G
Gene transfer:
(recombinant DNA organism) Herbert Boyer, Stanley Cohen, U.S., 1973; (human) Steven Rosenberg, R. Michael Blaese, W. French Anderson, U.S., 1989.
Geometry, elements of:
Euclid, Alexandria, Egypt, c. 300 B.C.; (analytic) René Descartes, France; and Pierre de Fermat, Switzerland, 1637.
Gravitation, law of:
Sir Isaac Newton, England, c.1665 (published 1687).
Gunpowder:
China, c.700.
Gyrocompass:
Elmer A. Sperry, U.S., 1905.
Gyroscope:
Jean Léon Foucault, France, 1852
H
Halley's Comet:
Edmund Halley, England, 1705.
Heart implanted in human, permanent artificial:
Dr. Robert Jarvik, U.S., 1982.
Heart, temporary artificial:
Willem Kolff, Netherlands, U.S., 1957.
Helicopter:
(double rotor) Heinrich Focke, Germany, 1936; (single rotor) Igor Sikorsky, U.S., 1939.
Helium first observed on sun:
Sir Joseph Lockyer, England, 1868.
Heredity, laws of:
Gregor Mendel, Austria, 1865.
Holograph:
Dennis Gabor, England, 1947.
Home videotape systems (VCR):
(Betamax) Sony, Japan, 1975; (VHS) Matsushita, Japan, 1975.
I
Ice age theory:
Louis Agassiz, Swiss-American, 1840.
Induction, electric:
Joseph Henry, U.S., 1828.
Insulin:
(first isolated) Sir Frederick G. Banting and Charles H. Best, Canada, 1921; (discovery first published) Banting and Best, 1922; (Nobel Prize awarded for purification for use in humans) John Macleod and Banting, 1923; (first synthesized), China, 1966.
Intelligence testing:
Alfred Binet, Theodore Simon, France, 1905.
Interferon:
Alick Isaacs, England, Jean Lindemann, Switzerland, 1957.
Isotopes:
(concept of) Frederick Soddy, England, 1912; (stable isotopes) J. J. Thompson, England, 1913; (existence demonstrated by mass spectrography) Francis W. Aston, England, 1919.
J
Jet propulsion:
(engine) Sir Frank Whittle, England, Hans von Ohain, Germany, 1936; (aircraft) Heinkel He 178, 1939.
K
Kinetic theory of gases:
(molecules of a gas are in a state of rapid motion) Daniel Bernoulli, Switzerland, 1738.
L
Laser:
(theoretical work on) Charles H. Townes, Arthur L. Schawlow, U.S., N. Basov, A. Prokhorov, U.S.S.R., 1958; (first working model) T. H. Maiman, U.S., 1960.
Lawn mower:
Edwin Budding, John Ferrabee, England, 1830–1831.
LCD (liquid crystal display):
Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland, 1970.
Lens, bifocal:
Benjamin Franklin, U.S., c.1760.
Leyden jar:
(prototype electrical condenser) Canon E. G. von Kleist of Kamin, Pomerania, 1745; independently evolved by Cunaeus and P. van Musschenbroek, University of Leyden, Holland, 1746, from where name originated.
Light, nature of:
(wave theory) Christian Huygens, The Netherlands, 1678; (electromagnetic theory) James Clerk Maxwell, England, 1873.
Light, speed of:
(theory that light has finite velocity) Olaus Roemer, Denmark, 1675.
Lightning rod:
Benjamin Franklin, U.S., 1752.
Lock, cylinder:
Linus Yale, U.S., 1851.
Locomotive:
(steam powered) Richard Trevithick, England, 1804; (first practical, due to multiple-fire-tube boiler) George Stephenson, England, 1829; (largest steam-powered) Union Pacific's “Big Boy,” U.S., 1941.
Loom:
(horizontal, two-beamed) Egypt, c. 4400 B.C.; (Jacquard drawloom, pattern controlled by punch cards) Jacques de Vaucanson, France, 1745, Joseph-Marie Jacquard, 1801; (flying shuttle) John Kay, England, 1733; (power-driven loom) Edmund Cartwright, England, 1785.