This Month in the Archives

[Dive into 174 years of groundbreaking research]( [Scientific American]( This Month in the Archives Dear Reader, Half a century ago, Apollo 11 landed on the moon and a human set foot on another celestial body for the first time. Also significant to our species, although less dramatically televised, is our long history with horses. And there’s a subtle segue here: the importance of the horse declined with the advent of the motor vehicle. I hope you enjoy the journey! [Subscribe]( [Dan Schlenoff] Dan Schlenoff, editor of “50, 100 & 150 Years Ago” The Moon Landing [Moon landing] One small step for a man—and a giant leap for humanity. Much more than a poetic metaphor, the moon is an important scientific quest. - [December 1893:]( Craters on the moon “are assumed to be volcanic” by most writers. - [February 1927:]( We’re getting warmer here: “Are the Moon's Craters Volcanic or Are They Meteoric ‘Shell-holes’?” - [October 1969:]( The Apollo 11 landing ends one era of lunar speculation—only to reveal a whole host of questions. - [August 1970:]( A “tablespoon of lunar soil” from Tranquillity (that’s how they spelled it) Base is the recipe for a lot of new information. The Horse and Humanity [Horse] Horses and humans have complex evolutionary histories. “My kingdom for a horse!” shouted the doomed king Richard III (according to William Shakespeare). Horses have been a significant part of human history. - [September 1904:]( The story of “clever Hans” skeptically suggests “ingeniously concealed trickery.” (Now we know that the humans were deluding themselves.) - [July 1905:]( A new (well, back then) exhibit on the evolution of the horse compares equine and hominin skeletons. - [November 1919:]( World War I ended the previous year, and “the days of the horse as a beast of burden are clearly numbered.” - [October 2015:]( A different look at the social dynamics of free-ranging horses. The Motor Car [Car]We think we know what self-driving cars will (soon...ish) be capable of. In 1886 Karl Benz patented the motor vehicle. By the early 20th century, this invention was transforming the society around it. - [January 1930:]( Behind the oily smile of the car salesman there’s actually an awful lot of technical research going on. - [February 1937:]( Society is being reshaped around the personal car. By Walter Chrysler (yes, that one—well-informed although perhaps not a disinterested observer). - [September 1937:]( Convenience or decline of civilization?: banking by automobile. - [June 2016:]( Self-driving cars are on the way. Here’s what we think they’ll look like. Current Issue: July 2019 [July 2019] [How does the brain give rise to who we are?]( This question has led to the new field of network neuroscience, which uses a branch of mathematics, graph theory, to model the brain connections that let us read, calculate, or simply sit and tap our fingers. Plus: - Humanity's biggest step: 50 years ago, [Neil Armstrong set foot on the surface of the moon](. - Mapping the mission: modern satellite imagery and 3-D modeling provide [a dramatic new view of the moon landing](. - [Where did the moon come from?]( Its lingering mysteries may have been solved. For more highlights from the archives, you can read July's[50, 100 & 150 Years Ago]( column. [Read the Issue]( Follow Us [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [RSS]( 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]( [Manage Email Preferences]( [FAQs]( [Terms & Conditions]( [Privacy Policy]( [Contact Us](