The Top Ten Scientific Discoveries of the Decade

I've posted some links to year-end and decade-end best of lists, but this one deserves its own post – the most important scientific discoveries of the last decade. And quite a list it is, ranging from the biggest things in the universe to the smallest.

Millions of new scientific research papers are published every year, shedding light on everything from the evolution of stars to the ongoing impacts of climate change to the health benefits (or determents) of coffee to the tendency of your cat to ignore you. With so much research coming out every year, it can be difficult to know what is significant, what is interesting but largely insignificant, and what is just plain bad science. But over the course of a decade, we can look back at some of the most important and awe-inspiring areas of research, often expressed in multiple findings and research papers that lead to a true proliferation of knowledge. Here are ten of the biggest strides made by scientists in the last ten years.

It's a remarkable list. I can't imagine what the new decade will bring.