Curiosidades en la historia de la ciencia
Mañana se inaugura la IV Edición del Curso de Divulgación “Los Avances de la Química y su Impacto en la Sociedad” (ver cartel). En la charla hablaremos de la historia de la química; pero más de la historia de los científicos que la han construido. Algunos aspectos que se tratarán se recogen en forma de preguntas, como las que se indican a continuación (algunas ya se repitieron en la tercera edición del curso, ver aquí las preguntas y respuesta) y el cuestionario se ha ampliado.
1) ¿Cual ha sido el químico más desafortunado de la historia? (No vale contestar “Lavoisier”).
2) ¿Quién fue el primer químicos de la historia? ¿Para qué sirvió la primera reacción química de la historia?
3) ¿Cuál crees que es la principal contribución de Lavoisier a la historia de la química? (Pista: Lavoisier no descubrió el oxigeno).
4) ¿Qué químico representa, como ningún otro, “las dos caras de la química”?
5) ¿Por qué Faraday, científico británico y uno de los más grandes de la historia, no fue nombrado caballero (sir) o barón (lord)?
6) ¿Qué gran científico de finales del siglo XIX no fue capaz de reconocer los “nuevos caminos” que tomaba la ciencia?
7) ¿Dónde y cuando se celebró el primer congreso internacional de química? ¿Qué jóvenes científicos acudieron al mismo y después cambiaron el curso de la química?
8) ¿Cual ha sido el sueño más trascendental en la historia de la química? ¿Y la noche en vela (por insomnio) más fructífera?
9) ¿Quién acuñó el término “ión”? ¿Quién acuño el término “mol”?
10) ¿Se puede “creer” en los iones y no en los “átomos”?
11) ¿Qué químico fundó la microbiología?
12) ¿Cual es el origen de la química física? ¿Es química o es física?
13) ¿Desde cuando existe la ciencia? ¿Desde cuando existe la química?
14) ¿Quién fue la primera celebridad (en términos de “famoseo”) de la química?
15) ¿Quién descubrió el oxígeno? ¿Qué es un descubrimiento científico?
16) ¿Por qué había tanta necesidad de encontrar un método industrial de síntesis de sosa (carbonato sódico)? ¿Y de amoniaco?
17) Según Liebig, ¿qué sustancia química es indicador de la riqueza de una nación?
18) ¿Qué sustancia química ha salvado más vidas en la historia de la humanidad? ¿Quién la descubrió?
19) ¿Quién descubrió más elementos químicos? ¿Qué tres elementos químicos fueron descubiertos por españoles?
20) ¿Qué joven de 18 años revolucionó la química? ¿Qué relevancia tuvo su descubrimiento?
21) ¿Cual fue la curiosa historia del descubrimiento del fósforo? ¿A quién se atribuye el descubrimiento?
22) ¿Qué químico fundó la medicina molecular y la biomedicina?
23) ¿Quién sentó las bases de la química agrícola?
24) ¿Qué metal, de uso común actualmente, llegó a ser tan valioso como los metales nobles? ¿Por qué el precio de este metal bajó de precio?
25) ¿Sabes que el la teoría de la “fuerza vital”? ¿Cuando dejó de tener vigencia esta teoría?
26) ¿Por qué la teoría del flogisto dominó la química durante un siglo?
27) ¿Qué metal puro obtuvo el mismo químico que sintetizó urea por primera vez? ¿Quién era este químico? ¿Con qué otro químico de la época mantuvo una intensa correspondencia científica?
28) ¿Cual ha sido la evolución en la investigación en materiales energéticos?
29) ¿Qué alquimista fue un fiel seguidor de la “filosofía” de Lutero? ¿Qué aportó este alquimista a la historia de la ciencia?
30) ¿Sabes la cronología de los descubrimiento de los elementos químicos?
31) ¿Qué químico fue el primero en reconocer el efecto invernadero? ¿Qué otras investigaciones realizó este científico?
32) ¿Quién fue el “refundador” de la termodinámica? ¿Por qué su trabajo pasó desapercibido?
33) ¿Qué otros acontecimientos químicos se pudieron celebrar en 2011? ¿Qué se pudo celebrar en 2012? ¿Qué se ha podido celebrar en 2013?
34) ¿Quién sintetizó agua por primera vez?
35) La protección de un animal permitió un desarrollo científico importantísimo en la industria cinematográfica ¿De qué animal hablamos? ¿Cual fue el material?
36) ¿Cuales fueron las principales contribuciones científicas de Frederick Sanger? ¿Qué relevancia actual tiene este descubrimiento?
37) ¿Cuál fue la primera aplicación médica conocida de la radiografía? ¿Qué aspecto curioso tiene este dato?
38) ¿Qué fue antes “la bioquímica” o la “química orgánica”?
39) ¿Por qué la química de productos naturales es el motor de la química orgánica?
40) ¿Cuál ha sido el papel de los físicos en el desarrollo de la química?
41) ¿Por qué Kelvin no recibió el Premio Nobel de Física?
42) ¿Por qué Rutherford no recibió un sefundo Premio Nobel?
43) ¿Quién es el científico con el que han colaborado más científicos galardondos con el Premio Nobel?
44) ¿Cuál ha sido la relación de la química con las matemáticas a lo largo de la historia? ¿Qué científicos han destacado en el intento de matematizar la química?
45) ¿Qué nombres asociarías a la teoría atomista de la materia?
46) ¿Quienes fueron los físicos experimentales que revolicionaron la ciencia a finales del siglo XIX?
47) ¿Qué físico relevante pensaba, a finales del siglo XIX, que todo estaba hecho en ciencia?
En la imagen se muestran algunos de los científicos de los que hablaremos en la conferencia de mañana.
Nota: En este post se habla de ciencia, que incluye historia, filosofía, matemáticas, física, química y cristalografía; por ello, participa en los siguientes carnavales y festivales científicos:
XXIX Carnaval de la Química, que organiza Héctor Busto (@hebusto) en su blog Más ciencia, por favor.
I Festival de la Cristalografía, (el del sistema triclínico), que organiza este autor en el blog Educación Química.
Edición 4.12310562 del Carnaval de Matemáticas, cuyo blog anfitrión es ::ZTFNews.
XLVI Edición del Carnaval de la Física cuyo blog anfitrión es Gravedad Cero.
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