50 Years Ago

Russians Dig to Reach Below Earth’s Crust

During the space race, U.S. and Soviet teams also engaged in a less-famous contest — to drill down to the boundary between the Earth’s crust and mantle.

Science Past from the issue of July 29, 1961

RADIATION SURVIVORS  — A world-wide radiation disaster might eventually give rise to two populations, research on bacteria indicates.… Starting with a culture of ordinary (wild-type) bacteria, the scientist added copper ions that produced a “disaster.” Most of the bacteria died…. But as time passed, a small number of survivors, called variants, began reproducing at a rapid […]

Men to Mars Possible in 60’s, Experts Say

Experts had forecast that astronauts would walk on Mars by 1970, but such a feat is still 20-plus years out.