Expectations for science 2013

Entering the new year of 2013, experts in many fields expressed hope that science will continue to achieve important achievements and successes in the past 2012.

A type of subatomic particle discovered last summer is most likely the Higgs boson particle or 'God's particle' - the element that makes up the mass of all other particles, according to the standard model of Particle Physics. . This discovery is almost a disappointment for some physicists who once hoped the new particle would behave unpredictably, opening the door to new physical theories.

Meanwhile, according to physicist Tara Shears from Liverpool University, the Higgs is not the final secret. The page of Science Science quoted the scientist as saying, The Standard Model does not explain gravity, dark matter, or why antimatter behaves differently than ordinary matter.

Shears said the next big challenge for physical research is to gain a deeper understanding, help explain and describe every concept that the Standard Model cannot. The answer to this question is definitely not possible in 2013, but Shears hopes researchers will gain some observational results, helping to get closer to new insights.

Shears physicist's 2013 list also includes issues that remain open, such as unusual findings on Higgs particles or new measurements of matter and antimatter. .

About the climate

Last year saw the record heat and ice melting in the Arctic, while the super typhoon Sandy ravaged the northeastern United States in October sparked debate over the impact of global warming. In other words, 2012 is a climate 'hotspot' year .

A series of questions about the effects of severe climate change are still there. But for climate experts Claire Parkinson is part of the mission Aqua of the US Aerospace Agency (NASA), the challenges in the new year are not much related to research activities.

Parkinson said that fierce controversy over climate change over the past few years has overshadowed many important issues. According to the scientist, the most important progress that must be achieved now is calmness in debate. That means, scientists as well as others need to stop condemning or insulting dissidents and recognizing different views with respect, at the same time. continue to explain the scientific consequences of climate change - a factor that plays a major role in the history of Earth's 4.5 billion years of evolution.

About space, the universe

With the Mars rolling robots and astronomers discovering more new planets outside the solar system, 2012 has been a flourishing year for space scientists. Entering 2013, it is expected that scientists will discover 'Earth 2.0' , an extraterrestrial planet of our own but that is about the same size as the Earth and has latent conditions for humans. stay. However, Abel Mendez, director of the University of Puerto Rico's Resident Planet Plan - warned, determining whether the planet 'twin with the Earth' is conducive to good human life. not still far away.

According to Mendez, all the extrasolar planets that have been discovered lately are capable of being possessed by the Earth, all of which possess a much bigger size than Earth. Still, with increased sensitivity of search and measurement tools, researchers can discover increasingly smaller bodies. The implementation of more thorough scientific measurements to help us determine the atmosphere of a planet light years away from Earth will take even longer. Without these insights, it is difficult to say whether the planet is conducive to human life.

Mendez said that the biggest goal for 2013 was to understand the frequency of Earth-like planets as well as the distance between them and our "common home" .

About human life expectancy

We may not be able to witness the birth of a 'fairy medicine' that helps people longevity this year or any other time of the future. However, a series of recent studies have reaffirmed the notion that lifestyles prolong life.

According to Michael Joyner, an expert at the Mayo Medical Center (USA), studies aimed at deciphering gene secrets that help with longevity ultimately fail to find any key genes that help ensure the employer will live longer. Even so, they reaffirmed all the advice that people often hear: stay away from cigarettes, be physically active, maintain a proper diet and live optimistically, love life.

'What's new in reality is those that have been known for a long time,' Joyner said on Live Science. This researcher said that the rich, highly educated people who adhere to these properly proven advice are more likely to create a large group of people who live more than 100 years old in the future. And that can create a different demographic world. Then, in addition to economic inequality, inequality in life expectancy can be the next big challenge for people.