Young scientists have proven that age has nothing to do with making major scientific breakthroughs and discoveries. Here are just five of the most famous scientists who have made incredible findings from a young age:
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Jocelyn Bell Burnell was a 24-year-old graduate student when she made her most famous discovery: an entirely new type of Star, pulsars. This discovery earned her a Nobel Prize nomination in 1974. She still continues to contribute to the field of astronomy and astrophysics.
Terence Tao
Terence Tao is a mathematical genius who made many major discoveries before he was even a teenager. At the age of nine, he was accepted into the Research Science Institute at MIT and subsequently won multiple awards for his research.Now, he is a professor of mathematics at UCLA and a winner of the Fields Medal.
Albert Einstein
Perhaps the most famous scientist of all time, Albert Einstein wrote his first scientific paper at the age of 16. His youthful findings on the motion of light earned him a Nobel Prize in 1921.
Marie Curie
Marie Curie founded the field of radioactivity when she made the discovery of pitchblende and radium at the age of 36. This discovery was further elaborated on by her dedicated academic work, which earned her two separate Nobel Prizes in 1903 and 1911.
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy was only 11 years old when he discovered a new species of jellyfish, Cestus johnfkennedi. This discovery was even written up in a scientific journal and named after his initials. Although Kennedy went on to become one of the most famous presidents of all time, his legacy as a young scientist still remains.
These five extraordinary scientists prove that with talent and dedication, you can make incredible discoveries and breakthroughs no matter how young you are. They serve as an inspiration to scientists everywhere to never stop exploring and learning.
The saying ‘age is just a number’ is certainly true when it comes to scientific discoveries, as history is replete with examples of young scientists who made their mark in the world of technology and science. Here are five of the most famous scientists who made their first discoveries at an early age:
1. Marie Curie (1867–1934) – the first female to be awarded a Nobel Prize in 1903, Marie Curie broke numerous records in the field of science. Born in Poland, she studied mathematics and physics and at just 24, she became the youngest female professor at the Sorbonne in Paris. Her most notable contributions include the discovery of radioactivity, and the isolation of radium and polonium.
2. John Harrison (1693–1776) – a British clockmaker and inventor, John Harrison who is credited for developing the first precision marine chronometer that was capable of serving as an accurate navigational aid for ships undertaking long voyages. The chronometer he invented in 1736 was accurate to within a quarter of a second per day.
3. Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) – he is widely regarded as one of the scions of modern science and credited for making significant discoveries in fields such as astronomy, physics and mathematics. Owing to his innovative astronomical and engineering solutions, Galilee is considered to be the proud father of modern physics. Notably, he discovered Jupiter’s four major moons at the age of 25.
4. Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) – widely recognized as one of the founding fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin was also a highly renowned scientist who made immense contributions in fields such as mathematics, physics and electricity. His breakthrough discovery came at the age of 25 when he showed that lightning was a type of electric current by making a kite out of a silk handkerchief and a wooden rod.
5. Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) – at the age of 21, the brilliant physicist Stephen Hawking wrote his doctoral thesis on singularities in the space-time continuum, which led to the remarkable discovery that black holes were capable of emitting radiation. This discovery laid the foundation for modern theories of black holes.
In conclusion, these five scientists are a testament to how age does not matter when it comes to making groundbreaking discoveries. Despite their young age, their extraordinary interests in science, paired with their dedication and hard work, resulted in remarkable inventions that continue to shape the world today.