The Game Changers: Theories That Have Changed the World

For all its faults, mankind has discovered some pretty impressive things- discoveries that have moulded the world into something better and have revolutionised the way we live and think forever. Along with these theories come the giants who discovered them; names that are so noteworthy, everyone on the planet should know them. They say everything begins with a theory, so let’s take a look at some of the greatest theories that have changed the world.

Heliocentrism – Copernicus (1543)

The theory that began our true relationship with the stars; while conceived by the Ancient Greeks, the theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun would not be established until two millennia later! This theory not only helped us to understand our world but any world that lies beyond. It also gave us the word revolutionary. The more you know!

Special & General Relativity – Albert Einstein (1905 & 1915)

A theory everyone’s heard of, but only a handful know what it really is. In some ways, special relativity was not as innovative because it held onto a lot of classical physics. But merging space and time, matter with energy and a slower aging process during space travel is pretty awesome.

General relativity was much more revolutionary because it threw out Newton’s theory of gravity and replaced it with the idea of curved space-time. It opened the eyes of mankind to the history of an expanding universe and the imagination of science fiction writers to black holes.

The Theory of Evolution – Charles Darwin (1859)

Perhaps one of the more famous on this list, the theory of evolution remains a controversy to this day. Darwin showed that the complexity of life and the intricate relationships between life-forms could surface and survive from natural processes, without the need for a design. He basically opened up the minds of mankind to pursue natural science without being impaired by a supernatural presence (we told you it was controversial).

Because this is such a fascinating theory, here’s an in depth explanation

Plate Tectonics Theory – Alfred Wegener (1912) & J. Tuzo Wilson (1960s)

While technically Wegener realised that the continents drifted around all the way back in 1912, it wasn’t until the 1960’s that the pieces were put together to create a comprehensive theory of plate tectonics.

For a more in depth explanation of this theory, click here

Oxygen Theory of Combustion – Antoine Lavoisier (1700s)

While Lavoisier didn’t discover oxygen, he did discover that it was the gas that combined with substances as they burned. This discovery did away with the phlogiston theory that was in place at the time and effectively gave birth to modern chemistry. While he lead the charge for a world-wide scientific revolution, he was less lucky with the native French revolution- a revolution that cost him his head.

Who knows what’s around the next corner for scientific theory; it could be something that changes the world (again) or just a little discovery, but either way, we know it won’t disappoint! If you fancy yourself a bit of a science whiz yourself and are ready to discover something wonderful, you won’t be complete without the right lab supplies. We here at Edulab are more than happy to help with all your needs, ranging from the highest quality chemistry equipment to model skeletons. Simply contact us on 01366 385777 and let us help you find that genius discovery!