X-rays 'top scientific invention'

The public has voted the x-ray machine as the best invention over the Apollo 10 space capsule and Stephenson's rocket. Out of nearly 50,000 votes cast 10,000 people named it for having made the greatest impact on the past, present and future.

1st place - X-ray machines
2nd place - Penicillin
3rd place - DNA double helix
4th place - Apollo 10 Capsule
5th place - V2 Rocket Engine
6th place - Stephenson's Rocket
7th place - Pilot ACE Computer
8th place - Steam Engine
9th place - Model T Ford
10th place - Electric Telegraph

news.bbc.co.uk...

The science museum in London held a poll to mark its centenary to find out just what invention has had and will continue to have the greatest effect on us.
I must admit i would not of expected the x-ray to top the list and it does seem a little odd with some of the others and im sure we could argue on what has missed out.
So what do you think of this lineup?, why do they deserve their place on that list? or what do you think should of been included?

This is a ludacris top ten
this list could be done scientificly without the need of idiotard voters.

I would probably like to see the internet represented, soap, the wheel etc. I guess the list would be endless really.
Also bacon.

edit/ Under what parameters would the list be compiled scientifically? For what, to come up with the light bulb again or electricity. It shows just what people actually feel is important to them. As i said i dont necesarily agree with the list and im sure its just one of many but it gives some insight to the views of the average punter who visits the London Science Museum.

[edit on 4-11-2009 by pazcat]

I'm confused by the term "invention". Surely some of these qualify as discoveries.

But the x-ray? really? I'm just baffled by this winning the vote. It's great and all, but the most impact?

Hmm.. what about something like... the printing press? The transistor? Fire? The wheel? I don't really see rockets or space capsules as being the most influential inventions, depsite their importance. I do agree with the car, the steam engine, and the electric telegraph; those made huge impacts when they came out, and other than the telegraph, still see widespread use today.

I think I'd have voted for either the printing press or the transistor at #1, but I'm also an electrical engineer who likes to read :p

And for the Tesla fans, good old Nikola was one of the first to experiment with X-rays.

The x-ray is really suprising. I think I would have voted the
Hubble Satellite for showing us the universe,
Internet for the vast amount of information you can obtain from it, or
Air planes for letting us be able to fly.

If the public did really vote on this #1 would have been HDTV and #2 would have been TV

This is what happens when you give the public opinions about scientific discovery. So much is left out =(

reply to post by pazcat


Maybe because the coolest objects in the Universe, Nature, and Science emit X-rays which isn't as destructive as Gamma Rays

Things that emit X-Rays:

-Black Holes
-Neutron Stars
-Tornadoes
-Lightning
-Anything that uses high voltage or high energy charged particles
-Scotch tape (when you're peeling it off)

You beat me to it

Here is a related thread:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I must clarify that the ten were chosen by the museum and then the public had to put them in order.

X-Ray is surprising but i suppose most people can relate to it having experienced it at some point in their lives. It is easily recognizable and has effected them personally.

This does go to show that more people need to visit museums and be taught Science in more depth.

Peace.

reply to post by LiveForever8


It's even more ironic than X-Rays how could the Apollo 10 capsule ever made top ten!!!

Simple (and quite blunt) fact about Apollo 10 capsule:

- Only 0.000000075% of the world's population back in '69 was able to benefit from it.

- IMO, hardly, an engineering marvel by itself... I believe the engineering marvel in the Apollo missions is the overall logistics involved in putting man on the moon, not just one part...

reply to post by LiveForever8


That explains a lot actually, it did sound like there was only a limited list to choose from. But yeah sometimes you think people just vote for the coolest invention or display rather than totally understand what its all about.
I didnt catch that other thread first time round, thanks