Top Ten Inventions of the 20th Century 1. Theory of Relativity In 1905, Einstein, the greatest scientific genius of the 20th century, created the special theory of relativity when he was 26 years old, which theoretically opened up the way for the application of atomic energy. In 1915, Einstein founded the general theory of relativity, which profoundly revealed the inner connection between time, space, matter, and motion. It became one of the basic theories of modern physics. 2. Quantum mechanics. In 1900, Planck founded Quantum theory proposes the new concept that energy is not infinitely divisible and that changes in energy are discontinuous. The establishment of quantum mechanics in the late 1920s was another revolutionary breakthrough in classical physics after the establishment of the theory of relativity from 1905 to 1915. It successfully revealed the basic laws of the microscopic material world, accelerated the development of atomic physics and solid-state physics, and prepared the theoretical foundation for nuclear physics and particle physics. Therefore, quantum mechanics can be said to be the most prolific scientific theory in the 20th century. , still has strong vitality to this day. The five major scientific achievements in the mid-to-late 20th century since the 1930s are the basic structure of matter, the gauge field, the Big Bang, the double helix structure of genetic material molecules, the tectonic plate theory, as well as information theory, cybernetics, and systems theory. The creation of other theories has further expanded human vision to more cosmic, macroscopic and microscopic fields, and has become a huge driving force for the progress of human civilization. 3. DNA molecular double helix model, April 25, 1953, British "Nature" The magazine published the result of the collaborative research between 25-year-old Watson and 37-year-old Crick—the molecular model of the double helix structure of DNA. This achievement was later hailed as the greatest discovery in biology in the 20th century and was also It is considered to be a sign of the birth of molecular biology. 4. The theory of continental plate tectonics. In 1912, Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift. After more than half a century of development, in 1968, Le Buchon et al. proposed the theory of global plate tectonics. The theory has built a structural model in which the world is divided into six major plates, Eurasia, America, Africa, Pacific, Australia, and Antarctica, and several smaller plates. It has received more and more scientific verification, especially strong support from marine geology. 5 Nuclear energy and nuclear technology The fission and fusion reactions of atomic nuclei will produce and release energy far greater than that produced by mechanical energy, chemical energy, etc. The peaceful use of nuclear energy provides mankind with a safe, clean, inexhaustible An exhaustible energy treasure house. In 1942, the United States built the world's first atomic reactor. After the 1960s, nuclear power plants entered the practical stage and have become an important energy source, accounting for about 1/5 of the world's total power generation. Nuclear technology It is also widely used in the fields of agriculture, medical care, materials, archeology and environmental protection. 6 Aerospace and space technology From 1903 to 1914, Tsiolkovsky proposed the rocket-powered navigation theory, laying the foundation for aerospace science. 1926 In 1957, Goddard successfully launched the world's first liquid-fuel rocket. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial earth satellite using an intercontinental missile rocket device, and the "space age" began. In 1969, the United States The "Apollo 11" spacecraft landed on the moon, and mankind left its first footprints on the moon. In 1971, the Soviet Union built a space station, and mankind had an active base in space for the first time. In 1981, the United States successfully launched a space shuttle. From then on, mankind Can freely enter and exit space. Since the late 1950s, humans have begun to detect the moon, major planets in the solar system, and distant interplanetary space. So far, more than 100 space probes have been launched. 7 Information Technology Information technology is the development of the 20th century The fastest technological field. It has had a huge and far-reaching impact on human society, economy, politics, culture, etc. In 1906, the invention of the triode tube made long-distance radio communications possible. In 1947, the first transistor The birth of the laser provided an important foundation for the integration and digitization of electronic circuits. The electronic computer came out in 1945. With the emergence of large-scale integrated circuits, computers developed towards the two poles of giantization and miniaturization. 8 Laser technology In 1917, Einstein In the process of studying optical radiation, the concept of "stimulated radiation" was proposed and the theory of laser was established.
Basics. Laser was discovered in 1958. In 1960, the United States made the world's first ruby ??laser. In 1977, the atomic laser came out. 9 Biotechnology Gene recombination technology (also known as genetic engineering) flourished and developed in the second half of the 20th century. The most cutting-edge field of modern biotechnology. DNA recombination can creatively utilize biological resources to realize human beings' desire to modify the genetic characteristics of organisms and produce the types of organisms needed by humans. Since the 1980s, hundreds of genetically modified animals and plants have been obtained. Agricultural development is of great significance. The development and production of genetically modified drugs will bring new benefits to human health. In addition to genetic engineering, biotechnology (ie, bioengineering) also includes cell engineering, enzyme engineering, fermentation engineering, and protein engineering. Field. The birth of Louis, the first test-tube baby in 1978, and the emergence of Dolly the cloned sheep in 1996 are masterpieces of cell engineering; enzyme-added washing powder and meat tenderizer are products of enzyme engineering; the modern fermentation industry began with the production of penicillin. Fermentation engineering is now used on a large scale to produce antibiotics. As for genetically modifying natural proteins as needed to produce new, high-quality proteins that do not originally exist in nature, this has attracted increasing attention and is known as the second generation of genetic engineering. 10Internet The Internet has created new ways of working and living in terms of learning, research, communication, trade, entertainment, etc. for hundreds of millions of netizens
Aircraft: When people evaluate the contribution of aircraft to mankind, they often regard it as The most dazzling invention of the twentieth century. In 1903, the Wright brothers, who were bicycle dealers, built the first airplane with an engine in human history. In 1930, British mechanical engineer Frank Whitt