3 History’s Most Twisted Science Experiments

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First published: 8 April 2022 @ 6:00 pm

3) Wilhelm Röntgen

Wilhelm Röntgen was a German physicist who won the first Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of X-rays (Röntgen rays). In 1895, Röntgen discovered that X-rays could penetrate flesh and produce images on photographic plates.

The press hailed Röntgen as a hero for discovering this new form of radiation, which would later help doctors diagnose injuries or illnesses without having to perform invasive surgeries on patients.

But what many people don’t know is that Wilhelm Röntgen conducted many disturbing experiments on human beings before he won his Nobel Prize.

In 1895, Röntgen was experimenting with the effects of X-rays on human beings when he decided to experiment on his wife’s hand by placing it in front of a Crookes tube (a device used to generate X-rays).

When Röntgen noticed that his wife’s hand had become “slightly fluorescent” he decided to investigate further by using an ultraviolet lamp to photograph her hand.

After taking several photographs, Röntgen discovered that her hand had become even more fluorescent and was emitting rays with higher amounts of energy than the ones produced by the Crookes tube.

This discovery led him to realize that X-rays were emitting from his wife’s body and not from the Crookes tube.

The discovery of X-rays revolutionized the medical field and led to many new medical advancements, such as fluoroscopy, CT scans, and MRI scans which are still in use today.

But Röntgen’s experiments with X-rays on human beings helped doctors understand how these rays affected human tissue and this knowledge helped them develop safer methods for conducting radiotherapy.

Photo by Cara Shelton on Unsplash.

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