2014 has been a fantastic year for science in pop culture. We have movies about Alan Turing
and Stephen Hawking and interstellar travel. But it’s also been a great year in real
science. We’ve uncovered some of the biggest Dinosaurs ever and landed a robot on a space rock moving
at Mach 100. Here are my top five science stories from 2014.
Number 5 is an incredible discovery that may turn out to be nothing at all.
In spring, a team of researchers running the bicep or background imaging of cosmic extragalactic
polarization experiment published results showing gravitational waves rippling through
the cosmic microwave background radiation -- the afterglow of the Big Bang.
These results, which would basically prove that cosmic inflation occurred in the early
universe, were heralded as one of the biggest discoveries of the century. Unfortunately,
the team behind the data recently concluded that cosmic dust may have tampered with the
results, enough to invalidate the findings. Star stuff got in the way.
For number 4 all I have to say is that we made a paralyzed man walk again.
In a world-first, researchers have enabled a man whose spinal cord was partially severed
by a knife attack to walk again, though it is heavily assisted walking.
The doctors did it by taking cells from the man’s nose which allow for nerve pathways
to regenerate. They injected these cells around the injury and then used nerve tissue from
the man’s ankle to close the gap. After three months the man’s thigh started putting
on muscle. Two years after, he walks using a frame. Amazing.
The number 3 story is that we’ve found the biggest dinosaurs ever.
Just look at these bones. These are the bones of possibly the largest dinosaurs to ever
live, belonging to a group called the Titanosaurs.
The first of these Dinos, discovered this summer, doesn’t have an official name but
may have weight as much as 14 African elephants and stood as tall as a 7 story building.
The second dinosaur, dubbed Dreadnoughtus, may not have weighed as much as the first,
but the specimen was in good enough condition that it is the largest land animal whose weight
can be accurately calculated, based on the bones. Here’s a chart for some perspective
At number two, we landed on a comet!
Just last November, the Rosetta mission to land a robot on the surface of comet 67p succeed,
returning data we’ve never seen before.
It’s amazing because the mission took over a decade, traveled over 6 billion kilometers,
and landed a tiny robot on a rock moving 135,000 kilometers per hour. The data it returned
will tell us about the formation of our solar system.
Finally, the top science story is a depressing one, but important.
The debate is over on climate change. Adding to the building consensus, another study this
year put the likelihood that climate change is being driven primarily by human emissions
at 99.9 percent.
This is critical because not only are we certain that climate change is happening, we are certain
that it’s primarily our fault. The science is in. Now that we know the source of the
problem, we owe it to the only home we’ve ever known to come up with the solution. That
means taking action.
To quote Carl Sagan, “We can do science, and with it, we can improve our lives.”
Each year, we reduce our ignorance of the universe just a bit, discover even more questions
worth asking, and move humanity onwards towards knowing what we don’t know. This year has
been another giant step forward in that regard, and next year we should learn even more.
Why? Because Science.
I’m back from the future! Or... Vegas. Either way, looks like i’m just in time for nerdist
news wtfridays!
It’s a new year, and if you’re like me that means you’re resolved to working off
the disturbing amounts of junk food and rolling around in front of the dragon age: inquisition
start screen because even pressing buttons on a controller was too much exercise-holiday
time. If motivation is what you need to get your butt back in gear, take a look at this
dude.
Oh yeah, ryu’s hurricane kick...i could probably do that.
Not a day goes by that i don’t wish i was chilling in hyrule, cruising around on epona,
and crushing mad moblins instead of living in dumb ol’ hollywood and talking about
movies and videogames for a living. Whelp, turns out i’m just in the wrong city, because
kotaku found an austin-based artist who’s been turning the texan town into my favorite
nintendo world.
This hero who goes by “ez” has been hiding crocheted bomb bags, wood-burned treasure
chests, and even home-made fairy bottles and sending locals on thrilling, zelda-themed
treasure-hunts. The idea is for folks to pay it forward - taking some loot, and leaving
something else - like cash, or some art of their own -- behind. Pretty sweet idea, ez.
After all, it’s dangerous to go alone.
As you guys know, i’ve been at ces all week long and i got to see some truly amazing stuff.
From vr headsets to ultra hd tvs and beyond, it felt like i’d stepped foot in the future.
villain from dragon ball z. But did you know he’s also a seriously kickass drummer? Because
What, 9000? There’s no way that can be right!
And finally, it’s time for your best worst comment of the week! This week’s winner
comes to us from our lively facebook community, where johnny glosson hopped into our “ant
man or ant-meh” episode by warning “people who say meh are annoying.”
You know johnny, i’m glad you meh-ntioned it but it meh-be that you’re getting too
meh-ntal about the whole thing. Still, we’ll look through our meh-nu of words and see if
there’s one that would be less of a meh-nace to you. I’m not sure i have the acu-mehn
and pre-game next year’s dia de los meh-uertos.
What do you want to see more of on nerdist news? Let me know. Because i care.
Click on my head to subscribe to the nerdist channel. You can find all the links to these
videos below, kyle can tell you how lightsabers work using the science, but before we go,
watch this maniac roast a marshmallow over a raging volcano.