All of the books required to document the scientific achievements made by Roman Catholics, both laity and clergy, would fill every bookshelf in a large metropolitan library. Like no other group in history, Catholics have directed scientific inquiry for centuries, promoting knowledge and enhancing the quality of life for people everywhere. Some have household names: Louis Pasteur, father of pasteurization; Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin; Fr. Gregor Mendel, originator of genetics; André-Marie Ampère, founder of electromagnetism (amps); Alessandro Volta, creator of the first battery (volts); G. Marconi, the inventor of the radio. Others are less well known, but highly distinguished, such as the thirty-five Jesuit scientists whose names are inscribed forever on the craters of the moon.