Sep. 2, 1988. Known for: When Hopper first starting working with computers, they took up entire rooms. Born in Camaguey, Cuba, in 1948, Adalberto Alvarez was a famous Cuban pianist, musical director, and composer. Shes also known for the invention of closed-circuit TV. "Baruj Benacerraf -- Biographical." Fidel died in late 2016, and now Cubans are watching to see what further technological advances will arrive on the island. Scottron was a . Learn more: Thomas David Petite, Readworks. Photo by Ernesto Oroza. (July 4, 2014) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1947/houssay-bio.html, Leloir, Luis. After all that excitement, he retired from NASA in 2005 [sources: NASA]. Top 100 Famous inventions and their inventors - OwnTV This story originally ran in 2016. These drugs aren't as fully developed as CimaVax, says Lee, but they appear to have great potential. Learn more: Thomas Jennings, Smithsonian Magazine. 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. "10 Hispanic Scientists You Should Know" Now, in the Internet era there are no shortage of Cuban entrepreneurs aspiring to overcome the technological drought. Standing a maximum of 60 to 70 centimeters tall, about 2 feet, the 11 cows bred by Hernandez can be kept in a small area, feed on simple grasses and weeds, and can provide enough milk for the average Cuban family. Try this: Learn Morse Code and tap out messages to friends and family. (July 7, 2014) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1970/press.html, NASA. Here are a few basic designs to get you started. Experiment with the classic tin can telephone, Put together a blood model using beads or candies, Grace Murray HopperA Legacy of Innovation and Service, The Farmboy Who Invented Television (Smithsonian Magazine), learning how to build your own door alarm, Ralph H. Baer, National Center for Simulation, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Lemelson-MIT, deconstruct it with your class to learn about the pieces and parts inside, Ann Tsukamoto, Necessity is the Mother of Invention, Watch this video to learn more about stem cells, Check out this video to learn more about the Smart Grid, all the devices that use USB ports and technology, 16 wonderful women scientists to inspire your students, get all the latest teaching tips and ideas when you sign up for our free newsletters, 12 Tips, Tricks, and Tools for Creating Amazing Flipped Classroom Videos, 15 Memes That Show What Its Like to Teach the Week of Halloween. Many of his other inventions were focused on helping the deaf, sparked by his desire to help his wife Mabel, who lost her hearing at the age of five. Government glassware used to distribute food was often reused to store and trade illegal food and medicine, Oroza says. Long walled off from world trade and modern technology, Cuba has developed a robust culture of DIY engineers who turn household items into useful inventions. (July 4, 2014) http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/60347/Baruj-Benacerraf, Encyclopedia Britannica. Twenty years ago, Cuban leader Fidel Castro launched the Future Project, a plan to integrate the software industry into the countrys economy. The White House is continuing to lift trade restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba. Try this: Check out this video to learn more about the Smart Grid and how its used. Vol. Dictionary of World Biography. Perhaps the most well-known Cuban innovation is the vaccine CimaVax. 6. Try this: Put together a blood model using beads or candies to learn about all the components blood contains. During that time, Finlay didnt give up on his research. Known for: Edison is one of the most famous inventors of all time. (July 4, 2014) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/boalva.html, Smithsonian Institution. The cost, around $2 an hour, is prohibitive for locals, but enterprising Cubans have figured out how to divide them up to sell in smaller allotments. Convit also developed a vaccination against leishmaniasis, a protozoal skin disease linked to poverty and malnutrition. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Gloria Estefan. Ascertaining the genetic basis of this major histocompatibility complex, or MHC, earned Baruj Benacerraf the 1980 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine and advanced our understanding of immune response and autoimmune diseases (such as multiple sclerosis) by leaps and bounds. 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. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. 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. Mexican-American botanist Ynes Mexia discovered two new plant genera and 500 new plant speciesand she didnt even start collecting plants until she was 51 years old [PDF]. Thank you. The pair have attracted devoted fans that follow their shows across Havana. 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. 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. She currently lives in Tampa, Florida where she often works on her back porch while taking frequent breaks for bird-watching and gardening. This list may not reflect recent changes . Known for: Da Vinci was the original Renaissance Man. 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. Here are a few basic designs to get you started. Cuba may not have had the technology, but its had the drive for innovation. IUBMB Life. D)." Nicholas Gerbis Known for: While kids may not know Baers name, theyre sure to love his accomplishments. Much as fad diets might tell us to cut them out, energy-packed carbohydrates are essential to most life, thanks to two opposing chemical processes: combustion, which allows us to break down carbs and release energy needed for vital bodily processes, and synthesis, which enables us to use various sugars to build substances we need to live. Try this: Make your own camera obscura with a box and basic household supplies. She was the first African-American female doctor to receive a medical patent. He became an American citizen in 1977. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. 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). Known for: Every time you plug your phone in to charge or attach a component to your laptop, you can thank Ajay Bhatt for inventing USB technology. The Scientist. Invention/discovery . Known for: Petite has made major contributions to wireless technologies, including the components of the Smart Grid. You may not know what reCAPTCHA is, but you see it almost every time you sign into a new website. Read more about Cuban inventions in How communism turned Cuba into an island of hackers and DIY engineers. 10 Hispanic Scientists You Didn't Learn About In School Cubans wait for the departure of a public bus built from a repurposed semi truck, commonly called ElCamello (The Camel). Sure, politicized scientific issues like global climate change might instigate rancorous debate, but this smoke, though toxic in its own way, is nothing compared to the fire under which teachers, intellectuals and scientists have lived during many authoritarian regimes. Try this: Look around your classroom or home and find all the devices that use USB ports and technology. Read on to find out more about some of the famous Cubans who have taken their culture around the world. "What I want is for this to come to clinical trials in the U.S., to give it a fair shot and see whether or not it lives up to its current promise, he said. 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. The electric engine from the widely-owned Soviet Aurika washing machine is commonly repurposed. "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. (July 3, 2014) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1988/, Nobel Prize. Guatemalan-born Luis von Ahn is regarded as one of the pioneers of crowdsourcing. In 2012, she was named JSC director -- the first Hispanic person and second woman to do so [sources: NASA; NASA]. 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. Salsa and ballet have long been staples of Cuban culture, but other dance forms are arriving. 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. famous cuban inventions There is more to the list of famous Cubans than you can fathom. The following 15 pages are in this category, out of 15 total. Convits vaccines for leprosy and leishmaniasis are no longer in use, and the search continues for universally effective and acceptable vaccines for both diseases. These notes were about the analytical engine, Babbage's theoretical invention. But Caso's influence extended far beyond the sciences. Born in Mexico City in 1896, Alfonso Caso y Andrade left a career as a legal scholar to pursue his passion: understanding the nature and evolution of Mexicos pre-Hispanic cultures [PDF]. Vol. Read more about Cuban inventions in How communism turned Cuba into an island of hackers and DIY engineers Lamps made from household items like glass jars and toothpaste tubes. (July 7, 2014) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1984/milstein-bio.html, Molina, Mario J. "Yellow Fever." "Luis W. Unauthorized use is prohibited. newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. (July 4, 2014) http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/98025/Alfonso-Caso-y-Andrade, Encyclopedia Britannica. You can thank Marie Van Brittan Brown. Known for: Marconi changed the way humans communicated by developing the first effective system of radio communication. 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. Known for: Over the last year or so, Tsais invention has suddenly become world-famous. How Technology is Changing Cuba - Photography 15 Famous Cuban-Americans Gloria Estefan Born in Havana, Estefan is arguably Cuba's most famous singer. Photo by Enrique De La Osa/Reuters. Jenny Marder. 9 Afro-Cuban Artists & Intellectuals You Should Know Philip S. Hench Walter Reed Yellow Fever Collection. Two years ago, the groups of people crowding Havanas parks and sidewalks with cell phones pressed to their faces didnt exist. 15 Famous Cuban-Americans | Time Jony Ive. Travis Daub, Jenny Marder Known for: This Founding Father was an innovator in more ways than one, and he was among historys most famous inventors. 2004. Top 100 Famous inventions and their inventors 3 years ago Salil Ahuja . In fact, Lee said, Roswell Park is preparing for another clinical trial of Nimotuzumab in combination with an FDA-approved treatment to see how effective it will be against lung cancer. Known for: If youre reading this right now, thank Tim Berners-Lee. 6. Gaillard, Gerald. Make your own crystal radio. Learn more: Grace Murray HopperA Legacy of Innovation and Service. Try this: Franklin is famous for experimenting with electricity. (July 3, 2014) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1995/molina-bio.html, Molina, Mario J. Famous Hispanic Inventors Who Changed the World | Direct Auto May 9, 2012. When asked if he regretted not winning the Nobel, Convit reportedly replied that his great regret was not curing cancer [sources: BBC; Chinea; Nobel Prize]. A charger for non-rechargable hearing aid batteries. Learn more: Thomas Jefferson: Inventions & Accomplishments. 6: Luis Alvarez (1911-1988) Father-and-son research team Luis and Walter Alvarez peer through a star dome, which shows the orbit and location, relative to Earth, of stars and constellations. (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). A reported 5,000 patients worldwide have been treated with CimaVax. Many Cubans have relatives in the U.S., so relying on outside parts is common. Travis Daub Unfortunately, all of this creativity is motivated by profound poverty and desperation. Oct. 1, 2013. (July 4, 2014) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/an.1971.12.4.3.4/pdf, BBC. (July 7, 2014) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/iub.1031/pdf, PBS. Though he created the device, which allows scientist to examine living cells, in 1948, its still considered a crucial scientific tool to this day. Chang-Daz was born in San Jos, Costa Rica, and earned his doctorate in Applied Plasma Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 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. Photo by Rafael Perez/Reuters. Try this: Da Vinci was fascinated by flying machines. She was the first Hispanic president of the American Public Health Association as well as a founding member of the Committee to End Sterilization Abuse, an organization that fought against the practice of forced sterilization. The groundbreaking promise of cellular housekeeping. This makes finding one "cure" difficult, if not impossible. He invented a way to process and store blood plasma, eventually managing two of the largest blood banks during World War II. (July 4, 2014) http://www.usasciencefestival.org/schoolprograms/2014-role-models-in-science-engineering/1162-bernardo-alberto.html#sthash.RgOj4IzR.dpuf, University of Virginia Health Sciences Library. 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. Owners havent been able to acquire new parts since President Kennedy issued a trade embargo in 1962, so they have devised hacks to keep the cars running. Category:Cuban inventions - Wikipedia During his 75-year career, he received several honors, including Spain's Prince of Asturias Award and France's Legion of Honor. Try this: Experiment by building paper airplanes to see which design performs best in flight. Together with the linear accelerators that he helped pioneer, these revolutionized the discovery of elemental particles, which he and his team discovered by the truckload [sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Nobel Prize; PBS; Sullivan; Wohl]. Magill, Frank. The new year once started in Marchhere's why, Jimmy Carter on the greatest challenges of the 21st century, This ancient Greek warship ruled the Mediterranean, How cosmic rays helped find a tunnel in Egypt's Great Pyramid, Who first rode horses? Over the centuries, many remarkable scientists have emerged from Spanish-speaking lands, cultures and ancestors. 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]. Photo essay: The bizarre, brilliant and useful inventions of Cuban DIY Famous People From Cuba Known for: The Lumire brothers gave us one of the most popular inventions of all timethe movies! Note: The first person of Latin American origin in space was Cuba's Arnaldo Tamayo Mndez in 1980, as part of a team from the Soviet Union. We're all painfully aware of how growth, sexual maturity and metabolism kick into overdrive during puberty, but we're usually too distracted to consider the tiny bean-shaped gland with its foot on the throttle. He shared the award with George D. Snell, who uncovered the initial evidence for the MHC in the 1940s in mice, and Jean Dausset, the first to find a human compatibility antigen [sources: Benacerraf; Encyclopaedia Britannica; Nobel Prize]. "The Leprosy Bacillus, Circa 1873." The roughly 5,000-year-old human remains were found in graves from the Yamnaya culture, and the discovery may partially explain their rapid expansion throughout Europe. Michael ZagarisMLB/Getty Images. Perhaps the most well-known Cuban innovation is the vaccine CimaVax. Recruited by Booker T. Washington for the Tuskegee Institute, George did extensive work and study on agriculture. 1968. It has been updated for 2021. 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]. After earning his medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires, he worked at the Institute of Physiology with Bernardo Houssay. But barriers to access remaincontinuously testing the islands ingenuity. Underground DJs like Joan Coffigny and the female duo Pauza spin at clubs like the Fabrica de Arte Cubano and house parties. The first, a child of Spanish immigrants, spent his life in his homeland and dedicated himself to the treatment of leprosy there; the second, born of Spanish Moroccan and French Moroccan parents, spent his formative years in Paris and most of his life in America, and studied the genetic causes of autoimmune diseases. Raul Castro, Fidels younger brother, has led the country since 2006. (July 4, 2010) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1980/speedread.html, Parodi, Armando. He attended the National School of Arts in Havana and later went on to become a music professor in the 70s. He became known in the late 1980s and 1990s, having appeared in several successful Hollywood films, including The Godfather Part III, The Untouchables, Internal Affairs and When a Man Loves a Woman. Subscribe to Heres the Deal, our politics 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. 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. The 'extreme cruelty' around the global trade in frog legs, What does cancer smell like? 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. 25. The electronic DJ duo Pauza, comprising of Zahira Sanchez and Paula Fernandez, play at a restaurant across the street from the U.S. Embassy in Havana. By most measures, the United States' business-friendly environment has proven to be fertile for medical innovation. His all-electronic television system made TV one of the worlds favorite past-times. MP3 players and rear-facing cameras are common additions. Known for: Ford not only invented the automobile; he also designed the assembly line. 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. Venezuela nominated him for a Nobel Prize in 1988, but he did not win. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Although he was among the 150 educators sacked during Gen. Juan Pern's 1943 military coup, he became one of the most influential physician-scientists of 20th-century Latin America.