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Retro Monday—The Biggest Scientific Hits of 1620

Feb. 2, 2015

We like to think we're all that and a bag of chips in terms of scientific advancement, but not so fast. There were some pretty hot advances happening in 1620--and not just the invention of Thanksgiving. Can you say "scientific method," "heliocentric solar system theory," "tracheotomy," "submarines," "merry-go-rounds"?

In terms of scientific advancement, it’s easy to think that living in the 21^st century makes us all that and a bag of chips. We have the Internet and its offspring, the Internet of Things. We have robots. We have people in space, laser surgery, electric cars and 102 flavors of Doritos. But not so fast.

Our ancestors were no slouches. Tech blogger Shelley Palmer went into his archives this morning and revived this post from last November. The names you wanted to be watching in 1620 were Kepler, Bacon, Habicot, Drebbel, Ortelius and de Diest. Some are still household names; others, not so much. But each one in his own way was on the cutting edge of science and technology and made a huge difference in their time.

Oh, and the next time you’re struggling with pulling together a long report or a presentation, just remember: At least you’re not expected to deliver it in Latin.