science history
7 questions tagged science history — spanning every one of the seven Ws.
When Was the Periodic Table First Published?
Dmitri Mendeleev published the first widely recognized periodic table in 1869.
When Was the First Color Photograph Taken?
The first color photograph was taken by James Clerk Maxwell in 1861.
When was the first recorded rainbow explained scientifically?
A scientific explanation of rainbows was given in the 13th century by scholars such as Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi and Kamal al-Din al-Farisi.
Whose work first measured the height of Chimborazo and helped compare mountain altitudes worldwide?
Alexander von Humboldt’s Andean measurements helped standardize the scientific comparison of mountain heights and climates.
When was the first deep-sea vent ecosystem photographed by scientists?
The first vent ecosystems were photographed during late 1970s expeditions after their discovery in 1977. Those images helped bring the strange deep-sea world to the public.
When was the first weather map published using simultaneous observations?
The first weather maps based on simultaneous observations were produced in the 19th century, around the 1850s. They were a breakthrough that made synoptic forecasting possible.
When was the first climate change warning given by scientists?
Scientists warned about greenhouse warming as early as the late 19th century. Svante Arrhenius published a major calculation in 1896 linking carbon dioxide increases to higher temperatures.