With only a handful of days left in this strange beast of a year that will definitely appear in history books, we thought it would be nice to reflect on the amazing things that scientists have yet to deliver, in spite of everything.
Of course, scientific achievements are usually years in the making. Nevertheless, here is a summary of the exciting scientific news we reported in 2020. Just to remember that it wasn’t all terrible.
1. We found the first known extraterrestrial protein in a meteorite
Can life originate elsewhere in the solar system? As curious and intelligent beings, humans are naturally interested in finding out if living beings thrive outside the confines of our little blue space rock. One way to discover this is to use meteorites.
Earlier this year, scientists revealed that they had found the very first protein abroad that was stored in a meteorite that fell on Earth 30 years ago.
“We’re pretty sure proteins are likely to exist in space,” astronomer Chenoa Tremblay told ScienceAlert in March. “But if we can really start finding evidence of their existence, and what some of the structures and the general structures may be, I think it’s really interesting and exciting.”
2. We avoided some disturbing changes in the atmosphere
A new study has revealed that the famed Montreal Protocol – the 1987 agreement to no longer produce ozone-depleting substances – could be responsible for interrupting, or even reversing, worrying changes in air currents around the southern hemisphere. of our planet.
The healing of the protective ozone layer around the earth seems to have interrupted the migration of an air stream known as the southern jet stream, which eventually pushed parts of Australia into prolonged drought.
“If the ozone layer recovers, and the circulation moves north, it’s good news in two areas,” explained chemist Ian Rae of the University of Melbourne.
3. An AI solved a 50-year-old biology challenge, decades before anyone expected it
Earlier this month, scientists from the British artificial intelligence company DeepMind announced that a new AI system had effectively solved a years-long and incredibly complex scientific problem regarding the structure and behavior of proteins.
For about 50 years, researchers have been striving to predict how proteins reach their three-dimensional structure. The astronomical number of potential configurations has made this task – known as the protein folding problem – incredibly difficult.
The success of DeepMind represents a major step forward in a series of research endeavors, from disease modeling and drug discovery, to applications that go far beyond health research.
4. Scientists used fast radio bursts to detect the universe’s missing matter
In an enchanting tale of mystery within a mystery, earlier this year a clever application of fast radio burst (FRB) detection gave astronomers an answer to a confusing question – where is the missing matter in the universe?
We are not talking here about dark matter, but the baronic (normal) matter that must be there because of all our calculations, but which until now simply could not be traced. The universe is large and the distance between galaxies is enormous. But in that seemingly empty space, solitary atoms are still kicking around.
While searching for the source of the powerful interstellar signals known as FRBs, researchers discovered that extremely diffuse gas could account for the missing ‘normal’ matter in the universe. Phew.
5. We also confirmed that an FRB was spotted in our own galaxy for the first time
That’s right. On April 28, 2020, a Milky Way magnetar called SGR 1935 + 2154 flared up in a single, millisecond-long eruption that was so incredibly bright that it could be observed from another galaxy.
This rural detection has had a major and immediate impact on the study of mysterious FRBs, found so far only from outside our galaxy, making the exact source difficult to determine.
“This species, according to most people, determines the origin of FRBs as derived from magnetars,” astronomer Shrinivas Kulkarni of Caltech told ScienceAlert.
Astronomers have taken a whale of time to do follow-up work on this detection, and by November we also received confirmation that this intra-galactic FRB is a repeater. We can certainly expect even more excitement about this.
6. SpaceX and NASA made history with the first launch
Space enthusiasts have indeed had much cause for excitement this year, as various launches and space missions have fought despite the global pandemic. On May 30, 2020, SpaceX becomes the first private space company to deliver NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
We lay away. History is made as @NASA_Astronauts launch from @NASAKennedy for the first time in nine years on the @SpaceX Crew Dragon: pic.twitter.com/alX1t1JBAt
– NASA (@NASA) 30 May 2020
Not only did they bring them home safely just a few months later, but a new crew launch went smoothly in November, delivering four astronauts to the space station – the first in probably 20 routine missions in 2021 and beyond.
7. NASA touched an asteroid and JAXA brought back a monster
After a long journey of more than 320 million kilometers (200 million miles), NASA’s spacecraft OSIRIS-REx finally touched the asteroid Bennu in October and collected a sample of the superficial debris. agency. We can expect sin to return in 2023 with its precious burden.
Last year, the Japanese space agency JAXA achieved a similar feat with the Hayabusa2 probe, which collected a sample of the asteroid Ryugu. In December this year, we witnessed the safe return of the monster, and were already treated to a first glimpse of the black dust the team received. We can not wait to know more about what this asteroid mission will discover.
Ryugu dust on the outside chamber of the recycling capsule. (JAXA)
8. Scientists found the first animal that did not need oxygen to survive
Back here in our own world, biologists were in for a surprise when they found the first multicellular organism without a mitochondrial genome – meaning an organism that does not breathe. In fact, it lives without the need for oxygen at all.
Although some unicellular organisms are known to thrive in anaerobic conditions, the fact is that this common salmon parasite is a jellyfish-like creature. Henneguya salminicola, does not need oxygen to survive, is quite remarkable and has left researchers with many new questions to answer.
H. salminicola under the microscope. (Stephen Douglas Atkinson)
9. We got spectacular footage of a “long, stingy little thing” off the coast of Australia
Back in April, a tow ribbon of merged tentacle clones caused a great stir among a group of biologists who were exploring a little-studied part of the ocean off the coast of Western Australia. This strange entity was a particularly long siphonophor, a floating string of thousands of individual zoos. In fact, it may be one of the longest such strings ever observed.
Check out this beautiful * giant * syphonophor Apolemia recorded # NingalooCanyons expedition. It seems likely that this specimen is the largest ever recorded, and in a strange UFO-like feeding posture. Thank you @Caseywdunn for information @wamuseum @GeoscienceAus @CurtinUni @Scripps_Ocean pic.twitter.com/QirkIWDu6S
– Schmidt Ocean (@SchmidtOcean) 6 April 2020
“Everyone was blown away when it was seen,” biologists Nerida Wilson and Lisa Kirkendale of the Western Australian Museum told ScienceAlert.
“There was a lot of excitement. People came to the control room from all over the ship. Siphonophores are often seen, but these were large and unusual.”
10. A physicist devised mathematics that makes ‘paradox-free’ time travel possible
Wouldn’t it be great to get into a time machine and solve an accident you did in the past, all without accidentally killing your grandfather?
Well, 2020 also became the year when we learned of a mathematically sound solution for time travel that does not spoil everything. Physics student Germain Tobar of the University of Queensland in Australia worked out how to square the numbers to make time travel viable without the paradoxes.
Although it did not immediately bring us closer to a working time machine, his calculations show that space-time can possibly adapt itself to avoid paradoxes. According to Tobar’s supervisor, the math goes out. Fantastic.
11. The first COVID-19 vaccines are already being administered outside of clinical trials
The biggest single challenge facing the world this year was the global COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals and essential workers have had a large part of the burden of keeping society going, and we can never thank them enough. Meanwhile, researchers from numerous relevant fields – from immunology to genetics – have also worked tirelessly throughout the year to better understand the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
The work will continue into the new year, but at the end of November we finally got the first taste of what it means to accelerate scientific research and funding, beyond the typical pace. The very first vaccines designed to protect humans against COVID-19 have completed all the necessary phases of clinical trials and are being rolled out in the UK, US and parts of Europe.
Much more will need to be done before we can put an end to this devastating pandemic and protect the most vulnerable communities worldwide, but having effective vaccines already is an amazing achievement, and without a doubt the biggest reason for celebrating the science this year. One to carry us full of hope in 2021.