The birth tourism dilemma
It is surprising to think that a few centuries ago, surgeries were performed without any sterilization or handwashing by doctors before Louis Pasteur discovered germ theory in 1870.
Surgeries were carried out with the belief that infections and illnesses were due to "bad air." Joseph Lister, an English physician, debunked this theory in the 19th century and created the first antiseptic spray. However, it took years for the medical field to acknowledge that their lack of cleanliness might be causing the infections.
Handwashing was not practiced until Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis started making his students sterilize their hands with a special fluid after autopsies. Following this new rule, the hospital's infection rate significantly decreased.
Hungary adopted the new handwashing procedure, but Semmelweis struggled to convince the rest of Europe. His frustration over the dismissal of his sterilization techniques partly led to his mental breakdown. Ironically, Semmelweis died from an infected hand wound that was not properly treated by asylum doctors.
John Snow, an English doctor, identified the reason behind the cholera epidemic in London in 1854, providing solid evidence to support his findings.
Snow researched the water sources cholera patients used and found they consistently drank from one source. Despite his findings, Snow's arguments were dismissed in favor of the prevailing miasma theory in London. It wasn't until evidence of contamination in the water sources emerged that his work was recognized.
American physicist Robert Goddard was initially ridiculed for suggesting the concept of rocket-powered space exploration. He is known for inventing the liquid-fuel rocket and his name is honored at NASA's Goddard Space Center.
Long before Sputnik was launched in 1957, bringing space exploration to the public eye, Goddard presented a paper in 1919 called 'A Method for Reaching Extreme Altitudes,' outlining the basics of rocket science. Despite being recognized today as the pioneer of rocket science and the Space Age, Goddard's work was disregarded and disrespected during his lifetime.
Aristarchus, an ancient Greek astronomer, was born on the island of Samos in 310 BCE. He proposed a groundbreaking theory centuries ahead of its time, long before it was confirmed.
Aristarchus proposed the first heliocentric theory, placing the Sun at the center of the solar system rather than the Earth. Initially ridiculed, his ideas were finally validated in 1610 when astronomer Galileo confirmed the heliocentric theory.
In the 19th-century scientific communities, Alice Evans' studies on pasteurization were often disregarded simply because of her gender.
Evans showed through years of research that consuming unpasteurized dairy could result in contracting brucellosis, a harmful bacterial infection. Despite initial resistance from the dairy industry and scientific community, Evans persistently advocated for pasteurization as a solution. It took a decade of effort, but eventually, pasteurization became widely accepted.
Currently, Marcello Malpighi, an Italian physician from the 17th century, is recognized as the pioneer of microscopic anatomy. His work paved the way for progress in physiology and brain research.
Partly because of his uncertain background and partly because of his groundbreaking theories on the human body, Malpighi and his ideas faced resistance in Bologna, where he spent much of his life teaching and practicing. As he neared the end of his life, Malpighi was subjected to violence and burglary, leading to his house being set on fire. In order to escape the persecution, he sought refuge in Rome under the safeguard of the Pope.
Whether deserved or not, Wilbur and Orville Wright are remembered as the creators of the airplane, a device that greatly impacted international relations, warfare, commerce, and tourism throughout history.
However, despite its revolutionary nature, the flying machine created by the Wright Brothers did not gain immediate popularity. Following failed attempts to sell their invention to the American government, the brothers turned to France for assistance.
Despite the world recognizing the significance of aircraft, their full potential was not realized for many years. World War I veteran US Army General William Mitchell advocated for a separate air division in the military, but unfortunately, he passed away before his proposals were implemented. Mitchell's ideas were not accepted during his lifetime.
General Mitchell's requests for the growth of the US Army's air units were consistently rejected. As a result of his outspoken criticism of the military's reluctance to modernize, Mitchell faced a court martial. Following Mitchell's passing, the establishment of a dedicated Air Force division within the Army played a crucial role in World War II.
Despite his involvement in the occult and dark arts, 16th-century philosopher and theorist Giordano Bruno had revolutionary ideas about the universe that were ahead of his time. These beliefs, which may have led to his demise, set him apart from his contemporaries and established his lasting influence in the field of science.
A proto-cosmologist, Bruno was quick to accept a heliocentric model of the solar system. Bruno went even further and claimed that the universe as a whole had no center and was in fact an infinite plane. This, and many other beliefs considered heretical in the 1500s, led to the Catholic Church ordering Bruno's execution. Today, Bruno's theory of an infinite universe is widely accepted.
William Harvey, an influential figure in anatomy and physiology during the 16th century, is recognized for accurately documenting the circulatory system. He challenged the long-held belief that blood flowed through the liver, asserting instead that it circulates through the heart.
Long-held beliefs can be hard to abandon, causing Harvey's findings to face skepticism and hostility. The criticism he endured drove him to seclusion for the remainder of his days, despite now being praised as an anatomy pioneer.
Henry Freeman, an English fisherman and lifeboatman born in 1835, advocated for cork life vests in the maritime industry. However, his attempts to require their use were largely ignored by others.
Things took a turn when Freeman and his lifeboat crew faced a severe storm that wrecked over 200 ships off the east coast of England. Sadly, all the crew members lost their lives during the rescue mission, except for Henry Freeman, who was saved by his life vest. Following this tragic event, the use of life vests gained significant popularity.
Barbara McClintock still holds the distinction of being the only woman to receive a solo Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Yet, back in the mid-20th century, she faced ridicule from the scientific community despite her accomplishments.
In actuality, McClintock's DNA research was ahead of its time, resulting in scrutiny from her peers. It wasn't until decades later that the rest of the scientific community caught up to McClintock and realized she was right about the presence and nature of certain genes called transposons.
Alexander Fleming, the Scottish biologist who is known for discovering penicillin, a breakthrough that has been described as the "single greatest victory ever achieved over disease," did not initially receive the same level of recognition as the hero of antibiotics he is known as today.
For over a decade following his breakthrough, Fleming worked to highlight the significance of his discovery in combatting infections.
He published his findings in scholarly journals, and made his case in front of numerous scientific panels, but all to no avail. It wasn't until fellow scientists Ernest Chain and Howard Florey purified penicillin and stabilized the antibiotic that its usefulness was recognized.
Sources: (Ranker) (Bored Panda)
See also: Women's inventions and discoveries that were credited to men
Many innovations we rely on today weren't immediately embraced by society. People have often been hesitant to accept new ideas, even when they clearly benefit from them. Doubts surrounded inventions like penicillin and airplanes in the past, only to be proven wrong once their value was recognized and they revolutionized the world.
While it is satisfying that society eventually embraces groundbreaking ideas, it can be frustrating for the creators who struggle to understand the initial resistance. Some visionaries never lived to see their inventions appreciated. However, we can now acknowledge their contributions and honor their legacy.
Read on to learn about the figures throughout history who were right all along.
The 'crazy' minds from history who turned out to be right
Progressive thinkers often encounter skepticism at the start
LIFESTYLE Curiosities
Many innovations we rely on today weren't immediately embraced by society. People have often been hesitant to accept new ideas, even when they clearly benefit from them. Doubts surrounded inventions like penicillin and airplanes in the past, only to be proven wrong once their value was recognized and they revolutionized the world.
While it is satisfying that society eventually embraces groundbreaking ideas, it can be frustrating for the creators who struggle to understand the initial resistance. Some visionaries never lived to see their inventions appreciated. However, we can now acknowledge their contributions and honor their legacy.
Read on to learn about the figures throughout history who were right all along.