Science and art in the 18th century
Scientific advances
Two factors brought about great scientific and cultural advances
the influence of the Enlightenment on education and technological progress
the scientific legacy of the 17th century
many centres of study were created
it would be impossible to understand the progress of the 18th century without considering the contribution of the 17th century.
Led to significant improvements in people's wellbeing
Medicine
Physics and geology
Edward Jenner
in 1747
in 1796
discovered a vaccine for smallpox by obtaining liquid from a wound of a person suffering from the disease
it was discovered that eating lemons prevented scurvy
Benjamin Franklin
Gabriel Fahrenheit
James Hutton
in 1788
established geology as a science, based on the constant changes he observed in the formation of the Earth
in 1750
in 1714
improved the mercury thermometer by adding a temperature scale in degrees
invented the lightning rod