What is Wilhelm Röntgen most famous for?
My most notable contribution, I believe, is the discovery of a new kind of ray, which I termed 'X-rays.' This occurred in my laboratory in Würzburg during November of 1895. Through careful experimentation with cathode rays, I observed a peculiar fluorescence on a screen some distance away, even when the apparatus was covered. This suggested the emission of a penetrating radiation. My subsequent paper, 'On a New Kind of Rays,' detailed these initial observations. The implications for both physics and medicine became apparent relatively quickly, a development I witnessed with great interest, though I always maintained a focus on the empirical foundations of the discovery.
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