On this day in Physics: I couldn't say it better myself so here it is: "In 1896, an x-ray machine was not exhibited at Casino Chambers, New York City, though some sources state it was. The news of Wilhelm Röntgen's discovery of the astonishingly penetrating X-rays had only been revealed to the world earlier in the month. So, riding on the wave of that publicity, the Cabaret du Neant opened, charging 25 cents admission to see the “Parisian sensation.” What the audiences actually saw was only a theatrical illusion of an x-ray image using only magic lantern techniques and the Peppers Ghost effect. No actual x-ray equipment was used." Source
Contained within this story is a powerful lesson about science. The truth is out there, but don't take anyone at their word. You need to believe what even your scientific colleagues tell you based only on what you know to be true and what you can deduce. Take nothing on faith.
Word of the day: X-Rays are electromagnetic radiation. They are waves, just like visible light, although we are not able to detect them with our eyes. The wavelength of x-rays exists in the .01-10 nm range. Because they have such small wavelength, and high frequency, they pass right through our tissue, and bones, which allow us to produce images of our bones, sometimes called X-ray photographs. This is very useful in medical diagnosis. Extended exposure however is very dangerous, as such high frequency radiation will cause deformities in our DNA, and cause defects, tumors, and cancers.
Killer Resource: Electromagnetic Spectrum Shown in this image is the full electromagnetic spectrum, including the word of the day X-rays, as well as the very narrow band which we call the visible light. It gives a great perspective on how little we can detect about our universe.
Keywords: X-Ray, Electromagnetic, Spectrum, Light
