50 Years Ago

Health & Medicine

50 years ago, some of plastic’s toxic hazards were exposed

Worker exposure to vinyl chloride became tightly regulated after the chemical was linked with liver cancer. Now, its use may be on the chopping block.

Health & Medicine

50 years ago, antibiotic resistant bacteria became a problem outside hospitals

Infections from drug-resistant bacteria have skyrocketed over the last 50 years. Now, new technologies could help doctors save lives.

Health & Medicine

50 years ago, scientists blamed migraines on cheese and chocolate

Exactly how migraines develop is still coming into focus, but scientists now know that many factors can trigger attacks.

Space

50 years ago, scientists were gearing up to hurl a probe at the sun

The Helios mission provided key insights into the sun. Now, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has taken up the mantle, giving scientists unprecedented views of the star.

Agriculture

50 years ago, scientists ID’d a threat to California wine country

Fifty years after scientists identified the cause of Pierce's disease, which damages vineyards, there still isn't a cure.

Earth

50 years ago, the sun’s influence on Earth’s lightning was revealed

The solar wind and sunspots seem to give lightning a boost. But exactly how solar activity stimulates strikes is an enduring mystery.

Genetics

50 years ago, chimeras gave a glimpse of gene editing’s future

Advances in gene editing technology have led to the first successful transplant of a pig kidney into a human.

Health & Medicine

50 years ago, phantom pain was blamed on misfiring nerves 

Researchers now know that the cause of post-amputation pain is more complex, which is leading to new treatments.

Health & Medicine

50 years ago, margarine’s ‘healthy’ reputation began to melt away

In the 1970s, scientists began to suspect that margarine was bad for heart health. A key component, artificial trans fat, was a major factor.

Animals

50 years ago, scientists wondered how birds find their way home

In the 1970s, lab tests hinted that birds can navigate using magnetic fields. New studies suggest that beak and eye proteins are behind the ability.

Space

50 years ago, scientists found a lunar rock nearly as old as the moon

Studies of such rocks continue to reveal secrets about the moon’s history.

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.