(Science is a systematic study of anything that can be examined, tested, and verified. The word science is derived from the Latin word scire, meaning “to know.” From its early beginnings, science has developed into one of the greatest and most influential fields of human endeavor. Today different branches of science investigate almost everything that can be observed or detected, and science as a whole shapes the way we understand the universe, our planet, ourselves, and other living things.) (Microsoft Encarta)
Science is a multi-dimensional complex system comprising a community of scientists occupied in research using scientific methods in order to produce new latest information.
All the successive improvements relating to Science could be track down from hot-air balloons to our modern airplanes with their smooth and shiny forms, from bows and arrows to our up-to-date weapons, from undersized bungalows to extensive and colossal infrastructures and from wooden carriages without horses to our state-of-the-art cars with their sleek bodies of plastic and steel.
We could talk about the advancements of modern-day electronics or to mention about computers or airplanes or television or robots or any of the other cutting-edge and forward-looking marvels of nowadays.
Isn’t it amazing? We live in a time when we have some of the most technologically leading-edge pieces of machinery at our beck and call.
These modern-day products are the result and combination of countless small steps along the way. Take the automobile for instance. The very first step along that road was the invention of the wheel.
Fact is here are some of the up-to-the-minute innovations and discoveries in the different fields of Science since 2009 up to the present time.
Bioethics
-The study and application of moral values, rights, and duties in the fields of medical treatment and research.
- Autonomous Contraception
SOURCE: iStockphoto
(Researchers at Oxford University recently discovered that a genetic defect with the PLC zeta protein in sperm leads to infertility in men because proper functioning of this protein is needed to allow fertilization. It could be an effective male contraceptive drug, were it not for social factors that enable women but not men to effectively regulate their fertility outside of sexual activity and without their partner’s participation or knowledge. This discovery is not only important to men suffering from this type of infertility; it also presents the possibility that researchers could develop a male contraceptive that would inactivate the PLC zeta protein, and that would probably have fewer unpalatable side effects than other male contraceptives under research.)
(http://www.scienceprogress.org/2009/08/autonomous-contraception/)
- One Step Closer to Designer Babies
SOURCE: Flickr/o5com
(This new noninvasive prenatal genetic testing could change human pregnancy forever. This technique being developed analyzes fetal DNA that is collected from women’s blood as early as five weeks into a pregnancy which is so-called “noninvasive prenatal diagnosis,” or NIPD. Because NIPD would be less invasive, less risky, and less expensive than the kinds of fetal gene tests now available, and because it relies on a simple blood draw so early in pregnancy, it is poised to become a prenatal game changer. In other words, NIPD might soon be able to present you with the kind of genetic information about your five-week-old fetus that you can get today about yourself by sending a couple hundred dollars and a wad of spit to one of the “direct-to-consumer” gene test companies peddling their wares online. In both cases, you’d get a report that claims to predict risk for scores of common diseases and “conditions.”)
- A Life Sciences Crucible
Stem Cell Research and Innovation
SOURCE: AP/Paul Sancya
(A research specialist expands human embryonic stem cells under a microscope at the University of Michigan Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Scientists need to conduct research on embryonic stem cells so that they can discover how these all-purpose cells can change into any one of the more than 200 different cell types in the human body. Moreover, by studying the development of embryonic stem cells scientists will be able to discover how the human genome goes about manifesting itself and creating unique individual persons. These efforts will provide us with unprecedented insights into human development, how it can go wrong, and how it can be fixed.)
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
-Deals with the processing and distribution of data using computer hardware and software, telecommunications, and digital electronics.
- The Uncertain Future of Moore’s Law
SOURCE: Intel Corp. Intel's rendition of a traditional 2-D transistor, at left, alongside their new 3-D transistor, right.
(This conviction about the future of digital electronics—silicon microchips—is widely known as “Moore’s Law,” named after Gordon Moore (a chemist and co-founder of both Fairchild Semiconductor and the Intel Corporation) for his explication of this developmental dynamic in silicon microchips in 1964. We have already entered into an age of uncertainty about Moore’s Law itself. This conclusion is somewhat ironic, since Intel announced that it had succeeded in developing a new innovation that will extend Moore’s Law for at least another six years.)
(http://www.scienceprogress.org/2011/06/the-uncertain-future-of-moore%E2%80%99s-law/)ENERGY INNOVATION
- Low-Carbon Innovation
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SOURCE: AP Photo/Jack Dempsey
(The Center for American Progress is proposing a low-carbon economic growth strategy to keep America the innovative industrial leader of the world. The strategy builds on our existing regional ecosystem of economic development policies and it aligns policies across different branches of government. The purpose is to put forth smart incentives that engage private capital markets in deploying essential low-carbon technologies and reinvigorating investment in cutting-edge infrastructure.)
GENOMICS
-The identification and study of gene sequences in the DNA of organisms
Addressing Race and Genetics
Health Disparities in the Age of Personalized Medicine
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