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10 French technological and scientific advances :
1. Pasteurization and rabies vaccine :
The first scientific breakthrough is not the least. I don't know if the name Louis Pasteur means anything to you, but everyone knows this name in France. Louis Pasteur is a scientist, chemist, physicist and biologist (yes, we didn't do things by halves at the time). Born in 1822 and died in 1895, he invented pasteurization in 1865. Pasteurization is a process of food preservation. It is a revolutionary invention that is still used today. Another revolutionary discovery on his part, in 1885 he discovered a vaccine against rabies and cured a 9 year old child bitten by a rabid dog.
2. Discovery of polonium and radium :
An example for women, Marie Curie is a physicist and chemist. She is known for her work on polonium and radium. She received a Nobel Prize with her husband, Pierre Curie, in 1903. She also received a Nobel Prize in 1911 for her work. She is the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize. She died in 1934 from leukemia due to excessive exposure to radioactive elements
3. The calculator :
Blaise Pascal is one of the greatest French mathematicians, physicists and inventors. He is known for many works such as Pascal's theorem or Pascal's triangle. At the age of 18, in 1641, he invented pascaline. It is the ancestor of the calculator that allowed to make additions and subtractions. Blaise Pascal invented pascaline to help his father in his work. He improved his work for ten years. Some pascalines can be found on display at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris.
4. Unit of measurement of electric current: the ampere :
Another mathematician, physicist, chemist and philosopher, André-Marie Ampère was born in Lyon in 1775. He made revolutionary discoveries in the field of electromagnetism. In particular, he was one of the first to distinguish between atoms and molecules. Ampère made other discoveries: he was the first to speak of "current" and "voltage", he invented the galvanometer, the electric telegraph and he gave his name to the international unit of electric current intensity: the ampere. Do not hesitate to visit the museum dedicated to him near Lyon. It is a very interesting place in a beautiful location.
5. Cinema :
Cinema is a French invention! Cinema was invented by the Lumière brothers. They are two brothers, Auguste and Louis, engineers and industrialists from Lyon. In 1895, they invented the cinematograph, a device that could record and project several photographs in a row that give an effect of movement. The first cinematographic film was shot in Lyon, it lasts 45 seconds and is entitled "La sortie des usines Lumière".
6. The Automobile :
As you can imagine, the first car doesn't look like today's cars and doesn't have the same technology. The first prototype of the automobile was invented by Joseph Cugnot, a military engineer. Called Cugnot's fardier, it was an automobile made of wood with three wheels and a bench to sit on that ran on steam. This automobile was going at a speed of 3.5 km/hour. Yes, there was no need to be in a hurry at that time! But, this first automobile allowed the creation of the ones we have today
7. Braille:
We are going to talk about a great revolution for blind and visually impaired people: Braille. Braille is finger-readable handwriting that was invented for people who are blind or visually impaired.
This tactile writing was created by Louis Braille when he was only 15 years old in the 19ᵉ century and he too was blind.
8. The chip card :
The chip card is a revolutionary invention because it is useful in our daily lives when we make bank card payments or when we use our phone for example. The chip card was invented by Roland Moreno and patented in 1974.
9. Photography :
Photography was invented in France, it was created by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. Indeed, he made a box that allowed to fix images, it was the ancestor of the camera. The very first photo in history was taken in 1826, here it is. Well, be indulgent it was the first one, we didn't have the same technology at the time.
10. The bicycle :
Is a bicycle without pedals a real bicycle? No, not really. So, let's thank Pierre Michaux who invented the pedal system that now allows us to have real bikes, bicycles, mountain bikes, etc.
Science and Technology Vocabulary :
The professions :
- A scientist
- A chemist
- A biologist
- A physicist
- An inventor
- A mathematician
Verbs :
- Invent
- Make
- Create
- Discover
Science and Technology :
- A step forward
- A vaccine
- A process
- An invention
- A discovery
- A technology
- A Nobel Prize
it's your turn to tell me what advance or technology has been invented in your country, write it down as a comment!
See you soon for new adventures, in French of course! 🇫🇷
