What scientific developments should I look forward to in 2021?!
Approximate Read Time: 3 minutes!
1. Tackling Global Warming
- US President-elect, Joe Biden, plans to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement to help the US take steps towards combating climate change
- In November 2021, the United Nations’ climate conference will take place in Glasgow, UK, where countries will make pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions
- The European Union and China plan to become carbon neutral (balance between emitting and absorbing carbon) by the 2050s; hopefully, other countries will follow
2. Plan S: an Open-access Resource for Science Publications
- As the result of a 2 year endeavor, 20+ research funding organizations will push for the publication of scholarly articles that are free to read!
3. An Update to Stem Cell Guidelines
- For the first time since 2016, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) will update their guidelines
- One such update involves studying embryo-like structures produced from stem cells, which may shed light on why many early pregnancies end in a miscarriage
4. Missions to Mars
- In February 2021, China’s Tianwen-1 mission is planning to touch down on Mars! The mission will search for signs of life on the red planet.
- Spacecraft sent by the US and the United Arab Emirates will arrive at Mars around the same time
5. The James Webb Space Telescope
- The launch of NASA’s James Webb has been long-awaited
- The telescope will orbit Earth and study stars, exoplanets, and more!
- The James Webb will expand upon the work of NASA’s earlier Hubble Telescope, which helped classify an abundance of objects
6. The Search for the Coronavirus Origin
- The World Health Organization (WHO) will continue its investigation into the origin and the spread of COVID-19
- Hopefully, this investigation will shed light on viral spreads
- NOTE: The WHO’s investigation has become a politically-challenging journey, as political powers in the US and China have argued over the origin of the virus
7. Protecting our Oceans
- In 2021, the United Nations (UN) is planning to finalize treaties to protect marine life in ocean territory that lies beyond nations’ sovereign waters
Read more (sources)!
- https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03651-0
- https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/12/science-stories-likely-make-headlines-2021
- https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20190926STO62270/what-is-carbon-neutrality-and-how-can-it-be-achieved-by-2050
Brain Sprout 