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CNN Live Saturday

2001 a Big Year for Scientific Advances

Aired December 29, 2001 - 18:24   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SAVIDGE: This year will definitely go down in the history books for several obvious reasons, but believe it or not 2001 was a big year for advancements in the world of science. CNN's Ann Kellan takes a look at some of the breakthroughs.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're like magic sneakers.

ANN KELLAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That scooter segue got big footed by machines you can barely see. Nano Technology (ph) tops the list of scientific advances in 2001 according to "The Journal of Science" with circuitry, wiring, and machinery so minuscule it takes a microscope to see.

You can swallow some like a pill. This one is programmed to examine your small intestine. Yes there's a miniature camera on board, goes right through you. Also on the list breaking the code that makes us human known as the Genoa (ph). But scientists remind us to date more than 60 other organisms other than humans have been decoded, including some disease microorganisms. Understanding these genoas (ph) will dramatically help treat diseases, even one day find cures.

ERIC LANDER, WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE: I think it means that we'll now be able to try to track down the actual causes of disease. What most folks don't realize is that we don't really know the cause of asthma; of heart disease; of diabetes; of hypertension.

KELLAN: Cancer therapy got a shot in the arm in 2001 with a new breed of drugs called smart bombs, designed to target only the cancer cells and leave healthy cells alone. The FDA approved one drug, Belivac (ph) for leukemia. Many more smart bomb drugs are in the testing stage.

Another hot science topic in 2001 is also a political hot potato for President Bush and other world leaders, global warming. As the earth's temperature goes up, sea levels rise and computer models are convincing more scientists that we humans and how we live are the main reason the earth is warming up as quickly as it is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The includes the driving of an automobile down the highway, using up petroleum products, burning of coal. We're going to have to live with a certain amount of global warming and really we should start planning for it in a better way.

KELLAN: But some scientists and politicians like President Bush say there's a lot we still don't know.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No one can say with any certainty what constitutes a dangerous level of warming.

KELLAN: They want more evidence that humans are really the cause of global warming and if they are, that the globe won't just adapt. Ann Kellan, CNN, Atlanta.

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