Top Ten Stories

7/28/2019 Top Ten Stories

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/top-ten-stories 1/7

 Permanent Address: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=top-10-science-stories-2011 

The Top 10 Science Stories of 2011 

Tsunami-damaged nuclear reactors, Twitter -fueled political uprisings, a possible violation of Einsteinian physics--these and other highlights defined this year in science and technology

By The Editors  | Thursday, December 22, 2011 | 5 

Image: Ryan Reid

Advertisement

Inevitably, year-end lists invite plenty of debate and criticism, and Scientific American's is noexception. Certainly, we could have included the discovery of new worlds beyond our solar system, including Kepler 22 b, an exoplanet in the "Goldilocks" zone of habitability, as well asthe first known Earth-size exoplanets. Or noted the accumulating evidence suggesting that

hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to retrieve natural gas is likely to contaminate water supplies.(Final New York State regulations, expected in mid-2012, could determine the future of frackingin the U.S.)

Other candidates included the report of a new target against HIV, in which a doorway toinfection (the so-called CCR5 receptor on immune cells) is blocked; the demonstration (usingdiamonds) that quantum entanglement can occur in everyday objects; and the MESSENGER spacecraft's  photos of the planet Mercury, the first ever taken from orbit.

7/28/2019 Top Ten Stories

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/top-ten-stories 2/7

Some of our top choices could very well have an immediate effect on our lives. The impact of others may not be felt for years. Some discoveries may vanish altogether. We'll just have to seehow things turn out in the years ahead. But no matter what, 2011 held big surprises in scienceand technology.

» Start the countdown of our top 10 science stories in 2011 

IBM's Watson Computer Wins on

 J eopardy! 

In February IBM's Watson capitalized onits advanced natural language –  processing, informationretrieval and machine-learning capabilities to soundlydefeat two highly accomplished Jeopardy! champions — Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter  — at their own game.

Although some pundits have dismissed the event as astunt, Watson's abilities should prove useful outside of game shows. In 2012 look for Watson to beginapplying its advanced analytics skills in the health care

industry to improve patient diagnosis and treatment. Health insurance provider WellPoint, Inc., isworking with IBM to develop software for Watson that will let physicians coordinate medicaldata  based on specific patient needs as well as help identify the most likely diagnosis andtreatment options in complex cases.

As far as conversing with computers, most people will be able to relate to the Siri voice-activated

navigator on Apple's iPhone 4S this year before they get a chance to interact with anything assophisticated as Watson. At least the conversation has begun. —  Larry Greenemeier  

 Image of the Watson computer courtesy of IBM 

« PreviousIntroduction 

Top 10

Science Storiesof 2011

 Next »9. The Bankruptcy of Solar-Cell Maker Solyndra 

The Sun Sets on Solyndra 

In 2010 President Barack Obama hailedSolyndra for "demonstrating that the promise of clean

energy isn't just an article of faith." In 2011 thecompany, which pioneered cylindrical thin-film solar cells, filed for bankruptcy — signaling the end of a longsolar boom in the U.S.

For some observers, Solyndra became a symbol of the

7/28/2019 Top Ten Stories

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/top-ten-stories 3/7

failures of spending taxpayer dollars to support particular industries (although that role could justas easily have gone to fellow 2011 bankruptcies flywheel-makers Beacon Power  or   biofuel-maker Range Fuels).

But the truth is, Solyndra failed because solar power is now cheap — conventional silicon

 photovoltaic modules can be had for roughly $1 per watt, compared with more than $3 per wattfor Solyndra's thin-film cylindrical versions. That's a good thing for those who would like to seethe renewable technology on more rooftops. In fact, 2011 was a  banner year for the U.S. solar industry in terms of installations and the like.

Still, solar power cannot compete on cost with electricity generated from burning fossil fuels inmany places — and with the end of government subsidy programs in most parts of the globefollowing Solyndra's bankruptcy, next year looks set to be even more challenging for solar companies. —  David Biello 

 Image of cylindrical thin-film solar cells courtesy of Solyndra

« Previous10. IBM's Watson

Computer Wins on Jeopardy! 

Top 10Science Stories

of 2011

 Next »8. Gene Therapy Makesa Comeback  

Gene Therapy Makes a Comeback  

Maligned for many years after  a 1999study led to the death of an 18-year-old patient, genetherapy may have finally recovered its promise as breakthrough medicine. In recent years the field hastaken positive steps, culminating most recently in the

successful — 

and safe — 

treatment of hemophilia B.

The new treatment uses a modified cold virus, outfitted with a gene that hemophiliacs aremissing. The gene in question allows the body to produce Factor IX, which helps the blood toclot.

The study, published online in December by The New England Journal of Medicine, onlyenrolled six patients —  but after the therapy, four of them could halt their regular Factor IXinfusions, and the other two could safely reduce the frequency of their infusions.

Coupled with another success earlier this year (treating children born with severe combined

immune deficiency), along with new ways of delivering missing genes, the field is offeringrenewed hope for treating genetic disorders. —  Katherine Harmon 

 Image of gene therapy courtesy of the Genetics Home Reference a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine® 

« Previous9. The Bankruptcy of Solar-Cell Maker Solyndra 

Top 10Science Stories

of 2011

 Next »7. The Death of a Computer Icon 

7/28/2019 Top Ten Stories

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/top-ten-stories 4/7

7. The Death of Steve Jobs 

In many of Steve Jobs's obituaries, theword "genius" seemed to follow within 20letters of his name. Although some of the

coverage bordered on hagiography, the accounts also provided an opportunity for an extended meditation onthe nature of technological innovation. In an age of open systems, Apple under Jobs had put in place aculture that tried to strive for unyielding control over the location and positioning of every screw and solder  joint in its products.

Jobs's death came at a new peak of success for the company. After many earlier ups and downs,the company had brought to market during the 2000s an array of stunning new offerings: sleek desktop and notebook computers; the iPod, iTunes, the iPhone, the iPad and glass retail stores

that seem to serve as magnets for technophiles of every age.

Jobs was infamous for his overbearing management style and sometimes poor treatment of employees. But Apple's achievements may not have resulted from such controlling behavior:James Surowiecki of The New Yorker [commented that this unparalleled success came as Jobsdecided to ease up slightly on the compulsiveness button. In an earlier incarnation, Jobs wouldhave never allowed "apps" written by outsiders to run on his machines. Yet the ubiquity of theapp has also helped Apple flourish, creating as Surowiecki put it, "market ecosystems" that brought the company to new levels of power and profits. — Gary Stix 

See our In-Depth Report, "Steve Jobs: A Technology Visionary Leaves a Huge Legacy" 

 Image: Courtesy of Spaceageboy/Flickr 

« Previous8. Gene Therapy Makes a Comeback  

Top 10Science Stories

of 2011

 Next »6. The End of the Space Shutt le Program 

The End of the Space Shuttle Program 

Oh the places we went!

In a Space Age finale, the launch of  Atlantis on July 8concluded the U.S. space shuttle program. After  135missions flown in five orbiters over three decades — 

during which there was the catastrophic loss of twoshuttles and 14 astronauts — the routine flight of STS135 to the International Space Station (ISS)culminated 50 years of almost continuous U.S.manned spaceflight. It also the marked the first time

7/28/2019 Top Ten Stories

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/top-ten-stories 5/7

the U.S. gave up its technology to lob humans into space without a clear plan for where it will goafter it regains its spacefaring capability.

 Now, with Russia's Soyuz affording the only access to the ISS, the U.S. is developing its nextgeneration of space hardware, aiming to send astronauts to destinations beyond low Earth orbit 

 before 2030 — 

most likely the moon or an asteroid. — 

 Michael Battaglia 

See our In-Depth Report, "The End of the Space Shuttle Program" and all 135 missions in an 8-minute video tribute 

 Image: NASA

« Previous7. The Death of a Steve

Jobs 

Top 10Science Stories

of 2011

 Next »5.Evidence for the HiggsBoson 

A Hint of Higgs 

Has the cagey Higgs boson finally beencornered? In a highly anticipated announcement, twointernational teams of physicists said in December thatthe Large Hadron Collider (LHC) had seen  blips in itsdata consistent with the existence of the Higgs, a particle that has long been suspected to exist but hasnever been seen.

The boson is a natural outcrop of the Higgs mechanism, the leading hypothesis for why theelementary particles that make up atoms, people and planets have mass. The latest data aresuggestive but not conclusive; the LHC should settle the matter in 2012.  —  John Matson 

 Image showing a signature of a decaying Higgs particle courtesy of CERN 

« Previous6. The End of the Space

Shuttle Program 

Top 10Science Stories

of 2011

 Next »4. Record-SettingExtreme Weather  

Record-Setting Extreme Weather 

Overflowing rivers swollen by persistentrains. Over a million acres scorched by wildfires.Mighty blizzards blanketing the Northeast. One

hundred ninety-nine tornadoes in a single day. Theweather outside was not just frightful, but also costly.Although the number of extreme weather events have been increasing all over the world in the past fewyears, in 2011 the U.S. set a record in weather-related

damage with 12 catastrophes that cost at least $1 billion each. The damage from the May 22tornado that devastated Joplin, Mo., alone could top $3 billion.

7/28/2019 Top Ten Stories

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/top-ten-stories 6/7

Extreme weather events have hit other nations hard as well, including Pakistan, the Philippinesand Australia, which have all seen heavy flooding. All the events have convinced many expertsthat with climate change, the weather will, unfortunately, only get worse. —  Rose Eveleth 

See our In-Depth Report, "Extreme Weather and Climate Change"

 Image of Hurricane Irene: NOAA

« Previous5. Evidence for the

Higgs Boson 

Top 10Science Stories

of 2011

 Next »3. Faster-than-Light Neutrinos? 

Faster-Than-Light Neutrinos? 

In September a team of researchersunveiled a finding that, if correct, would completelyupend physics. In an experiment called OPERA, the physicists clocked lightweight particles called

neutrinos making the subterranean journey fromSwitzerland to Italy 60 nanoseconds faster than theywould have moving at the speed of light, which sincethe time of Einstein's theory of special relativity has

 been considered the cosmic speed limit.

But most physicists are banking on Einstein; the consensus view is that OPERA's neutrinos onlyappear to be outpacing light-speed, perhaps because of some unaccounted-for experimentalcalibration. —  John Matson 

 Image of OPERA's Dario Autiero presenting his group's neutrino result courtesy of CERN 

« Previous4. Record-Setting Extreme Weather  

Top 10Science Stories

of 2011

 Next »2. Technology Fuels the Arab Spring

Technology Fuels the Arab Spring 

In the last year new technologies didn't justmake our lives easier  — they completely changed the political structure of the Middle East. Twitter had ahand in  bringing down a several dictatorships this year as protestors in the Middle East communicated and

organized with one another  via social media. 

The Arab Spring began in December 2010 after theself-immolation of fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi, who was protesting high unemploymentrates in Tunisia. News and images of his protest began moving quickly. Protests in Tunisiaousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, and by February resistance broughtdown the 30-year regime of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, forcing him to resign. In

7/28/2019 Top Ten Stories

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/top-ten-stories 7/7

August, after months of protests that erupted into a civil war, Libya's dictator since 1969,Muammar Gaddafi, was hunted down by opposition forces and killed.

To see if Twitter played a role in regime change, researchers from the University of Washingtonin Seattle analyzed millions of tweets, looking for words like "revolution," "liberty," and "Ben

Ali." The occurrence of those words spiked as the revolutions got underway. They also saw thatthe activity from Egypt on Twitter in the days before Mubarak resigned increased 100-fold. Thestudy concludes that the service played a key role in toppling dictators in Egypt and Tunisia,although other experts debate  just how much social media tools drove the revolutions. —  Rose Eveleth 

 Image of Tahir Square in Cairo, February 2, 2011, courtesy of Al Jazeera/Flickr 

« Previous3. Faster-than-Light

 Neutrinos? 

Top 10Science Stories

of 2011

 Next »1. The Japan Tsunamiand Nuclear Crisis 

The Japan Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis 

On March 11, a catastrophic earthquakeand subsequent tsunami killed nearly 16,000 people inJapan — and destroyed a nuclear power complex. In thedays and weeks that followed, the Fukushima Daiichifacility went on to experience three meltdowns and, because of a buildup of hydrogen gas, multipleexplosions.

After months of  heroic efforts workers have officially succeeded in achieving "cold shutdown" — 

that is, keeping the temperatures in the damaged reactors below 100 degrees Celsius so that the

water used to cool the reactors does not just quickly boil away. Such a shutdown state makes itsimpler to keep the melted nuclear fuel from undergoing further fission. Unfortunately, leaks inthe reactor containment vessels means that water must continue to be added to keep the reactorschilled.

Regardless, much damage has been done. Roughly 88,000 people have been evacuated from anarea of 20 kilometers surrounding the power plant, many never to return. Most recently, theutility that owns the plant spilled 45,000 liters of radioactive cooling water , and radioactiveelements spewed  by the power plant have been found over an area of some 30,000 squarekilometers. The multiple meltdowns slowed the pace of new nuclear power plant constructionglobally —  potentially setting back efforts to combat climate change — as well as created the

world's newest nuclear park , otherwise known as an "exclusion zone." — 

 David Biello 

See our In-Depth Report, "The Japan Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis" 

 Image of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant courtesy of www.digitalglobe.com