exposed to photographic plates and show the image of the source between the ray and the plate. One very famous picture and the earliest photographic plates from Röntge’s experiment was the hand of his wife Bertha with their wedding ring. 


The news of this new discovery of rays soon spread among physicians and physicists which provided many novel thoughts on its applications. It was quickly applied in hospitals to observe the skeletal structure and other organs of patients. Radio-opaque substances were injected into patients' bodies for a clearer image of the vessels and organs. The great inventor Thomas Edison was eager to develop a hand-held fluoroscope and X-ray lamps. There were poems, cartoons, short stories, advertisements, and all kinds of creative but freaky designs such as glasses for peeking lead underwear, and shoe fluorescopes. The discovery of X-rays not only made huge contributions to radiology, angiology, and many other medical fields, but it also invoked the enthusiasm and unrestrained creativity of people in that era. As you might have learned in chemistry class, J.J. Thomson’s discovery of electrons and the development of his “plum pudding model” was also the result of X-rays. 

Röntgen's discovery of X-rays earned him the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901, and his work didn't just transform science and medicine—it unleashed a wave of creativity and excitement. The news of X-rays sparked a mix of serious medical advancements and wild, whimsical inventions. From revolutionizing how we see inside the human body to inspiring the discovery of the electron by J.J. Thomson, X-rays changed the game in ways scientists probably never imagined before. 




Works Cited


Chodos, Alan, editor. "November 8, 1895: Roentgen's Discovery of X-Rays." APS News, 1 Nov. 2001, www.aps.org/apsnews/2001/11/roentgen-discovery-x-rays. Accessed 30 June 2024.


Panchbhai, Arati S. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen and the discovery of X-rays: Revisited after centennial. Journal of Indian Academy of Oral Medicine and Radiology 27(1):p 90-95, Jan–Mar 2015. | DOI: 10.4103/0972-1363.167119


Tubiana, M. "[Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen and the Discovery of X-rays]." Bulletin De L'Academie Nationale De Medecine, vol. 180, no. 1, Jan. 1996, pp. 97-108. PubMed Central, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8696882/.


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