| Subject |
Objective |
Projects |
Measurement |
Status |
| Cosmological Model |
To determine parameters in the model |
Wilkinson Microwave Anistropy Probe (WMAP) |
Age and geometry of the Universe, evidence for inflation |
First detailed map released on February, 2003; mission continues until 2005 |
| Dark Energy |
To identify the nature of dark energy |
Wilkinson Microwave Anistropy Probe (WMAP) |
Result seems to favour cosmological constant over negative pressure (quintessence) |
On-going |
| Dark Energy |
To confirm acceleration of the cosmic expansion |
SuperNova Acceleration Probe (SNAP) |
Discovery of many type Ia supernovae at redshifts greater than any yet found |
Proposed |
| Dark Matter |
To look for unseen massive objects |
MAssive Compact Halo Objects Project (MACHO) |
Brown dwarfs or planets in the halo of the Milky Way |
On-going since 1992 |
| Dark Matter |
To look for weakly interacting particles |
DAMA and other groups |
Heavy supersymmetry partners |
Inconclusive |
| Early Universe |
To observe the first stars and galaxies in the Universe |
James Webb (formerly Next Generation) Space Telescope (JWST) |
Highly redshifted and faint infrared objects |
2011 |
| Extra-terrestrial Intelligence |
To look for extra-terrestrial intelligence |
Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence Project (SETI) |
Radio signal of extraterrestrial origin |
On-going since 1960 |
| Extra-terrestrial Life |
To look for life in another world |
ESA, ORIGINS |
Habitable planets |
2014, 2015 |
| Human Genetic Map |
To compile the Human Book of Life |
Human Genome Project (HGP) and Celera |
Human genome |
Working draft completed on Feb. 2001; 99.99% completed by April, 2003 |
| Quantum Computing |
To conduct research into all aspects of quantum information processing |
Centre for Quantum Computing (CQC) |
A quantum computer |
On-going |
| Higgs Boson |
To confirm spontaneous symmetry breaking in gauge theories |
Experiments at CERN and Fermilab |
Debris identified to be from the decay of Higgs bosons |
Inconclusive |
| CP-Violation |
To explain the dominance of matter over anti-matter |
Experiments at BaBar/SLAC and Belle |
Quantum interference between two decay modes of the B0 meson |
Observed, but more measurements are needed to explain some details |
| Neutrino Mass |
To verify if neutrino has mass |
Experiments at Super-Kamiokande, SNO, and other facilities |
Neutrino oscillation between the three generations |
Observed, but more measurements are needed to select competing theories |
| Proton Decay |
To validate GUT (baryon, lepton conversion) |
Underground detectors at Argonne and other sites |
Spontaneous reactions which might indicate proton decay |
No unambiguous event |
| Superstrings Theory |
To unify the four interactions and beyond |
Academic Institutions |
Testable predictions |
Not yet available |