Climate

Glaciers are disappearing around the world at a record pace. Glaciers in Africa may not last the decade, while glaciers in Greenland, Canada and the Alps may not be far behind. The glacier melt, especially in Greenland, could cause the ocean level to rise. The warming of the Arctic regions endangers the Inuit culture. For the first time a species, the polar bear, is being considered for the endangered species list because of climate change.

Pluto

In 1930, Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh and was named the ninth planet. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union took away it's stature as a planet and designated it a "dwarf planet."

Moon Base

NASA announced plans for a moon base that they expect to be up and running by 2024. A polar location is being considered as the moon's poles are bathed in sunlight, which makes for easier solar power generation. The poles also have more moderate temperatures than other lunar locations. Base construction is set to begin in 2020.

Stardust Probe

NASA's Stardust probe successfully returned material from the comet Wild 2 in January. Scientists claim that analysis of this dust may tranform our understanding of the early solar system.

Seafood Gone by 2048?

If present trends continue, there may be no seafood available for sustainable harvest by the middle of this century. According to a study published in November in the journal Science, the loss of ocean biodiversity is accelerating due to such factors as declining water quality, oxygen-starved ocean dead zones, coastal flooding and increasingly large algal blooms. To reverse the trend, the study recommended making some ocean areas off limits to human activity, while limiting others to certain specific uses.

The Last of the Yangtze River Goddesses

The basiji, the Chinese river dolphin, is one of the first dolphins to become extinct as an indirect consequence of man's progress. Nobody ate basiji, no part was used as decoration, no tourists came to see it. The Yangtze river, the dolphins home, has become polluted and dammed. Ships' propellers disrupted the dolphin's sensory system. There are four river dolphin species left in the world, all are endangered.

25 Years of AIDS

AIDS was first recognized as a disease in 1981 and the worldwide death toll is now 25 million people, including more than 500,000 Americans. Research on the disease continues, with scientists noting the link its deadly interaction with malaria and indicating that male circumcision greatly reduces risk of infection. Meanwhile, non-profit groups still push for a cure. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has now spent $2 billion fighting the epidemic, including $110 million on vaginal microbicides that would prevent HIV infection during intercourse.

Stem Cells

The debate on embryonic stem cells intensified in 2006, with the U.S. Congress passing--and President Bush vetoing--legislation lifting the ban on federal funding of stem cell research. However, in the November elections, Missouri voters narrowly approved an amendment to their state constitution allowing research.

Neandertals and Little Lucy

Our knowledge of our nearest cousins has expanded. Scientists have begun to study the partially decoded Neandertal genome. Modern man and the Neandertals share 99.5% of the same genetic makeup. The oldest remains of a hominid child, Australopithecus afarensis was found in Ethiopia.

New World's Oldest Writing Found

Archaeologists uncovered a stone tablet with 3,000-year-old writing in Mexico. The oldest writing ever found in the Western Hemisphere, it is believed to be an artifact of the Olmec civilization.