Science’s Greatest 180s

Science Quickly

Scientific American

Science

4.4 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 25 August 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Science doesn’t always get it right the first time—and that’s part of the journey. In this anniversary episode, we explore how ideas about nerve damage, sustainable materials and alien life have done a full 180. Recommended Reading Celebrating 180 Years of Scientific American 180 Years of Standing Up for Science How Scientists Finally Learned That Nerves Regrow Proof That Adult Brains Make New Neurons Settles Scientific Controversy Plastics Started as a Sustainability Solution. What Went Wrong? The Search for Extraterrestrial Life Is a Roller Coaster of Hope and Disappointment Join the #SciAmInTheWild photography challenge for a chance to win a one-year Unlimited subscription to Scientific American—plus an exclusive bundle of gadgets and gear to level up your next adventure. See the rules for entry here. Email us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:41.7	Happy Monday, listeners.
0:45.6	For Scientific American Science quickly, I'm Rachel Feldman.
0:57.0	Today, we're doing something a little different from our usual weekly news roundup. Scientific American turns 180 this year, and we recently celebrated with a collection of print features about times in history
1:05.0	when science has seemingly done a complete pivot, a 180 turn, if you will.
1:11.7	We thought it would be fun to take you on a tour of a few highlights from that package.
1:16.1	First up, we have a story from freelance health and life sciences journalist Diana Kwan
1:20.8	about nerve regeneration.
1:23.0	For millennia, doctors and scientists believed that any damage to the nerve cells that carry signals throughout the body must be irreversible.
1:31.3	While many instances of nerve damage are indeed difficult to treat, scientists have realized over the past couple of centuries that nerves can and do regenerate.
1:41.3	Throughout this evolution in our understanding of nerves, it was still widely believed
1:45.5	that neurons within the central nervous system, composed of the brain and spinal cord, were incapable
1:51.2	of healing. Now we know that even these most precious neurons can regenerate under the right
1:57.1	conditions. As research continues into exactly which mechanisms encourage or block
	...

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