Time Magazine recently came out with its “TIME 100: The People Who Shape Our World” list. While I was familiar with most of the names on the Artists & Entertainers list, I am embarrassed to say I did recognize any names on the Scientists and Thinkers list. Names like Nancy Cox, Mike Brown, and Zahi Hawass puzzled me. I decided to read about some of these people to see what made them important enough to make Time’s list.
Nancy Cox is a virologist. For those that do not know, she may be the one scientist that can protect us from the bird-flu virus we have been hearing so much about. She analyses blood samples from infected patients around the world, in hopes of finding a vaccine. With her help, perhaps we can avoid the devastation the bird-flu virus has caused in other countries around the world.
And, what about Mike Brown? He did not do much – just discovered a completely new planet, Xena! In addition to Xena, Brown and his associates have discovered Santa, Easter Bunny, Quaoar, and Sedna. Fortunately, Santa and Easter Bunny are just nicknames so you will not be seeing those names in textbooks any time soon. Why have you not heard of these “new” planets? That is because the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the governing body that rules if a planet is indeed a planet, is still debating whether these new heavenly bodies qualify as planets. Brown contends that if they use the same criteria astronomers have used for years, because Xena is larger than Pluto, there should be 10 official planets rather than the 9 most of us have always known.
-A time-lapse image of Xena’s movement
And Zahi Hawass? Well, he is the man to go to if you plan on excavating anything in Egypt. He is the head of the Supreme Council of Aniquities and it is his job to not only determine who excavates in Egypt, but also when and where. He is passionate about his job and the antiquities that he protects. But, he is not without controversy. He was called theatrical when he demanded the return of treasures “stolen” from Egypt by previous excavators and museums. Foreign archaeologists are not very happy with his strict new excavation rules. Yet, his rules help protect monuments being destroyed by excavation, tourism, and nature and may preserve the very things that help make Egypt so famous.