Notebook
- Space
50 years ago, scientists were gearing up to hurl a probe at the sun
The Helios mission provided key insights into the sun. Now, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has taken up the mantle, giving scientists unprecedented views of the star.
- Agriculture
50 years ago, scientists ID’d a threat to California wine country
Fifty years after scientists identified the cause of Pierce's disease, which damages vineyards, there still isn't a cure.
- Earth
50 years ago, the sun’s influence on Earth’s lightning was revealed
The solar wind and sunspots seem to give lightning a boost. But exactly how solar activity stimulates strikes is an enduring mystery.
- Genetics
50 years ago, chimeras gave a glimpse of gene editing’s future
Advances in gene editing technology have led to the first successful transplant of a pig kidney into a human.
- Particle Physics
Scientists propose a hunt for never-before-seen ‘tauonium’ atoms
Made of heavy relatives of the electron, the exotic atoms could be used to test the theory of quantum electrodynamics.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, phantom pain was blamed on misfiring nerves
Researchers now know that the cause of post-amputation pain is more complex, which is leading to new treatments.
- Animals
Getting wild mosquitoes back to the lab alive takes a custom backpack
The new low-tech transportation method could help scientists in Africa assess if malaria-carrying mosquitoes are resistant to a common insecticide.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, margarine’s ‘healthy’ reputation began to melt away
In the 1970s, scientists began to suspect that margarine was bad for heart health. A key component, artificial trans fat, was a major factor.
- Animals
50 years ago, scientists wondered how birds find their way home
In the 1970s, lab tests hinted that birds can navigate using magnetic fields. New studies suggest that beak and eye proteins are behind the ability.
- Space
50 years ago, scientists found a lunar rock nearly as old as the moon
Studies of such rocks continue to reveal secrets about the moon’s history.
- Physics
50 years ago, superconductors were warming up
Superconducting temperatures have risen by about 250 degrees since the 1970s, but are still too cold to enable practical technologies.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, computers helped speed up drug discovery
In 1974, a computer program helped researchers search for promising cancer drugs. Today, AI is helping speed up drug discovery.
