This Month in the Archives

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The citizens of Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire well know that the snow season is upon us (for those of you in Hawaii, this is just all theoretical; for those of you in Australia, I hope your dry, hot season isn’t as bad as last year). So, let’s look at some snowy subjects. And if the sun goes down early, and you turn on your lights, give a thought to the electricity powering your home—it’s got an interesting history. And lastly, the solstice marks the shortest day of the year, so mark it on your...calendar...and yes, calendars also have a nice science and technology tale. And for our 175th anniversary year, more gems from Scientific American’s history can be found at Artifacts from the Archive.

I hope you enjoy the journey! Dan Schlenoff, Editor of “50, 100 & 150 Years Ago”

Snow

A cover story from 1921 shows the motorized sled in the snowy “far north.”

January 1921: Snow is bad for travel, unless you have the new motorized sled—so much faster than the old dog sled. January 1944: “Winning the Battle with Snow," a good title for an article written during World War II about how to “attack” snow. January 1973: Yes, snow crystals; really are always hexagonal. Here’s some science behind how the crystals take shape in clouds.

Electricity Paris 1897: the Avenue de l’Opéra, as bright as day thanks to electric lights. January 1897: The City of Light lives up to its name after the Avenue de l’Opéra is illuminated with electric lamps. October 1922: The railroads in the "mountainous districts" of Chile get an electrification upgrade, displacing the older steam locomotives. December 2013: Electricity has to be generated. The most efficient long-term solution may be a slow sweeping transition to renewable energy.   Access 175 Years of Scientific Knowledge The Calendar A device from 1895 keeps information about time and date at the ready. April 1895: The Prentiss Calendar and Time System was one of several such clocks made to help a modernizing society keep track of time. February 1910: An article published in the Chinese year of 4546 delves into the mathematical and historical background of the Chinese calendar. November 1925: The astronomical accuracy of the ancient Mayan calendar has long been celebrated. Current Issue: December 2020 Check out the latest issue of Scientific American For more highlights from the archives, you can read December's 50, 100 & 150 Years Ago column.   Questions?   Comments? Download the Scientific American App 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    Email Preferences    Privacy Policy    Contact Us