In Latin is where the etymological origin of the term discovery is found. Specifically, it is the result of the sum of several Latin roots, such as the following: the prefix “des-“, which can be translated as “negation”; the verb “cooperire”, which is synonymous with “cover”; and finally the suffix “-ment”, which is equivalent to “instrument”.
A discovery is a finding or finding of something that was hidden, secret, or unknown. It is a novel observation of certain aspects of reality. For example: “The discovery of a large dinosaur under the shopping center has amazed the neighbors”, “Just now you realize the situation? What a discovery…”, “I still can’t understand how the discovery of that substance took place”.
The discovery of fire was key to the development of the human being. See Abbreviation Finder for acronyms related to Discovery.
Fundamental discoveries in the history of mankind
Fundamental in the history of man have been two of the first discoveries that took place:
- That of fire, which was produced 790,000 years ago by homo erectus and which allowed him to cook, make tools or even defend himself against animals.
- That of the wheel, which took place in Mesopotamia in the 5th millennium BC and which changed the world by improving land transport or the creation of machinery.
A discovery can be a discovery of something that, until then, was unknown.
Concept in science
The notion of discovery is common in the field of science. The successive efforts of researchers over time allow discoveries to be made, although sometimes these are achieved by chance.
Within the scientific field, there have been many discoveries throughout history that have marked a before and after in the life of the human being. Specifically, among the most significant is that of penicillin, which was carried out in 1928 by the Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming. It has become one of the most important antibiotics when it comes to fighting the bacteria that cause various types of infections such as scarlet fever, borreliosis or pneumonia.
However, the discovery of x-rays is also very important in this field. In the year 1985 it was when the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen carried out that act. Thanks to its advances, today health professionals have in X-rays some fundamental instruments for diagnosing patients and establishing the corresponding treatments.
In some cases, it is not known precisely how the discoveries are made. This is the case of dulce de leche, which has different origin stories depending on the country.
Discovery subjectivity
Discovery is usually called the first contact of a people with another culture, in a geographical area different from their own. Europeans speak of the discovery of America to refer to the arrival of Christopher Columbus on the continent in 1492, although it is impossible to “discover” a land that had already been inhabited for thousands of years. Actually, the so-called discovery of America was a novelty for the Europeans who first arrived in these lands, but that same soil presented nothing new for the Native Americans.
This shows that the concept of discovery can also be subjective. One girl may comment to another that she has “discovered” a new clothing store in the neighborhood, while her friend may reply that she already knew about it (ie, she had “discovered” it before).
