During the cold winter of 1895, a German scientist named Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen was working with a cathode ray tube when he noticed that nearby crystals were glowing. When Roentgen grabbed the crystals, he was surprised to find that the shadow cast on the crystal was not his entire hand, but only his bones. Roentgen covered the tube with thick black paper and saw that the crystals were still glowing and the shadow of his hand bones was still visible. He then determined that a new ray was being emitted that could penetrate through thick materials. (1.) He later discovered that the rays could pass through almost anything, but cast a shadow of solid objects; these shadows could then be captured on film. Among the solid objects that Roentgen filmed with these rays was human tissue; the rays penetrated the tissue, but the bones cast a shadow, which could then be filmed. One of Roentgen's first experiments with X-rays was on his wife's hand, where, on film, her hand bones and wedding ring could be seen. (1.) Although the discovery of X-rays was a huge advancement in medical technology, initially they were not used in the medical field. Instead, invisible mystical rays that could penetrate solid objects were used in the industrial field. However, once the public caught wind of these magical rays, the popularity of X-rays skyrocketed. Six months after the discovery of X-rays was announced, the United States and Europe had built many medical X-ray devices to aid in surgery, and even battlefield field medics used the rays. to locate bullets in the bodies of wounded soldiers. (1.) Even though X-rays gained popularity in the minds of people around the world, they did not sell well. Before the discovery of ......en, we might never have been able to advance the medical field as much as we have since its discovery. This is truly one of the most important advances in the entire existence of humanity. I think almost everyone will benefit from it at some point in their life. Works Cited (1.) “History of Radiography.” CND Resource Center. NP, ND Web. December 17, 2013. .(2.) Frame, Paul. “Coolidge X-ray Tubes.” orau.com. Oak Ridge Associated Universities, June 24, 2009. Web. December 17, 2013. .(3.) Sobel, Racheal K. “Inner Space: The Vertebral Boundary.” usnews.com. NP, 2001. The web. December 17. 2013. .