50 Years Ago

  1. Astronomy

    In 1968, scientists thought they were close to detecting gravity waves

    Despite an unverified discovery in 1968, spacetime ripples remained elusive for nearly 50 years.

    By Cassie Martin
  2. Tech

    50 years ago, NASA astronauts prepared to return to space

    Apollo 7 crewmembers underwent their first major tests 50 years ago. Today, U.S. astronauts struggle to get into space.

    By Dan Garisto
  3. Animals

    50 years ago, scientists warned of a sparrow’s extinction

    Only 17 dusky seaside sparrows remained in 1968. Today, there are none.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  4. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, starving tumors of oxygen proposed as weapon in cancer fight

    Starving cancerous tumors of oxygen was proposed to help kill them. But the approach can make some cancer cells more aggressive.

    By Cassie Martin
  5. Health & Medicine

    50 years on, vaccines have eliminated measles from the Americas

    Thanks to high vaccination rates, measles has mostly disappeared from the Americas.

    By Laurel Hamers
  6. Ecosystems

    50 years ago, invasive species traveled the Suez Canal

    Hundreds of Red Sea species used the Suez Canal to migrate to the Mediterranean Sea, leading to the decline of some native species.

    By Kyle Plantz
  7. Astronomy

    50 years ago, pulsars burst onto the scene

    Thousands of pulsars have been discovered since the announcement of their detection 50 years ago.

    By Emily Conover
  8. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, early organ transplants brought triumph and tragedy

    In 1968, the liver transplant field had its first small successes. Now, more than 30,000 patients in the U.S. receive a donated liver each year.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  9. Physics

    50 years on, nuclear fusion still hasn’t delivered clean energy

    In 1968, scientists predicted that the world would soon use nuclear fusion as an energy source.

    By Maria Temming
  10. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, IUDs were deemed safe and effective

    50 year ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared intrauterine devices safe and effective, though officials didn’t know how the IUDs worked.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  11. Archaeology

    How the Dead Sea Scrolls survived a war in the 1960s

    50 years after the Dead Sea Scrolls survived a war, another possible scroll cave offered tantalizing new clues.

    By Bruce Bower
  12. Genetics

    50 years ago, synthetic DNA made its debut

    Synthetic DNA has come a long way since it arrived on the scene half a century ago.

    By Cassie Martin