List of Spaniards - Science and Technology

Science and Technology

• José de Acosta (1540–1600), one of the first naturalists and anthropologists of the Americas.
• Jerónimo de Ayanz y Beaumont (1553–1613) Registered design for steam powered water pump for use in mines (1606).
• José María Algué (1856–1930), meteorologist, inventor of the barocyclometer, the nephoscope, and the microseismograph.
• Ignacio Barraquer (1884–1965), leading ophthalmologist, pioneer of cataract surgery.
• José Ignacio Barraquer (1916–1998), leading ophthalmologist, father of modern refractive surgery, he invented the microkeratome and the cryolathe, developed the surgical procedures of keratomileusis and keratophakia.
• Ángel Cabrera (1879–1960), naturalist, investigated the South-American fauna.
• Nicolás Cabrera (1913–1989), physicist, did important work on the theories of crystal growth and the oxidisation of metals.
• Juan de la Cierva (1895–1936), aeronautical engineer, pioneer of rotary flight, inventor of the autogyro.
• Juan Ignacio Cirac Sasturain (born 1965), one of the pioneers of the field of quantum computing and quantum information theory.
• Josep Comas i Solà (1868–1937), astronomer, discovered the periodic comet 32P/Comas Solá and 11 asteroids, and in 1907 observed limb darkening of Saturn's moon Titan (the first evidence that the body had an atmosphere).
• Pedro Duque (born 1963), astronaut and veteran of two space missions.
• Fausto de Elhúyar (1755–1833), chemist, joint discoverer of tungsten with his brother Juan José de Elhúyar in 1783.
• Carlos Fernández Casado (1905–1988), civil engineer, designer and builder of bridges and viaducts.
• Jaime Ferrán (1852–1929), doctor and researcher, discovered several vaccines.
• Francisco Hernández (1514–1587), botanicist, carried out important research about the Mexican flora
• Manuel Jalón Corominas (1925–2011), inventor of the mop (1956) and a worldwide used "two-piece" disposable syringe (1978).
• Bernardo Hernández (born 1970), entrepreneur, leading figure in technology.
• Carlos Jiménez Díaz (1898–1967), doctor and researcher, leading figure in pathology
• Gregorio Marañón (1887–1960), doctor and researcher, leading figure in endocrinology
• Narcís Monturiol (1818–1885), physicist and inventor, pioneer of underwater navigation and first machine powered submarine.
• José Celestino Bruno Mutis (1732–1808), botanicist, doctor, philosopher and mathematician, carried out relevant research about the American flora, founded one of the first astronomic observatories in America (1762).
• Severo Ochoa (1905–1993), doctor and biochemist, achieved the synthesis of ribonucleic acid (RNA), Nobel prize Laureate (1959).
• Mateu Orfila (1787–1853), doctor and chemist, father of modern toxicology, leading figure in forensic toxicology.
• Joan Oró (1923–2004), biochemist, carried out important research about the origin of life, he worked with NASA on the Viking missions.
• Julio Palacios Martínez (1891–1970), physicist and mathematician
• Isaac Peral (1851–1895), engineer and sailor, designer of the first fully operative military submarine.
• Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934), father of Neuroscience, Nobel prize Laureate (1906).
• Julio Rey Pastor (1888–1962), mathematician, leading figure in geometry.
• Wifredo Ricart (1897–1974), engineer, designer and executive manager in the automotive industry.
• Andrés Manuel del Río (1764–1849), geologist and chemist, discovered vanadium (as vanadinite) in 1801.
• Pío del Río Hortega (1882–1945), neuroscientist, discoverer of the microglia or Hortega cell.
• Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente (1928–1980), naturalist, leading figure in ornithology, ethology, ecology and science divulgation
• Margarita Salas (born 1938), biochemist, molecular genetist and researcher.
• Miguel Servet (1511–1553), scientist, surgeon and humanist; first European to describe pulmonary circulation.
• Esteban Terradas i Illa (1883–1950), mathematician, physicist and engineer.
• Leonardo Torres Quevedo (1852–1936), engineer and mathematician, pioneer of automated calculation machines, inventor of the automatic chess, pioneer of remote control, designer of the funicular over the Niagara Falls.
• Eduardo Torroja (1899–1961), civil engineer, structural architect, world famous specialist in concrete structures.
• Josep Trueta (1897–1977), doctor, his new method for treatment of open wounds and fractures helped save a great number of lives during World War II.
• Antonio de Ulloa (1716–1795), scientist, soldier and author; joint discoverer of element platinum with Jorge Juan y Santacilia (1713–1773).
• Arnold of Villanova (c. 1235–1311), alchemist and physician, he discovered carbon monoxide and pure alcohol.