American Scientist

Those who don’t learn from the past might be doomed to repeat it, but what about those who do know their history? Perhaps they can use that knowledge to be more creative going forward.

Bernard Wood and Alexis Uluutku take us on the ultimate human history field trip, back to the earliest stages of hominin evolution (“The Inevitably Incomplete Story of Human Evolution”). Life is often depicted as a branching tree, but the authors caution that with an unavoidably patchy fossil record and a human tendency toward cognitive bias, we should expect the path of human evolution to more closely resemble a loosely braided rope. As the field of paleoanthropology continues to advance, more evidence may help create a fuller picture, but, the authors argue, we should never expect a complete one. That understanding may help researchers consider how they interpret newly found fossils.

Sometimes history doesn’t give us an accurate picture until we look again. As Dana Mackenzie recounts in Computing Science (“The Princess and the Philosopher”), famous figures may have had influences that weren’t acknowledged, but should be.

In this issue’s Perspective column, David Warmflash takes us back to the days before computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, when the only ways to view the brain were invasive and risky (“The Early Years of Brain Imaging”). Nonetheless, these techniques advanced the field to where it is now. Future medical professionals may look back on today’s techniques with a similar judgment of their comparative primitiveness, so such awareness can reinforce medical researchers’ drive to find techniques that will better patient outcomes.

History can also help us avoid unintended consequences. In Technologue (“The Right Mount”), Lee Langston discusses jet engines, which have become larger over time to boost both performance and fuel economy. Where and how engines are mounted can affect how the plane handles, and when things go awry, tragedy can result. Engines are still increasing in size, so these lessons learned could potentially prevent disasters on upcoming flights.

In Engineering, Henry Petroski discusses what was once seen as a major threat to the British empire—public education (“The Public Lecture and Social Mobility”). We may now take for granted that there are any number of lecture halls (or online talks) where interesting topics can be explored. But at one time, no such resources existed, and how they developed and provided an avenue for social mobility for the working classes can inform our priorities for educational access.

In our cover feature, Matthew Hartings reports on an innovative interpretation of established technologies in the area of 3D printing food (“A Chemist’s Guide to 3D-Printed Cuisine”). The groundwork for this kind of culinary and chemical innovation has existed for decades—if you have ever tried a cheese puff snack, then you’ve eaten a food that was cooked through extrusion. Hartings describes how existing 3D-printing technology and materials are being adapted into food-safe versions, creating novel shapes and combinations. It might be a while before a food replicator out of science fiction exists, but there are some interesting developments along that path already.

How much do you consider the history of science in your own research? Are there ways that understanding the past makes you more creative? Feel free to write to us, or post your comments on our social media.—Fenella Saunders (@FenellaSaunders)