6. In 1984, Altarz created a band called "Adalberto Alvarez y su Son.". March 2014. "Nobel Lecture: My Life with O3, NOX and other YZOXs." Scottron was a . Speaking of the immune system, when using antibodies to combat viruses or bacteria, the human immune system favors an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach. The Routledge Dictionary of Anthropologists. Racotumomab is in phase two and three trials in Cuba (these clinical trial stages assess effectiveness, side effects and adverse reactions), while VSSP is in early clinical trials. 4. "Carlos Finlay (1833-1915)." Make your own crystal radio. Compared to other countries, America has filed the most patents in the life sciences, is conducting most of the world's clinical trials and has published the most biomedical research. Learn more: Benjamin Franklins Inventions. Known for: When Hopper first starting working with computers, they took up entire rooms. Not according to biology or history. Benacerraf was born in Caracas, Venezuela, but lived in Paris as a youth and spent most of his life and career in America. Caso's exploration of early Oaxacan cultures led him to the monumental discovery and excavation of Tomb Seven at Monte Albn. (July 7, 2014) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/iub.1031/pdf, PBS. "Bernardo Alberto Houssay." Invented by researchers at the Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM) in Havana, CimaVax targets a growth factor in cancer cells in a way that can arrest the spread of the disease. Now, theyre opening Facebook accounts, listing their homes on Airbnb, and watching Netflix. Multiple studies of different populations of people who have had their lower limbs amputated show that the procedure is linked to an increased risk of early death, suggesting either that surgery is a trauma many people don't survive, or that people who submit to this kind of amputation are some of the most vulnerable and at-risk patients in care. Try it: If you can get your hands on an old computer thats no longer needed, deconstruct it with your class to learn about the pieces and parts inside. (July 7, 2014) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1970/press.html, NASA. Leloir was born in Paris to Argentine parents and lived in Buenos Aires from the age of 2, with the exception of a few years spent abroad. They may not have to wait long: Raul has promised to cede power in 2018, and a likely successor is Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, a frequent Facebook user. More Americans die from lung cancer than from any other type of cancer, which is why many people are eager for CimaVax to hit the U.S. market soon. 1970. The trade embargo is holding up research in some crucial areas. However, Colevas cant know for sure if Nimotuzumab has fewer side effects than other drugs in its class, or how effective Nimotuzumab is compared to related treatments, because Bouffets is the only trial of the drug that has been completed in the U.S. Cubans wait for the departure of a public bus built from a repurposed semi truck, commonly called ElCamello (The Camel). This list may not reflect recent changes . Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: Severo Ochoa, who was born and educated in Spain, is the most famous Hispanic scientist. Cuba's once-grand colonial architecture is crumblingthe impact of decades of sanctions on its economy. Learn more: The Legacy of Dr. George Washington Carver. She filed her patent in 1966, and it includes innovations still used today. (July 3, 2014) http://www.who.int/lep/situation/latestdata/en/, World Health Organization. Benacerraf later recalled how the mixture of his heritage and upbringing created difficulties for him both in America and when he later temporarily moved to Paris [sources: Benacerraf; Encyclopaedia Britannica; Nobel Prize]. Electronics are still hard to buy in Cuba, and often come from relatives who live in the United States. 83, no. "Jacinto Convit." Can we bring a species back from the brink? 1.. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. in the subject to his philosophy master's degree and law degree, all from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) [sources: Anthropology News; Encyclopaedia Britannica; Gaillard; Smithsonian]. In 2015, Cuba opened up dozens of wifi zones across Havana. His father hailed from Spanish Morocco, but he was greatly influenced by his French-Algerian mother's culture. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. Ted Cruz is the first Hispanic-American to serve as U.S. To wit: Mark Cuban. When Csar Milstein produced the first monoclonal antibodies in 1975, he not only solved this problem, he became one of the fathers of modern medicine. Theater and dance were given to the masses for almost nothing. Photo by Ernesto Oroza. Convits vaccines for leprosy and leishmaniasis are no longer in use, and the search continues for universally effective and acceptable vaccines for both diseases. (July 7, 2014) http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/about/people/orgs/bios/ochoa.html#.U7sDpfldV8E, Nobel Prize. (July 4, 2014) http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/60347/Baruj-Benacerraf, Encyclopedia Britannica. Known for: Edison is one of the most famous inventors of all time. Learn more: Grace Murray HopperA Legacy of Innovation and Service. Dr. Eric Bouffet, director of the brain tumor program at Toronto's Hospital For Sick Children, is the only investigator to date who has completed a Nimotuzumab trial in North America. New music is taking over for salsa in Havana's hippest clubs. 2. He also created the Tesla Coil, induction motor, and neon lights, among others. With fans that include Eric Clapton, Derek Trucks, Steve Gadd, Taj Mahal and Quincy Jones, Martinez is the world's first-call rumbero, and a consummate master of Afro-Cuban folkloric music and. He was a gifted artist, but he also invented a wide array of technologies. Cuban inventor Yolando Perez Paez uses his new makeshift crop spraying tool on a corn field at a farm near the village of Guira de Melenas in the province of Artemisa, some 50 km (31 miles). Page 77. A new field of biochemistry opened up virtually overnight, and Leloir received the 1970 Nobel Prize in chemistry [sources: Myrbck; Parodi]. His research in Oaxaca led to the excavation of Monte Albn, a major Zapotec city dating from about 500 BCE, and the discovery of Tomb 7, which contained finely carved objects and tools. Try this: Screen movies using a homemade projector built with a cardboard box and a magnifying glass. June 2010. One of the first Black women in U.S. history to receive a patent, she expanded upon . And while they definitely belong on this list, theyre just the start of the innovators and inventors that kids ought to know. A new television covers the wall of an old home in Havana. All you need to make it is a light rum, Coca-Cola, and a little bit of lime for garnish. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. "Luis Leloir -- Biographical." Two years ago, the groups of people crowding Havanas parks and sidewalks with cell phones pressed to their faces didnt exist. Try this: Make your own camera obscura with a box and basic household supplies. In contrast, China has completed or is currently conducting at least 25 Nimotuzumab trials. Vol. Vol. "Alfonso Caso y Andrade: 1896 1970." He tested its efficacy in children against diffuse pontine glioma (aggressive and difficult-to-treat brain tumors) across multiple sites in Canada and the U.S., and found that the drug wasnt effective. Since 2007, the most important method of distributing the Internet has been the El Paquete Semanalor, The Weekly Package. The most promising change yet came Tuesday, when the Obama administration announced that American dollars will now be usable in financial transactions in Cuba. (July 7, 2014) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1984/, Nobel Prize. To tackle the task, Alvarez developed his own bubble chamber, camera stabilizers and a computerized system for analyzing bubble photographs. Find out how to build your own Da Vinci-style ornithopter with household items. Learn more: Thomas David Petite, Readworks. He was also inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007. Music isnt the only art form transforming as Cuba opens. Try this: With a few basic supplies, you can experiment with dry cleaning at home. Photo by Rafael Perez/Reuters. His inventions include the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin Stove. Known for: This Founding Father was an innovator in more ways than one, and he was among historys most famous inventors. Celia Cruz The most popular Latin musical artist of the 20th century was born in Havana, Cuba but spent most of her life in the United States. Much of his early work concerned controlled fusion and fusion reactor design. Yellow fever was wiped out of Cuba as well as Panama, enabling engineers to finally complete the Panama Canal [sources: Haas; PBS; UVHSL]. Though Jobs went on to become more well-known, he and Wozniak worked together to build the Apple I, the home computer that launched a revolution. Maldacenas research on the duality of conjecture was so groundbreaking, the participants of a 1998 string theory conference wrote a song to honor him called The Maldacena (sung and danced to the tune of The Macarena. It was the 1990s, after all). At the time, researchers were struggling to create targeted pure antibodies that worked against known agents. Here are a few basic designs to get you started. Racotumomab targets a molecule that scientists believe is found on all cancer cells, which means the drug could one day be effective against blood cancers as well as the solid tumors that accompany diseases like lung, breast, prostate and colon cancer. Take these two eminent medical men both born in Caracas, Venezuela, whom you'll meet in a little bit. Back in 1993, she also became the first woman to hold the position of NASA Chief Scientist. Countries of origin include: Argentina, Cuba, Spain, United States and Venezuela. One of Earth's loneliest volcanoes holds an extraordinary secret. For his work, Milstein shared the 1984 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with Khler and Niels K. Jerne [sources: Nobel Prize]. His finding further enabled him to define five major phases of the ancient capital's history, beginning in the 8th century B.C.E., that lined up with the history of other sites. "Baruj Benacerraf." For any other drug that wasnt made in Cuba, Colevas said, that ratio would probably be reversed. Photo by Desmond Boylan/Reuters RIGHT: Farmer Carlos Frachi invented a crop irrigation system using soda bottles. Routledge. She became an astronaut in 1991 and flew four shuttle missions. Instead, he gave the world the concept of crop rotation. Mexican inventor Victor Ochoa was also a Mexican revolutionary. "The Yellow Fever Vaccine: A History." Cancer is not one disease, but a collection of hundreds of different illnesses. Try this: Check out the Hour of Code program to learn how kids of all ages can learn computer coding in fun and easy ways. You may not know what reCAPTCHA is, but you see it almost every time you sign into a new website. Invented by scientists at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Havana, the treatment, which its creators describe as an epidermal growth factor, is injected near the affected area and can accelerate the skin's healing process, closing a wound safely over the course of about three months. He invented a way to process and store blood plasma, eventually managing two of the largest blood banks during World War II. Read more about Cuban inventions in our Science Wednesday piece, How communism turned Cuba into an island of hackers and DIY engineers. But over the years, scientists have developed a variety of different treatments that can transform cancer into a chronic, survivable condition. The White House is continuing to lift trade restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba. This allowed mass production of his incredibly popular Model T and other cars. Symptom reduction remains the only treatment; untreated, the disease has a 50 percent mortality rate. Their flight marked the first engine-powered manned aircraft. Category:Cuban inventions Category Talk Edit View history Help Cuba portal Pages in category "Cuban inventions" The following 5 pages are in this category, out of 5 total. Here are a few basic designs to get you started. Travis Daub, Jenny Marder He used and improved on the technology of the time to make the first commercial steamboats. Vol. But a lack of basic supplies introduces new twists for the islands innovators: a few summers ago recording artists found the island had run low on CDs. His all-electronic television system made TV one of the worlds favorite past-times. Ochoa researched information processing at Sandia National Laboratories and NASA Ames Research Center and listed as co-inventor on three patents in optics, object recognition and image processing. While much of Maldacenas work is tough reading for non-physicists, he has also written several explanations of his work on quantum theory for general audiences, including a popular 2007 Scientific American article tantalizingly entitled The Illusion of Gravity.. (July 4, 2014) http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/02/obituaries/luis-w-alvarez-nobel-physicist-who-explored-atom-dies-at-77.html, The Telegraph (UK). MP3 players and rear-facing cameras are common additions. During that time, Finlay didnt give up on his research. What if we could clean them out? "Alfonso Caso y Andrade (1896 - 1970)." May 2005. Tesla was the inventor and proponent of alternating current, which was ultimately proven more reliable than Edisons direct current. George Washington Carver, though famous for his idea of peanut butter, did far more than that. Learn more: Biography of Johannes Gutenberg, German Inventor of the Printing Press (ThoughtCo). She invented the first compiler, a program that translates programming code to machine language. Copyright 2021. Known for: When the Wright Flyer I took off from Kitty Hawk and flew for 12 seconds, the Wright brothers made history! Known for: When a medical condition caused her to lose much of her hair, Madam Walker invented a treatment system that completely revolutionized Black hair care. Thanks to Milsteins work, monoclonal antibodies are now used in everything from diagnostic tests to the treatments of several autoimmune diseases to alleviating COVID-19. Head and neck cancers make up approximately 3 percent of all cancers in the U.S., affecting about 52,000 Americans every year. But despite early disappointment in U.S. trials, Dr. Dimitrios Colevas, a medical oncologist who specializes in new drug development for head and neck cancer at Stanford, says that Nimotuzumab may be unique compared to other cancer medicines that also target epidermal growth factor receptors, in that it doesnt seem to have the same toxic side effects. Try this: Check out this video to learn more about the Smart Grid and how its used. Working against a wide-ranging embargo from the neighboring United States, Cubans have been getting along without many basic goods for half a century. Read more about Cuban inventions in How communism turned Cuba into an island of hackers and DIY engineers. Monoclonal antibodies in the medicine attach to epidermal growth factor receptors on the surface of the cancer cell, thus preventing it from dividing and spreading the cancer. Cuba's masters of invention Cuban Raul Hernandez speaks to reporters about what he considers the smallest cows in the world. Try this: Use an app like Roblox to design and create your own video game experience. It can be used as both a treatment for lung cancer patients and a preventive measure for people at high risk of the disease. Milstein was born to poor immigrant parents in Baha Blanca, Argentina, and attended the universities of Buenos Aires and Cambridge, where he earned his Ph.D. Cuba may not have had the technology, but its had the drive for innovation. The world will forever associate two names with leprosy, aka Hansen's disease: Norwegian physician Gerhard Hansen, who in 1873 discovered the bacterium that causes it; and Jacinto Convit, who created a new vaccine for the slow-acting, disfiguring and deadly disease by combining a known tuberculosis treatment with an armadillo bacterium in 1987 [sources: BBC; Encyclopaedia Britannica; Chinea; Yandell]. But back in 1881, when Finlay first presented his extensive research suggesting that mosquitoes transmitted the disease to Havanas Academy of Sciences, he became a laughingstock. Carlos Juan Finlay, the Cuban physician who first linked yellow fever to mosquitoes in 1881, has received both tributes. The drugs Cetuximab and Panitumumab, which are in the same class as Nimotuzumab but are available in the U.S., can cause unsightly and unpleasant acne-like rashes, while international reports about Nimotuzumab suggest its incidence of rash is a lot lower. This bicycle has a soda bottle for a fuel tank. (July 3, 2014) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1995/molina-bio.html, Molina, Mario J. However, most transactions between Cuba and the U.S. are still prohibited, which is why Cuban drugs face additional regulatory hurdles for testing and marketing compared to other drugs developed overseas. 25. Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Csar Milstein opened new doors in the diagnosis and treatment of disease with his 1975 study on monoclonal antibodies. 65, no. For each one, youll find resources for more information and hands-on activities to help kids learn more about their achievements. Before Google doodles, we honored important forgotten figures with postage stamps. Try this: Franklin is famous for experimenting with electricity. Guatemalan-born Luis von Ahn is regarded as one of the pioneers of crowdsourcing. Today, the world recognizes Cuban doctor and scientist Carlos Juan Finlay as a pioneer in the study of yellow fever. Over time, he worked to develop the daguerreotype, the precursor of modern photography. 64, no. Biographies of famous latin or hispanic inventors from the latin world: Narciso Monturiol, Ellen Ochoa, Baruj Benacerraf, Carlos Finlay, Bernardo Houssay, Luis Federico Leloir, Milstein, Severo Ochoa de Albornoz, Santiago Ram Cajal and Miguel Servet. Similar, yet worlds apart; that's this list in a nutshell. June 9, 2017. Known for: Kids may not give a lot of thought to cataracts, but they should still know about Dr. Bath. "Nobel Lecture: Polar Ozone Depletion." With his robotics training, Fernndez has created a Roomba from scratch using processors brought into the country by his friends. Bernardo Houssay -- Biographical." The VSSP research is so preliminary that Cuban scientists' documents still have to be translated from Spanish into English, says Dr. Kelvin Lee, chair of Roswell Park's department of immunology. How did this mountain lion reach an uninhabited island? Surgery is the primary way to treat most head and neck tumors, but these procedures can severely affect people's ability to chew, swallow or talk. "Seeking Signs of Compatibility." Try this: Put together a basic rubber band shooter, then see if you can tinker around to improve the designs distance or accuracy. Known for: Though hes often said to have invented peanut butter, Carvers many achievements didnt actually include that popular product. He studied in Mexico and abroad, and made his groundbreaking discovery concerning CFCs during his postdoctoral stint with Rowland at University of California, Irvine. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. "Frank Asaro, Berkeley Lab Nuclear Chemist, Dies at 86." "Award Ceremony Speech: Luis Alvarez." The following year, he and Felix Bloch pioneered measuring a neutron's magnetic moment, that is, its tendency to align with an applied magnetic field (an important clue that the neutrally charged particle is made of electrically charged fundamental particles). Photos by Ernesto Oroza. But tiny resonance particles, which existed for a trillionth of a trillionth of a second, were only detectable by the traces they left behind -- disintegration products and collision reactions with other particles. Routledge. A pacifist, he refused a series of defense industry positions during the Cold War arms race, instead conducting research and teaching physics at the University of the Redlands, Baghdad University, MIT, and Harvey Mudd College. famous cuban inventions. Here are three additional medical innovations that the U.S. could benefit from if relations between the U.S. and Cuba continue to thaw. Over the centuries, many remarkable scientists have emerged from Spanish-speaking lands, cultures and ancestors. He became an American citizen in 1977. A small laptop mounted in a 1955 Ford Mercury. As economic and diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba continue to normalize, here's hoping that these promising Cuban medical treatments can be investigated fully in the U.S. Americans have been waiting long enough. Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton are known as the greatest scientists of all time. Before Argentine physician and biochemist Luis Federico Leloir did his groundbreaking research into the transformation of one sugar into another, combustion was well-understood, but synthesis remained a mysterious, largely guessed-at phenomenon. Salsa and ballet have long been staples of Cuban culture, but other dance forms are arriving. From groundbreaking biologists and physicists to innovators in the fields of medicine, botany, and environmental studies, here are 10 game-changing Hispanic scientists you should know about. "Leprosy Statistics - Latest Data." A large weight is hoisted up and dropped to spin a flywheel to start motors around the farm. Government glassware used to distribute food was often reused to store and trade illegal food and medicine, Oroza says. Part of HuffPost Wellness. These animals can sniff it out. Learn more: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Lemelson-MIT. For as long as there have been empires, juntas and dictators, there have been ideas that are easier to suppress, mock or beat down than to face in open debate. Mndez was also the first person of African heritage in space. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/bizarre-brilliant-useful-inventions-cuban-diy-engineers, How communism turned Cuba into an island of hackers and DIY engineers. But she believed that one day theyd become more widely used and became one of the earliest computer programmers. June 18, 2014. Why wetlands are so critical for life on Earth, Rest in compost? Try this: Da Vinci was fascinated by flying machines. Photo by Ernesto. 6. Perhaps the most well-known Cuban innovation is the vaccine CimaVax. The movable type he used made mass printing possible and brought books and reading to the masses. LEFT: Cuban inventor Yolando Perez Baez demonstrates his engine-starting device which can work in the place of a starter motor-a component that frequently fails. According to Finlays son, the speech was greeted with initial silence, followed by universal ridicule. It took another two decades before Finlays hypothesis became widely accepted. Try this: Put your students to work with these fun assembly line classroom activities. Try this: For a cool science fair project, learn to make a model of a steam power generator. 2012. He created the N95 respirator mask, which helps keep people safe against airborne viruses. His impact was felt through his extensive papers, his widely published textbook, "Human Physiology," and his organization of the Institute of Physiology at the University of Buenos Aires, which produced such medical luminaries as Luis Leloir and Csar Milstein, both on this list [sources: Magill; Houssay; USASEF]. Born in New York City in 1929, Puerto Rican-American pediatrician and healthcare advocate Helen Rodrguez Tras helped improve access to public health services for women and children in both the United States and Puerto Rico. Kids will be astonished! Born in Camaguey, Cuba, in 1948, Adalberto Alvarez was a famous Cuban pianist, musical director, and composer. "All of these arcane rules and restrictions related to the embargo that are designed to block commerce with Cuba are keeping Americans from having access to these treatment opportunities," LaRame said. Today, 50 plant species are named for her. 2014. Read more about Cuban inventions in How communism turned Cuba into an island of hackers and DIY engineers. Leyanis Hernandez wears a pair of bluetooth headphones while skating with friends on Prado, the famous walkway in Central Havana. Classroom ideas, free printables, and great teacher ideas right here. "Death Notices (Alfonso Caso Andrade, Merle H. A sample: He built U.S. President Eisenhower an indoor golf-training machine, analyzed the Zapruder film and tried to locate an Egyptian pyramid's treasure chamber using cosmic rays [sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica; PBS; Sullivan; Wohl]. When Major Lazer played a show in Havana in 2016, half a million people showed up. 12, no. March 26, 2002. Ellen Ochoa was born in Los Angeles, Calif., and earned her master's degree and doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University. Oct. 1, 2013. Learn more: Ralph H. Baer, National Center for Simulation. Known for: If you love a good Netflix binge, thank Philo Farnsworth.