Science and Technology

Leading us inexorably toward the future are mankind's accomplishments in the sciences. In 2011, the improbable mixed with the inevitable to push us along the way. Here are some of the biggest trends and moments from the world of science and technology. — By Vaibhav Sharma

SPEED OF LIGHT BROKEN
That nothing can travel faster than the speed of light has long been thought to be a sacrosanct law of our universe. However, in what just might turn the world of physics upside-down, scientists believe they may have detected a violation of this rule. Researchers at CERN, Switzerland and San Grasso, Italy, claimed to have observed subatomic particles - called neutrinos - that were travelling faster than light. A re-rerun of the study has only corroborated their findings. However, many scientists say that further tests have to be carried out before accepting this - the notion that any particle possessing mass could travel faster than light is that unorthodox and novel, and could lead to a reassessment of Einstein’s Special Relativity.

THE GOD PARTICLE FOUND, ALMOST
Researchers working on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) facility announced in December that they had found ‘hints’ - but not definitive proof - of the Higgs boson. The Higgs boson, so far only existing in conjecture and theory, is often referred to as the God Particle - it is believed to be a subatomic particle that is amongst the building blocks of matter. Confirmation of its existence could help in understanding our universe better - by helping answer the mystery of what really makes up matter.

MOBILE PHONES DECLARED SAFE
Danish scientists have sought to end the debate over the health risks of mobile phones. A long-term study - that looked at over 420,000 cellphone users - carried out by the Institute for Cancer Epidemiology, Copenhagen, revealed that the incidence of cancer in people who were long-term mobile phone users was no higher than in people who were not. However, other researchers have criticised the research methodology used by the Danish team.

THE NANOTECH WAGON GATHERS PACE
Microscopic tubes stronger than steel, clothes that keep us warm in winter and cool in summer, medicines that are unbelievably effective, cellphone batteries that hold a charge for weeks, car paints that just don’t gather dust, toothpaste that puts a shine on your pearly whites… Nanotechnology has long been welcomed as a possible game-changer. The prospect of miniaturised technology excites the imagination with its many possibilities. Many have even hailed it as the next big revolution in science and technology. This year saw nanotech companies enjoy a boom, with countries across the globe launching their own efforts. However, there is a flip side to this. Nanotechnology is also under file from environmental activists who say it could endanger humanity due to its pervasive nature. Several researchers working in this field have received threats, while one was injured by a letter bomb. The perils of science n' tech!

WATER ON MARS
As our closest neighbour - and one tantalisingly close to being capable of supporting life - the Red Planet has long occupied popular thought as the likeliest source of extraterrestrial life. While ‘little green men’ may still be just a fictional notion, there’s further proof that Mars may, at some point in its history - been capable of supporting life. NASA claims to have found definitive signs that water once flowed on the planet’s surface. In December, the US space agency’s Opportunity Mars rover stumbled across mineral deposits - perhaps of gypsum or another Calcium-based salt. According to scientists, the vein-like deposits could only have been left behind by a considerable amount of water.

POLIO MAY DISAPPEAR SOON
Our country may be at the verge of eradicating a disease that has blighted thousands, and is a stark reminder of our dismal human development indicators. According to the government, 2011 saw only one case of polio across India - as compared to 549 in 2008. It seems that the concerted push towards polio vaccinations over the past few years has finally paid off, and may soon result in India being free of this deadly scourge that primarily attacks children.

CLIMATE DEAL AT DURBAN
Amidst growing concern that climate change might go beyond what was previously thought manageable, the world’s nations have agreed upon a new vision for reducing carbon emissions. After days of acrimonious debate that saw the Western nations lay the burden for any decrease in carbon emissions upon the developing nations, the global community agreed to set up a legally-binding deal by 2015. This would also be implemented by 2020. It is hoped this would halt global warming at 2C above pre-industrial levels - widely acknowledged as a point-of-no return.

Meanwhile, environmental activists were shocked by Canada’s withdrawal from the Kyoto mechanism. This was reportedly done to forestall the imposition of $14 billion in penalties after Ottawa failed to meet its Kyoto commitments.

THE FRACKING SCARE
A method of maximising the yield of oil and gas wells has emerged as one of the biggest environmental scares of the year. Hydraulic fracturing, aka ‘fracking’, utilises a cocktail of chemicals, sand and water that is pumped into depleted hydrocarbon wells under pressure. This opens up new fissures and helps increase the amount of obtainable oil or gas. However, fracking is now being blamed for a number of serious consequences. Several communities across the US have blamed this practice for causing tremors that could spark off earthquakes. The US Environmental Protection Agency has also indicated that fracking may be responsible for groundwater contamination. This could be especially serious as the chemicals used include known carcinogens. As if all this wasn’t enough, researchers at Cornell University claim that fracking could release underground methane deposits, causing higher carbon emissions than even coal mining.

PATENT WARS
The battle for supremacy in the personal computing space reached new heights with a new weapon of mass destruction - patents. Apple, Samsung, HTC, Microsoft… all were found firing salvos - and receiving hits - over their alleged use of competitors’ technology. Even as Microsoft and HTC reached a truce - accompanied by royalty payments to the former, Apple struck blows against Samsung in the European and Australian markets by getting the Korean tech giant’s Galaxy Tab banned. Adding to the confusion was the symbiotic relationship these behemoths share otherwise: Samsung is one of Apple’s largest component suppliers. Meanwhile, Google acquired Motorola Mobility in a bid to shore up the Android platform’s defences against litigation.

THE CLOUD
Cloud computing finally reached maturity by moving beyond buzzword phase. Over the past year, Microsoft, Apple, Google, and even Amazon announced new products - aimed at both home and business users - that utilise the power of cloud computing. Get used to the Cloud; it’s here to stay!

SAY, WHAT?
As if people jabbering away on their cellphones at a theatre weren’t annoying enough! It’s going to get worse - get ready to see people talking to their phones - literally! Apple’s Siri took voice-activated computing to a new level. People wanting to locate a Thai restaurant or an ATM no longer have to type their request into their phone, or speak it out in a machine-guided way - Siri’s new natural voice recognition capabilities make it astonishingly capable of understanding human speech. Set alarms, send texts to your friends, locate a bakery, all with Siri acting as a virtual assistant.

THE TWITOLUTION
Time magazine put the ‘protestor’ on its cover as person of the year. But what was the protestor’s best friend? Social networking. From the marchers in Tahrir Square and the placard-wavers of Occupy Wall Street, to the Anna brigade and anti-Putin protestors, it was social media - blogs, Twitter, etc - that helped ordinary citizens challenge the might of governments. Even the Indian government was forced to wake up to this challenge. Its efforts to gain access to people’s Gmail did not go unnoticed; nor were Kapil Sibal’s remarks on freedom of expression welcomed by Indians. There was a dark side too: Rioters in England allegedly used their mobile phone messengers and social media sites to co-ordinate a wide-spread frenzy of looting and destruction.

THE SOPA AFFAIR
It’s equally welcomed and reviled. But no matter what, everyone believes the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) will have a drastic effect on the Internet. Supporters, led by the music and movie industries, say the legislation now being considered by the US House of Representatives will end ‘piracy’ and copyright infringement. Opponents of the proposed law say it will instead lead to a drastic curtailment of online free speech, and could result in widespread legal action against Internet users and companies.

SPACE, INC
We’re not quite living in a Jetsons future, but if some tycoons have their way, you could, consider a weekend break in space! Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic will soon take tourists along on a sub-orbital journey; Amazon boss Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin is reportedly developing a major launcher system that could be used for full-fledged spaceflight, and in February 2012, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule will deliver supplies to the International Space Station. Meanwhile, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has also jumped into this zero-gravity game with his new company, Stratolaunch Systems, Inc.

TOP TWITTER HASHTAGS 2011
• #egypt
• #tigerblood
• #threewordstoliveby
• #idontunderstandwhy
• #japan
• #improudtosay
• #superbowl
• #jan25

INVASION OF THE TABLETS
Thou shalt maketh a tablet' seems to be a commandment the tech industry abides by. Spurred on by the success of Apple’s iPad, almost every manufacturer worth its silicon has released some sort of touchscreen computing device. Some of these have been successes -the Samsung Galaxy Tab series, the Kindle Fire, and the new Barnes and Noble Nook are selling well - but many, including RIM’s Playbook and HP’s TouchPad flopped. Several Indian manufacturers, including Beetel and Micromax, have also launched their competitively-priced offerings, and DataWind’s UbiSlate/Aakash has been chosen for the Government of India as part of its digital accessibility programme.