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Tuesday, March 1, 2022

This Month in the Archives

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Dear Reader,

February feels like the longest month because of the cold and dark doldrums in the Northern Hemisphere. Artificial cold has changed the way we farm, transport food, shop, cook and eat. This month we highlight articles from our archives about winter snow and the refrigerator. And we look at the history and uses of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe. Please let us know if there are subjects you'd like to hear more about in future archive newsletters at editors@sciam.com

We hope you enjoy the journey.
Laura Helmuth, Editor in Chief

World-Changing Appliance: The Refrigerator

A commercial refrigerator unit from August 1873 suggests why the “ice-box” was not replaced in private homes until the 1930s.

August 1873:

In the 19th century natural (from stored ice) and artificial cold kept food fresher for longer during shipping and storage from farm to home.

November 1929:

The “ice-box” was superseded by “hermetically sealed” electric refrigerators. But their refrigerants were highly toxic and leaks could be lethal.

January 1997:

Albert Einstein (yes, that Einstein) and Leo Szilard invented new varieties of home refrigerators after hearing about lethally toxic refrigerant leaks.

Let it Snow

Snow challenges the function of cities. Old and new methods to get rid of the stuff work side-by-side in this cover image from December 1916.

March 1884:

“Snow shoes" what we call skis now, seem entirely unfamiliar to the American reader in this short article—but it looks fun.

December 1916:

Snow is a problem to be fought and conquered in a big city.

January 1973:

The infinitely variable, ephemeral, six-sided snow crystal has fascinated scientists and kids alike for centuries.

Access 177 Years of Scientific Knowledge

Hydrogen

Hydrogen gas lifts artillery spotting balloons near the front lines in France in the First World War (August 1915).

August 1915:

The chemist as soldier: hydrogen gas was produced and delivered for use in artillery observation balloons during the First World War.

February 1980:

Storing atoms of an odorless, colorless, explosive gas is a challenge. Maybe they can be stuffed into the gaps in metal atoms.

July 2006

Here’s an ambitious idea: store and transport electricity and hydrogen in the same nationwide grid of supercooled conduits.

Current Issue: March 2022

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For more highlights from the archives, you can read March's 50, 100 & 150 Years Ago column.

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New Studies Support Wuhan Market as Pandemic's Origin Point

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February 28, 2022

Epidemiology

New Studies Support Wuhan Market as Pandemic's Origin Point

Report authors say that the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 jumped from animals sold at the market into people twice in late 2019—but some scientists want more definitive evidence

By Amy Maxmen,Nature magazine