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Mysteries of vernacular: X-ray - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

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TEDEd Animation

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The story of the word X-Ray is one of great thinkers. French philosopher Rene Descartes isolated the letters X, Y and Z to stand for unknowns, and centuries later, Wilhelm Röntgen discovered the X-ray, using the X for the unknown nature of the radiation. Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel shed some light on the etymology of this modern marvel.

In mathematics, the word ray refers to a line with a point of origin that has _______.

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Meet The Creators

  • Director Jessica Oreck
  • Producer Rachael Teel

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