The past year turned out to be rich in all sorts of scientific achievements. Moreover, scientists are not necessarily in search of sensational discoveries to conquer the depths of the Cosmos, the old Earth is also full of surprises.
Today we bring to your attention 10 important scientific discoveries of 2012 , many of which, like the Higgs boson, have become the results of the painstaking work of hundreds of people.
Contents:
- 10. Carbohydrates in stellar dust.
- 9. Realistic holograms.
- 8. Beginning of the research of Lake Vostok.
- 7. Egg cells derived from stem cells.
- 6. New planets on the outskirts of the solar system.
- 5. Higgs boson.
- 4. New species of animals.
- 3. Mayan Temple in Guatemala.
- 2. Churiositi on Mars.
- 1. A new species of extinct people.
10. Carbohydrates in stellar dust.
At a distance of 400 light years from Earth, the simplest sugar molecules were found floating in interstellar space. The importance of the discovery lies in the fact that carbohydrates are the building material for living organisms. Therefore, there are all chances for the birth of life in the depths of the universe, since space is literally filled with the necessary "bricks".
9. Realistic holograms.
In the near future, holography will firmly enter our life, because images obtained with the help of wave fields become more realistic. In 2012, at the music festival Coachella, a joint performance of rappers Snoop Dog and Doctor Dre was demonstrated in the company with Tupac Shakur, who died in 1996.Now the audience is looking forward to the concerts of Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley.
8. Beginning of the research of Lake Vostok.
The largest subglacial lake in Antarctica for a long time hid its secrets from scientists. However, in February 2012, Russian scientists reached the surface of the lake, drilled ice to a depth of 3,769.3 meters. Scientists expect to find in the samples of water and ice taken microorganisms, previously not known to science.
7. Egg cells derived from stem cells.
Scientists from the Japanese University of Kyoto managed to grow from healthy stem cells healthy eggs, fertilize them and even achieve the birth of healthy offspring. True, while the experiment is based on laboratory mice, but, of course, this scientific achievement will make a significant contribution to solving the problem of infertility.
6. New planets on the outskirts of the solar system.
In May 2012, astronomer Rodney Gomez of the National Observatory of Brazil announced the existence of several unknown planets in the solar system outside the orbit of Neptune. The scientist believes that the size of these cosmic bodies is small and, probably, they are dwarf planets covered with a thick layer of ice.
5. Higgs boson.
In July 2012, researchers working with the mysterious Large Hadron Collider said that with the probability of 99% they discovered the Higgs boson. The particle, which was immediately dubbed a "particle of God," should help scientists to present to the world the completed Standard physical model and to explain why all objects are endowed with mass. The discovery of the Higgs boson was predicted back in 1964.
4. New species of animals.
On the island of Borneo, there were found poisonous monkeys, leading a nocturnal life. In Spain, however, scientists discovered a new species of wasp parasitizing on ants. And in the ocean near Antarctica, the Yeti crab was found, which lives near hot minerals rich in hot springs.
3. Mayan Temple in Guatemala.
This cult building was built approximately 1600 years ago and for a long time was hidden by the jungle of Guatemala. This archaeological find gives scientists food for new discoveries related to the mysterious civilization of the ancient Maya.
2. Churiositi on Mars.
Space robot Curiosity landed on Mars in the planned area at the crater of Gale on August 6, 2012.And already on September 28, scientists from NASA found on the photographs transmitted by the rover, traces of a dried out stream. The robot is equipped with a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, the energy of which should be enough for 12 years of travel on the Red Planet.
1. A new species of extinct people.
Back in 2008 in Russia in the Denisova cave in the Altai, a petrified phalanx of a child's finger was found. And only 4 years later the DNA analysis technology allowed to trace the nucleotide sequences in the genome of the so-called "Denisov" man. Scientists announced that this species lived about 40 thousand years ago, it represents a previously unknown branch of evolution, different from the Neanderthal man and modern people.