The advancement in science and technology is unrelenting. No matter how much we advance, there’s always a better way to look at things. Perfection always seems distant and the discoveries follows. Here we enlist top 10 advances in science 2019.
Top 10 Advances in Science 2019
This list enlists major scientific achievements made in 2019. The improvements in a single field are given a single spot. We tried to include every milestone achievements in scientific communities in 2019. So here we go.
10. 3D Printing Technology Marching Forward
3D printing technology took a leap in terms of detailing in 2019. On August 1, 2019 researchers at Carnegie Mellon University developed a new 3D printing technique that could print tissue using collagen. Collagen is a major structural protein in the human body. This could enable scientists to print a complete human organ (as delicate as heart) one day.
Further, scientists at Northwestern University manufactured a 3D printer which can print durable large materials. This could be in the market within a year or two and can aid the manufacturing of parts.
3D printing has also gained a greater achievement in micrometer level. The precise and sub-micrometer level printing has been reported on Science advances in October 2019.
9. High Temperature Superconductivity
Superconductivity is a highly researched topic in material science. It can make things like quantum levitation possible. Also, superconductivity can enable the development of devices with fewer losses. Since this property is in existence only in extremely low temperatures, researchers are always keen to develop high temperature superconductivity.
The high temperature superconductivity is achieved on Lanthanum Hydride at 250K and very high pressures. It was reported on a paper published on Nature on 22 May 2019. This discovery can aid the quantum computers and modern processors, as they use superconducting circuits.
8. Voyager 2 Crossing the Interstellar
Voyager 2 is one of the five missions to the interstellar. Launched in August 1977, it has passed the interstellar in November 2018. It was confirmed in November 2019 with a paper published on Nature. It marks a new milestone in the study of space beyond the solar system. It is still active and transmitting cosmic data to NASA. It will reveal new truths about the space beyond the solar system.
7. Next Level Gene Therapy
Curing genetic diseases got to the other level in 2019. Scientists cured deafness in mice injecting gene in mice. The auditory synapse functioned well and hearing capability was restored after the injection. This type of gene therapy was tested for an old lady in Oxford to cure blindness. The gene injection can halt blindness having a genetic cause. Though stem cell therapy is already gaining popularity as a regenerative technique to cure diseases, gene therapy proves to be a different approach and shows a promising future.
6. Nanotechnology Enhancing Living Beings
The development in nanotechnology has brought different reforms in the material world. It has also aided biotechnology. In February 2019 Scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China and MIT were able to inject nanoparticles in mice so that it was able to have infrared vision.
This modification of living being can be a major step in using nanotechnology to enhance human abilities. More interesting modifications are likely to come in the future.
5. The Landing on Far Side of the Moon and First Bio Experiment on the moon
When it comes to landing on the moon, NASA can be hardly beaten but Chinese national space administration (CNSA) kept their noses front in the race by landing for the first time on the far side of the moon. NASA and other space agencies have only landed on the near side of the moon. The far side of the moon was unexplored till 3rd January 2019 when the Chang’e – 4 probe from CNSA landed on it.
The Chang’e – 4 probe has a lander and a rover that can explore the virgin territory of the far side of the moon. The mission itself is a remarkable achievement for the world. Meanwhile, CNSA has intended to bring back the samples collected from the moon to study. Also, a cotton plant was grown inside the lander which is the first plant to be grown on the moon.
4. CRISPR Curing cancer
The cause of death of 163 people out of 100,000 who die is from cancer each year. Cancer is a deadly disease. After the gene-edited babies, the development of CRISPR (gene-editing tool) technology is proving worthy to tackle cancer.
On April 2019, CRISPR has been used to cure cancer such as myeloma and sarcoma. Two patients with those cancers were treated using this technology at the University of Pennsylvania. This could convince people of the outstanding ability of CRISPR. Soon, CRISPR will thrive as a treatment method in the clinics.
3. Quantum Teleportation in 3D
Quantum teleportation achieved a new height in 2019. A collaborative research of scientists at China and Austria have teleported qutrits, a three state quantum particle. This research has advanced the quantum entanglement of two state systems to three. This means the teleportation of more complex systems might be on the way in the future.
2. Quantum Supremacy Achieved
Quantum supremacy made a great fuss in 2019. Google made an official announcement that it has achieved quantum supremacy publishing a paper in October. This marked a milestone in quantum computing. There are several companies working on quantum computers but quantum supremacy was not achieved.
This achievement has added a pillar for the construction of powerful quantum computers. We are likely to see commercial and multipurpose quantum computers in the market soon. These faster computers working on whole new computing technology can reform the computing world.
1. The First Picture of the Black Hole
The first picture of a black hole shook the social media in April 2019. Scientists were able to picture the black hole at the center of Messier 87 galaxy using Event Horizon Telescope. The black hole is situated 55 million light-years away.
This international collaborative research released the picture of the black hole which is definitely the photo of the year in April. It is a great achievement in the astronomical community. It proves the existence of supermassive black holes and adds a new dimension to the study of black holes and their features.
