SMRTR Science & EngineeringJan 5, 2026Nautilus

X-rays Were a Life-Saving Accident

SMRTR summary

Wilhelm Röntgen accidentally discovered X-rays in 1895 while experimenting with cathode tubes, noticing mysterious rays that could penetrate materials and reveal different levels of transparency. Within a year, doctors across the United States and Europe had adopted this revolutionary imaging technique for medical use, earning Röntgen the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.

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