This Month in the Archives

Dive into 174 years of groundbreaking research

This Month in the Archives

Dear Reader, Half a century ago, Apollo 11 landed on the moon and a human set foot on another celestial body for the first time. Also significant to our species, although less dramatically televised, is our long history with horses. And there’s a subtle segue here: the importance of the horse declined with the advent of the motor vehicle. I hope you enjoy the journey! Dan Schlenoff, editor of “50, 100 & 150 Years Ago” The Moon Landing One small step for a man—and a giant leap for humanity. Much more than a poetic metaphor, the moon is an important scientific quest. December 1893: Craters on the moon “are assumed to be volcanic” by most writers. February 1927: We’re getting warmer here: “Are the Moon's Craters Volcanic or Are They Meteoric ‘Shell-holes’?” October 1969: The Apollo 11 landing ends one era of lunar speculation—only to reveal a whole host of questions. August 1970: A “tablespoon of lunar soil” from Tranquillity (that’s how they spelled it) Base is the recipe for a lot of new information.   The Horse and Humanity Horses and humans have complex evolutionary histories. “My kingdom for a horse!” shouted the doomed king Richard III (according to William Shakespeare). Horses have been a significant part of human history. September 1904: The story of “clever Hans” skeptically suggests “ingeniously concealed trickery.” (Now we know that the humans were deluding themselves.) July 1905: A new (well, back then) exhibit on the evolution of the horse compares equine and hominin skeletons. November 1919: World War I ended the previous year, and “the days of the horse as a beast of burden are clearly numbered.” October 2015: A different look at the social dynamics of free-ranging horses.   The Motor Car We think we know what self-driving cars will (soon...ish) be capable of. In 1886 Karl Benz patented the motor vehicle. By the early 20th century, this invention was transforming the society around it. January 1930: Behind the oily smile of the car salesman there’s actually an awful lot of technical research going on. February 1937: Society is being reshaped around the personal car. By Walter Chrysler (yes, that one—well-informed although perhaps not a disinterested observer). September 1937: Convenience or decline of civilization?: banking by automobile. June 2016: Self-driving cars are on the way. Here’s what we think they’ll look like.   Current Issue: July 2019 How does the brain give rise to who we are? This question has led to the new field of network neuroscience, which uses a branch of mathematics, graph theory, to model the brain connections that let us read, calculate, or simply sit and tap our fingers. Plus: Humanity's biggest step: 50 years ago, Neil Armstrong set foot on the surface of the moon. Mapping the mission: modern satellite imagery and 3-D modeling provide a dramatic new view of the moon landing. Where did the moon come from? Its lingering mysteries may have been solved. For more highlights from the archives, you can read July's 50, 100 & 150 Years Ago column.       Follow Us   To view this email as a web page, go here. You received this email because you opted-in to receive email from Scientific American. To ensure delivery please add news@email.scientificamerican.com to your address book. Unsubscribe Manage Email Preferences FAQs Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Contact Us