2008大盘点:News review 2008: The year in science

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News review 2008: The year in science

  • 24 December 2008 by Shaoni Bhattacharya
  • Magazine issue 2687. Subscribe and get 4 free issues.

It was a year when everything seemed to fall apart. Fuel, food, finance - it all went wrong, and the consequences will dog the world next year and beyond.

It wasn't all doom and gloom, however. Many were elated when Barack Obama was elected to become US president - particularly those who care about climate change and the profile of science. The world was also captivated by theswitch-on of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Cynics might point out that it quickly broke down, but few can disagree that it made particle physics just about the sexiest thing on the planet, albeit for a short while. Meanwhile, lovers would have been pleased to hear that the semi-mythical G spot was found, andour updated review brings even better news for some women.

Some discoveries might not have changed how we see the world, but they captured the imagination - for instance, what mathematicians say about whether to wait for a bus or start walking. You can find the answer to that, along with more New Scientist staff favourites, here.

The year NASA's star began to wane...

...while Asia's space race took off

Reality returns to the White House

China quakes, but the dams don't break

Large Hadron Collider makes physics sexy

Gay people may be born that way

Oil shock hits the world

Hunger bites as food crisis deepens

Ecstasy over G spot therapy

Human genes become commodities

How 'rocket science' failed the banks

The best and worst of the year

Plus:

Test your knowledge with our end of year quiz

  • From issue 2687 of New Scientist magazine, page 27.Subscribe and get 4 free issues.
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