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