50 Years Ago

  1. Physics

    50 years ago, superconductors were warming up

    Superconducting temperatures have risen by about 250 degrees since the 1970s, but are still too cold to enable practical technologies.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, computers helped speed up drug discovery

    In 1974, a computer program helped researchers search for promising cancer drugs. Today, AI is helping speed up drug discovery.

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  3. Anthropology

    50 years ago, evidence showed that an extinct human ancestor walked upright

    Fossil finds have since pushed back the ability of hominids to walk on two legs by millions of years.

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  4. Paleontology

    50 years ago, trilobite eyes mesmerized scientists

    Decades of research has confirmed that for such simple creatures, trilobites had astoundingly complex eyes.

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  5. Physics

    50 years ago, timekeepers deployed the newly invented leap second

    After more than 50 years, metrologists will stop using the leap second to align the time kept by atomic clocks with the rate of Earth’s spin.

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  6. Animals

    50 years ago, the U.S. Navy enlisted sea lions and other marine mammals

    Today, dolphins and sea lions in the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program protect harbors and participate in research on animal health and well-being.

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  7. Astronomy

    50 years ago, astronomers challenged claims that Barnard’s star has a planet

    Astronomers have been searching for planets around the sun’s close neighbor for decades.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, scientists suspected that lost sense of smell could be restored

    Cells responsible for humans’ sense of smell can regenerate. Now, research spurred on by the pandemic could help answer questions about the process.

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  9. Planetary Science

    50 years ago, the first probe to visit Mercury launched

    In the 1970s, NASA’s Mariner 10 became the first spacecraft to visit Mercury. Only one other probe has made the journey and another one is on its way.

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  10. Climate

    50 years ago, scientists warned of the ‘neglected dangers’ of heat islands

    In 1973, scientists knew temperatures in cities were higher than in rural areas. Now, some cities are attempting to cool down with engineering.

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  11. Physics

    50 years ago, scientists dreamed of lasers that could kick off nuclear fusion

    In the 1970s, lasers that could initiate nuclear fusion were a distant dream. Now, scientists are using such lasers to achieve fusion “ignition.”

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  12. Chemistry

    50 years ago, the quest for superheavy elements was just getting started

    In the 1970s, scientists were on the hunt for superheavy elements. They’ve since found more than a dozen and are searching for more.

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