Virtual adventurers are still advised to pack Novocain. Separate research teams simultaneously locate a gene for humility. Each team claims to have found the unassuming piece of DNA first and accuses the other of scientific fraud. SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, yields its first payoff when a radio transmission from beyond the solar system reaches Earth. Modern-day alchemists announce that they've discovered a way to create the world's most precious metal out of thin air at room temperature.
Controversy rages over the legitimacy of gold fusion.
This leads to new insights into group differences in nervous system function, thanks to a brain-beanie study of certified public accountants and Soul Train dancers. Nanotechnology marches on with the introduction of nanonukes, microscopic nuclear reactors that can supply all the energy needs of an entire city block or rural town. Scientists are also developing nanocannisters to safely store radioactive nanowaste without attracting the attention of squirrels. The last person standing in a group of competitors gets his or her project funded. Senior researchers designate the burliest postdocs they can find to slog it out in a mud pit set up across the street from the White House.