The Laryngoscope

You’d think that something as useful as the laryngoscope was invented by a doctor, but you’d be wrong. It was, in fact, a Spanish voice teacher and singer names Manuel García that brought us this device.

He was a teacher of vocal pedagogy and he wanted to see the human voice box in action. To do so, he put together two mirrors and used sunlight as an external light source.

Nowadays, the device has been updated but it’s still used to diagnose oral conditions such as laryngitis and in the study of phonics.

Birth Control Pills

Millions of women around the world rely on birth control pills for their sexual health and needs, but do they know they have to thank a Mexican chemist for his brilliant invention?

Luis Miramontes was a graduate student and only 25 when he was recruited by the Syntex Corporation. Since 1951, progesterone was a known contraceptive method, but it could only be injected. Working at the Syntex Corporation’s labs, Miramontes eventually created progestin.

This hormone worked similarly to progesterone, the only difference was that ie needed to be taken orally, not injected, making the process easy for thousands of women.