19 December 2008
Vol 322, Issue 5909, Pages 1739-1894
Breakthrough of the Year——
News
BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR: Reprogramming Cells
Gretchen Vogel
Science 19 December 2008: 1766-1767.
Summary: By inserting genes that turn back a cell's developmental clock,
researchers are gaining insights into disease and the biology of how a cell
decides its fate.
BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR: The Runners-Up
Science 19 December 2008: 1768.
Summary: The first direct detections of exoplanets topped the list of this
year's runners-up for Breakthrough of the Year. Other notable discoveries
included cancer genes, new high-temperature superconductors, and a new
water-splitting catalyst.
PHENOMENON OF THE YEAR: European Big Science
Daniel Clery
Science 19 December 2008: 1769.
Summary: By most objective measures, U.S. research still leads the world, but
in their ability to pool resources in the pursuit of "big science," European
nations are showing increasing ambition and success.
BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR: Scorecard
Science 19 December 2008: 1770-1771.
Summary: The Large Hadron Collider came on smoothly in just a few hours, in
keeping with last year's prediction; unfortunately, our warning that a mishap
would take it out of action for months also came true. Last year's other
predictions were a mixed bag.
BREAKDOWN OF THE YEAR: Financial Meltdown
Eliot Marshall
Science 19 December 2008: 1772.
Summary: Luckily, scientific research did not take a direct hit from this
fall's global economic crisis, but scientists are feeling the consequences like
everyone else, and research budgets could get caught in the fallout next
year.
BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR: Areas to Watch
Science 19 December 2008: 1773.
Summary: In 2009, Science's editors will be watching plant genomics, ocean
acidification, neuroscience in court, the next international climate summit,
dark-matter annihilations, "speciation genes," and the Tevatron.
