50 Years Ago

Science Past from the issue of January 2, 1960

MORE JOBS THAN MEN IS PICTURE FOR ENGINEERS — The college engineer market, subject to the fickle swing of the employment pendulum, will be getting a good picking over by industry in the early 1960’s when demand for engineering graduates will exceed supply. The Engineering Manpower and Scientific Manpower Commissions reported that industries intend to […]

Science Past from the issue of December 19, 1959

LOW-MELTING ELEMENTS MAKE HIGH HEAT MATERIAL — Two chemical elements, both of which will melt in the sun on a hot day, have been combined to produce a material capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Gallium phosphide, a yellow compound resembling ground glass, has been prepared from gallium … and phosphorus…. The […]

Science Past from the issue of December 5, 1959

INSECTS WINNING RESISTANCE BATTLE — Insects appear to be winning the costly battle — $500,000 is spent each year on control — to keep them in check. Resistance to insecticides is now virtually nation-wide according to results of an extensive study.… Resistance can take many forms, research has shown. Some of these are: slow rate […]

Science Past from the issue of November 21, 1959

More psychiatrists today but still only 1 to 16,400 —  Although the total number of psychiatrists in the United States has increased 21% in the last three years, there are still very few in proportion to the population, especially in remote regions away from the big cities.… The U.S. now has on an average one […]

Science Past from the issue of November 7, 1959

Russians release photos of moon’s far side — Russian scientists have released a photograph of the far side of the moon as taken from U.S.S.R. satellite Lunik III. The photograph on the cover of this week’s Science News Letter shows the far side of the moon. Soviet astronomers identify the long solid lines as the […]

Science Past from the issue of October 24, 1959

Sons with ulcers have dominant mothers — Men who get duodenal ulcers early in life tend to have dominant mothers and submissive fathers. In a Medical Research Council report, a research team recorded that two-thirds of a group of men who got ulcers before they were 25 had mothers who were “dominant and controlling personalities […]

Science Past from the issue of October 10, 1959

Reserpine Tranquilizes Chickens and Turkeys Calmer birds in the hen house are predicted with the development of a tranquilizer for chickens. A new product containing reserpine, a drug used to control high blood pressure and other human ills, has been developed…. Added to the chickens’ feed in very low concentrations it is said to help […]

Science Past from the issue of September 26, 1959

Many Americans suffer “television bottom” — Many Americans are suffering from a condition called “television bottom.” The medical term for the condition is coccygodynia, pain in the tail of the spine. It arises frequently from spending long periods of time before the television set.… Most patients habitually sit with a poor posture, with the lower […]

Science Past from the issue of September 12, 1959

Mushrooms aid mental ills — The mentally ill may be able to get peace and quiet with their steak and mushrooms, providing they eat some special mushrooms described at the 9th International Botanical Congress meeting in Montreal. The clue to the possible medical usefulness of these mushrooms was uncovered as a result of studies of […]

Science Past from the issue of August 29, 1959

Fetal sex still unknown — Expectant mothers still face the ancient and perplexing problem of whether to knit blue or pink booties, despite the advances of this scientific age. Although scientists appear to be near to perfecting a reliable method of predicting the sex of unborn babies, the present “wait and see” policy remains the […]

Science Past from the issue of August 15, 1959

Complex “Moon” Succeeds — Explorer VI, sent up on Aug. 7, is the most complex satellite launched by the United States. The 142-pound satellite orbits the earth from 150 miles at its lowest point to some 25,000 miles at its farthest… This highly elliptical flight path means that the satellite’s instruments will cover a larger […]

Science Past from the issue of August 1, 1959

Rename discomfort index — This summer you have a chance to “do something about,” not the weather, but the combination of heat and humidity that often makes so many persons so uncomfortable. The Weather Bureau in June started experimentally … publishing for the summer what it then called the “Discomfort Index.” The immediate results were […]