- Sir Isaac Newton's most important scientific discovery was gravity. Newton realized that gravity was what made objects fall to the ground and was what kept things in place on the Earth's surface. He also discovered gravity's relationship to the Moon and the other celestial bodies, that it kept them all in orbit. In addition to this, Newton invented calculus. Math is known as a formal science, and calculus is essential for formulating the scientific equations that explain the Universe.
- Louis Pasteur developed the germ theory of disease. He discovered that germs are what cause disease and infection. Due to this discovery, hospitals were able to limit the spread of disease via sanitation. Pasteur also discovered that a weak version of a microbe could serve to protect a person against catching the stronger form, hence leading the way for the vaccinations we have today. Another important discovery he made was pasteurization, a process we still use today to sterilize food.
- Charles Darwin was a natural scientist who developed the theory of evolution. While he was on a voyage around the Galapagos Islands, collecting specimens, Darwin noticed that various species had changed, or adapted, between different islands, to best survive the conditions of their habitat. He theorized that this happened via a process called natural selection, whereby the strongest adaptations of a given species survived. This gave rise to his theory of evolution.
- Einstein is one of the world's most famous physicists. His first big discovery was the special theory of relativity. At the heart of this theory was the discovery that the speed of light is a universal constant, and that nothing can travel faster than it. Einstein's next discovery was the general theory of relativity. This theory outlines that space-time is a fabric that can stretch and change. This fabric allows for holes in space to appear, which could allow you to travel vast distances through space and time in no time at all.
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