Science at the Frontier

by Addison Greenwood for the National Academy of Sciences

Astronomy, biology, mathematics - all fields of science are leaping ahead in their unique directions with discoveries that reveal the universe and have the potential to change our daily lives. At the same time, there is growing recognition that all things are, in the end, connected. Physics underlies medical technology and helps to elucidate geology. The geology of the Earth informs us about other planets. And the study of other planets and the wider field of astronomy leads back to discoveries in physics. Plus, the introduction of computers has revolutionized all branches of science and has even changed the way we think about data and information. When the most promising younger scientists - the future Nobel laureates and leaders of their diverse fields - join forces to look at the world, the result is a remarkable synthesis of our understanding of our surroundings and ability to shape the future. Such a gathering opens a window not only onto current discoveries but also onto the vision of today's cutting-edge investigators and what they may be able to accomplish in the months and years ahead. This book represents such a gathering. The authors report on the intellectual sparks that occurred when a group of the nation's brightest and most accomplished younger researchers gathered for a rare cross-disciplinary symposium covering the spectrum of science. Science at the Frontier offers enough history and background to provide the lay reader with a springboard into fascinating questions being pondered and explored by these leading younger researchers: What exactly is the "engine" at the earth's core? Could artificial photosynthesis become an inexhaustible source of energy? How does thestudy of dynamical systems - "chaos" - underlie everything from the weather to the electrical activity of the brain? How has magnetic resonance imaging allowed us to see what's inside our heads? What is science's role in the heated debate over the environment? When did high-temperature superconductivity "come to life" and what does it mean in practical terms? From the elusive "dark matter" of the universe to the secrets of RNA molecules - this book offers something for everyone. If you work in the sciences, it will reveal surprising connections with other disciplines. If you are considering a career in science, you will share the vision of today's most brilliant younger investigators. And if you are among the millions who did not pursue a scientific career yet live in appreciative wonder at your surroundings, you will gain a better understanding of what we know - and what we hope to know - of the universe.