The Guardian As maiores questões cientificas

Science sees further: How science will answer some of the world's biggest questions
Science is an unending quest for understanding: as old questions are settled, new ones come into sharper focus.

I've been lucky to meet and interact with a variety of people at the Royal Society, so I am most pleased to tell you all that today (30 November 2010) is the Royal Society's 350th Anniversary. Ever since November 2009, the Royal Society has been celebrating its anniversary year by working with organisations across the UK to raise the profile of science and bring scientific activities to new audiences.

To that end, they've been contemplating all sorts of interesting questions, including: Are we alone in the universe? Can we save the lives of millions with new vaccines? How can we manage the increasing demands on our planet's resources? These questions and many of the other most challenging issues for the world today are addressed by the scientific advances described in the Royal Society's new report, Science sees further, launched today.

I shamelessly stole their pretty picture catalogue index (top), which, on their site, is a clickable index of the articles that each link to one of 12 public discussions organised and hosted by the Royal Society in 2010. All the authors are experts in their fields and the articles were reviewed by an independent committee to ensure the science is accurately represented and that a clear and balanced perspective has been provided.

So if you would like to learn more about what the Royal Society has been doing and what their people have been thinking about, be sure to check out their site and read these documents.