In our final issue of 2019, we wrap up our year-long coverage of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All 17 SDGs are equally crucial; they all intertwine, and success of one goal contributes to success of all others. We invite you to dig into our new issue, hoping that you enjoy it and are inspired by it to look for methods you personally can contribute to the accomplishment of the Global Goals. 

In this issue, we turn our attention to SDGs that are probably the most pressing, keeping in mind that all goals are intertwined. These goals, in particular, are felt worldwide and require the most urgent action; they are the goals that affect our basic livelihood, namely: No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-Being, and Clean Water and Sanitation. We also acknowledge in this issue the International Year of the Periodic Table; one of the most significant scientific achievements of all time. The success in all these goals is closely linked to the goal of Responsible Consumption and Production. As always, we hope you enjoy the new issue!

As mentioned in our first issue of this year, SCIplanet will be tackling the SDGs throughout the year. All 17 Goals interconnect; they cover issues that affect us all and they involve us all to build a more sustainable, safer, more prosperous planet for all humanity. In this issue, we tackle goals that affect the quality of human life.

In our section dedicated to celebrating the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT 2019), the feature She Set It covers the significant contributions of women scientists to the Periodic Table and thus to chemistry and physics. Enjoy the new issue, make sure to check out SCIplanet Online for more articles, and do not forget to subscribe in our monthly e-newsletter.

With the advent of the millennium, world leaders partnered to combat disease, hunger, poverty, illiteracy, discrimination, and environmental degradation. The rigorous efforts of governments, communities, civil societies, and the private sector helped expand hope and opportunity for people around the world. Since the world still needs to shift to a sustainable path, the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were put in place.

The SDGs are a commitment to complete what was started and tackle pressing challenges facing our world today. This year, SCIplanet Editorial Team will be discussing the SDGs in an attempt to help raise awareness and encourage readers to get engaged. We also acknowledge that 2019 is the International Year of the Periodic Table; one of the most significant scientific achievements of all time. We wish you all a Happy New and Sustainable Year, rich with awareness and proactivity.

Within this year’s annual theme, Science Everywhere, we have tackled the science in the two most important places humans occupy: the home and work. We then diverted our attention to the two most vital extracurricular activities humans practice: sports and arts. For those who know me, or have followed my writings over the years, it would come as no surprise that the theme of this issue, Science and Art, is my absolute favorite.

I do not recall how many times I have written about the eternal, dare I say magical, bond between art and science. Indeed, I have often written about my passion for both and how this was the drive behind my work in science communication, particularly via media and publications, where the arts of writing and design intertwine to engage, inform, educate, and inspire the public.

Speaking of “Science Everywhere”, indeed, science is not just in all the places we occupy and use, but also in every activity we enjoy. The connection between science and sports should not be surprising; after all, all physical activities are connected to science because they are basically conducted by the human body. Yet, the connection is not restricted to biology; it expands to physics, psychology, chemistry, among other fields of science.

Naturally, the topic of our issue was partially chosen to coincide with the extremely popular occasion of the FIFA World Cup, in which Egypt played for the first time in almost three decades. An even more important global sporting event is the Olympic Games, the next edition of which takes place in 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. Olympics is an opportunity to celebrate all sports, not just football; likewise, the Paralympics are the highlight of para-athletics, where human physical ability is more emphasized than ever.

Unless you work in a purely scientific field, you probably do not expect to see any science looking around your workplace: correct? Wrong! Science is everywhere; we already discussed how it is all over our homes, and now it is time we look around workplaces for the science at work.

It might be easier to imagine science at workplaces and industries that obviously require scientific research and innovation. In reality, however, it is in all industries from the buildings, through the machinery, to the methods of production, science is evident in every single aspect.

“Science Everywhere” is not just a saying; it is a fact. There is absolutely nothing in life that is not connected to science. This year, we are tacking the science from the perspective of everyday places and activities we live, study, work, and experience without giving much thought to the myriad of sciences lurking in every corner, vessel, piece of furniture or equipment, etc.

In this initial issue, we are exploring the science at home. It is inside our kitchen; not just in the various appliances, but also inside the cabinets and even on the stove. Science is, of course, in all the detergents, toiletries, and even cosmetics used by the household to stay healthy, fresh, and preppy. It is even in the way we communicate with our family members, raise our children, or deal with our pets. There is even science in the energy flowing around the home. Actually, science at home is still progressing; there is no doubt modern technology is bound to continue changing our way of life, including our homes, drastically.

The Wonders of Science has been our overarching theme throughout 2017, SCIplanet’s tenth year; we have already tackled three broad core sciences: Astronomy and Space, Earth, and Life Sciences. Naturally, there are many more fundamental sciences to have a closer look at in the future; however, in this concluding issue for this year, we have selected a rather enigmatic branch of science that is rarely tackled, at least by us. After having had a look at the broader sciences of our universe, our home-planet, and our own bodies, we find it is high time we probed further inside our own selves; to delve deeper inside our own minds and psyche as we explore communication and psychological sciences.

In the third instalment of our series “The Wonders of Science”, we focus our attention on our inner body. In reality, every single science branch is related to our life in one way or another, but nothing is more relevant to us than Life Sciences. What we care about most is our own selves; our bodies, our health, our existence.

Leaping from historical quests of knowledge, we fast-forward to modern-day mindboggling discoveries, inventions, and technologies that in some cases, seem like science fiction. It is our honor in this issue to pay tribute to two Egyptian pillars of knowledge as we bid them farewell: Dr. Mostafa el-Abbadi and Dr. Mona Bakr.