I’ve posed many questions regarding the ethics of research being done. Today, I want to talk about the good science has done. Let’s take a tiny peak at the amazing discoveries of the past decade.
The Human Genome
The year 2000 saw a rough draft of the human genome released. The final draft published in 2003 received updates in 2007.
They believed this research would help alleviate diseases and advance medical break throughs. Sadly, that is slow in coming. The National Human Genome Research Institute estimates that it takes about seventeen years to advance from new research information to something useful for patients. But much is being done. Check out their website for detailed information about research on cystic fibrosis, infectious disease outbreaks, pharmacogenomics, and much more.
Archeology
The 2010s brought extraordinary discoveries in the field of Archeology. British researchers found the body of King Richard III
Airborne lasers led scientists to discover more than 60,000 ancient Maya buildings in Guatemala.
The discovery of Homo Naledi, a new species with a mix of human and primate features, suggests they may have been a hybrid.
Radar detection and lasers and photographs from space have aided archeologists in their search. The number of discoveries made in archeology is impossible to cover in this short blog.
Space
Oh, my. So many discoveries and adventures during the past decade. They finally, 100 years later, confirmed Einstein’s idea and heard or felt the first gravitational waves.
NASA’s Kepler Telescope (and others) found thousands of new exoplanets.
They captured the first image of a black hole.
NASA’s probes, Voyager I and Voyager II, crossed the outer boundary of the heliosphere.
The first commercial spacecraft delivered supplies to the International Space Station.
The Good News Goes On
This is a tiny peak at the amazing discoveries of the past decade. If you’d like to read more,, check out this Cool Blend of Science and Technology post. During the next decade we will explore and study this information (and more), and we will learn more about ourselves, our planet, and the universe.