Prior to Year 1714 CE, people did not have a way to make accurate temperature measurements.

From Live Science: “The concept of measuring temperature is fairly new. The thermoscope — essentially a thermometer without a scale — was the precursor to the modern thermometer. . . A thermoscope could show the differences in temperature, allowing observers to know if something was getting hotter or colder. However, the thermoscope could not provide an exact temperature in degrees.”

From Thought Co.: “Several inventors invented a version of the thermoscope at the same time. In 1593, Galileo Galilei invented a rudimentary water thermoscope, which for the first time, allowed temperature variations to be measured. . . In 1612, the Italian inventor Santorio Santorio became the first inventor to put a numerical scale on his thermoscope. It was perhaps the first crude clinical thermometer, as it was designed to be placed in a patient’s mouth for temperature taking. Neither Galileo’s nor Santorio’s instruments were very accurate.”

From ThermPro: “A thermoscope, however, was of limited use since it could only demonstrate that the temperature was changing but not to what degree.”

Then in 1714, physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit invented the mercury thermometer.

From Made How: “Fahrenheit invented the first truly accurate thermometer using mercury instead of alcohol and water mixtures. In the laboratory, he used his invention to develop the first temperature scale precise enough to become a worldwide standard.”

So, the next time that medical personnel take your temperature, you know who to thank for them being able to do so.

Featured Image in Public Domain.

Middle image is from BhaviniOnline.com.

Last image is a screenshot from the 2001 animated Disney movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire.

Trivia: Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a cross between an Indiana Jones movie and a Star Trek movie. It is probably the only animated Disney movie to feature a princess but no singing.

David Robertson

The “Wanted” posters say the following about David: “Wanted: A refugee from planet Melmac masquerading as a human. Loves cats. If seen, contact the Alien Task Force.”

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