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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > Annual Report on the Promotion of Science and Technology 2000 > Part1 Chapter2 Section1 1 | ![]() |
The special theory of relativity that describes the relationship
between systems that do not have acceleration each other, and the general theory
of relativity that can be applied to generalized systems were established, and
make the common conventional perception that space and time are the same anywhere
wreck.
The theory of relativity, together with the discovery of the
splitting of uranium atoms, opened the path for the use of atomic energy, enabled
nuclear weapons and atomic power generation, and gave an inestimable social and
economic impact to human society.
In the ultramicroscopic world, quantum mechanics, which is
the theoretical framework that explains how atoms and electrons interact with
one another, as well as the structure of substances comprised of large numbers
of them, was established by many researchers. The theory was applied into many
fields, such as the technical development of semiconductors.
Up until the 1920s, protons, neutrons, electrons and photons
were thought to be four types of fundamental particles, the ultimate indivisible
units which make up substances. After the invention of the cyclotron in 1930,
however, a variety of fundamental particles started to be discovered, six types
of quarks - the elementary particles that comprise protons and neutrons - have
been confirmed to exist today.
In 1953 the double helix structure of deoxyribonucleic acid
(DNA), the blueprint of life was discovered, four types of bases linking opposing
chains came to be regarded as the main body of genes.
By knowing about genes, it is expected to lead to applications
to wide-ranging technical development, such as diagnosis and treatment of genetic
disorders, improvements to breeds and production of hormones.
In 1929 it became clear that the universe continues to expand,
and in 1946 the Big Bang theory was advocated, in which the universe is thought
to start by an ultra-high temperature, ultra-high density fire ball.
With the discovery of cosmic background radiation, the Big
Bang theory came to be regarded as the standard theory of the universe.
The methodology of scientific research this century regarded
the whole as an aggregation of elements, and was based on the element-reducing
method of searching for the minimum unit (root) of that element.
Recently, however, as is the case with climate change and
biology, situations handling complex phenomena are increasing, and with the advances
in computers we are seeing the advent of "Science of Complex Systems" which
attempts to clarify the mechanisms that control complex phenomena.
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