This press, the largest of its kind when it was built, measured 40 feet in length. Originally constructed to be used by the New York Sun , this press eventually produced issues of Scientific American ....[More]
Hoe's Mammoth Rotary Printing Press, 1851
This press, the largest of its kind when it was built, measured 40 feet in length. Originally constructed to be used by the New York Sun, this press eventually produced issues of Scientific American.
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Flying Machines of the Future, 1860
Inventors have always been looking for ways to enable humans to fly. These sketches supposed to be somewhat fanciful depictions of flying machines, imagining possible modes for sustaining flight.
This image of the USS Merrimac from 1861 was engraved under the direction of a mechanic who worked on her in the Confederate state of Virginia during the Civil War....[More]
The War Steamer Merrimac, 1861
This image of the USS Merrimac from 1861 was engraved under the direction of a mechanic who worked on her in the Confederate state of Virginia during the Civil War. Originally built in Massachusetts in 1855, the USS Merrimac was later turned into the first iron-clad ship. In 1862, renamed the CSS Virginia, she fought the USS Monitor in the historic first battle between iron-clad ships.
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Samuel Morse at the Morse Celebration, 1871
An intricate etching honors the invention of the telegraph by Samuel Morse. On this occasion, Scientific American reports, Morse signed his name along with the appendage, "One of the few immortal names/ That are not born to die." The implication of his work did not go unnoticed, for messages could now be sent across vast distances in the blink of an eye....[More]
Samuel Morse at the Morse Celebration, 1871
An intricate etching honors the invention of the telegraph by Samuel Morse. On this occasion, Scientific American reports, Morse signed his name along with the appendage, "One of the few immortal names/ That are not born to die." The implication of his work did not go unnoticed, for messages could now be sent across vast distances in the blink of an eye.
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The Science of the Horse's Motion, 1878
Eadweard Muybridge's sequence of still images taken on an automatic "electro-photographic" apparatus succeeded in capturing the motions of a horse....[More]
The Science of the Horse's Motion, 1878
Eadweard Muybridge's sequence of still images taken on an automatic "electro-photographic" apparatus succeeded in capturing the motions of a horse. This cover depicts the horse, Abe Eddington, walking at a 15-minute gait (A-F) and trotting at a 2:24 gait (1-12).
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Statue of Liberty, 1886
The Statue of Liberty was originally designed and constructed in France before being deconstructed and shipped to America in 350 individual pieces packed in 214 crates....[More]
Statue of Liberty, 1886
The Statue of Liberty was originally designed and constructed in France before being deconstructed and shipped to America in 350 individual pieces packed in 214 crates. Here, the statue is shown being reassembled in New York. As can be seen from the interior view of the face, iron braces were placed on the inside of the statue to protect against distortion.
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The World's Columbian Exposition--The Great Ferris Wheel, 1893
The "wonderful 'merry-go-round'" designed by engineer George W. G. Ferris, Jr., debuted at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 in Chicago....[More]
The World's Columbian Exposition--The Great Ferris Wheel, 1893
The "wonderful 'merry-go-round'" designed by engineer George W. G. Ferris, Jr., debuted at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 in Chicago. The Ferris wheel was the largest attraction, standing 264 feet tall, and was intended to rival the Eiffel Tower, which had been the centerpiece of the 1889 Paris Exposition. The wheel carried some 38,000 passengers daily, took 20 minutes to complete two revolutions, and cost 50 cents a ride.
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Thomas A. Edison and His Improved Storage Battery, 1911
Thomas Edison was at the forefront of the search for alternative ways to power vehicles, a search that continues today. On this cover, he is pictured with his highly innovative, nickel–iron storage battery, made primarily for use in motor vehicles....[More]
Thomas A. Edison and His Improved Storage Battery, 1911
Thomas Edison was at the forefront of the search for alternative ways to power vehicles, a search that continues today. On this cover, he is pictured with his highly innovative, nickel–iron storage battery, made primarily for use in motor vehicles.
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Marie Sklodowska Curie: The Greatest Woman Scientist, Twice Recipient of the Nobel Prize, 1911
This article celebrates the achievements of Marie Curie, recognizing her important discoveries and contributions to the field of radioactivity as well as the barriers she overcame as a female in the scientific community....[More]
Marie Sklodowska Curie: The Greatest Woman Scientist, Twice Recipient of the Nobel Prize, 1911
This article celebrates the achievements of Marie Curie, recognizing her important discoveries and contributions to the field of radioactivity as well as the barriers she overcame as a female in the scientific community. In 1903 Curie became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for her work in the physical sciences, and here, eight years later, she won her second Nobel Prize, this time in the field of chemistry.
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Aviation Special Issue, 1911
Fervor for the nascent aviation technology is reflected in this cover of Scientific American's special edition focused on flying innovations....[More]
Aviation Special Issue, 1911
Fervor for the nascent aviation technology is reflected in this cover of Scientific American's special edition focused on flying innovations. "More than half a million men are now actively engaged in some industrial enterprise that has something to do with navigation of the air."
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Women Flyers, 1929
Famous aviatrix Amelia Earhart stands with actress and noted flight enthusiast Gladys McConnell. The photograph is part of a Scientific American feature on passenger air transport....[More]
Women Flyers, 1929
Famous aviatrix Amelia Earhart stands with actress and noted flight enthusiast Gladys McConnell. The photograph is part of a Scientific American feature on passenger air transport.
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A Majestic Mountainside Monument to Four Presidents, 1931
Gutzon Borglum and his crew demonstrate the progress made on the Mount Rushmore monument, with the near completion of George Washington's 60-foot head....[More]
A Majestic Mountainside Monument to Four Presidents, 1931
Gutzon Borglum and his crew demonstrate the progress made on the Mount Rushmore monument, with the near completion of George Washington's 60-foot head. All that remained to be completed was the rounding of the nose tip—a task that required careful blasting and pneumatic tools.
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Streamers of Sparks from a 40-foot-tall Van de Graaff Generator, 1934
Nikola Tesla, the iconoclastic inventor and engineer, famous for his contributions to the field of electromagnetism, wrote the feature article accompanying this cover about the limitations on the much celebrated Van de Graaff generator....[More]
Streamers of Sparks from a 40-foot-tall Van de Graaff Generator, 1934
Nikola Tesla, the iconoclastic inventor and engineer, famous for his contributions to the field of electromagnetism, wrote the feature article accompanying this cover about the limitations on the much celebrated Van de Graaff generator. In the piece Tesla explains that the Van de Graaff generator, developed in 1929, cannot create energy but that it can separate the charges within an atom to be stored and utilized later. The Van de Graaff generator later became a key component of the early particle accelerators.
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Einstein Proving the Principle of Equivalence, 1935
Albert Einstein stands in front of the annual meeting of the American Mathematical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, attempting to address a problem that he had pondered for decades—that of the equivalence of energy and inertial mass in reference to his theory of special relativity....[More]
Einstein Proving the Principle of Equivalence, 1935
Albert Einstein stands in front of the annual meeting of the American Mathematical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, attempting to address a problem that he had pondered for decades—that of the equivalence of energy and inertial mass in reference to his theory of special relativity.
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Can the Cheetah Survive? 1986
This striking image was featured on the cover of Scientific American , accompanied by an article voicing concern that the cheetah was becoming endangered....[More]
Can the Cheetah Survive? 1986
This striking image was featured on the cover of Scientific American, accompanied by an article voicing concern that the cheetah was becoming endangered. Whereas the cheetah evolved for maximum aerodynamics, its genetic uniformity made the species extremely vulnerable to changes in climate and environment. Despite the efforts of conservationists, the cheetah is still in peril.
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Computer Networks: A Precursor to E-Mail, 1991
The Internet was still a fanciful concept in 1991 to most people, but to computer engineers the increasing computer applications required an innovative way to send large chunks of information, or packets, between computers on a network....[More]
Computer Networks: A Precursor to E-Mail, 1991
The Internet was still a fanciful concept in 1991 to most people, but to computer engineers the increasing computer applications required an innovative way to send large chunks of information, or packets, between computers on a network. This method attached codes (shown as different colors) to each packet. The codes identify the source and destination of the information and enables data to flow without both parties having to be on the Internet at the same time.
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Mapping the Brain, 1845
In an early attempt at brain mapping, this etching of a symbolic head and phrenological chart aims to explain the functions designated to the different "organs" of the brain....[More]
Mapping the Brain, 1845
In an early attempt at brain mapping, this etching of a symbolic head and phrenological chart aims to explain the functions designated to the different "organs" of the brain. The pictures represent specific attributes. For example, section 7, located above the ear, depicts a tiger killing a lamb, symbolizing destructiveness.
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Mapping the Brain, 1948
Over 100 years after the previous image, an article on locating brain function recounts the various means through which scientists have unraveled the great knot of neural networks in attempts to pinpoint brain areas devoted to specific functions....[More]
Mapping the Brain, 1948
Over 100 years after the previous image, an article on locating brain function recounts the various means through which scientists have unraveled the great knot of neural networks in attempts to pinpoint brain areas devoted to specific functions. A stereotaxic apparatus is used to insert the probes that record electrical activity deep within the brain cortex.
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Mapping the Brain, 2010
The July/August 2010 edition of Scientific American MIND brings scientist’s ability to map the brain up to date. These two functional magnetic resonance images show the few differences, but much overlap, in the regions of the brain involved in recalling past events and imaging future ones....[More]
Mapping the Brain, 2010
The July/August 2010 edition of Scientific American MIND brings scientist’s ability to map the brain up to date. These two functional magnetic resonance images show the few differences, but much overlap, in the regions of the brain involved in recalling past events and imaging future ones.
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Herschel Crater on Mimas, 2010
Scientific American readers go on a journey of the imagination with an artist, based on the latest scientific research, to "Eight Wonders of the Solar System"....[More]
Herschel Crater on Mimas, 2010
Scientific American readers go on a journey of the imagination with an artist, based on the latest scientific research, to "Eight Wonders of the Solar System". Here, on the surface of Mimas, one of Saturn's moons, lies Herschel Crater. The massive 139-kilometer-wide crater has walls measuring 5,000 meters high and a peak in the center standing 6,000 meters above the crater floor.
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YES! Send me a free issue of Scientific American with no obligation to continue the subscription. If I like it, I will be billed for the one-year subscription.
Would the invention of Gravity Control in 1967 in Canada be of any interest? How about Edison's buying the Patent of Incandescent Light for only $500 from an young Englishman Woodward in Toronto? How about Tesla, the greatest inventor? You could have made this list a little bit longer.
Nikola Tesla was a good vegetarian, and the contributions of good vegetarians and vegans to scientific and technological development has long been underplayed.
If we can trust Wikipedia at all, Nikola Tesla in his later years became a vegetarian. In an article for Century Illustrated Magazine, he wrote: "It is certainly preferable to raise vegetables, and I think, therefore, that vegetarianism is a commendable departure from the established barbarous habit."
Tesla argued that it is wrong to eat uneconomic meat when large numbers of people are starving; he also believed that plant food was "superior to it [meat] in regard to both mechanical and mental performance".
He also argued that animal slaughter was "wanton and cruel."
Obviously, there is no limit to power of human imagination. Anything and everything we can imagine, or even dream about; "it's doable". The problem is: That with power comes responsibility and we're still making very slow progress in this direction -- one little baby step at the time. You don't believe it!? Then, just take a long and f...g hard look at the state of the art of Weapons Of Mass Destruction(!).
Imagination, Power, Responsibility: That's where we left off (power.prayer at 03:31AM on 08/07/10; above.... "Responsibility" -- to love, to serve & protect one another; not to kill each other. But, this what we've being doing since day one of "Cain & Abel"; and the worse part: We can't seem to be able to stop this trend. In fact, we're always -- Ready, Willing & Able...on lock and load...ready to fire(!). Always ready to kill, search & destroy(!); or dye trying. God help us all if in fact we sincerely believe that: "In God We Trust".
Airplanes and outer space but not the oceans,the Challenger Expedition might have received a nod. Is it true that your publication refused to accept the Wright brothers until several weeks or months after their historic flight?
When you are looking into a telescope back in to the space! You do not see (as presumed) back in space billions of years, in fact, you see everything as it is in present not in the past! Past do not exist remember? In fact that little eye set, through which you look projects you billions of years into the future just momentary, (future is not here, therefore it also do not exist) it is all entropy of the present, which cannot be explained. Everything we were told until now, about everything was just an aswamtion; time is the same here and now, as it is at the other end of the universe. Chaotic energy is indiscriminating to our intelligent existence.
Nevertheless, until someone would be able to explain how. I can remember and recall the exact video capture of myself at the age of 3-4 years old, (just as if it was yesterday?) Then I may be contemplating to endorse some ideas (I am 79 years old now)
This slide show is great! Since slide shows (and videos) can be put on the Web at relatively low cost, it would be wonderful to have slide shows on recent developments in specific fields, such as the different possible applications of nanotechnology. Or, better, include such slide shows and videos in the issues of Scientific American Digital.
Rethinking (redone): Digital Scientific American (DSA) or Scientific American-Digital (SA-D) would be better than Scientific American Digital (SAD), at least as far as acronyms are concerned. (My apologies for not getting it right the first time.)
Scientific American used to be much better. With its increased emphasis on soft science (sociology and psychology) and its commentary by non-scientist science writers, including religion, it's become a populist rag.
SM used to be a much better magazine. It's more akin to Popular Science now with its emphasis on social commentary and psychology along with commentary by non-scientist science writers. I'd rather see less political and regligious commentary. I go elsewhere for that; and the bias of its writers is rather clear.
The content of your slideshows are always interesting, but the web design of your slideshows require a lot of mouse-action. The slideshows on modern websites are oriented on the slides themselves, not the site's banner. Maybe it's time to hire a web designer with his/her head in the 21st century.
Congratulations on the occasion of your 165 -th birth day! Keep always high your distinct flag and scientific quality and prestige as you did until now .
Keep always high your distinct flag and scientific quality and prestige as you did until now. Congratulations on the occasion of your 165-th birth day anniversary !.
Other than the brain, where are the important discoveries in the fields of medical & biological sciences? Of Jenner,Lister, Pasteur, Watson & Crick, Baltimore & Temin, the story of DNA & the Human Genome Project, Aids research? I love reading Scientific American, but this history is much too heavy in the physical sciences.
21. Joseph C. Moore, Cpo USN Ret.
12:23 AM 8/23/10
Sorry gelunelu but the image you see in the telescope that took light years to arrive is the image from light years ago. The image was not updated as it arrived. Your assumption is faulty.
Recommended: High Price
Net Loss: How We Continually Forget What the Oceans Really Used to Be Like [Excerpt]
Girls Who Are Sexually Abused More Likely to Start Using Substances before Age 10
Mary Roach Takes A Trip Down the Alimentary Canal
Studies Cast Doubt on Cancer Drug as Alzheimer's Treatment
Sonic Science: The High-Frequency Hearing Test
Brain's Glial Cells Spark Seizures
Summer Blockbuster: A Black Hole Swallows a Cloud
21 Comments
Add CommentWould the invention of Gravity Control in 1967 in Canada be of any interest? How about Edison's buying the Patent of Incandescent Light for only $500 from an young Englishman Woodward in Toronto?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow about Tesla, the greatest inventor?
You could have made this list a little bit longer.
Also, slide 13 does pay tribute to Nikola Tesla.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisslide 19 spelled imagining wrong in the last sentence. Great slide show though. I love Scientific American.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNikola Tesla was a good vegetarian, and the contributions of good vegetarians and vegans to scientific and technological development has long been underplayed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf we can trust Wikipedia at all, Nikola Tesla in his later years became a vegetarian. In an article for Century Illustrated Magazine, he wrote:
"It is certainly preferable to raise vegetables, and I think, therefore, that vegetarianism is a commendable departure from the established barbarous habit."
Tesla argued that it is wrong to eat uneconomic meat when large numbers of people are starving; he also believed that plant food was "superior to it [meat] in regard to both mechanical and mental performance".
He also argued that animal slaughter was "wanton and cruel."
Obviously, there is no limit to power of human imagination. Anything and everything we can imagine, or even dream about; "it's doable". The problem is: That with power comes responsibility and we're still making very slow progress in this direction -- one little baby step at the time. You don't believe it!? Then, just take a long and f...g hard look at the state of the art of Weapons Of Mass Destruction(!).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisImagination, Power, Responsibility: That's where we left off (power.prayer at 03:31AM on 08/07/10; above....
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Responsibility" -- to love, to serve & protect one another; not to kill each other. But, this what we've being doing since day one of "Cain & Abel"; and the worse part: We can't seem to be able to stop this trend. In fact, we're always -- Ready, Willing & Able...on lock and load...ready to fire(!). Always ready to kill, search & destroy(!); or dye trying. God help us all if in fact we sincerely believe that: "In God We Trust".
Airplanes and outer space but not the oceans,the Challenger Expedition might have received a nod. Is it true that your publication refused to accept the Wright brothers until several weeks or months after their historic flight?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat about DNA and the Human Genome?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI love Scientific American ...... great history really
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhen you are looking into a telescope back in to the space! You do not see (as presumed) back in space billions of years, in fact, you see everything as it is in present not in the past! Past do not exist remember? In fact that little eye set, through which you look projects you billions of years into the future just momentary, (future is not here, therefore it also do not exist) it is all entropy of the present, which cannot be explained.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEverything we were told until now, about everything was just an aswamtion; time is the same here and now, as it is at the other end of the universe. Chaotic energy is indiscriminating to our intelligent existence.
Nevertheless, until someone would be able to explain how. I can remember and recall the exact video capture of myself at the age of 3-4 years old, (just as if it was yesterday?) Then I may be contemplating to endorse some ideas (I am 79 years old now)
This slide show is great! Since slide shows (and videos) can be put on the Web at relatively low cost, it would be wonderful to have slide shows on recent developments in specific fields, such as the different possible applications of nanotechnology. Or, better, include such slide shows and videos in the issues of Scientific American Digital.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHas SA thought of doing a cd version of all SA magazines similiar to NatGeo's collection?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRethinking (redone): Digital Scientific American (DSA) or Scientific American-Digital (SA-D) would be better than Scientific American Digital (SAD), at least as far as acronyms are concerned. (My apologies for not getting it right the first time.)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisScientific American used to be much better. With its increased emphasis on soft science (sociology and psychology) and its commentary by non-scientist science writers, including religion, it's become a populist rag.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSM used to be a much better magazine. It's more akin to Popular Science now with its emphasis on social commentary and psychology along with commentary by non-scientist science writers. I'd rather see less political and regligious commentary. I go elsewhere for that; and the bias of its writers is rather clear.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe content of your slideshows are always interesting, but the web design of your slideshows require a lot of mouse-action. The slideshows on modern websites are oriented on the slides themselves, not the site's banner. Maybe it's time to hire a web designer with his/her head in the 21st century.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCongratulations on the occasion of your 165 -th birth day! Keep always high your distinct flag and scientific quality and prestige as you did until now .
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisKeep always high your distinct flag and scientific quality and prestige as you did until now. Congratulations on the occasion of your 165-th birth day anniversary !.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNo Pasteur, discovery of penicillin,Watson & Crick? No Baltimore & Temin? Shame on you!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOther than the brain, where are the important discoveries in the fields of medical & biological sciences? Of Jenner,Lister, Pasteur, Watson & Crick, Baltimore & Temin, the story of DNA & the Human Genome Project, Aids research? I love reading Scientific American, but this history is much too heavy in the physical sciences.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSorry gelunelu but the image you see in the telescope that took light years to arrive is the image from light years ago. The image was not updated as it arrived. Your assumption is faulty.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this