Defining Science History: Four of the First Objects That Are Well-Regarded in the Scientific Community

The Royal Society in London lists four of the first scientific findings that defined science history, including the first scientific document signed by a woman, some dinosaur fossils, the discovery of Uranus, and some early photography experiments. Today, a digital version of documents detailing these first scientific discoveries is available in the scientific institution's online archive.

First Scientific Letter Signed by a Woman

According to BBC News, Martha Gerrish, a resident of New England, wrote a letter to the Royal Society in 1734 detailing her sighting of a rare astronomical occurrence called a Parhelion or 'sun dog.' This phenomenon presents as two halos alongside the sun in the sky.

It is the earliest recorded instance of a woman sending a letter directly to the Society's journal, Philosophical Transactions, without using a male counterpart. During this time, females had limited access to education and were not perceived as the intellectual equals of men. Gerrish acknowledged this inequality in her letter, stating that if a man had written it, it would have been more acceptable to the Royal Society.

The letter demonstrates that women have contributed to science for centuries, even if their discoveries were not publicly recognized. According to Royal Society historian Louisiane Ferlier, Gerrish's letter is a testament to the role of women in scientific history.

Dinosaur Fossils Discovered in the Victorian Era

In 1849, Gideon Mantell, a famous dinosaur hunter, submitted detailed drawings of his discoveries of dinosaur fossils on southern England's Jurassic coast. Some of the drawings were made by his wife and proved to be crucial in demonstrating what had been found to other scientists due to the lack of photography at the time.

As per Britannica, Mantell was a British physician, geologist, and paleontologist who discovered four of the five known genera of dinosaurs in his time. He studied paleontology in Sussex and demonstrated that the Wealden series of the Cretaceous Period had a freshwater origin.

Mantell also described several remarkable dinosaurian reptiles, such as Iguanodon, Hylaeosaurus, Pelorosaurus, Regnosaurus, and the Triassic reptile Telerpeton elginense. His significant works include The Fossils of the South Downs or Illustrations of the Geology of Sussex (1822) and Medals of Creation (1844).

Original Letter Detailing the Discovery of Uranus

Sir William Herschel, a musician turned astronomer, discovered the planet Uranus and several moons around other gas giants while studying the night sky with his sister, Space.com reported. He also compiled a catalog of 2,500 celestial objects still in use today.

Herschel wrote to the Society in 1782, informing them of his discovery of a new "primary planet of our solar system," shocking scientists who thought they knew all that was in the skies. Herschel proposed to name the planet "Georgium Sidus" after King George III, but the planet was eventually named Uranus.

The discovery of Uranus was particularly groundbreaking and challenged established scientific understanding. Nonetheless, Herschel persisted and went on to leave an indelible mark on the field of astronomy.

First Attempts of Photography

Photography inventors were experimenting with capturing images and sent the Royal Society some of the first attempts to capture images in the 1830s and 1840s. William Henry Fox Talbot, an innovator in this field, turned to invent a new way to capture pictures after being frustrated by his poor drawing abilities.

As BBC News reported, the Royal Society, established in 1660, has collected thousands of objects, including research findings from groundbreaking scientists such as Benjamin Franklin, Edmund Halley, and Isaac Newton. Ordinary people could also submit their ideas and discoveries in letters and pictures.