On January 6, 2025, significant developments in science and technology emerged alongside notable international initiatives. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a new deadline for finalizing a global pandemic agreement by May 2025, following the missed June 2024 target. Disagreements persist regarding the sharing of pathogen samples and genomic sequences, which are critical for vaccine and treatment production in developing countries.
The United Nations has officially declared 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). This initiative aims to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Werner Heisenberg's contributions to quantum mechanics, with various conferences planned throughout the year to highlight the impact of this field.
In the realm of chemistry, the race to discover new elements is intensifying, with the potential synthesis of element 120, named unbinilium, anticipated this year. The team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California is leading this effort, utilizing a particle beam of titanium to achieve the necessary proton count.
NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program is set to conduct multiple missions this year, following the successful landing of the Odysseus lander in February 2024. Companies like Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines will deliver scientific instruments to various lunar sites.
China plans to launch the Tianwen-2 mission in May 2025, aiming to collect samples from the asteroid Kamo'oalewa, a near-Earth object discovered in 2016.
NASA's Juno mission, which has been studying Jupiter since its arrival in orbit in 2016, is expected to conclude this year after yielding significant discoveries about the planet's atmosphere and its moon, Io.
In particle physics, the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund is anticipated to begin operations this year, following over a decade of construction. This facility will generate neutron pulses for material structure studies. Additionally, a feasibility study for a new particle accelerator at CERN is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Finally, advancements in treatments for Alzheimer's disease are on the horizon, with clinical trials for semaglutide, currently used for diabetes and obesity, expected to conclude in 2025. Positive results could represent a breakthrough in managing this progressive brain disorder, which affects millions worldwide.