X-ray voted most important modern discovery by public

X-ray voted most important modern discovery by public.The X-ray has been voted the most important modern discovery by the British public, in a Science Museum poll.

The antibiotic agent penicillin came second followed by the DNA double helix.

Nearly 50,000 visitors voted for the greatest achievements in science, engineering and technology from a shortlist drawn up by museum curators.

X-rays can reveal broken bones and build up more detailed pictures of outer space, like the Cartwheel galaxy above, using X-ray observatories

Top 10 modern discoveries...

1: X-ray

2: Penicillin

3: DNA double helix

4: Apollo 10 capsule

5: V2 rocket engine

6: Stephenson's Rocket

7: Pilot ACE - one of the first computers

8: Steam engine

9: Model T Ford motor car

10: Electric telegraph

The poll, one of the events marking the museum's centenary year, singled out the X-ray machine as the scientific advance with the greatest impact.

X-radiation, which is composed of X-rays, is a form of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation. X-rays can penetrate solid objects and have a wide number of uses notably in medicine, archaeology and astronomy.

German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen was the first to recognise the 'new kind of ray' and referred to the radiation as 'X' to indicate it was an unknown type. His discovery earned him the first Nobel Prize for Physics in

Katie Maggs, associate curator of medicine at the Science Museum, said: 'I'm thrilled to see the incredible development of the X-ray machine recognised in the museum's centenary year.

'X-rays have radically changed the way we see and understand our world - our bodies in particular.'

Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw said: 'Any competition that pits the Apollo 10 spacecraft against Stephenson's Rocket and the DNA double helix against the Model T Ford is bound to provide talking points a-plenty.'

The 10 iconic objects are featured in a special Centenary Journey trail through the museum galleries. dailymail