Every year as part of the medical examination a hugenumber of people undergoing x-ray procedure. When there is a suspicion of a fracture or other damage to the bones, radiography is applied. These procedures have long become commonplace, although, if you think about it, they themselves are amazing. Who was the man who immortalized his name by giving the world a powerful diagnostic tool? Where and when was Wilhelm Roentgen born?
The future scientist was born on March 17, 1845 inLennepe, on the site of the current Remscheid, in Germany. His father was a manufacturer and was engaged in selling clothes, hoping one day to pass on his work to William. Mother was from the Netherlands. Three years after the birth of the only son, the family moved to Amsterdam, where the future inventor began his studies. His first educational institution was a private institution under the direction of Martinus von Dorn.
The father of the future scientist believed that the manufacturerengineering education is necessary, but the son was absolutely not against it - he was interested in science. In 1861, Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen transferred to the Utrecht Technical School, from which he was soon expelled, refusing to extradite a comrade who drew a caricature of one of the teachers when the internal investigation began.
Taking off from school, Roentgen Wilhelm did not getno education documents, so that entering a higher education institution for him was now a difficult task - he could only claim the status of a volunteer. In 1865, it was with such initial data that he tried to become a student at Utrecht University, but was defeated.
Nevertheless, perseverance served him wellservice. A little later, he still became a student, though not in the Netherlands. In accordance with the desire of his father, he firmly set out to get an engineering education and became a student of the Federal Polytechnic of Zurich Institute. During all the years spent within its walls, Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen was particularly passionate about physics. Gradually, he begins to conduct and their research. In 1869, he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and a Ph.D. In the end, deciding to do his hobby for his beloved job, he goes to the university and defends his thesis, after which he starts working as an assistant and starts giving lectures to students. Later, he moved several times from one school to another, and in 1894 he became rector in Würzburg. After 6 years, Roentgen moves to Munich, where he has been working until his retirement. But before that, it was still far away.
Like any scientist, Wilhelm worked at the mostdifferent scientific fields. Generally, the German physicist Roentgen was interested in some properties of crystals, studied the connection between electrical and optical phenomena in them, and also conducted research on magnetism, on which Lorentz’s electronic theory was later based. And who knew that the study of crystals would later bring him worldwide recognition and many awards?
During his time at the University of ZurichWilhelm Roentgen (1845-1923) met his future spouse - Anna Bertu Ludwig. She was the daughter of the owner of the boarding house at the institute, so they had to face at one time quite often. In 1872 they got married. Spouses were very gentle towards each other and wanted children. However, Anna could not get pregnant, and then they adopted an orphaned six-year-old girl, niece of Frau Bertha.
Of course, realizing the importance of her husband’s work,in the final stages of research, the wife tried to make sure that he ate and rested on time, while the scientist devoted himself entirely to work, forgetting about his own needs. These long-suffering and work were rewarded in full - it was the spouse who served as a kind of model to demonstrate the discovery: the image of her hand with a ring spread all over the world.
In 1919, when his beloved wife was gone, andAdopted daughter married, Wilhelm was already 74 years old. Despite the worldwide fame, he felt terribly lonely, the attention of strangers even his. In addition, he was in great need, transferring all funds to the government during the First World War. After the death of his wife, he himself lived quite a bit, having died in early 1923 from cancer - the result of constant interaction with the rays discovered by him.
Wilhelm, by and large, especially and nottried to make a career. He was already 50 years old, and all was not great achievements, but it seemed he was not interested at all - he just liked to move science forward, pushing the limits of what was studied. He stayed up late in the laboratory, endlessly conducting experiments and analyzing their results. The autumn evening of 1895 was no exception. As he left and had already turned off the light, he noticed a spot on the cathode tube. Deciding that he simply forgot to turn it off, the scientist turned the switch. The mysterious spot immediately disappeared, but the investigator was very interested. He repeated this experiment several times, concluding that mysterious radiation was to blame.
Obviously, he felt himself standing on the thresholda great discovery, because even his wife, with whom he used to talk about work, he did not say anything. The next two months were entirely devoted to understanding the properties of the mysterious rays. Between the cathode tube and the screen, X-ray Wilhelm placed various objects, analyzing the results. Paper and wood completely transmitted radiation, while metal and some other materials cast shadows, and their intensity depended, in part, on the density of the substance.
Further studies have given very curiousresults. First, it turned out that lead completely absorbs this radiation. Secondly, having placed his hand between the tube and the screen, the scientist obtained an image of the bones inside it. And thirdly, the rays illuminated the film, so that the results of each study could be well documented, which was what Wilhelm Roentgen was doing, the discoveries of which still needed to be properly designed before they could be presented to the public.
Three years after the first experiences GermanThe physicist published an article in a scientific journal, to which he attached an image, vividly demonstrating the penetrating ability of rays, and described the properties he had already studied. Immediately after that, dozens of scientists confirmed this by conducting their own experiments. In addition, some researchers stated that they encountered this radiation, but did not attach any importance to it. Now they bit their elbows and scolded themselves for inattention, envying, as they thought, just a more successful colleague named Wilhelm Roentgen.
Immediately after the release of the article, a hugethe number of dexterous businessmen who claimed that with the help of X-radiation it is possible to look into the human soul. More mundane advertised devices, allegedly allowing to see through clothes. For example, in the US, Edison ordered the development of binoculars using radiation. And although the idea failed, it caused quite a stir. And the merchants who sold clothes, advertised their products, claiming that their product does not let the rays through, and women can feel safe, which significantly increased sales. All this terribly bothered the scientist, who simply wanted to continue his scientific research.
When Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-raysand showed what they can do, it literally blew up the society. Up to this point, it was impossible to look inside a living person, to see its tissues, without cutting or damaging them. And X-rays showed how the human skeleton looks like in combination with other systems. Medicine was the first and main obastya where open rays were applied. With their help, doctors have become much easier to diagnose any problems of the musculoskeletal system, as well as assess the severity of injuries. Later, X-radiation began to be used for the treatment of certain diseases.
In addition, these rays are used to detectdefects in metal products, and even with their help, the chemical composition of certain materials can be identified. In art criticism, X-rays are also used, with which you can see what is hidden under the upper layers of paint.
The discovery caused a real stir, which wascompletely incomprehensible to the scientist. Instead of continuing research, Roentgen Wilhelm was forced to consider and reject the endless offers of German and American merchants who offered him to design various devices based on X-radiation. Journalists also did not allow the scientist to work, constantly setting up meetings and interviews, and each of them asked why X-Ray did not want to get a patent for his discovery. To each of them, he replied that he considered the rays to be the property of all mankind and did not feel entitled to limit its use for good purposes.
Wilhelm Roentgen was characterized by naturalmodesty and lack of desire for fame. He refused the title of nobility, to which he received the right after awarding the Order. And in 1901 he became the first winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics. Despite the fact that this was the highest level of recognition, the researcher did not attend the ceremony, although he accepted the award. Later, he gave the money to the government. In 1918 he was also awarded the Helmholtz Medal.
All of the same modesty Roentgen Wilhelm calledits discovery is extremely simple - x-radiation. This name stuck, but the student’s student, the Russian physicist Abram Ioffe, eventually introduced the concept that perpetuated the surname of the scientist. The term "X-rays" in foreign speech is used relatively rarely, but still occurs.
In 1964, one of hiscraters on the far side of the moon. In his honor, also named one of the units of measurement of ionizing cure. Many cities have streets named after him, as well as monuments. There is even a whole museum located in the house where Roentgen lived as a child. The biography of this person may not be replete with interesting details, but it perfectly illustrates that high results can be achieved through diligence and perseverance, as well as attentiveness.
