Human Epic
Science and discovery
Tycho’s new star: an explosion in the distant heavens
Tycho saw a bright new star in Cassiopeia and tracked its position and changing brightness. His observations challenged the idea of an unchanging sky. The event is now known as supernova SN 1572.
Galileo and Jupiter’s moons: another centre of motion
Galileo saw three points of light beside Jupiter. Observations over the following nights revealed moons orbiting the planet.
Rømer and the travel time of light: timing Io’s eclipses
The Journal des sçavans reported Rømer’s work: changes in the timing of Io’s eclipses with Earth–Jupiter distance showed that light does not travel instantaneously.
Herschel discovers Uranus: from a comet report to a planet
William Herschel observed an unusual object in Bath, initially reporting it as a comet. Subsequent work established it as Uranus, extending the known Solar System.
The discovery of Neptune: gravity guides a search
Using Le Verrier’s prediction from irregularities in Uranus’s orbit, Galle and d’Arrest found an uncharted object in Berlin. Observations the following night confirmed the predicted planet.
On the Origin of Species: natural selection and branching life
Darwin published On the Origin of Species, explaining how natural selection can drive the change and diversification of species.
Special relativity in 1905: redefining time and motion
Annalen der Physik received Einstein’s paper on moving bodies. It described space, time, and motion using relativity and a constant light speed; June 30 is the received date recorded in the paper.
Curie’s Nobel lecture: radium and changing atoms
In her Nobel lecture in Stockholm, Curie described isolating radium and the new understanding of chemistry emerging from radioactivity research.
The 1919 eclipse expeditions: measuring bent starlight
Teams photographed stars near the eclipsed Sun in Sobral and Príncipe to test gravitational light deflection. Their later analysis reported results supporting general relativity.
Turing’s computing machines: rules, programs and limits
Turing described computation with abstract machines and a universal machine capable of simulating others, establishing a foundation for studying the power and limits of algorithms.
The DNA double helix: how structure suggested replication
Nature published the DNA double-helix model alongside experimental studies. Molecular structure and X-ray diffraction evidence advanced understanding of how genetic information is stored and copied.
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