All Stories by Lillian Steenblik Hwang
- 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.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, X-rays provided an unprecedented look inside the brain
CT scans can now image the whole body and are even used in other scientific fields such as archaeology, zoology and physics.
- Earth
50 years ago, scientists thought they had found Earth’s oldest rocks
Even older rocks and minerals continue fueling debates over Earth’s crust, plate tectonics and even when life arose.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, scientists found a link between aspirin use and pregnancy complications
Scientists are still learning about the risks and benefits of taking aspirin at each stage of pregnancy.
- Science & Society
50 years ago, UFO sightings in the United States went bust
In 1971, reports of unidentified flying objects were on the decline. Fifty years later, sightings have spiked thanks in part to pandemic lockdowns.
- Materials Science
50 years ago, bulletproof armor was getting light enough to wear
In 1969, bulletproof armor used boron carbide fibers. Fifty years later, bulletproof armor is drastically lighter and made from myriad materials.
