Eight science stories to watch for

In 2020, scientists will send spacecraft to the moon and Mars, try to detect cancer earlier, and more

It will be a year of looking outward, as scientists send spacecraft to the moon, Mars and beyond.

It will also be a year of looking inward, to study cells that can signal disease — or cure it.

In between, researchers will focus their attention on Earth and its changing climate. And that’s just a sampling of what’s in store for 2020.

Here’s a look at some of the science stories we’re looking forward to in the new year: cure for dozens of children who were born without a functioning immune system.

All of this was made possible by CIRM’s initial allocation of $3 billion. Now that money has been spent, and voters will be asked to renew their commitment to stem cell science by approving a $5.5billion ballot initiative in November 2020.

As before, the new money would fund both basic research and more focused projects that could pay off big but are generally too risky for private investors.

But the new ballot measure would deviate from Proposition 71 by setting aside funds to train students for careers in regenerative medicine. It would also establish a task force to ensure that the taxpayers who funded CIRM can afford the treatments made possible by the agency’s grants.

Many of the institute’s structural problems would remain in place, however. CIRM would continue to operate without meaningful legislative oversight, and its board of directors would still be populated by people from research institutions and disease advocacy groups who have built-in conflicts of interest. We’ll see in November how voters weigh the pros and cons.