MRIs and Florida, 8 Facts You Might Not Have Known
Date: March 22, 2023
Medical Resonance Imaging (MRI) |
Florida ‘The Sunshine State’ |
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The first concept of Magnetic Resonance Imaging was called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, or NMR.1 |
1 | In April of 1513 (Easter Sunday), Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León landed in what is now modern-day Florida.2 A prominent theory is that the area was in full floral bloom and smitten with its beauty, de Leon named the new land La Pascua Florida* in honor of Easter Sunday.2 |
| A physicist named Isidor Isaac Rabi developed a ground-breaking method to measure the properties of atoms in the 1930s.3 | 2 |
Florida became the 27th state on March 3, 1845. At that same time, William D. Moseley was also elected the state’s first governor.4 |
| The first MRI was developed in the early 70s, but it wasn’t until 1977 that medical professionals performed the MRI scan on a living human being.3 | 3 | Spanish explorers were the first known people to migrate to the area known as Florida in 1513.4 The explorers arrived on the northeast coast of Florida, possibly near present-day St. Augustine.4 |
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The main magnet in an MRI magnetic field is 140,000 times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field.7 |
4 | Florida ranks No. 1 in the nation for attracting and developing a skilled workforce, leading the nation in net migration and talent attraction.5 |
| The magnets used in MRI scanners also must be cooled to a temperature of absolute zero. This cooling is typically done with liquid hydrogen to take the magnets down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit.7 | 5 | Coming by their moniker “The Sunshine State,” honestly, Florida receives no less than 2927 hours of the golden stuff each year, while temperatures reach well up into the 100s on summer days.6 |
| While it’s an image, an MRI scan is not a photograph. Instead, it’s the culmination of magnetic fields and radio waves mapped by a computer using a unique signal for each cell type.3 Ironically, MRIs are considered one of the best ways to capture “images.” | 6 | Many believe Ponce de León was the first to plant orange seeds in Florida. Three centuries later, newly built railroads allowed growers to ship oranges across the United States. Today the state provides oranges for most of the orange juice sold in the U.S.8 |
| It is estimated that nearly 40 million MRI scans are performed annually in the US.9 | 7 | It is estimated 137.6 million people visited Florida in 2022.10 |
| Home of Gurnick’s Online MRI Program + Clinical | 8 | Home of The Walt Disney World® Resort |
*Pascua Florida translates to “Feast of the Flowers.”
Citations:
1 “When and Why Was MRI Invented.” GE Healthcare, General Electric Company, June 2019. (Accessed Feb. 16, 2023.)
2^a, b Zeldovich, Lina. “How Florida Got Its Name.” JSTOR Daily, ITHAKA. April 16, 2019. (Accessed Feb. 21, 2023.)
3^a, b, c Envision Radiology. “Facts about MRIs.” Envision Radiology, Envision Radiology. Aug. 21, 2020. (Accessed Feb. 14, 2023.)
4 ^a, b, c “Statehood—Florida Department of State.” Dos.myflorida.com, Florida Department of State, 2023. (Accessed Feb. 14, 2023.)
5 “Florida Ranks #1 in the Nation for Attracting and Developing a Skilled Workforce.” Ron DeSantis, 46th Governor of Florida, Office of Governor Ron DeSantis, State of Florida. Nov. 8, 2022. (Accessed Feb. 21, 2023.)
6 Orlando, Karissa. “Florida Nicknames.” Gray Line Orlando, May 19, 2016. (Accessed Feb. 16, 2023.)
7^a, b “10 Facts about MRIs–Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas.” Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas, MANA. Sept. 24, 2015. (Accessed Feb. 15, 2023.)
8 Kifel-Alcheh, Jamie. “Florida Pictures and Facts.” Geography–Florida. National Geographic Kids. April 20, 2015. (Accessed Feb. 21, 2023.)
9 Kincaid, Ellie. “Want Fries With That? A Brief History of Medical MRI, Starting With a McDonald’s.” Forbes. April 16, 2018. (Accessed Feb. 21, 2023.)
10 “About Us.” Visit Florida, Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation, 2023. (Accessed Feb. 21, 2023.)
