The X-ray machine , which was discovered in 1895 and revolutionized how doctors detected disease and injury , struck a chord with most voters who singled it out for having made the greatest impact on the past , present and future . The X-ray machine was voted the most significant scientific invention , in a poll by the Science Museum in London . Score: 6 X-rays were followed by the discoveries of penicillin and the DNA double helix structure . The public vote began on 10 June this year as part of the Science Museum 's events to mark its centenary .
The X-ray machine was voted the most significant scientific invention , in a poll by the Science Museum in London . Score: 6 X-rays were followed by the discoveries of penicillin and the DNA double helix structure . The public vote began on 10 June this year as part of the Science Museum 's events to mark its centenary .