Fungus Among Us!
On November 23, 1898, American biochemist Rachel Fuller Brown was born. Most famously, she worked through research and production projects with microbiologist and bacteriologist Elizabeth Lee Hazen for the New York State Department of Health; Brown in Albany and Hazen in New York City.…
Father of Chinese Ornithology
On November 18, 1906, Chinese ornithologist Tso-hsin Cheng [Zheng Zuoxin] was born. As a boy, he learned to identify the birds in the Fujian forests by their calls. Travelling to the United States, Cheng completed doctoral studies at University of Michigan before taking a…
Something to Glow About
On November 8, 1895, in the evening, physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen [Röntgen] discovered X-rays. Previously, he had investigated the electrical conductivity of crystals and electromagnetic influences on polarized light. This particular evening, Roentgen experimented with the flow of electric current through a glass tube…
In a Field by Herself
On November 7, 1867, physicist and chemist Marie Skłodowska–Curie was born in Poland. A studious young daughter of a scientist, she grew up to become one of the giants of all modern science. With her husband, Pierre Curie, she studied chemical elements in their…
The Samurai Chemist <br>and the Cherry Trees
On November 3, 1854, Dr. Jokichi Takamine was born in Japan. His special strengths in languages and science steered him through programs in medical school and chemistry. Along with studies at the University of Glasgow in technology and work experiences in both Japan and…
Catching the Drift
On November 1, 1880, astronomer, meteorologist, natural scientist, and Arctic explorer, Alfred Lothar Wegener was born in Berlin. Like many before him, Wegener was intrigued with the similarities of continental coastlines that seemed to once have fit together. Instead of merely regarding present coastlines,…
The Camera Guide
On October 28, 1853, landscape photographer Frank J. Haynes was born in Saline Michigan. At various times, he was the “Official Photographer” of the Northern Pacific Railroad, the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and Yellowstone National Park. Haynes was part of a winter expedition in 1887…
As the Earth Moves
On October 24, 1908, Canadian geologist and geophysicist John Tuzo Wilson, CC, OBE, FRS, FRSC, FRSE was born. After academic studies on three continents, a stint with the Geological Survey of Canada, and the Royal Canadian (Army) Engineers, he taught geophysics at the University…
Citrus Punch
On October 22, 1896, American biochemist and nutrition researcher, Charles Glen King was born. For about 200 years, limes and lemons and a few certain other foods were known to be effective in preventing and treating scurvy, a nutritional deficiency disease that, untreated, leads…
An Herb For That
On October 18, 1616, English botanist and herbalist physician Nicholas Culpeper was born. Receiving early lessons in Latin and Greek, he read widely in his grandfather’s library. He learned about the application of medical plants from his grandmother. Culpeper attended Cambridge but discovered sports…