Children of the Geissler Tube
4 days ago
- #physics
- #technology
- #history
- Heinrich Geißler, a glassblower, invented the Geissler tube in the 1850s, a gas discharge tube that became foundational for modern technology.
- The Geissler tube led to the discovery of cathode rays, later identified as electrons by J.J. Thomson in 1897.
- It also enabled the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen in 1895.
- The technology evolved into fluorescent and neon lighting, transforming urban nightscapes.
- Crookes tubes, an improved version, played a key role in experimental physics and the development of cathode-ray tubes (CRTs).
- CRTs were essential in early televisions, computers, and radar displays before being replaced by LCDs.
- The invention of diodes and vacuum tubes from Geissler tubes paved the way for early electronics, including radios and computers.
- Despite its significance, the Geissler tube remains relatively unknown compared to other pivotal technologies like the transistor or steam engine.