EntranceModern scientific discovery. Scientific news
Every year brings the world new technologies and new discoveries that take humanity to a qualitatively different, higher level of development. We have collected in one review the latest discoveries from various fields, and each of these discoveries for humanity is a step towards new opportunities.
1. A terrible disease will help cure cancer
Scientists have made a breakthrough in finding a cure for cancer by attaching malaria proteins to cancer cells. Human trials should begin within four years.
2. New ape species have been discovered in South Africa
Last September, paleontologists reported that a new anthropoid species had been found - Homo naledi. This conclusion is based on the discovery of fifteen partially preserved skeletons. It is believed that Homo naledi may have lived in Africa about three million years ago.
3. Study Finds Working Longer Increases Risk of Stroke
According to a study published in The Lancet, people who work more than 55 hours a week are 33% more likely to have a stroke than those who work 35-40 hours a week. They also have a 13% higher risk of coronary heart disease.
4. For the first time, a comprehensive analysis of the woolly mammoth genome has been completed
At the same time, a number of reasons were discovered that allowed these animals to survive in the Arctic.
5. The brightest galaxy in the Universe was discovered
Last May, NASA announced that the brightest galaxy in the Universe, WISE J224607.57-052635.0, had been discovered. It is smaller than the Milky Way, but emits ten thousand times more energy (mostly in the form of infrared radiation).
6. Scientists have made progress in creating the first quantum computer
Two major steps in creating a quantum computer were taken by IBM scientists. They were able to find a way to detect and measure both types of quantum errors. It also created a square lattice of four superconducting qubits on a chip just over 6mm in size.
7. The first exoplanet with a visible spectrum was discovered
Astronomers from Chile have for the first time directly observed the spectrum of visible light reflected from an exoplanet. We are talking about the exoplanet 51 Pegasi b.
8. Three Thousand Atoms Were Caught With One Photon
Physicists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Belgrade have developed a new technique with which they were able to capture three thousand atoms using just one photon.
9. Amazon forests have begun to absorb less carbon dioxide
The results of a long-term 30-year study of the South American rainforest, which involved an international team of almost 100 researchers, published rather disappointing data. Tropical forests are gradually losing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as trees die at an ever faster rate.
10. NASA Discovered Evidence of a Vast Ancient Ocean on Mars
According to NASA scientists, a vast ancient ocean once covered almost half of Mars' northern hemisphere, making the planet a more promising place to search for alien life than previously thought. The huge ocean, according to scientists, was up to one and a half kilometers deep and contained a total of twenty million cubic kilometers of water (more than in the Arctic Ocean).
11. Researchers Used Nanotechnology to Treat Breast Cancer
Iranian nanotechnologists have managed to synthesize a substance with a bioadaptive and biodegradable molecular chain. This medicine can reduce the toxicity of anti-cancer drugs.
12. Scientists have reprogrammed plants to be drought-resistant
Scientists have genetically reprogrammed plants to be more drought-resistant.
13. HIV vaccine
The fight against HIV and AIDS took a huge step forward in 2015 when scientists at The Scripps Research Institute developed a vaccine that was incredibly effective against HIV-1, HIV-2 and simian immunodeficiency virus. The main difference with the new drug is that it actually changes DNA to fight the virus. Previously, injections of a weakened form of the virus were injected into the patient’s body so that the immune system “learned” to fight it. The research is currently in its early stages, but preliminary results are very promising.
14. Brain research can help predict future behavior
An article published in the journal Neuron described a number of recent studies showing that brain scans can help predict a person's future learning, criminality, and health-related behavior. Technology can offer opportunities to personalize education and clinical practice.
15. Human muscles capable of contracting were grown in the laboratory for the first time.
In a lab at Duke University, researchers have grown human muscles that contract and respond to external stimuli (such as electrical impulses, biochemical signals and pharmaceuticals) just like real muscles. The new tissue should soon allow researchers to test new drugs and study muscle diseases outside the human body.
Especially for those who are interested in science and the beyond, we have collected.
The outgoing year 2016 will be remembered for historical scientific events. Physicists and astronomers rule the show: they have made the most discussed and exciting discoveries related to black holes, the theory of relativity and other worlds. Biologists have also achieved a lot by modifying genomes and experimenting on people. Lenta.ru recalls the most important scientific results of the year.
Caught a wave
On February 11, 2016, the whole world learned about the existence of gravitational waves - their experimental discovery was announced. Predicted by Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, they eluded scientists' instruments for decades. And on September 14, 2015, at 05:51 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (13:51 Moscow time), gravitational waves were detected for the first time at the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) observatory. They were created by the merger of two black holes into one massive black hole. This happened 1.3 billion years ago, but the gravitational disturbance of space-time has only now reached Earth.
LIGO is a system of two identical detectors, carefully tuned to detect incredibly small displacements from the passage of gravitational waves. The detectors are located three thousand kilometers apart in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington. The project was proposed in 1992 by a group of American scientists, which included Kip Thorne, known for his participation in the creation of the film Interstellar. LIGO, which cost $370 million, began operating in 2002, but was able to catch a gravitational wave only after modernization carried out in 2010-2015.
Second Earth
In August, the journal Nature published an article by astronomers at the European Southern Observatory about the discovery of an Earth-like exoplanet near the closest star to the solar system, Proxima Centauri. The celestial body, named Proxima b, is 1.3 times heavier than Earth, orbits Proxima Centauri in a nearly circular orbit with a period of 11.2 days and is located at a distance of 0.05 astronomical units (7.5 million kilometers) from it. What makes this planet similar to Earth is that it is located in the habitable zone of its sun. That is, conditions on Proxima b may resemble those on Earth. If it turns out that the planet has a magnetic field, a dense atmosphere and oceans of liquid water, then the likelihood of life existing there is very high.
Image: ESO/M. Kornmesser
Go play go
The board game Go is considered one of the most difficult for artificial intelligence to master. However, the AlphaGo program, developed by DeepMind, managed to beat the world champion in Go, Korean Lee Sedol, in four out of five games.
AlphaGo uses so-called value networks to estimate the position of pieces on the board and networks of rules to select moves. These neural networks learn to play by analyzing known games, as well as through trial and error while playing alone. Before taking on Lee Sedol, the artificial intelligence beat other programs in 99.8 percent of games and then surpassed the European champion.
The third one is not superfluous
In April 2016, a child was born in Mexico, conceived using the mitochondrial DNA of a third person. The “three-parent” method involves transplanting mitochondrial DNA from a female donor into the mother’s egg. Scientists believe this avoids the influence of mutations on the mother's side that can cause diseases such as diabetes or deafness.
The operation was performed by American surgeon John Zhang. He chose Mexico because the use of this technique is prohibited in the United States. The child was born healthy, and no negative consequences have been noted to date.
Planet Nine
On January 20, astronomers Michael Brown and Konstantin Batygin from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena reported the discovery of a Neptune-sized object beyond the orbit of Pluto that is 10 times heavier than Earth. The minimum distance between the Sun and this celestial body is 200 astronomical units (seven times more than between Neptune and the Sun). The maximum distance of Planet X is estimated at 600-1200 astronomical units.
Scientists discovered the planet by analyzing data on the gravitational effect it exerts on other celestial bodies. Brown and Batygin estimate the probability of error at 0.007 percent, but the solar system will officially acquire a ninth planet only when it is seen through a telescope. For this purpose, astronomers have reserved time at the Japanese Subaru Observatory in Hawaii. Confirming the existence of a celestial body will take approximately five years.
Stars with a surprise
Image: capnhack.com
In the past year, astronomers discovered another star with an irregularly changing brightness - EPIC 204278916. In 2015, a single star in the constellation Cygnus KIC 8462852 with very unusual behavior was discovered. Its luminosity dropped by 20 percent and remained at this low level for various periods of time (from 5 to 80 days). This indicates that there is a swarm of densely packed large objects around the star, and some researchers have suggested that KIC 8462852 is surrounded by astronomical structures, such as a Dyson sphere.
EPIC 204278916 also surprised scientists. The star's brightness, according to data from the Kepler space telescope, decreased to 65 percent of its maximum within 25 days of observations. Strong dips in the light curve mean that the star was obscured by an object comparable in size to it. As in the case of KIC 8462852, a dense cloud of comets is unlikely to be the cause: several hundred thousand comets with giant nuclei would be required.
In 2017, scientists will try to find regularity in changes in the star’s brightness and establish their true nature. If this does not happen, we will have to admit that astronomers have encountered something completely incredible.
Gene revolution
On November 16, the journal Nature reported that Chinese scientists had modified the genome of a living person for the first time. Of course, not all of it, but a small part of it. A patient with metastatic lung cancer had his T cells modified using CRISPR technology to knock out the gene encoding the PD-1 protein, which reduces the activity of immune cells and promotes cancer development.
According to the researchers, everything went well, and the patient will soon receive a second injection. In addition, 10 more people will take part in the trial, each of whom will receive two to four injections. All volunteers will be followed for six months to see if the treatment may cause serious side effects.
At a minimum
In March, in the journal Science, scientists reported that they were able to create a bacterium with a synthetic genome, removing from it all the genes that the body could do without. To do this, they used the mycoplasma M. mycoides, whose original genome consisted of approximately 900 genes that were classified as essential or nonessential. Based on all available information and with the help of constant experimental tests, scientists were able to determine the minimum genome - the necessary set of genes vital for the existence of a bacterium.
As a result, a new strain of bacteria was obtained - JCVI-syn3.0 with a genome halved compared to the previous version - 531 thousand paired bases. It encodes 438 proteins and 35 types of regulatory RNA - a total of 437 genes.
Turn into an egg
Another advance in biotechnology involves stem cells obtained from mice. Japanese scientists from Kyushu University in Fukuoka were the first to achieve their transformation into eggs (oocytes). In fact, they obtained a multicellular living organism from stem cells.
An oocyte refers to cells that have totipotency - the ability to divide and turn into cells of all other types. The scientists subjected the resulting oocytes to in vitro fertilization. The cells were then transferred into the body of surrogate females, where they developed into healthy young.
The mice created in laboratory conditions were fertile and could give birth to healthy rodents. In addition, embryonic stem cells could be regenerated from eggs obtained in culture and fertilized in vitro.
Tricky bucket
NASA engineers sensationally confirmed the functionality of the EmDrive engine, which “violates” the laws of physics. The article was peer-reviewed and published in the scientific journal Journal of Propulsion and Power.
The article reports that EmDrive in a vacuum is capable of developing a thrust of 1.2 millinewtons per kilowatt. The reviewers could not find fault with the design of the test bench and the unit, and the authors of the work could not find a reverse force that responded to the jet thrust developed by EmDrive. That is, the engine moves, but does not emit anything. Retroactive force is required by the law of conservation of momentum.
Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that Chinese scientists announced successful tests of EmDrive on board the Tiangong-2 space laboratory and are now going to use it on orbital satellites. However, many experts remain skeptical and believe that the authors of the article may have overlooked the influence of some additional factors
Over the past few centuries, we have made countless discoveries that have helped greatly improve the quality of our daily lives and understand how the world around us works. Assessing the full importance of these discoveries is very difficult, if not almost impossible. But one thing is for sure - some of them literally changed our lives once and for all. From penicillin and the screw pump to x-rays and electricity, here is a list of 25 of mankind's greatest discoveries and inventions.
25. Penicillin
If Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming had not discovered penicillin, the first antibiotic, in 1928, we would still be dying from diseases such as stomach ulcers, abscesses, streptococcal infections, scarlet fever, leptospirosis, Lyme disease and many others.
24. Mechanical watch
Photo: pixabay
There are conflicting theories about what the first mechanical watch actually looked like, but most often researchers adhere to the version that they were created in 723 AD by the Chinese monk and mathematician Ai Xing (I-Hsing). It was this seminal invention that allowed us to measure time.
23. Copernican heliocentrism
Photo: WP/wikimedia
In 1543, almost on his deathbed, Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus unveiled his landmark theory. According to the works of Copernicus, it became known that the Sun is our planetary system, and all its planets revolve around our star, each in its own orbit. Until 1543, astronomers believed that the Earth was the center of the Universe.
22. Blood circulation
Photo: Bryan Brandenburg
One of the most important discoveries in medicine was the discovery of the circulatory system, which was announced in 1628 by the English physician William Harvey. He became the first person to describe the entire circulatory system and properties of the blood that the heart pumps throughout our body from the brain to the tips of the fingers.
21. Screw pump
Photo: David Hawgood / geographic.org.uk
One of the most famous ancient Greek scientists, Archimedes, is considered the author of one of the world's first water pumps. His device was a rotating corkscrew that pushed water up a pipe. This invention took irrigation systems to the next level and is still used in many wastewater treatment plants today.
20. Gravity
Photo: wikimedia
Everyone knows this story - Isaac Newton, the famous English mathematician and physicist, discovered gravity after an apple fell on his head in 1664. Thanks to this event, we learned for the first time why objects fall down and why planets revolve around the Sun.
19. Pasteurization
Photo: wikimedia
Pasteurization was discovered in the 1860s by French scientist Louis Pasteur. It is a heat treatment process during which pathogenic microorganisms are destroyed in certain foods and drinks (wine, milk, beer). This discovery had a significant impact on public health and the development of the food industry around the world.
18. Steam engine
Photo: pixabay
Everyone knows that modern civilization was forged in factories built during the Industrial Revolution, and that it all happened using steam engines. The steam engine was created a long time ago, but over the last century it has been significantly improved by three British inventors: Thomas Savery, Thomas Newcomen and the most famous of them, James Watt.
17. Air conditioning
Photo: Ildar Sagdejev / wikimedia
Primitive climate control systems have existed since ancient times, but they changed significantly when the first modern electric air conditioner was introduced in 1902. It was invented by a young engineer named Willis Carrier, a native of Buffalo, New York.
16. Electricity
Photo: pixabay
The fateful discovery of electricity is attributed to the English scientist Michael Faraday. Among his key discoveries, it is worth noting the principles of electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism and electrolysis. Faraday's experiments also led to the creation of the first generator, which became the forerunner of the huge generators that today produce the electricity we are familiar with in everyday life.
15. DNA
Photo: pixabay
Many believe that it was the American biologist James Watson and the English physicist Francis Crick who discovered it in the 1950s, but in fact this macromolecule was first identified in the late 1860s by the Swiss chemist Friedrich Maischer Miescher). Then, several decades after Maischer's discovery, other scientists conducted a series of studies that finally helped us clarify how an organism passes its genes to the next generation and how the work of its cells is coordinated.
14. Anesthesia
Photo: Wikimedia
Simple forms of anesthesia, such as opium, mandrake and alcohol, have been used by people for a long time, and the first mention of them dates back to 70 AD. But pain management moved to a new level in 1847, when American surgeon Henry Bigelow first introduced ether and chloroform into his practice, making extremely painful invasive procedures much more tolerable.
13. Theory of relativity
Photo: Wikimedia
Comprising two related theories of Albert Einstein, special and general relativity, the theory of relativity, published in 1905, transformed all of 20th century theoretical physics and astronomy and eclipsed Newton's 200-year-old theory of mechanics. Einstein's theory of relativity has become the basis for much of the scientific work of our time.
12. X-rays
Photo: Nevit Dilmen / wikimedia
German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen accidentally discovered X-rays in 1895 when he observed fluorescence produced by a cathode ray tube. For this pivotal discovery, the scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1901, the first of its kind in the physical sciences.
11. Telegraph
Photo: wikipedia
Since 1753, many researchers have experimented with establishing long-distance communication using electricity, but a significant breakthrough did not come until several decades later, when Joseph Henry and Edward Davy invented the electrical relay in 1835. Using this device they created the first telegraph 2 years later.
10. Periodic table of chemical elements
Photo: sandbh/wikimedia
In 1869, Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev noticed that if chemical elements are ordered by their atomic mass, they tend to form groups with similar properties. Based on this information, he created the first periodic table, one of the greatest discoveries in chemistry, which was later called the periodic table in his honor.
9. Infrared rays
Photo: AIRS/flickr
Infrared radiation was discovered by British astronomer William Herschel in 1800 when he studied the heating effect of different colors of light by using a prism to separate the light into a spectrum and measuring the changes with thermometers. Today, infrared radiation is used in many areas of our lives, including meteorology, heating systems, astronomy, tracking heat-intensive objects and many other areas.
8. Nuclear magnetic resonance
Photo: Mj-bird / wikimedia
Today, nuclear magnetic resonance is continually used as an extremely accurate and effective diagnostic tool in the medical field. This phenomenon was first described and calculated by American physicist Isidor Rabi in 1938 while observing molecular beams. In 1944, the American scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for this discovery.
7. Moldboard plow
Photo: wikimedia
Invented in the 18th century, the moldboard plow was the first plow that not only dug up the soil, but also stirred it, making it possible to cultivate even very stubborn and rocky soil for agricultural purposes. Without this tool, agriculture as we know it today would not exist in northern Europe or central America.
6. Camera obscura
Photo: wikimedia
The forerunner of modern cameras and video cameras was the camera obscura (translated as dark room), which was an optical device used by artists to create quick sketches while traveling outside their studios. A hole in one of the walls of the device served to create an inverted image of what was happening outside the chamber. The picture was displayed on the screen (on the wall of the dark box opposite the hole). These principles have been known for centuries, but in 1568 the Venetian Daniel Barbaro modified the camera obscura by adding converging lenses.
5. Paper
Photo: pixabay
The first examples of modern paper are often considered to be papyrus and amate, which were used by ancient Mediterranean peoples and pre-Columbian Americans. But it would not be entirely correct to consider them real paper. References to the first production of writing paper date back to China during the reign of the Eastern Han Empire (25-220 AD). The first paper is mentioned in chronicles dedicated to the activities of the judicial dignitary Cai Lun.
4. Teflon
Photo: pixabay
The material that keeps your pan from burning was actually invented completely by accident by American chemist Roy Plunkett when he was looking for a replacement refrigerant to make household life safer. During one of his experiments, the scientist discovered a strange, slippery resin, which later became better known as Teflon.
3. Theory of evolution and natural selection
Photo: wikimedia
Inspired by his observations during his second voyage of exploration in 1831-1836, Charles Darwin began writing his famous theory of evolution and natural selection, which, according to scientists around the world, became a key description of the mechanism of development of all life on Earth
2. Liquid crystals
Photo: William Hook / flickr
If the Austrian botanist and physiologist Friedrich Reinitzer had not discovered liquid crystals while testing the physicochemical properties of various cholesterol derivatives in 1888, today you would not know what LCD televisions or flat-panel LCD monitors are.
1. Polio vaccine
Photo: GDC Global / flickr
On March 26, 1953, American medical researcher Jonas Salk announced that he had successfully tested a vaccine against polio, a virus that causes a severe chronic disease. In 1952, an epidemic of the disease diagnosed 58,000 people in the United States and claimed 3,000 innocent lives. This spurred Salk on a quest for salvation, and now the civilized world is safe at least from this disaster.
Almost gone, 2017 turned out to be a year of great discoveries - space agencies began to use reusable rockets, patients can now fight cancer cells with their own blood cells, and a group of scientists discovered a lost continent in the Southern Hemisphere called Zealand.
These and other mind-blowing discoveries and incredible scientific advances of 2017 are described in more detail below.
Zealand
An international team of 32 scientists has discovered the lost continent of Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean. It is located under Pacific waters, on the seabed, between New Zealand and New Caledonia. Zealand was not always under water, as scientists were able to discover fossilized remains of plants and land animals.
New form of life
Scientists have managed to create in laboratory conditions something that is closest to a new form of life. The fact is that the DNA of all living beings consists of natural pairs of amino acids: adenine-thymine and guanine-cytosine. Most of DNA is built from these nitrogenous bases. However, scientists were able to create an unnatural base pair that coexisted quite comfortably with natural pairs in the DNA of E. coli.
This discovery has the potential to influence the further development of medicine and may contribute to the retention of drugs in the body for a longer period of time.
All the gold in the universe
Scientists have discovered exactly how all the gold in the universe (as well as platinum and silver) is formed. The collision of two very small but very heavy stars located 130 million light years from Earth created a hundred octillion dollars worth of gold.
For the first time in the history of observing stars, astronomers were able to witness the collision of two neutron stars. Two massive cosmic bodies were heading towards each other at a speed equal to a third of the speed of light, and their collision resulted in the creation of gravitational waves that could be felt on Earth.
Secrets of the Great Pyramid
Scientists have taken a fresh look at the Great Pyramid of Giza and discovered a secret chamber there. Using new scanning technology based on high-speed particles, scientists have discovered a secret room in the depths of the pyramid that no one had even suspected before. For now, scientists can only guess why this room was built.
New method to fight cancer
Scientists can now use the human immune system to fight some cancer cells. For example, to fight childhood leukemia, doctors remove the child's blood cells, modify them, and reintroduce them into the body. While this process is extremely expensive, the technology is developing and has enormous potential.
New indicators from the poles
Not all discoveries in 2017 were positive. For example, in July, a huge piece of ice broke off from the Antarctic ice sheet, becoming the third largest iceberg on record.
In addition, scientists say that the Arctic may never regain its title as the eternally icy pole.
New planets
NASA scientists have discovered seven more exoplanets that could theoretically support life in the form we know on Earth.
As many as seven planets have been spotted in the neighboring star system TRAPPIST-1, at least six of which are solid, like Earth. All these planets are located in a zone favorable for the formation of water and life. What is most remarkable about this discovery is the proximity of the star system and the possibility of further detailed study of the planets.
Farewell to Cassini
In 2017, the automated Cassini space station, which had been studying Saturn and its many moons for 13 years, burned up in the planet’s atmosphere. This was the planned end of the mission, which scientists chose to do deliberately in an attempt to avoid Cassini colliding with possibly habitable moons of Saturn.
Just before its death, Cassini flew around Titan and flew through the icy rings of Saturn, sending unique images to Earth.
MRI for babies
The tiniest babies being treated or examined in hospital now have their own magnetic resonance imaging scanner, safe to use in the same room as the babies.
Reusable rocket booster
SpaceX has invented a new rocket booster that doesn't fall back to Earth after the rocket launches and can be used multiple times.
Boosters are one of the most expensive parts of launching a rocket into space, and they usually all end up on the ocean floor immediately after launch. A very expensive disposable device, without which it is impossible to reach orbit.
However, SpaceX's new heavy boosters can be retrofitted relatively easily and cheaply, saving $18 million per launch. In 2017, Elon Musk’s company has already carried out about 20 launches followed by the landing of a booster.
New advances in genetics
Scientists are one step closer to being able to edit a person's DNA, eliminating birth defects, diseases and genetic abnormalities before birth. Geneticists in Oregon have successfully edited the DNA of a living human embryo for the first time.
In addition, eGenesis announced that it will soon be possible to transplant large vital organs from pig donors into humans. The company managed to create a genetic virus blocker that does not transmit animal viruses to humans.
Breakthrough in quantum teleportation
The possibility of teleportation of quantum information has long been studied by scientists. Previously, it was possible to teleport data over a distance of several tens of kilometers.
For the first time in the history of quantum teleportation, a Chinese scientist managed to transmit information about photons (light particles) from Earth to space using mirrors and lasers.
This discovery could fundamentally change the way we transmit information around the world and transport energy. Quantum teleportation could lead to a completely new kind of quantum computers and information transfer. The Internet of the near future may become faster, safer and virtually impenetrable to hackers.
Science has always been and remains extremely important for the development of humanity and life in general, if only because thanks to science we can characterize, explore and, ultimately, understand the world in which we live, as well as find out how it works, how much it is Maybe. By increasing knowledge and understanding of the world (and beyond), we can identify and be more likely to protect endangered species, understand the origins of natural phenomena, treat diseases, determine the causes of climate change, and improve people's quality of life.
All this makes science perhaps the only discipline in which theories are confirmed through practical experiments. Some may even argue about the discipline's perspective, suggesting that science is an art - the art of discovery.
Thus, models can be developed that will allow scientists and engineers to create something new, help predict the consequences of events that could affect humanity, or even be able to predict the future. Although the importance of science in our daily lives is not always obvious, we actually make science-based choices countless times every day to help us improve or maintain our health and well-being.
The steady progress made in various fields of science means that scientists around the world are making new discoveries every day, and 2015 was no exception. Here are 25 of the most exciting scientific discoveries of the past year:
25. A computer program called "FaceDirector" generates the actor's emotions in the frame during the post-production stage, avoiding the need for re-shooting video
The research company Disney Research, together with scientists from the University of Surrey (UK), presented their brainchild called “FaceDirector” - a new method of synthesizing an actor’s facial expressions in a frame in post-production (the final stage of creating a film) to obtain the desired emotion, which avoids the need for repeated video recordings. In other words, soon actors won't have to try too hard to express their emotions - the computer will do everything for them.
24. Stem cell scientists have discovered a process that makes blood cells that challenges the conventional wisdom that has been held since the 1960s. 
Scientists at the University Health Network, Canada, studying stem cells have identified a completely new "two-level" process for the formation of blood cells, overturning an entire branch of physiology that the scientific world has held for decades. The researchers say their discovery could revolutionize and open up opportunities for personalized treatment for people with blood disorders.
23. The destructive process has demonstrated potential in the treatment of cancer
Scientists have achieved a breakthrough in finding a new method of fighting cancer by attaching malaria proteins to cancer cells. They found that aggressive malaria proteins were able to attack cancer cells, showing 90% effectiveness. Clinical trials on humans are planned to begin within the next four years.
22. A new humanoid species discovered in South Africa 
Last September, paleontologists reported a new species of human ancestor, Homo naledi, based on 15 partial skeletons discovered in a remote cave called Dinaledi, the largest single discovery in Africa. It is believed that Homo naledi may have lived in Africa about 3 million years ago. Although researchers say the bones belong to a new species of human ancestor, other experts say much more evidence is needed to make such a claim.
21. Studies have shown that working more hours increases the risk of stroke.
According to research published in the medical journal The Lancet, people who work a 55-hour week have a 33% higher risk of suffering from a stroke than those who work 35 or 45 hours a week. In addition, they also have a 13% increased risk of developing coronary heart disease.
20. First comprehensive analyzes of the woolly mammoth genome completed
The first comprehensive analysis of the mammoth genome has revealed a number of features that allow these animals to adapt to life in the Arctic.
19. The WISE spacecraft discovered the brightest galaxy in the Universe
Last May, the infrared space telescope reported the discovery of the brightest galaxy, WISE J224607.57-052635.0. Smaller in size than the Milky Way, this dusty galaxy releases 10,000 times more energy. Almost 100% of the light emitted by the galaxy is infrared radiation.
18. Scientists have achieved important steps towards creating the first real quantum computer
Two important steps towards creating a real computer based on quantum mechanics were achieved by scientists from IBM. They demonstrated a system capable of detecting and measuring both types of quantum errors simultaneously, and also developed a new design that is the only possible physical structure that can successfully scale to large sizes.
17. Small dinosaurs may have flown without feathers
Over the past two decades, Chinese scientists have repeatedly amazed the world scientific community with their discoveries in the field of paleontology, but last year’s discovery attracted the attention of even the most skeptical paleontologists. Last April, scientists reported the discovery of the remains of a dinosaur from the family Scansoriopterygidae in Hebei province, which they named Yi qi, which means “strange wing” in Chinese. According to scientists, he may have been able to fly without feathers. The body structure of this species is similar to terrestrial dinosaurs, but its wings resemble the structure of the wings of bats.
16. A Key Blood Pressure Medicine Revealed in Striking New Details
Research conducted at Arizona State University demonstrates the effects of an experimental blood pressure drug in unprecedented detail, potentially leading to the development of new, more effective drugs.
15. Visible spectrum of the first exoplanet
Astronomers have made the first direct detection of the spectrum of visible light reflected from an exoplanet. These observations also revealed new features of this object, the first exoplanet discovered around the star 51 Pegasi b. The results indicate great opportunities opening up in the field of observations, in particular associated with the advent of the next generation of receivers and telescopes of the future, such as, for example, E-ELT.
14. Physicists entangled 3 thousand atoms with one photon
Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Belgrade have developed a new technology that can successfully entangle 3,000 atoms at the quantum level using just one photon. The results, published in the journal Nature, demonstrate the largest number of particles ever entangled in an experiment or study.
13. Carbon sequestration in the Amazon is declining as trees are dying faster.
An impressive 30-year study of South American rain forests by the University of Leeds in England, involving an international team of 100 researchers, revealed disappointing results for our planet. The most extensive study ever conducted has found that rain forests are gradually losing their ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere as trees begin to die at a faster rate.
12. NASA discovered signs of a huge ancient ocean on Mars
An ancient ocean once covered nearly half of Mars' northern hemisphere, making the planet a more promising place for alien life, NASA scientists say. A huge volume of water covered more than a fifth of the planet's surface, an area equal to the Atlantic Ocean, and in some places the depth of the ocean reached 1.6 kilometers. In total, the volume of the ocean was 20,000,000 km³ (larger in volume than the Arctic Ocean).
11. At the NASA Ames Research Center, the structure of the “building blocks of life” was reproduced in the laboratory.
NASA scientists reported that in laboratory conditions simulating the conditions of outer space, organic compounds that make up DNA and RNA - uracil, cytosine and thymine - were created for the first time. This was made possible by the use of pyrimidine, a chemical found in meteorites. According to scientists, pyrimidine (a heterocyclic compound with a characteristic odor that is the most carbon-rich chemical found in the Universe) may form in red giant stars or interstellar dust and gas clouds.
10. Is the Big Bang Theory refuted? The universe may not have had a beginning.
According to this theory (if it is confirmed), the Universe did not arise as a result of an explosion. A team of theoretical physicists from the University of Lethbridge (Canada) presented an alternative point of view, suggesting that the Universe has no beginning, is not a singularity, and that its age may be infinite. The new theory was outlined in a paper published on February 4, 2015 in the journal Physical Letters B.
9. Researchers have developed a nanomedicine to treat breast cancer
Iranian nanotechnologists have synthesized a nanopill design with a bioadaptive and biodegradable molecular chain that can attenuate the toxicity of anti-cancer drugs. It is believed that this modern drug can fight breast cancer much more effectively than any other, but only time can prove this.
8. Scientists have “reprogrammed” plants to make them drought-resistant.
Scientists have been able to genetically “reprogram” plants to be drought-resistant, avoiding the need for a new chemical that would have required years of testing to develop.
7. The world's first test tube baby from three parents becomes a reality
Last February, the UK government passed legislation allowing the use of controversial new three-parent IVF technology. The UK aims to become the first country in the world to offer this medical procedure. Proponents of the method argue that triparental IVF will allow women with genetic mutations of mitochondria to give birth to their own healthy child by replacing the “sick” mitochondria with healthy mitochondria from another woman.
6. NASA's Kepler Space Telescope celebrated the discovery of its 1,000th exoplanet
Last January, NASA announced the confirmation of the thousandth exoplanet discovered by the Kepler space telescope. Three of the newly confirmed exoplanets were found orbiting within the habitable zone of their associated stars. Two of them, Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b, are similar in size to Earth and are likely rocky. The third exoplanet, Kepler-440b, is a super-Earth.
5. Scientists have compiled a genetic map of the bowhead whale
Scientists from the USA and Great Britain have deciphered the genome of the bowhead whale and identified the genes responsible for the longest life expectancy among mammals, reaching 200 years. The decoding of the genome, the result of two separate studies conducted in the US and UK, will allow scientists to identify a small number of genes responsible for cancer resistance, DNA repair and increased life expectancy.
4. New role of proteins
The study, published in the journal Science, shows evidence that a protein partially assembles another protein without using genetic instructions. Contrary to science textbooks, amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) can be assembled by another protein without genetic instructions.
3. Vaccine against HIV infection
Scientists took a big step forward in the fight against HIV infection and AIDS last year when the Scripps Research Institute developed a vaccine that was highly effective against HIV-1, HIV-2 and African simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). The main difference is that the new HIV vaccine actually modifies DNA to fight the virus, rather than introducing a weakened form of it into the body, prompting the immune system to learn to fight it. Research is still in its early stages, and if it continues, treating HIV infection will become much easier.
2. Brain imaging can help predict future behavior
A review article published in the journal Neuron described a number of recent studies showing that brain scans (MRI) can help predict a person's future behavior, learning ability, criminality, health-related behavior, and response to medications or drugs. behavioral therapy. Technology can offer promise in personalizing educational and clinical practice.
1. Contracting human muscles were grown in laboratory conditions for the first time.
Researchers at Duke University (USA) have for the first time grown human skeletal muscles in the laboratory that contract and respond to external stimuli (such as electrical impulses, biochemical signals and drugs) in the same way as natural muscles. Tissue grown in the laboratory will allow scientists to test new drugs and study muscle diseases outside the human body.