Top Ten Scientific Discoveries of 2007 179
Josh Fink writes "Time Magazine has a piece about the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2007. '#1. Stem Cell Breakthroughs - In November, Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University and molecular biologist James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin reported that they had reprogrammed regular skin cells to behave just like embryonic stem cells. The breakthrough may someday allow scientists to create stem cells without destroying embryos -- sidestepping the sticky ethical issues and opposition from the U.S. government that surround embryonic stem-cell research -- but that day is still a ways off. ' Also included in the top 10 editorial are pieces on the top 10 medical breakthroughs, the top 10 man made disasters and the top 10 green 'ideas'."
And on Slashdot (Score:4, Funny)
Re:And on Slashdot (Score:5, Funny)
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Why should posters be exempt from the silliness they accuse Slashdot of?
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I'd like a +1 underrated, please.
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-mcgrew
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Strange (Score:3, Funny)
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No, but it did make the top Ten Man-Made Disast...Oh never mind. Too easy
htmlslideshow (Score:5, Interesting)
I hope Time gets paid per impression because that's the only way they'll get ad revenue from me. (And viewing all of those forty pages seems like a good way to punish the advertizers who enable articles like these.)
Re:htmlslideshow - 2008? (Score:2, Insightful)
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I hope Time gets paid per impression because that's the only way they'll get ad revenue from me. (And viewing all of those forty pages seems like a good way to punish the advertizers who enable articles like these.)
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Dissapointing (Score:5, Interesting)
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Discovering the brightest supernova or the oldest living animal have their merit, but really they're just interesting things that people found.
The oldest animal is important. There's a huge debate in medicine about whether ageing is a disease process or a biological inevitability for animals. Finding really old animals supports the 'disease' argument, since the evidence is increasing those clams at least don't seem to age.
You could argue that this is a real scientific advance, whereas others like the photon storage you cite are just a technological advances of no real scientific merit.
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I take issue with your point about photon storage.
Of course you do, I was trolling. But I think the point is valid. Important and awesome as these technological advances are, they don't constitute a contribution to knowledge. If you use the photon thingy to actually discover something, then that's science. Otherwise you've just solved an engineering problem.
I worked in a computational biology lab once. A big argument at the time concerned whether or not students could be awarded a PhD if all they did was software engineering for scientific applica
Kryptonite (Score:2)
Someone involved with the movie "Superman Returns" decided to make up a name for a mineral because the plot had Lex Luthor stealing it from a museum. They used a standard mineral naming scheme. Then someone happened to find a mineral that matched the description.
At least the "transparent aluminum" a while back was actual
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-mcgrew [slashdot.org]
Lost in the "oh goody non embrionic stem cells..." (Score:2, Funny)
I want my clone damnit!
Re:Lost in the "oh goody non embrionic stem cells. (Score:2)
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Re:Lost in the "oh goody non embrionic stem cells. (Score:4, Interesting)
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Re:Lost in the "oh goody non embrionic stem cells. (Score:4, Insightful)
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Completely avoiding the issue of whether an embryo is a "baby" or not, we do lots of medical research on cadavers. We don't go around killing people in order to obtain cadavers for that research, any more than people go around creating and destroying embryos solely to perform research on. I find it strange that learning about human biology is perfectly okay with the remains of a 90 year old man, but not with the remains of
heh, and they missed the most important part (Score:5, Interesting)
And more importantly, since these stem cells will have the exact genetic material (slightly shorter telomeres, but theres so much junk at the end it would take a total of about 500 no-telomerase activity years of life before that cause any genetic difference that would impact organsim traits) of an organizm that can be examined and studied, a lot more use experimentation can be performed with them, with a lot less effort.
In other news, top 10 things I've procrastinated. (Score:3, Funny)
2. Coming up with a good critique of why there isn't really a top "10"
3. extend that with how it belittles the rest of the work that has been done
4. complain about not gettin
5. Change sig
6.
Top ten things I've done this year (Score:2)
9. Showed up at work enough times to not get fired
8. Showed up at work on time enough times to not get fired
7. Avoided house fires
6. Drank like a fish
5. Avoided hospititalization after falling on my head
4. Got my nerd license suspended by getting a really good looking female roomate
3. Avoided DUI by walking home from the bars
2. Didn't get murdered [slashdot.org] despite the fact that a lot of guys think i'm fucking their wives and girlfriends
1. Got
Interesting combos (Score:4, Funny)
Discovery #0... (Score:4, Funny)
(I hate these "top X of this year" before the year has even ended, though at least this one is less than a month early)
Re:Discovery #0... (Score:5, Funny)
"If I make a significant scientific breakthrough, I will postpone its announcement, to the best of my ability, until December 20th of that year, so as to screw over moronic publishers who do 'year-in-review' specials before that year is over."
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Top 10 Destroyed Discoveries (Score:5, Insightful)
Aren't we just a great at discovering?
Re:Top 10 Destroyed Discoveries (Score:5, Funny)
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Scientist 1: Look at this... the oldest known living creature on earth.
Scientist 2: Let's kill it.
Scientist 1: Agreed.
I mean seriously... they couldn't wait until it died naturally? Or failing that... with all of the scanning technologies available nowadays, they weren't able to look at it's shell without killing it? Or take a tiny sliver of said shell?
I'm probably just not understanding the methods required to find it's age... but s
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Scientist 2: Let's kill it.
I don't think that's quite the sequence of events -- the clam didn't come up with an "Oldest Known Living Creature On Earth!" sign on its back! They dredged up some samples, examined them and found this one to be remarkably old.
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I may be mistaken, and it may well be nigh-identical to every other one out there... but if the shell alone can tell you how old it is, surely they must have a 'quick-test' to at least give you a ballpark age that leaves it alive, before you go and smash it with a hammer. It's l
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But here out of the blue, I come across Kabutroid on Slashdot.
Small world!
(-Jesse D)
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Not necessarily. Only humans kill for the hell of it. It had been alive for over 400 fucking years!
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-- Gandalf the scienti-- no wait, he was a wizard! Aha, now I finally understand the difference between magic and science!
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/28/nclam128.xml [telegraph.co.uk]
``The "Arctica islandica" was among a haul of 3,000 empty shells and 34 live molluscs taken to the laboratory.''
``Unfortunately, by the time its true age had been established Ming was already dead. But the scientists aged the 3.4in clam from its shell which like trees has a layer or ring of growth for every year that the animal has been alive.''
I don't care what you say (Score:4, Funny)
But, this year? (Score:4, Funny)
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What? You mean I've been using my hand for nothing?
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more curiosities than discoveries (Score:5, Interesting)
All very nice in a "boys book of wonders" way, but very little in the way of actionable information. Maybe that's the way of pure science, but I was rather hoping that at least one of these discoveries would have a material effect on my life. (
(and no, I don't think mapping Craig Venter's gemone counts).
Without this press release, I would not... (Score:3, Funny)
Worst Disasters: Wheres the Mud Volcano (Score:4, Informative)
Considering its permanently displaced 11,000 people, over 10KM squared. I'd say thats a far larger disaster then for example, a bridge collapsing in the states, or a plane killing 300.
It's killed 200 people, and was probably caused by the gas drilling company cutting corners on its drilling.
http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn11025-indonesian-mud-volcano-caused-by-gas-drilling.html [newscientist.com]
I'd personally have that at #1 or #2, i also question having global warming as the #1 man made disaster, since i don't consider it being a disaster yet. The worst that comes to my mind is hurricane Katrina, and even then, there is no decisive link to the two.
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i also question having global warming as the #1 man made disaster, since i don't consider it being a disaster yet. The worst that comes to my mind is hurricane Katrina, and even then, there is no decisive link to the two.
I don't link Katrina to global climate change, but it was in part a man made disaster.
Contrary to what Bush will tell you, people had known for years that the levees would fail under a hurricane of that strength. It was only a matter of when one would come along.
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I am lover of GW but please.
The governor and the Mayor should have been shoot.
Where didn't they evacuate the city? Why did they leave the school buses that could have been used to evacuate in the flood plain? Why didn't the state have enough shelters for the population of New Orleans?
Why didn't they have enough food, water, and police in the convention center and the super dome?
I live in hurricane country. The fact that the idiot mayor got another te
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That's small potatoes to the sheer number of species we've been accidentally killing over the years, increasing the rate of extinction by many many fold over what is natural. *That* is a human caused disaster worth noting.
Obligatory Global Warming nod (Score:4, Interesting)
I love that line. Can be taken as a claim that we cause the majority of it or just .00001% of it.
But it gets better. Basically Global Warming is at fault for all weather bad, specifically all weather events that costs us money. Regardless if the earth was warmer before, regarldess of the fact we don't know out own planet's ideal temperature, regardless of the fact we can't even forcast a year ahead, and finally - regardless of the fact that the people who win from all the Global Warming scare mongering are politicians and big business.
Then we have a plane wreck as #2? Followed by a retinue of things that more accidental than "purposely caused" With mining accidents it amazes me we still ignore the thousands who die in China in these accidents. We lose six or seven in America and it makes the top 10???
IPCC as the #1 green idea? That bunch of bad science and fraud? Using names without permission to bolster their claims and using the power of government to intimidate others? The second entry was not much better. All that GW and the green push accomplish at the government level is to give politicians new ways to spend money, new titles, and even more travel to exotic locations. Carbon Capping? Basically new embedded tax passed onto consumers so big dirty corporations can still pollute. Oh I know there is that part about "refund" to consumers from the government - but we know better don't we. It will come as targetted benefits to buy votes. Most of these green ideas reek of deperateness to find something to make a top ten list. I can think of ten better stories - top ten green developments - like improvements in solar cell manufacturing, CFLs, how many companies recycle their waste for fuel (McDs in England) and such.
Now the medical section was much better. At least here we had some real good entries. The difference here is that this is real science, where the green section isn't science half the time. The diabetes news from last year was great. We are well on our way to getting people off of needles.
Sorry but Time's top ten lists are more politically motivated and to curry favor with certain groups than to provide any real knowledge or laud accomplishmen. Notice how their top ten disasters are not in countries that might react badly towards their reporters in the future? Stick to areas like the medical advances, put in another for technological advances, and ditch the political spin crap ideas and we might have lists worth a damn, lists that tell people what really means something.
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I can't believe you Global-Warming-Deniers even bother with such an assinine arguement. Unless everybody on the entire planet has infinite mobility, it is quite apparent that ANY deviation from the established norm spells disaster. Populations shift with climate change and have established themselves according to the CURRENT climate. When change comes too abruptly (whether or not toward some idiotic "ideal temperature" idea
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There are two fallacies in your argument.
First, we have established ourselves according to past climate, the climate was not always what it currently is, we inherit evolution and establishment from previous period, so our current climate may not be optimal.
Second, even if we adapt to a specific environment, it does not imply we cannot be more fitted to another environment.
A blind person may adapt his habi
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Your lack of intelligence is shining very brightly. Yes, of course climate has changed in the past and people have migrated. The problem is not climate change in itself, i
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You're both missing the point here. (Score:2)
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Now where does it say that?
Regardless if the earth was warmer before,
Thank you, this is known to everyone and accounted for. It is the rate of change that is scary.
regarldess of the fact we don't know out own planet's ideal temperature
There is no such thing as an ideal temperature, and no one has claimed that there is.
regardless of the fact we can't even forcast a year ahead
Climate is not the same thing as weather.
regardless of the
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You're an idiot. The carbon dioxide you breathe out is used by plants who then use it in the process of photosynthesis, which releases oxygen. Creating carbon dioxide by burning things that had been in the ground for millions of years, on the other hand, while simultaneously burning the forests and killing other photosynthesizing creatures that could absorb the carbon dioxide is a very bad idea. It causes the overall inc
Top 20 (Score:5, Insightful)
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#9 - World's Oldest Living Animal (Score:3, Informative)
Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
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The shell in question "ming" was brought up during dredging for Global warming research. By the time they got to the specimen, it had died. Researchers didn't physically kill it to fin
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Top Ten Scientific Discoveries of 2007 (So Far) (Score:2)
Why not wait until 2008 starts, then they don't run the risk of "Cancer Cure Found!!!" occurring on the 31st December. I know it's not very likely, since all the scientists will likely not be inventing any more, but getting hammered every day until the holidays are over, but still...
Re: Top Ten Scientific Discoveries of 2007 (So Far (Score:2)
What, no Influenza Study? (Score:3, Interesting)
IMO, the discover that may end up having the most impact will end up being the guys who discovered what atmospheric conditions are most condusive to the transmission of Influenza. [iht.com]
Don't want to get sick?, crank up the heat, and plug in that humidifier.
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Brings up a question: just how practical would it be to put humidifiers on aircraft?
Best Quote (Score:2)
Take that Kim Jong-il
the list (no clicking required) (Score:2, Informative)
Scientists reprogrammed regular skin cells to behave just like embryonic stem cells.
#2. Human Mapped
J. Craig Venter published his entire "diploid" genetic sequence, or all the DNA in both sets of chromosomes inherited from each of his parents -- the first such genome ever published of a single person.
#3. Brightest Supernova Recorded
It was the first time scientists saw the death of a star as large as SN 2006gy, which was approximately 100 to 200 times the size of the sun.
#4. Hundre
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A mineralologist discovered a white, powdery mineral that has the same properties - sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide -- as the fictional kryptonite."
Who did they test it on? Christopher Reeve is dead alreadymmm
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maybe Bush is worried that all the scientific research will discover he's the missing link in the fossil records?
Further correction.... (Score:2)
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Re:Further correction.... (Score:4, Interesting)
I am living proof of this as my meds cost around 80k a month.
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Re:'Discoveries' (Score:4, Informative)
And they didn't kill it to prove it was the oldest living animal. They brought up a bunch of clams, started measuring ages, and found one of the dead ones had been 405 years old.
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The only thing less rational would be if someone [wikipedia.org] were pro-life, except of course for when it came to capital punishment.
* Bush even praised in vitro fertilization in his 2001 speech about the horrors of stem-cell research
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