Top 10 Chinese Science Discoveries in 1998 　　Academicians with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) recently selected the top 10 Chinese scientific and technological discoveries in 1998. 　　A breakthrough in high-yield rice breeding and cultivation led the list. Chinese scientists succeeded in achieving a double rice harvest with a per hectare yield of over 18,000 kilograms. 　　The scientific expedition to the Yarlung Zangbo Canyon, the world's second largest canyon located on southwest China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, ranked second. 　　Chinese scientists collected more than 2,000 specimens of insects and plants, as well as a large cache of rock and water samples. The team conducted extensive studies of the local topography, atmosphere, hydrology, flora and fauna, and glaciers in the canyon. 　　Other major breakthroughs on the list included research of transgenic sheep, establishment of a large data base of topographical maps and development of the first bismuth superconducting power transmission cable. 　　The list also included the operational status of two generating sets in Ertan Hydropower Station, the largest operational hydroelectric station in China, as well as a major breakthrough in human gene research, gene recombination of human insulin, and the development of a high density digital television system. 　　The academicians also selected the top 10 scientific discoveries worldwide during 1998. The discovery of water on the moon by US scientists led the list. 　　 Educationcul 1999-01-07 Page4 Full Story in Chinese