Prompt Cast
The Discovery and Applications of X-Rays
TLDR X-rays were accidentally discovered by Wilhelm Röntgen in 1895 and have since been used in various fields such as medicine, food industry, archaeology, earth sciences, and astronomy. While they can be harmful if not used with caution, they are still a safer alternative to exploratory surgery.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
In this episode of "Stuff You Should Know," the hosts discuss X-rays and how they work.
04:30
X-rays were discovered accidentally in 1895 by a German physicist named Wilhelm Röntgen, who noticed that a fluorescent screen was glowing when he turned on his electron beam.
08:56
X-rays were discovered accidentally by Wilhelm Röntgen, who didn't patent anything and never made money off of it, and they were first used in the Balkan War to detect bullets and shrapnel. X-rays are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, falling between gamma rays and ultraviolet rays, and they are a type of electromagnetic energy carried on a photon.
13:33
X-rays are a type of photon that can transfer their energy to atoms by kicking electrons up to higher orbitals, but the energy of the photon must exactly match the energy differential between the orbitals in order for this interaction to occur.
18:05
Different atoms have different densities and can absorb different amounts of energy, which is why X-rays are able to create an image of bones since bones are denser and can absorb X-ray photons.
23:07
X-ray machines use a thick lead shield and a small window to create a concentrated beam of X-rays that can be absorbed by the lead and used to generate more X-rays through a chain reaction.
27:57
X-rays are created when photons are drawn into the orbit of an atom's nucleus and take a hard left turn, transferring energy to the atom and producing heat, and the resulting pattern of light passing through the body is recorded by a camera to create a negative image.
32:36
In the past, X-ray machines were used excessively, such as in shoe stores and even on talkative kids in class, without realizing the potential harm they could cause.
37:07
X-rays can cause ionization in atoms, leading to cellular death, mutations, and cancer, which is why it is important to use the minimum amount of radiation necessary for medical imaging.
41:56
X-rays have various applications outside of the medical field, including in the food industry, archaeology, earth sciences, and astronomy, and while they should be used with caution, they are still safer than exploratory surgery.
46:16
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