In the boundless expanse of the scientific universe, the new year is always brimming with endless possibilities and breakthroughs. Recently, the prestigious British scientific journal "Nature" has展望ed the significant scientific events in 2025 that warrant global attention. These events not only herald technological leaps but also concern human future life and exploration.
In Europe, the European Spallation Source (ESS), a research colossus that has been in preparation for over a decade, is expected to be officially operational in 2025. Located in Lund, Sweden, this facility will use protons traveling at near-light speed to collide with heavy metal targets, producing neutron pulses that scientists will utilize to "see" the internal structure of materials, heralding a new era in particle detection.
At the same time, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is vigorously assessing the feasibility of the Future Circular Collider (FCC), a super collider. With a circumference of 91 kilometers, this collider is designed to replace the existing Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and is expected to cost up to $17 billion. If successful, it will reveal more cosmic mysteries to humanity.
In China, Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace. The wireless minimally invasive BCI device called NEO, with its 8-electrode design, has already helped paralyzed individuals regain hand movement function. In clinical trials in 2023, spinal cord injury patients were able to perform basic daily activities such as eating, drinking, and gripping using NEO. In 2025, the NEO team plans to conduct larger-scale trials to compete with leading global BCI technology.
The moon, Earth's nearest neighbor, will be a hot destination for spacecraft exploration in 2025. Japan's private lunar exploration company, ispace, will send landers and mini lunar rovers to the moon, while the U.S. company "Intuitive Machines" will launch landers equipped with ice drills and mass spectrometers to analyze the composition of the moon's subsurface. NASA's "Lunar Gateway" will orbit the moon to map the distribution of lunar surface water, uncovering the moon's mysteries.
In the exploration of solar winds, humanity has taken significant steps forward. The Solar Wind-Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE), developed in collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will study the interaction between solar winds and Earth's magnetic field, while NASA's "Polarimeter of Unification of Chromosphere and Coronal Heliosphere" (PUNCH) will study the solar atmosphere in greater detail, capturing 3D images to unravel the mystery of how energy flows into the solar system.
In Earth observation, the NASA-Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) joint Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission and ESA's "Biomass" mission will monitor Earth and natural disasters, studying the distribution of forest biomass to contribute to the protection and sustainable development of the Earth's environment.
In the medical field, 2025 will also see new breakthroughs. Following the success of GLP-1 receptor agonist weight loss drugs like semaglutide, new drug development results for obesity are expected to emerge. Researchers will also explore the potential of GLP-1 receptor agonists in treating diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The U.S. regulatory agency is expected to complete the approval of a non-opioid painkiller next year, which is expected to become one of the first new pain medications for acute pain in over 20 years.
In the field of global public health and climate governance, humanity continues to strive. Despite divisions among the World Health Organization member states in the negotiations on the "Pandemic Prevention Agreement," all parties are still striving to reach a consensus to better safeguard human health. Meanwhile, the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will be held in Belém, Brazil in 2025, where countries will finalize the arrangement to provide $300 billion annually to developing countries by 2035 and continue negotiations on the "United Nations Plastic Treaty" to build a more comprehensive international regulatory framework.
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