}

Looking at last year: 2005 in science

2006/01/30 Rementeria Argote, Nagore - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

We are already in full 2006. However, it should not be forgotten what happened last year, since you can learn a lot from the past. As for science, in 2005 we have had news and there have been no lack of debates. For example, the prestigious scientific journal Science has selected evolution as a central theme in 2005, including in a list nine other topics beyond evolution. In this way, they have prepared a list with the ten most important topics of the year 2005.

It is little wonder that the main topic has focused on evolution, especially considering that the journal Science is published in the United States, where the controversy focuses on whether evolution should be taught in schools — based on the findings of Charles Darwin — and especially on how it should be taught.

In astronomy, the Cassini-Huygens mission sent by NASA to Saturn has been the focus of 2005.
ANDÉN

Not only for the past year, but for the rest, evolution is a fundamental scientific theme, since it is the basis of current biology. And in the journal Science, in addition to mentioning the polemic, throughout the year have been mentioned the most notorious discoveries related to evolution, such as the decoding of the genome of chimpanzee, the research carried out with the livestock of Chinese, whose populations are distributed during the reproductive period, some directed towards the north and others towards the south, so that due to the generational proliferation of the project has been divided into two species of pecuers, etc.

As seen, they are research that combines evolution and genetics. This demonstrates the genetic contribution to the study of the evolution of species.

Climate change has been included in the journal Science as one of the main topics of 2005.

Genetics, for its part, has meant in 2005 a series of advances in science, among which are those related to neurological diseases. For example, they have linked schizophrenia to a gene and have seen that genes related to Tourette syndrome (nerve tics) also have to do with dyslexia.

Various themes

Astronomy is the protagonist of every year, and in 2005 it has also been. The largest NASA mission at this time corresponds to Saturn: The Cassini-Huygens probe arrived last year to Saturn and aims to study Titan's own planet and moon.

Nor can we forget climate change. Noteworthy is the inclusion of the journal Science in one of the ten main topics, as it shows the vision of American scientists: the government does not want to officially recognize the existence of global warming, but scientists do not seem to be so skeptical. However, last year the attitude of the authorities began to change and it has been convenient to comment on it.

The flower is a reproductive organ of the plants, a very complex structure that was the subject of numerous studies on flowering.

On the other hand, the chemistry of flowering has been included among the ten main themes of the year. In 2005 several discoveries related to plant flowering were made: how the plant decides when it blooms, genetic signals, hormones, etc.

The ITER project has also been included in the list, since last year it was decided that it will be its headquarters in France, in Cadarache, and therefore, in Europe will be the great project related to fusion energy and not in Japan.

In addition to these topics, there are others like the explosions of neutron stars, the functioning of cell networks, the creation of the Earth and the potassium channels in cells.

Therefore, genetics, astronomy, evolution... have been the main themes of 2005. Most of these issues will surely be addressed in 2006.

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