What is a notable scientific work of MODERN times?

Question

And what is it's value? What makes it important?

Answer 1

I suppose that it would depend on your definition of 'modern'.

I would put Einstien's Theory of Relativity in this category....

Answer 2

Oh boy, are my Astronomy friends going to be disappointed in me!

As far as a "scientific work," I would have to say the Human Genome Project.  Over time, that research will have a profound effect on our understanding of what makes us what we are and how to treat or cure most diseases.  It was an awesome example of teamwork and technology.  Literally tens of thousands of people all over the world contributed their little pieces to the biggest puzzle ever solved.

The need to do it provided an array of procedures at the cutting edge of technology, which are now being used to complete the genomes of other species.  This will have substantial benefits for agriculture.

And I don't think it even made front page news.

Answer 3

I own a copy of Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time."  In that book, Prof. Hawking attempts to describe many cosmological concepts, including the Big Bang, black holes, and light cones, as well as some more modern concepts, such as superstring theory.  He also goes into some very complicated mathematics, and, as smart as I thought I was, I just could not quite keep up with this text.

Answer 4

Modern science includes:

- quantum physics (how particles that make up everything in the universe actually work)

- Einstein's e=mc^2 equation and his theories on relativity, which provided the foundation for modern cosmology (how the universe began and how the elements that make up our world and ourselves were created)

- electronics (an offshoot of particle physics) which gives us cell phones, satellite TV, computers, and the Internet

Probably a lot more can be attributed to modern science, such as computer chips in cars, microwave ovens, and modern medicine.

Answer 5

How modern?

To me Abdus Salam's 'Electro - Weak' integration  is the first step towards the 'Grand Unification' of 4-fold field theories.

Another recent one is the achievemnet of 'Bose condensate'. All these are esoteric in the sense that the common man cannot comprehend. What he needs is technology which can put things in his hand so that with his limited mental faculties he can use it.

Answer 6

I am in complete agreement with Brant about how the Human Genome is an extraordinary, mind-boggling, incredibly important scientific achievement. Those scientists essentially mapped out humanity by identifying all of the 25,000 genes of the human genome. One of the most fascinating findings was

that the 3 billion base pairs of genetic letters in humans were 99.9% identical in everyone. I actually asked a philosophical question about this a few weeks ago, and you can check it below if you're interested.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Other amazing modern scientific feats:

J. Craig Venter's amazing achievement of building the first synthetic genome. He essentially figured out how to design and assemble DNA the same way a software designer writes a code that leads to something like Yahoo. In other words....the man came incredibly close to inventing a living thing. I can't even wrap my head around the genius of that......

*Jill Bolte Taylor, the neuroanatomist who studied her own brain, essentially, after having a stroke to figure out the complexities of a stroke and how to treat it.

*The eradication of smallpox

*The creation of a brain atlas by Paul Allen.

* Renewable fuels

* Stem cell research

THE INTERNET. Yahoo! Facebook! (I'm putting innovation & science together here)

Going a bit father back in history: putting man on the moon.

Answer 7

Einsteins major works about relativity, the discovery of the DNA, the discovery of nuclear fission...

I think these all are pretty self-explaining why they are notable. Von Neumanns computer architecture is also pretty notable for the fact, that almost all computers today still use his design features and doctrine.

Finally, all aspects of quantum physics (including many works of Einstein), which all happened after 1900, are pretty important today, as they led to such nice discoveries like better hard disks, lasers or super conduction. And lately helped creating the first atom using the Bohr model...  ;)

Answer 8

Hmmm, Velcro?

Answer 9

If modern means the past 100 years, then the Theories of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. String Theory. The discovery of DNA, plate tectonics and the emergent science of Ecology.

The single most notable work is Einstein's 1905 paper on Special Relativity.  It is as important, in its way, as Copernicus's work on heliocentrism was in its day.