In the scientific community, it was long believed that only younger scientists made significant progress. After developing his theory of relativity at the age of 26, Einstein said, “A man who has not made his great contribution to science before the age of 30 never will.” Although there are many famous scientists in them The 40s and beyondthese are five who made their important discoveries at a young age.
1. Lawrence Bragg (1890-1971)
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25 years old, Australian scientist Lawrence Bragg became the youngest person ever to receive a Nobel Prize, although his groundbreaking research began when he was only 22. In 1915, he and his father were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in X-ray crystallography. His research revealed that X-rays diffract based on the atomic structure of the crystal.
The area of X-ray crystallography continues to influence the fields of chemistry, physics, and medicine—and is still used to study crystals atoms. Building on Bragg’s work, other scientists have received Nobel Prizes using X-ray crystallography in their research.
2. Subramanian Chandrasekhar (1910-1995)
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You may not know the name, but Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar was a brilliant Indian-American scholar. An astrophysicist, his research at the age of 19 eventually led to a Nobel Prize many years later in 1983. During his research, it was known that stars eventually become unstable, collapse in on themselves, and become what which is known as a “white dwarf.”
Chandrasekhar found that white dwarfs must have a mass of 1.4 or less than the mass of the Sun. They become a neutron star or a Black hole if higher. The point at which the final product of a star is determined is called the “Chandrasekhar Limit”.
3. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
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Galileo contributed a lot to the world of science; one of his most important achievements improves the telescope and becomes the first person to study space with it. This led to his discovery that craters exist on the moon.
But one of his most important scientific contributions happened when he was 19 years old. Galileo developed an accurate method of weighing the density of objects using a counterweight. His discovery – hydrostatic balancehas current applications in astrophysics, gemology, and atmospheric modeling.
Read more: Yes, Galileo really said that
4. Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)
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Although he is best known for the concept of gravity—which he discovered at just 23 years old—Sir Isaac Newton influenced scientific innovation in additional ways. At 19, he developed calculus, which is a a new approach to mathematics at the time. And in the mid-1920s, he made two major scientific breakthroughs. He invented the first reflecting telescope using a mirror. He also significantly advanced the field of physical optics.
Using a prism, he established the composition of white light (sunlight) and discovered the color “spectrum,” a word he coined. Newton’s book Principleswhich details the three laws of motion, is considered one of the greatest scientific works ever written.
5. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
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Known as a mathematical and scientific prodigy, Blaise Pascal displayed remarkable intelligence from an early age. At 16, he published a mathematical treatise. A few years later – to support his father’s work as a tax collector – Pascal created the first successful mechanical calculator. He called it “Pascaline,” which was a precursor to what eventually became the modern computer.
It also plays an important role in fluid mechanics, creating “Pascal’s law.” His research in this area led him to create the syringe and lay the foundation for the hydraulic press.