SCIENCE with Ms Lun
Today in Science
July
8 July : John Stith PEMBERTON born 1831
American pharmacist who invented Coca-Cola in 1885. It was originally intended to be a tonic and contained alcohol, called French Wine Coca. Later, the alcohol was removed and vegetable essences added. He sold the recipe to American manufacturer Asa Candler for $1200. Pemberton died on 16 August 1888 (aged 57).
A statue of John Pemberton outside the Coca Cola headquarters, Atlanta, Georgia
8 July : Count Ferdinand Adolf August Heinrich von Zeppelin born 1838
German inventor, engineer and manufacturer who built the first airship that could be steered. The first zeppelin flight was in 1900. Over 100 zeppelins were used during WWI, including in the bombing Britain in 1915. After the war, they were used for commercial air travel until the Hindenburg disaster on May 6, 1937.
The Hindenburg zeppelin caught fire over Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA
9 July : Wilhelm HIS Snr born 1831
Wilhelm His was born in Switzerland. He studied anatomy and embryology and became a professor (University of Basel) at age 26. He moved to Germany (Leipzig University) in 1872. His created the science of histogenesis i.e. the study of the embryonic origins of different animal tissues. histo in Greek means "tissue" so maybe his fate was in his name.
1865: invented the microtome, a device that enables tissue samples to be sliced very thinly. These are placed on microscope slides and it enables His and other scientists to study cell structure in more detail.
1886: discovered the basis for neuron theory, that each nerve fibre stems from a single nerve cells.
He also did work on forensic facial reconstruction. Using facial tissue depth data he collected from cadavers, he reconstructed composer Johann Sebastian Bach's face (with the help of sculptor, Karl Seffner).
Above: a modern day microtome
Below: the reconstruction of Johann Sebastian Bach's face using a replica of Bach's skull. His took measurements of the depth of the tissue in 15 specific locations on cadaver faces and applied that knowledge for facial reconstruction.
Side note:
Wilhelm His Jr (born 29 Dec 1863) became a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Berlin. In 1893, he discovered the bundle of His: a collection of specialised cardiac muscle that sends electrical impulses and helps synchronise the contraction of the heart muscles.
10 July : Nikola TESLA born 1856
Born in Serbia but emigrated to America in 1884. He was an inventor, electrical and mechanical engineer.
His main contribution was the AC, or alternating current, power supply system. He has over 25 other significant designs credited to him including the polyphase system (for distributing AC power), AC motor, plasma globe, carbon lamp, tesla coil and many more.
Nikola Tesla, aged 34. He was a tall, slim man
As early as 1893, he proposed wireless communication with his various devices. He tried to implement this in the Wardenclyffe tower (or Tesla tower) in New York, It was meant to be a trans-Atlantic telecommunications and power transmission tower but his funding ran out.
Sadly, despite the backing of celebrities and wealthy patrons by the 1910s and 1920s, Tesla had spent most of his money and ended up living and leaving debts at numerous New York hotels.
In 1968, the SI unit for magnetic flux density was named the tesla in his honour. Today, two major companies are named after him.
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Tesla Inc (formerly Tesla Motors) was founded in 2003, with Elon Musk one of the co-founders. This American company manufactures electric cars, energy storage systems (Telsa Powerwall) and solar energy systems.
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Nikola Corporation (fomerly Nikola Motor Company) was founded in. This US company manufactures hydrogen and electric trucks
Below: a few of the designs of, or inspired by, Nikola Tesla.
Carbon button lamp
Plasma globe
Wardenclyffe tower
Modern AC motor
11 July : World Population Day (UN)
World Population Day, focuses attention on the urgency and importance of population issues.
For example, if we want to achieve sustainable development we need to address reproductive health and gender equality.
17 July : Nils BOHLIN born 1920. Died 16 Sep 2002
Bohlin was a Swedish-born engineer and inventor. While working for Volvo as the chief safety engineer, he invented the three point seat belt. This is possibly the most important safety features in automotive safety. Previously, in the 1950s, he had worked for Saab designing ejector seats for fighter planes and he also had experience with the four point harness used in airplanes. Volvo was the first to introduce the three point seat belt (Aug 1959) and made the design available for free to other car manufacturers to help save more lives.
25 July : Rosalind Elsie FRANKLIN born 1920. Died 16 April, 1958.
Franklin was an English physical chemist and X-ray crystallographer. She contributed to the discovery of the helical structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). One particular image captured in her lab, named Photo 51, supported the helical DNA theory of James Watson and Francis Crick. In 1962, Watson and Crick, along with Franklin's colleague, Maurice Wilkins, were awarded a Nobel Prize for their discovery. Unfortunately, Franklin had passed away in 1958 from cancer and never received the recognition she deserved. Her X-ray crystallography work also helped scientists understand the structure of RNA (ribonucleic acid), viruses, coal and graphite.
25 July : Paul LANGERHANS born 1847
Langerhans was a German pathologist. He discovered the cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin called the islets of Langerhans. The islets of Langerhans are an island or cluster of different endocrine cells that produce and secrete hormones that regulate glucose (blood sugar) levels. Endocrine means these hormones are released directly into the blood stream.
Langerhans cells are specialised cells (macrophages) involved with immune response. They are found in the epidermis layer of the skin.
28 July : World Hepatitis Day (WHO)
This date was chosen because it is the birthday of Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered hepatitis B virus (HBV) and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus. The aim is to eliminate the virus by 2030.
28 July : Baruch Samuel BLUMBERG. Born 1925. Died April 5, 2011.
Dr Baruch Blumberg, an American doctor, who travelled the world in the 1950s taking blood samples. His interest was whether genetics plays a role in disease susceptibility. Testing of these blood samples, including one sample taken from an Australian aborigine, led to the discovery of the surface antigen on the Hepatitis B virus in 1967. It was termed the Australian antigen. Amazingly, Blumberg and his colleagues produced a vaccine for Hep B just 2 years later.
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What is Hepatitis B?
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a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis B (Hep B) virus
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the virus is spread by infected blood or other bodily fluids
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up to 1 in 3 people in the world (two billion people) have been infected
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over 300 million people live with chronic hep B
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often called the 'silent epidemic' due to the lack of symptoms in infected people (who are still infectious and liver damage is still occurring)
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some infected patients (25-40%) may develop liver cancer later in life
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can be prevented by vaccination (it is part of NZs vaccination programme)
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treatment is available
Note: hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis can also be caused by 4 other hepatitis viruses.
Structure of Hepatitis B virus
HBsAg: is the surface antigen or Australian antigen. Our bodies make antibodies against this antigen when we are vaccinated.
HBcAg: is the core antigen present in early Hep B infetions
HBeAg: is an antigen that circulates in blood when the virus is actively replicating & a person is infectious.
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