Notebook

Life

50 years ago, flesh-eating screwworms pushed scientists to mass produce flies

"Fly factories” dreamed up in the early 1970s have helped North and Central America keep screwworms in check for decades.

Plants

A hunt for fungi might bring this orchid back from the brink

Identifying the fungi that feeds the Cooper’s black orchid in the lab may allow researchers to bank seeds and possibly regrow the species in the wild.

Science & Society

Deliberate ignorance is useful in certain circumstances, researchers say

The former East German secret police, the Stasi, spied on people for years. But when given access to the Stasi files, most people didn’t want to read them, researchers found.

Climate

There’s good and bad news with California’s electric vehicle program

The electric vehicle program is reducing carbon dioxide emissions but also shifting the pollution burden to the state’s most disadvantaged communities.

Space

50 years ago, cosmic rays may have caused Apollo astronauts to see lights

Apollo astronauts reported seeing flashes of light where there were none. Fifty years later, the flashes still mess with modern astronauts’ vision.

Health & Medicine

50 years ago, enzyme injections showed promise for treating a rare disease

Enzyme replacement can offer relief to people with rare diseases. Now, scientists have found a way to treat one disease before a person is even born.

Animals

This marine biologist is on a mission to save endangered rays

Jessica Pate and the Florida Manta Project confirm that endangered mantas are mating and sicklefin devils are migrating along the East Coast.

Plants

Ultrasound reveals trees’ drought-survival secrets

Scientists used ultrasound sensors and electrical probes to reveal how drought affects the tissues of living trees.

Tech

50 years ago, a balloon circumnavigated the world for science

A 1973 high-altitude flight kicked off an era of useful stratospheric balloon science. Some scientists worry that heightened concerns over alleged spy balloons might hamper that.

Health & Medicine

50 years ago, air pollution was linked to more reports of animal bites

Scientists spent decades tying air pollution to health and behavior problems. Now, there’s more evidence that dirty air influences aggression in animals.

Math

Here’s a peek into the mathematics of black holes

The universe tells us slowly rotating black holes are stable. A nearly 1,000-page proof confirms it.

Oceans

50 years ago, researchers discovered a leak in Earth’s oceans

An analysis of oceanic rocks hinted that ocean water drains into Earth’s mantle. How much makes it back into the ocean remains unclear.