Your Guide to the Year in Science 2011

2011 is shaping up to be a great year for science. Here's what to look forward to
This summer, spaceflight company SpaceX, contracted by NASA to replace the retired space shuttle, will dock its Dragon spacecraft at the International Space Station SpaceX

We at PopSci love to find the biggest, coolest, most interesting science and technology innovations. This year promises much to love, including an artificial heart that looks and beats just like a real one, and 3-D entertainment without the goofy glasses–plus, judging by the State of the Union, our president seems bullish on science and tech. So, what else will make 2011 awesome?

2011 has already been a great year in science: An engineer designed his own life-saving heart implant, we’ve already had the required cold fusion claim, Japanese scientists are planning to resurrect the woolly mammoth, we could have a universal flu vaccine, and many more. But there’s lots more to look forward to, including advances in space and aviation, medicine, environmental tech, and consumer tech and entertainment, and we’ve collected 43 of the probable advances about which we’re most excited.

Click to launch our guide to the upcoming year in science.

NASA
NASA
Falcon 9
T. Abbott
JPL/NASA
NASA
NASA
Jack Brockway
Virgin Galactic
NASA/JPL/Caltech
Terrafugia
Ifremer, A. Fifis
Nick Ballon via Super K Sonic Boooooum
Dan Nosowitz
Edwards/Getty Images
Jesse Cohen/Smithsonian National Zoo
Photo courtesy of the Danish National Metrology Institute
iStock
NVIDIA
iStock
McKibillo
Sonarpulse
Photo Researchers
Carmat
Simplirix
iStock
iStock
Bill Wisser
Wikimedia Commons
John B. Carnett
Wikimedia Commons
Lavender Blue
Randy Montoya
Jasin Boil and Universal Pictures
Sony Pictures
Photo Montage: Dan Nosowitz
John Mahoney
Panasonic
ID Software
Splash Damage
Ford Motors
John Mahoney
 
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