Science Milestones

This Week in Science History

Milestones in science, mathematics, and technology for the week of March 24th–30th

(AI composite image by Author)

“Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done. One could write a history of science in reverse by assembling the solemn pronouncements of highest authority about what could not be done and could never happen.”
— Robert A. Heinlein (1907–1988)

This is the second in a new series we’re running in Science Spectrum called “Science Milestones.” Each week, we will highlight some of the extraordinary people and transformative accomplishments in science, mathematics, and technology over the centuries.

What Happened This Week in History

March 24

• 1809: French mathematician is born. Liouville made foundational contributions to mathematics, including complex analysis, number theory, differential geometry, and topology. In number theory, he was the first to prove the existence of transcendental numbers by a construction using continued fractions. He is widely known for Liouville’s theorem in complex analysis and for .
• 1820: French physicist is born. Becquerel was an early and…