This Month in the Archives

Dive into 172 years of groundbreaking research

This Month in the Archives With an All Access Subscription, you have exclusive access to 172 years’ of groundbreaking articles by some of the leading practitioners in their fields. February 2018 marks the 209th birthday of Charles Darwin, a keen observer of nature and author of one of the great milestones in the study of evolution. Darwin, it also happens, was fond of dogs, and given the excitement over the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City, prompts a look through the Scientific American archives at the science of Canis domesticus. On a more somber note, this winter is the 100th anniversary of the most lethal influenza pandemic ever. The death toll still causes concern: What if it happens again? SUBSCRIBE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHARLES DARWIN!

Portrait of a young Charles Darwin from 1840, as shown in Ernst Mayr’s 1978 article. February 12th is Darwin Day. His work is a milestone in the advance of science and has led to perhaps one of the biggest questions dreamed up by our big, hominin brains: how did our big, hominin brains evolve? April 1882: Darwin’s obituary lauds one characteristic above all others: “an unswerving loyalty to truth as obtained by exact observation and unprejudiced judgment, regardless of ridicule or misrepresentation.” September 1978: Ernst Mayr discusses the progress in the study of evolution. October 1991: Finches in the Galápagos provide a real-time experiment on evolution January 2009: Evolution is most controversial when it comes to the origin of humans. This article looks at our ancestors and relatives in the Homo sapiens family tree.

DOGS AND HUMANS

The “Thibet Dog” is introduced at the Vienna Dog Show, 1884. “Man’s best friend” has been a key to human survival for millennia. These days we are more familiar with dogs as pets, but they still work hard for people, for instance by protecting us from explosives, or guarding our property from intruders, or by helping us as service dogs. January 1884: The Vienna Dog Show introduces a fine specimen of the very furry “Thibet Dog” to fans in the West. May 1898: Sheep dogs still work hard around the world. This article from over a century ago looks at one of the many competitions to find the top shepherding dog. January 1919: With WWI over, here’s a look at the military contribution of dogs to the final victory. May 2017: An extraordinary story of a sixty-year experiment in Siberia to turn wild foxes into domesticated pets—and what that says about the evolution of dogs.

INFLUENZA PANDEMICS—PAST AND FUTURE

Subway ticket clerk, trying to protect herself against influenza, 1918. The influenza outbreak of 1918-1919 was so widespread it is not called an “epidemic” but a “pandemic.” We need to learn as much as we can about that pandemic to prepare humanity for the next one. November 1918: The lethal flu pandemic that swept across the war-weakened world was called (technically incorrectly) “Spanish Influenza.” January 2005: Three scientists working with genetic material gathered from victims of the 1918 flu pandemic discuss that pandemic and future ones. November 2005: The next flu pandemic may come next month or next century. Here are some things science can do to protect our citizens. January 2009: Evolution: how it works to produce influenza outbreaks—and how we can harness its power to help us in many ways.

CURRENT ISSUE

Supermassive galaxy-swallowing black holes power very bright and very distant quasars. Astronomers can see those, but until now they have had a hard time explaining how such large black holes could have formed so soon after the Big Bang. Plus: Hysterical headlines aside, we answer the question: Are smartphones really destroying the adolescent brain? It may be really, really hard to believe, but, no. We should worry more about adult brains: toxic online discourse and the current political polarization may be changing the nature of truth and objectivity itself. Another look at two vital themes: evolution and dogs. A conservation entrepreneur has reintroduced an ancient Mongolian dog breed that is well-adapted to guarding flocks. For more highlights from the archives, you can read February’s 50, 100 & 150 Years Ago.   READ THIS ISSUE

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