This Month in the Archives

Dive into 174 years of groundbreaking research

This Month in the Archives

Dear Reader, Scientific American turns 174 on August 28. As you’ll see below we have tracked inventions that changed the world since our first issue in 1845. National Honey Bee Day (yes, there is one!) on August 17 lauds the contribution of this small critter to agriculture. And National Aviation Day on August 19 was established in 1939—we've always had a lot to say about that subject. Science has an impact on history—it’s all right here! Dan Schlenoff, editor of “50, 100 & 150 Years Ago” Scientific American at 174 The busy streets of New York and the Scientific American offices, in 1859. This magazine has always been influential. In the late 19th century part of that influence was the work carried out helping inventors secure profitable patents for inventions. August 1845: Our first issue describes Samuel Morse’s telegraph as “this wonder of the age.” The internet would have amazed (or horrified) them. April 1859: With a nod to time, effort and “capital,” Scientific American’s owners tout the influence of the magazine and the associated office of patent solicitors. November 1913: We asked our readers, “What Are the Ten Greatest Inventions of Our Time?” This winning essay was from the chief clerk of the U.S. Patent Office. June 1915: One view from the editors, written during the First World War, emphasizes the power available from the steam engine.   Aviation Pioneers Wilbur Wright demonstrates the Wright’s mastery of the airplane in August 1908. Humans have been working diligently (sometimes fatally) on aviation ever since the Montgolfiers sent two passengers aloft in their hot-air balloon in 1783. September 1894: Hiram Maxim’s multiton steam-powered gizmo may have been the first heavier-than-air machine to “fly”—but with only a few inches of altitude. August 1908: The Wright brothers invented the airplane, and first publicly demonstrated it with a nicely controlled flight at the LeMans race track in France. February 1912: Glenn Hammond Curtiss designed several hugely successful flying boats. November 2014: Aviation pioneers continue to amaze, such as with the first human-powered helicopter flight.   The Busy—and Important—Bee Bees tell one another where nectar can be found by “dancing.” Movement shows the direction of food with respect to sun and hive. Article from August 1962. Honeybees provide vital pollination services to commercially important crops. They also help your garden flowers and produce honey. It’s a handy insect! January 1902: The thrifty Yankee farmer loved the “goodly dollars” that could be earned from the hard-working bee. August 1962: Do you speak bee? They dance to communicate the location of food sources to one another; the dance varies by species. October 1982: A new colony of bees relies on older “scout” bees to find a snug new home. September 2013: In the U.S. hives of the commercial honeybee are dying, threatening crops. Native honeybees could be a valuable replacement.   Current Issue: August 2019 As the Arctic ice melts, complex geopolitics emerge over who can exploit resources that were once closed off by ice. This special report also looks at changes to life around the North Pole. Plus: Cancer treatment and prevention could be improved by relying on powerful principles of evolution and natural selection. Chemical rockets are old-fashioned . The next generation of spacecraft propulsion is going to be one of the “crazy” ideas now being studied in labs. The three-body problem is a centuries-old “unsolvable” quandary. But it is still yielding some fascinating mathematics. For more highlights from the archives, you can read August’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