In 2023, the film "Oppenheimer" was released – to some extent a story about the harm that scientific discoveries can cause. But it seems important to us in Lifehacker to talk about the positive side of science. The year 2023 may have been alarming and difficult, but despite everything, scientists were bringing our bright future closer in laboratories and space, at the bottom of the oceans and in hospitals. Let's remember what scientific discoveries struck us in 2023.
In December 2022, scientists from the Livermore Laboratory (USA) achieved the first increase in energy from thermonuclear fusion, this summer they were able to Scientists from the USA have broken their record for energy output in thermonuclear fusion / RBC repeat everything and even increase the amount of energy released. And just last week they repeated the experiment for the third time! To do this, they irradiated hydrogen plasma granules using the world's largest laser.
The experiments of 2023, firstly, ensured that the first time was not an accident. Secondly, scientists have learned how to extract more energy from plasma, which means they are going the right way.
Controlled thermonuclear reaction is potentially one of the cleanest and most stable sources of energy, which does not require a lot of fuel. Such a reactor does not produce greenhouse gases or long-lived radioactive waste. In fact, this is the embodiment of the idea of "the sun in every house", because it is thermonuclear fusion that takes place in the bowels of the stars.
Scientists were able to Scientists have revived a worm that lay 46 thousand years in permafrost in Siberia / RIA Novosti revive a nematode worm that has been sleeping for 46,000 years. This is the longest period of sleep that we know about! The previous dormice, which the scientists woke up, had been sleeping for some 39 years.
The discovery will allow us to study longevity and the world that existed 46,000 years ago, when the nematode froze and fell asleep. Interestingly, this worm was found in permafrost in Siberia — that is, we can learn more about ancient life in this area.
In December 2021, the largest telescope in the world was launched into space. He located himself at the L2 Lagrange point and, a few months after calibration, made several important discoveries about natureThe universe and the solar system. In 2022, Science magazine awarded him the title of "scientific breakthrough of the year".
In 2023, the James Webb telescope won the hearts of scientists with new data and photographs. For example, we finally found out what Uranus really looks like, observed the gravitational lens and saw the last stages of the star's life in the Ring Nebula.
In addition, he helped Webb Discovers Methane, Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere of K2‑18 b / NASA explore the exoplanet K2‑18B, which seems to have life. We found signs of chemical reactions similar to bacterial ones and indicating the presence of water there. Fantastic!
Scientists have discovered a whole new world under the ocean, which provides new opportunities for studying and understanding life on our planet. The ecosystem was discovered thanks to a deep-sea robot. Worms, snails and chemosynthetic bacteria have been found under hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
This discovery is important for the conservation and protection of marine resources and biological diversity. And it inspires us to dream about how little we still know about our planet. We talked about it in more detail here.
Russian scientists have developed O.V. Britanova, K.R. Lupyr, D.B. Staroverov, et al. Targeted depletion of TRBV9+ T cells as immunotherapy in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis / Nature Medicine a new drug for Bechterew's disease. This chronic inflammatory condition is manifested by back pain and progressive stiffness of the spine. Most often, Bekhterev's disease is contracted at a young age — in 20-30 years. The new drug can significantly improve the quality of life of such patients. Of course, it is also pleasant that this is the result of the work of Russian scientists.
In addition, the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) has approved In the USA, Leqembi was approved to slow the development of Alzheimer's disease / Vademecum a new drug for Alzheimer's disease. The drug allows you to suspend the loss of cognitive functions by 27%, but it also has a side effect in the form of brain edema. Alzheimer's disease is The top 10 causes of death / World Health Organization in second place among the causes of death in developed countries, therefore, a large amount of resources is allocated to the search for medicines. The new drug gives hope for a more effective treatment of this neurodegenerative disease.
Scientists have discovered Plants Really Do “Scream” Out Loud. We Just Never Heard It Until Now / ScienceAlert that plants can make sounds when they feel bad: if they lack moisture or vice versa, there is too much of it and the plant begins to rot. The scream is heard in the ultrasonic range, so we can't hear it, but special devices can. And animals too. Perhaps flowers are talking to insects too — just imagine what they are discussing!
This discovery doesn't just give us more insight into the plant world and how information is transmitted in it. It will also affect the work of farmers, who will be able to take a different look at the diagnosis of the condition of the crops they cultivate.
Several drugs are currently undergoing their first trials in the United States. The vaccine from the National Institutes of Health is located NIH clinical trial of universal flu vaccine candidate begins / National Institutes of Health in the second phase of research, during which it is checked whether the drug is safe for humans. Another Moderna development based on For mRNA, Covid Vaccines Are Just the Beginning / WIRED mRNA technologies (the first covid vaccines were made on it) are also being tested Moderna Expands the Field of mRNA Medicine with Positive Clinical Results Across Cancer, Rare Disease, and Infectious Disease / Moderna tests. Russian scientists are also developing Ginzburg: a new nasal flu vaccine may become available in a year and a half / Interfax Russia own medications.
