Nuclear fusion, infectious diseases and an incredible new space telescope were constant stories in 2022, but what were some of the other big scientific developments, discoveries and events of the year?
Ukraine’s Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plantGENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images
Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in Ukraine
GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images
A war in Europe, a major volcanic eruption and a surprising discovery that could rewrite our understanding of reality – 2022 has truly been a year full of science, technology, health and the environment, all within the first few months. From stunning images from space to pig heart transplants, here are New Scientist news editors’ picks for the biggest scientific developments, discoveries and events of the year.
Nuclear power
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February has wreaked havoc across the country and affected many areas of life around the world, as both nations play a key role in global supply chains for energy, food and more. It has also raised the specter of nuclear weapons, with Russian President Vladimir Putin making less-than-veiled threats to expand his atomic arsenal. Fortunately, Armageddon has been averted, but Russia’s offensive has sparked talk of a new kind of nuclear war, with Ukraine’s nuclear power plants becoming battlegrounds this year.
In more positive nuclear news, continued progress on fusion energy in 2022 On December 13, researchers at California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) announced a major breakthrough. The National Ignition Facility, a giant bank of lasers designed to heat and pressurize a tiny core of hydrogen fuel, is the first to produce a fusion reaction in which more energy is produced than is input. To see also : Joint Statement from the First Meeting of the Comprehensive Dialogue between the United States and France – US Department of State. There is still much, much more work to be done. to make the commercial merger a reality, however.
Health
An mpox vaccination center in New York on July 15, 2022 Eduardo Munoz/REUTERS/Alamy On the same subject : The largest water lily in the world is a species in its own right.
On July 15, 2022, an mpox vaccination center in New York
As the third year of the coronavirus pandemic draws to a close, covid-19 remains a major health problem for countries around the world, although many have opened up and adopted “living with covid” strategies. Health services were also strained by outbreaks of other viruses. The surprise appearance of monkeypox (later renamed mpox) in many nations led the World Health Organization to declare the highest level of global health emergency in July. Uganda went into lockdown in an effort to control Ebola, while in the UK, levels of flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and strep A worried health officials.
But again, they were positive. Gene therapies advanced greatly in 2022, with lots of good news about children with serious genetic diseases receiving treatment. One girl’s therapy has allowed her to walk and talk for the first time, and children who previously would have died at a young age can now expect normal life expectancies.
There were also significant advances in the field of xenotransplantation, as the first transplant of a pig heart into a living human took place on January 7th. The recipient, David Bennett, died two months later, but other work transplanting pig hearts into brain-dead humans on life support also showed promise for the technique, which could increase the supply of organs for donation.
Space exploration
Tarantula Nebula as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope ASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Teams To see also : Child Dies After Shooting Himself Playing Video Games: Police.
The Tarantula Nebula as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope
ASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team
A story that delighted millions of people during the year was the successful operation of the James Webb Space Telescope after its launch in late 2021. The first images taken in July offered stunning views of the cosmos. After that, JWST went from strength to strength, from taking pictures of planets in the solar system to finding the oldest and most distant galaxies in the known universe.
Environment
A dry stretch of the Yangtze River in Chongqing, China, August 20, 2022 Thomas Peter/REUTERS/Alamy
The dry riverbed of the Yangtze River in Chongqing, China on August 20, 2022
The world continued to feel the effects of climate change, with extreme weather all over the world. Heatwaves were common throughout the year, from India to the UK, which had its hottest day ever. Worst hit was China, where a two-month heat wave was the most extreme on record in human history. The devastating floods in Pakistan were declared a climate disaster by the UN. Even in the Arctic and Antarctic, high temperatures led to low levels of sea ice.
He didn’t have to deal with the weather. The explosion of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano on January 15 killed six people, injured two others and reached the top of the stratosphere. It is the largest eruption of the 20th century so far, and its atmospheric effects were felt all over the world.
Artificial intelligence
“playing basketball with cats in space” DALL-E created by 2OpenAI
“playing basketball with cats in space” as created by DALL-E 2
The field of creative AI has progressed in recent years, but in 2022 it became dominant. Text-to-image generators were once simple research toys, but with the likes of DALL-E 2, Imagen, and Stable Diffusion, the Internet exploded with weird images for the general public to play with. The launch of ChatGPT, a publicly available version of OpenAI’s GPT text generator, fired people’s imaginations while stoking fears about misuse. As businesses are already growing to take advantage of these AI systems, the debate over their use will continue.
Particle physics
Tevatron particle accelerator FermilabGRANGER – History Image Archive/Alamy
The Tevatron particle accelerator at Fermilab
GRANGER – Historical Image Archive/Alamy
If all of this has you stumped, consider the year for physicists trying to figure out if our working model of reality needs a change. A shock prediction in April suggested that the mass of an elementary particle, the W boson, deviates greatly from that predicted by the standard model of particle physics. The result has held up to now, and will continue to be a significant puzzle to solve if we are to fully understand the building blocks of the universe. Of course, if the theorists make a breakthrough in 2023, you can be sure to get all the details in New Scientist.
What was discovered in 2022?
In January 2022, marine biologist Jacinta Shackleton was delighted to see a beautiful sea creature called an octopus off the coast of the Great Barrier Reef, The Guardian reported.
How many new species were discovered in 2022? About seven new animal species discovered around the world in 2021. And in 2022, about 24 new animal species were discovered.
What is the newest creature discovered 2022?
It was discovered in March 2022 in the ocean “sunset” in the Maldives.
What has been discovered 2022?
10 Most “OMG” Science Discoveries of 2022
- 30,000-year-old woolly mammoth baby found in Canadian ice. …
- Remains of the Ice Age have been found in the USA. …
- We can throw asteroids out of the way. …
- Lab-grown brain cells have learned to play a video game. …
- Some people who appear to be in a coma may actually be conscious and hear us.
Why math is king of science?
Mathematics is considered the mother of all sciences, because it is the tool that solves the problems of all other sciences. Other subjects such as Biology, Chemistry or Physics are based on simple chemical solutions.
Why is mathematics the queen of sciences? Mathematical concepts are widely used in subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Medical Science, Economics, Banking. Mathematics allows us to solve problems and shows that problems can be solved when worked using standard rules and techniques.
Why maths is the king of all subjects?
Mathematics is a subject that can undoubtedly be called the king of all faculties, as mathematical skills are necessary in science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, astronomy etc.), in business and commerce, if you are good at mathematics you can calculate win and lose situations. very quickly
Why math is the heart of science?
Mathematics is central to this process. Scientists collect data, most of it numerical, analyze it using statistics, and find mathematical relationships between the things they are observing. These relationships can be described using algebraic equations.
What is the king of science?
“Physics is the king of all sciences because it helps us understand how nature works.
What is the latest technology in 2022?
What is the future of technology: 23 technologies for 2022
- Natural User Interfaces. …
- 3D printing. …
- Big Data and Analytics. …
- Machine learning and intelligent systems. …
- Computer vision and pattern recognition. …
- Life Sciences. …
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. …
- Medical robotics.
What is the latest computer technology? Bioinformatics Data Science. Full Stack development. Virtual reality and augmented reality.
