Wilhelm Röntgen
German physicistWikipedia
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32
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Search complete. 113 mentions across 32 episodes found for "Wilhelm Röntgen".
Sep 11, 2026
Juan NaulaNARRATOR
After a period of convalescence, Nikola Tesla was next enrolled at the Higher Real Gymnasium in Karlovac in 1873, where in accordance with his father's wish for Tesla to continue the family profession, he was enlisted in classes at the local seminary.
Juan NaulaNARRATOR
However, Tesla's true desire was to learn everything he could about electricity, a passion ignited by an inspirational physics teacher who taught him about the radiometer invented by British scientist William Crookes, a device that powered a vacuum bulb with energy produced by four rapidly spinning tinfoil vanes.
Juan NaulaNARRATOR
This roused Tesla to conduct some of his first experiments with batteries, induction coils, and electrostatic generators.
Juan NaulaNARRATOR
Yet Tesla would have to put some of his projects on hold after again falling seriously ill with cholera upon his return home to Gospic, causing the young prodigy to be bedridden for over nine months and to experience several close shaves with death.
17 MINS LATER
Juan NaulaNARRATOR
The Niagara facility was an accomplishment that represented the ultimate defeat of the direct energy school of thought, and Tesla was lavished with the highest praise and honors, including even the Order of Danilo from King Nicholas of Montenegro, as his achievement was celebrated worldwide as an important step for the future of humanity.
Juan NaulaNARRATOR
Tesla remained unperturbed after a fire in March 1895 at his laboratory destroyed much of his early research, including hundreds of models, notes, scientific tools, and photographs that had a combined value of $50,000.
Juan NaulaNARRATOR
Despite this, in 1896 he demonstrated some of the earliest uses of the X-ray, discovered around the same time by the German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, and astonished his contemporaries with the first ever X-ray of a man, published in the Electrical Review, printed using rudimentary X-ray tubes of his own design.
Juan NaulaNARRATOR
Having revealed some of the most innovative functions of the X-ray, Tesla next devised the basic elements of the radio transmitter and in 1896 built a rudimentary unit that received radio waves.
speaker_3HOST
The monumental shift happened decades later, on November 8, 1895.
speaker_3HOST
Right, Röntgen.
speaker_3HOST
Yes.
speaker_3HOST
Wilhelm Röntgen.
speaker_3HOST
He was experimenting in a darkened room and realized the same type of tube was emitting an invisible ray that actually caused crystals all the way across the room to fluoresce.
speaker_2HOST
Just spontaneously lighting up.
AvailleNARRATOR
Historical.
AvailleNARRATOR
The discovery of the phenomena of radioactivity is connected with researches followed, since the discovery of the Röntgen rays, upon the photographic effects of phosphorescent and fluorescent substances.
AvailleNARRATOR
The first tubes for producing Röntgen rays were without the metallic anthi-cathode.
AvailleNARRATOR
The source of the Röntgen rays was the glass surface impinged upon by the cathode rays.
AvailleNARRATOR
This surface was at the same time actively fluorescent.
AvailleNARRATOR
The question, then, was whether the emission of Röntgen rays necessarily accompanied the production of fluorescence, whatever might be the cause of the latter.
AvailleNARRATOR
This idea was first enunciated by Monsieur Henri Poincaré.
AvailleNARRATOR
Shortly afterwards, Monsieur Henry announced that he had obtained photographic impressions through black paper by means of phosphorescent zinc sulphide.
JyotiHOST
Oh, yeah.
AartiHOST
And then after 1895 when Wilhelm Röntgen, who we also covered on the podcast-
JyotiHOST
Yes
AartiHOST
... discovered X-rays, Theodor started using them to study bone development in children.
Marianne SpiegelNARRATOR
The discovery of the X-rays, a discovery which physicists no doubt consider as the logical outcome of researches long pursued by a few scholars working in silence and obscurity on an otherwise much neglected subject, seemed to the public eye to have inaugurated a new era in the history of physics.
Marianne SpiegelNARRATOR
If, as is the case, however, the extraordinary scientific movement provoked by Röntgen's sensational experiments has a very remote origin, it has, at least, been singularly quickened by the favorable conditions created by the interest aroused in its astonishing applications to radiography.
Marianne SpiegelNARRATOR
A lucky chance has thus hastened an evolution already taking place, and theories previously outlined have received a singular development.
Marianne SpiegelNARRATOR
Without wishing to yield too much to what may be considered a whim of fashion, we cannot, if we are able to note in this book the stage actually reached in the continuous march of physics, refrain from giving a clearly preponderant place to the questions suggested by the study of the new radiations.
7 HRS 31 MINS LATER
AvayiNARRATOR
But amongst all the effects there is one which constitutes for the radiations taken as a whole a veritable process for the measurement of radioactivity.
AvayiNARRATOR
This is their ionizing action on gases.
AvayiNARRATOR
A very complete study of the conductivity of air under the influence of rays of uranium has been made by various physicists, particularly by Professor Rutherford, and has shown that the laws of the phenomenon are the same as those of the ionization due to the action of the Röntgen rays.
AvayiNARRATOR
It was natural to ask oneself if the property discovered in salts of uranium was peculiar to this body, or if it were not, to a more or less degree, a general property of matter.
YoganandNARRATOR
Minerals containing small quantities of uranium and thorium are to be found nearly everywhere.
YoganandNARRATOR
in addition all the earth is bombarded with cosmic rays from outer space and with streams of high energy particles from the sun various units can be used to measure the intensity of this background radiation the rontgen abbreviated r and named in honor of the discoverer of x-rays wilhelm rontgen is a unit based on the number of ions produced by radiation rather more convenient is another unit that has come more recently into prominence this is the rad an abbreviation for radiation absorbed dose that is a measure of the amount of energy delivered to the body upon the absorption of a particular dose of ionizing radiation one rad is very nearly equal to one since background radiation is undoubtedly one of the factors in producing spontaneous mutations it is of interest to try to determine how much radiation a man or woman will have absorbed from the time he is first conceived to the time he conceives his own children the average length of time between generations is taken to be about thirty years so we can best express absorption of background radiation in units of rats per thirty years the intensity of background radiation varies from place to place on the earth for several reasons cosmic rays are deflected somewhat towards the magnetic poles by the earth's magnetic field they are also absorbed by the atmosphere to some extent for this reason people living in equatorial regions are less exposed to cosmic rays than those in polar regions and those in the plains with a greater thickness of atmosphere above them are less exposed than those on high plateaus then two radioactive minerals may be spread widely but they are not spread evenly where they are concentrated to a greater extent than usual background radiation is abnormally high thus an inhabitant of harrisburg pennsylvania may absorb 2.64 rats per 30 years while one of denver colorado a mile high at the foot of the rockies may absorb 5.04 rats per 30 years greater extremes are encountered at such places as kerala india where nearby soil rich in thorium minerals so increases the intensity of background radiation that as much as eighty four rats may be absorbed in thirty years in addition to high energy radiation from the outside there are sources within the body itself some of the potassium and carbon atoms of our body are inevitably radioactive as much as 0.5 rad per 30 years arises from this source.
YoganandNARRATOR
Rads and rongens are not completely satisfactory units in estimating the biological effects of radiation.
YoganandNARRATOR
Some types of radiation, those made up of comparatively large particles for instance, are more effective in producing ions and bring about molecular changes with greater ease than do electromagnetic radiation delivering equal energy to the body.
speaker_2HOST
And then we come to medical imaging, which is truly incredible when you think about it.
speaker_2HOST
In 1895, a man named Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovers x-rays.
speaker_2HOST
You can take an x-ray of someone's chest and see their lungs, heart and bones without needing to open their body.
speaker_2HOST
That is insane.
AvaiNARRATOR
When using damped waves, the roar was so strong that it could be plainly heard ten miles away, and despite all precautions, such as using cotton in the ears, one would get a singular sensation in the head, as if something was bursting.
AvaiNARRATOR
Similar to that I observed with Röntgen rays in 1896 or 97, when I was operating with a powerful apparatus designed for their production.
AvaiNARRATOR
in my experiments in new york in the laboratories at thirty five south fifth avenue and at houston street i have exhibited to thousands of people effects of loops or coil antennae in one experiment for instance i would tune a coil about thirty inches in diameter with which I would collect at any place in a large hall nearly three-quarters of a horsepower, lighting incandescent lamps, producing long discharges, streamers, etc.
AvaiNARRATOR
One of my exhibits, which was particularly appreciated, was a coil carried on the head, which, when resonantly excited, would develop streamers several feet long.
speaker_3NARRATOR
The X-ray allowed doctors to see inside the body.
speaker_3NARRATOR
In 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen made a startling discovery.
speaker_3NARRATOR
While experimenting with cathode rays, he noticed that a mysterious new kind of radiation could pass through solid objects and reveal hidden structures.
speaker_3NARRATOR
When he placed his wife's hand before a photographic plate, the image revealed her bones and wedding ring, the first X-ray ever taken.
Anika BurgessGUEST
And so very quickly, notwithstanding the science behind it is a mystery and no one was quite sure what x-rays were for quite some time, it becomes seized upon as a new form of photography.
Anika BurgessGUEST
It's actually called the new photography, shadow photography, Rontgen photography.
Anika BurgessGUEST
It all sort of becomes this idea that, oh, there's a new way of seeing and it is photographic as opposed to being anything to do with sort of physics.
Anika BurgessGUEST
And this is to the extent that by the spring of 1896 and Rontgen first announced his discovery at the end of 1895.
Anika BurgessGUEST
By the spring of 1896, camera suppliers were selling at home X-ray equipment.
Anika BurgessGUEST
You would pick up a camera and then you could pick up some X-ray apparatus as well.
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