 the year 1828 in science and technology involved some significant events, listed below. ==astronomy== * fÃ©lix savary computes the first orbit of a visual double star when he calculates the orbit of the double star xi ursae majoris. ==biochemistry== * urea becomes the first organic compound to be artificially synthesised, by friedrich wÃ¶hler, potentially discrediting a cornerstone of vitalism, the belief that life is not subject to the laws of science in the way inanimate objects are. ==biology== * april 27 â london zoo opens in regent's park for members of the zoological society of london. * karl ernst von baer lays the foundations of the science of comparative embryology with his book Ãber entwickelungsgeschichte der thiere. * martin lichtenstein publishes a monograph on the dipodidae, Ãber die springmÃ¤use, in berlin. * belfast botanic gardens open. ==chemistry== * jÃ¶ns jakob berzelius produces a table of atomic weights and discovers thorium. * friedrich wÃ¶hler synthesizes urea, thereby establishing that organic compounds could be produced from inorganic starting materials, disproving the theory of vitalism. ==medicine== * f. maury publishes traitÃ© complet de l'art du dentiste, the first handbook of dentistry. * december 24 â burke and hare murders: william burke is sentenced to hang for his part in the murder of 17 victims to provide bodies for dissection by edinburgh anatomist robert knox. ==paleontology== * adolphe theodore brongniart publishes prodrome d'une histoire des vÃ©gÃ©taux fossils, a study of fossil plants. * mary anning discovers britain's first pterosaur fossil at lyme regis. ==physics== * self-taught english mathematician george green publishes an essay on the application of mathematical analysis to the theories of electricity and magnetism{{cite book|first=george|last=green|title=an essay on the application of mathematical analysis to the theories of electricity and magnetism|location=nottingham|publisher=t. wheelhouse|year=1828|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gwyxaaaayaaj&printsec=frontcover&dq=an+essay+on+the+application+of+mathematical+analysis+to+the+theories&hl=en&sa=x&ei=yuacuvbnoomqhqe2x4dwbw&ved=0ceyq6aewaa#v=onepage&q=an%
1828_in_science