Amazing discoveries in Science!

1.  Electricity and Magnetism are one and the same thing.

 

This was clear from Faraday and Oersted's experiments but was theoretically unified completely by Maxwell's great equations. Now it underlies all of modern electricity generation and hence, modern economy. Still thinking about it, it is amazing. What has Magnetism of Compass, magnets have to do with electric current, light bulbs and so on. This is one of the results which separates a learned man from an illiterate to me.

2. Light is an electromagnetic wave.

Nowadays this looks like a normal thing everyone knows. Still think about it. What has light from sun, moon and candle have to do with electricity or magnetism. 

This was the result which made me realize the beauty of science!

This is science at its most beautiful and pure, elevates one spiritually on to a different plane and no religion or other superstitious nonsense can event match remotely. 

This is again from Great Maxwell who purely by theoretical work and completing his equations purely in terms of mathematical elegance came up with this discovery.

3. E=Mc^2

When I first saw this equation [in high school] I thought it must be a printing mistake as what does light has to do with mass or energy?

When I understood special relativity and implications behind this it was truly amazing. To truly appreciate the beauty of this one should read Einstein's original paper which is very readable even for a non physicist. To start from 2 simple assumptions and to derive something this powerful, well I guess that is genius!

This also has the non-intuitive implication that there is no absolute notion of time or simultaneity which is amazing in its own right!

4. Evolution and natural selection

This shook me to the core when I first learned Darwin's theory in my higher secondary school. This meant we are not "special" and just one among so many animals. When I saw the proof it was hard to deny it with so many things pointing in its way - DNA, common proteins, blood, bones and embryology among so many others. You really have to be an idiot to reject it after being shown the evidence.

But it is one of the foundational results in all of science.

5. Gravity

It is unfair not to include Newton in this list as he pretty much started all of modern physics and quite a bit of mathematics including calculus. His many discoveries are important in so many ways. 

That said the discovery that moon is bound by the same force which breaks one's bones when falling from tree is truly amazing and enlightening!