FROM THE EDITOR
COVER: ANDY POTTS THIS PAGE: PAUL WILKINSON/THE ROYAL INSTITUTION/BBC, GETTY IMAGES, KYLE SMART, RICHARD ANSETT/BBC STUDIOS
On the eve of a quarter century, it seems like a good time to pause and take a look back (and forwards) at the science that matters. Of course, it’s all important, but it’s fun to wind the clock back and argue about the breakthroughs that have really blown our minds since the year 2000.
I think my answer is rather dull sadly, but I can’t see past it: the smartphone. Yes, the first device you could call a smartphone arrived in the 90s, courtesy of IBM. But the one really bearing a resemblance to the handsets of today took root in 2008 (in the UK at least) with the arrival of the G1 (Google’s first Android phone), Apple’s iPhone and the 3G networks to support them.