For some, this year in science may be remembered more for its disasters than its successes. On January 16 the space shuttle Columbia launched to great fanfare, only to fail tragically on re-entry 16 days later. Then came news of the mysterious and lethal disease known as SARS, which sparked worldwide panic. And a midsummer blackout stretching from Ontario to New York served as a vivid reminder of how dependent we are on a fragile power grid.
Amid these calamities, however, a number of noteworthy achievements unfolded. China became the third nation to send people into space; paleontologists working in Ethiopia unearthed the oldest known members of our species; researchers applied virtual reality to colonoscopies and autopsies with stunning results. In addition, the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA and the centennial of powered flight served as springboards for reflection on the bigger picture of scientific progress.
Below, and in no particular order, are 25 of the stories that most impressed us here at Scientific American.com. Some are included on the basis of their significance, others for sheer fun. --The Editors
Skulls of Oldest Homo sapiens Recovered
Gecko-Inspired Adhesive Sticks It to Traditional Tape
Four-Winged Dinosaur and the Dawn of Flight
New Drug May Mitigate Peanut Allergy
The Infant Universe, In Detail
The Cold Odds against Columbia
Pet Prairie Dogs Suspected in U.S. Monkeypox Outbreak
New Study Finds Agent Orange Use Was Underestimated
Large Fish Populations Imperiled
Harvesting Hydrogen Fuel from Plants Gets Cheaper
Electronic Paper Speeds Up for Videos
Number of Threatened Species Tops 12,000
Autopsies, No Scalpel Required
100 Years of Flight: The Equivocal Success of the Wright Brothers
Ink Analysis Smudges Case for Forgery of Vinland Map
Scientists Discover New Frog Family
E-mail Study Corroborates Six Degrees of Separation
Celebrating the Genetic Jubilee: A Conversation with James Watson
Astronomers Find Most Ancient Planet Yet
Read Comments (0) | Post a comment 1 2 Next >
RSS Feeds
Blog
Podcasts
Mobile
Widgets