Linketies: Science Friday
Here we are at the last Science Friday of 2012. As humans are prone to do, a lot of science writers are choosing this arbitrary point on the calendar to reflect on the many things that have happened in science in 2012 and take a look ahead to the future. We don't know what 2013 will bring, but as scientific progress marches on, we can be sure it will be wondrous.
Climate change is neither a left-wing conspiracy nor an inevitable apocalypse -- it's simply a fact of Earth's history. And many scientists believe it may have played a role in evolution.
What lies beneath all that Antarctic ice? There's a long history of speculation on that point from some of the most well-known writers. I remember when I first saw an X-Files episode about weird things being found in the icy depths, one of the creepiest episodes of the series.
2012 was in many ways an extreme year for weather events. Honesty, did anyone know what a derecho was before June? Livescience.com has a roundup of weather gone amok over the past year.
National Geographic takes a look back at the top 10 weirdest stories of 2012.
Astronomers have taken nine years' worth of data and created a map of the universe showing the residual background radiation left over from the formation of the universe. And Space.com has a nice year-end wrap-up of other amazing space discoveries from 2012, including the smallest alien worlds yet found. Many scientists believe that the first "alien Earth" may be found as early as next year. There's already been a great deal of interest in Tau Ceti E.
And to wrap it up, it doesn't look very good for anyone who may have been hoping that a meteor would put an end to humanity and give the next up-and-coming species a chance (Ahem). A new study has determined that a close call in 2040 won't be a threat to the Earth.
Happy New Year everyone.