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By IB Times Science Desk
December 22, 2011 2:39 PM EST
1. Focus on Mars
NASA's next generation of Mars rovers, the Curiosity, is expected to touch red soil on Aug. 6, continuing the wave of interest in the red planet and whether evidence of Martian life existed.
During the 23-month $2.5 billion mission, the SUV-sized rover will comb the dusty planet with a battery of 10 scientific instruments to collect and analyze samples for signs of ancient life.
The eight-month long trip will expose the craft to radiation levels unseen on Earth, radiation that will be the first thing measured as the rover flies across space.
"(Radiation Assessment Detector) is serving as a proxy for an astronaut inside a spacecraft on the way to Mars," Don Hassler, the instrument's principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo. said in a statement. "The instrument is deep inside the spacecraft, the way an astronaut would be. Understanding the effects of the spacecraft on the radiation field will be valuable in designing craft for astronauts to travel to Mars."
Expect many more announcements in 2012 when the Curiosity nears and reaches Mars, releases its parachute and lands on the Gale crater.
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"While Curiosity will not look for signs of life on Mars, what it might find could be a game-changer about the origin and evolution of life on Earth and elsewhere in the universe," Doug McCuistion, director of the NASA's Mars Exploration Program, said in a statement. "One thing is certain: The rover's discoveries will provide critical data that will impact human and robotic planning and research for decades."
2. Biotech stock predictions
The biotech market did well in 2011, a trend expected to continue into 2012, analysts say, though the pharmaceutical sector is expected to struggle as many drug patents expire. The S&P 500 Biotechnology Sub-Industry Index gained 15.7 percent in 2011 and even during the last three volatile months of 2011, gained 4.9 percent, according to data compiled from The Street.
"Continued merger and acquisition activity and favorable legislation will be key growth drivers, while an aging population and environmental concerns could spur demand in the industry," wrote analysts with Karvy Global Services, a Wall Street research firm.
The analysts wrote that their top five picks for 2012 would see growth of 25 percent to 139 percent. The companies include in alphabetical order:
Celgene Corporation,
Gilead Sciences Inc.
InterMune Inc.
Techne Corporation
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