2000: Y2K
The beginning of this decade, century, and millennium, kicked off with an event that was horrifying when it was approaching but laughable in hindsight. Y2K, or “Year 2000,” was the name given to a predicted global software malfunction. Experts predicted that computers would cease to function properly at the turn of the millennium because of programming limitations. At the time, most computers stored only the last two digits of calendar years. For example, 1940 was ‘40’ and 1999 was ’99.’ Programmers were unsure whether computers would be “smart” enough to make the transition from “99” to “00.” The idea that a problem would arise due to this limitation was put forth as early as 1984.
Allergies are one of the most extreme manifestations of the human immune system. According to The American Heritage Science Dictionary, an allergy is, “an abnormally high immunologic sensitivity to certain stimuli such as drugs, foods, environmental irritants, microorganisms, or physical conditions, such as temperature extremes”.
Carcinogenic objects, items known to cause cancer, have always stirred up controversy. Many chemicals and objects are easily identifiable as cancer-causing, and many currently believe that the debated microwave oven should rank among the recognized carcinogenic items. While this information has not been definitively confirmed, some scientists feel that it is necessary to take caution when using microwaves. 
An East African boy runs out of the village to greet his father, who is returning home from his weeklong tree-cutting job. As the father approaches, the boy can sense that something is wrong. His dad is covered in red sores and approaches in a befuddled manner. When the family visits the local Red Cross mobile, they find out that the father has contracted sleeping sickness.
With schedules teeming with AP classes and extracurricular activities—not to mention distractions such as the Internet, television, and video games—, many high school students find it difficult to set aside time for a good night’s rest. Students increasingly remain awake till the wee hours of the morning, sometimes even staying up all night for the sake of completing class assignments.
The shot is an often-dreaded component of a doctor’s appointment. Dread escalates to terror for the 10% of Americans who suffer from trypanophobia, the fear of needles. And yet, needles are necessary for the maintenance of our health.
After a quarter-century of planning and construction, the CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) Large Hadron Collider has finally run its first successful test, ahead of schedule. In early December 2009, the team running the tests at the CERN collider announced the results of the September 23, 2009 experiment.
