Top-notch Chinese scientists have marked the past year with two top-10 rankings which they deem represent the most important advances in science, technology and engineering both domestically and internationally.
A total of 568 members from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering cast their votes on the two rankings, which were announced on Sunday in Beijing.
Significant advances were made in both the macro and the microworlds, with a new galaxy discovered in the depth of the Cosmos and deciphering of the secret of life continuing to make headway.
Top the domestic ranking is a new advance relating to human livelihood.
Early last year, Chinese biologists mapped out the genome sequence of a subspecies of rice, opening the door for the cultivation of higher-yielding rice varieties in more efficient ways.
Some major engineering feats accomplished last year also entered the domestic top 10 chart.
The successful launching of the unmanned Shenzhou III and IV spacecraft in March and December last year ranked second in the chart, representing a breakthrough in China's space exploration.
It was followed by another engineering achievement, the blocking of the Yangtze River in November last year for the colossal Three Gorges Dam now under construction. It was regarded as the most difficult task in the history of hydrological engineering in the world.
The international top 10 ranking is dominated by advances in the microworld.
Early last December, an international research team of more than 100 scientists announced the successful deciphering of the genome of mice, showing humans and mice share more than 99 per cent of the same genes.
While biologists were making headway in the molecular world, physicists continued to deliver exciting achievements in nano space. Scientists from the Cornell University and Harvard University created a "nano-transistor" using atoms to control the flow of currents, pushing forward the dream of creating nano-size machinery one day.
German scientists also discovered a polymer that, when illuminated by light, can change in length within the range of nanometers, suggesting a transformation from light into kinetic energy. This discovery may lead to the finding of an energy source to power future nano machinery.
Exploration into the Cosmos gained new impetus as an international team of astronomers discovered a galaxy in its formation that is 13.5 billion light years away from the Earth, the farthest to human's knowledge so far.
(China Daily January 29, 2003)
