 Not knowing what the rays were, he named them after the mathematical unknown X. Worldwide acclaim was swift. Within a month, he was called in front of Kaiser Wilhelm to demonstrate and awarded a prestigious medal on the spot. Within a year, doctors in the Balkan War were using X-rays to find bullets and broken bones, and scientists the world over were experimenting with them without understanding their risks. But that's a story for another Earth Date. I'm Scott Tinker.