Here's why:
* Novelty: The CRT itself was a significant innovation. Prior to Thomson, scientists were limited in their ability to study the properties of electricity in a vacuum. The CRT allowed Thomson to create a controlled environment for studying the behavior of charged particles.
* Ingenuity: Thomson's experiments using the CRT were brilliant in their simplicity and effectiveness. By applying magnetic and electric fields to the cathode rays, he was able to deduce that they were composed of negatively charged particles, which he named electrons.
* Impact: Thomson's discovery of the electron revolutionized our understanding of matter and electricity. It laid the foundation for the development of modern physics, including atomic theory and quantum mechanics.
Thomson's creativity lay not just in the invention of the CRT, but in his ability to utilize it in a unique and groundbreaking way to make a fundamental scientific discovery. This combination of innovation and scientific insight is a testament to his remarkable ingenuity.