So wired has the top 10 scientific events for 2005. 9 of them are pure scientific goodies that just tickle my cerebrum. Things like the Cassini Hyugens Probe, the discovery of the first soft tissue from a dinosaur, and machines that can be controlled with human thought.
One would think that an article that writes about scientific wonders would rate the number one item as the most amazing discovery of the year, right? Well, you might find it a little surprising then that instead, the top spot goes to a completely emotional rant with a dig at the US.
1. It's getting hot in here: Thanks to the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, global warming can no longer be ignored. There's no doubt about it: Earth's climate is heating up. But is it part of the planet's natural climate cycle, or man-made? That's the question. More than 150 nations are willing to do something about it and propose to reduce greenhouse gases. But China and the United States, two of the heaviest-polluting nations, refuse to participate. What will it take to engage the United States -- the drowning of another major city?
You want to engage me? Show me irrefutable proof that man is causing the earth to warm. As much importance as we like to put in ourselves, the planet we live on is massive and the solar system it inhabits makes my SUV activity quite insignificant. Historically, things aren’t as bad as Wired’s writer would have you believe. Add into the fact that the data recorded from 1700 probably wasn’t even near as accurate as the Dancing Frog with Umbrella outdoor thermometer you got for Christmas 3 years ago and you can go ahead and pull out your Crayolas and color me skeptical.
It’s sad that I was actually kind of psyched to read this list only to be let down at the very end. I wonder what magnificent discovery of 2005 (one based in reality, that is) was relegated to #11 so the author could hue and cry about how awful the US is?