Continuing the celebration of National Radiologic Technology Week…here’s a bit of trivia for you!

Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-rays quite by accident on Nov. 8, 1895. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a piece of cardboard coated with barium platinocyanide glowing when he was working with electricity in a vacuum tube in front of him. He called the mysterious rays x-rays because x stands for the unknown! At the time of Roentgen’s discovery of x-ray, there were several others who were also experimenting with a vacuum tube. Roentgen had an advantage due to a condition that made him extraordinarily sensitive to faint light. He was better able to see the faint glow that was being emitted because he was colorblind!