10 cool science discoveries of the 21st century

10 cool science discoveries of the 21st century

By Durdona Razzaqova

Evidence of water on Mars

The idea of living on another planet may have seen foreign at the start of the 20th century, but massive breakthroughs in space technology have allowed scientists to unveil detailed satellite images from nearby planets. The most notable, was when NASA in 2015 confirmed that there was evidence proving the existence of liquid water on Mars. An examination of craters and gullies showed dehydrated salts identified on the surface of Mars. Furthermore, ice has also been found using a mechanical claw through a Space lander.

The existence of dark matter

A team of researchers back in 2006 found that dark matter can be proved through a cluster of visible matter, yet because its observations have been so minute much of it is still a mystery. More than half of the universe is composed of this matter.  If more research is carried out, then future theories of the universe can guide our understanding of the origins of where we come from.

The creation of human organs in the lab

Stem cell research has allowed for improved access to organs for replacement. Stem cells are indefinite, there are different types of stem cells. Stem cells in adults typically things like the epithelium which indefinitely give rise to more epithelial cells. However, the stem cells that grow organs aren’t indefinite, once they differentiate, they are no longer stem cells. The future of organs will all originate from the laboratory and create a “body shop” for the future.

The advent of autonomous vehicles

The autonomous car market is currently growing at an existential rate and many driverless vehicles are expected to be on our roads soon and in large numbers. While there are many security steps that the automobile manufacturers have to take to ensure that autonomous vehicles can co-exist with humans and other modes of transportation, we are excited to be driven by an autonomous car.

Face transplantation

The first successful recipient of this procedure was in France of 2005. It uses the tissues of a dead person and is a complicated and personalised process. Nonetheless, its development has made a huge impact in shaping the quality of people’s lives.

Drugs to prevent HIV

The first treatment drug was approved in 2012 by the FDA, which is a preventative treatment known as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). This has dropped the number of cases globally and is a great form of protection in transmitting the disease.

Artificial memories

Scientists at the prestigious MIT have discovered how to plant false memories into mice. The breakthrough significantly enhances our understanding of memory and even mental health. This will also bring up ethical questions if memories can be manipulated and our sense of past, present and future.

Quantum Teleportation

Researchers were able to Teleport a photon into space using a laser beam. This feat is called quantum teleportation, which is more so transporting information and not the physical element itself. It required precision, and sensitivity monitoring the satellite and technicalities of the endeavour itself, and is a credible step forward in the engineering field as well.

Bionic contact lenses

Scientists have created a functioning prototype of bionic lenses. This would allow people who are blind to see a word of an image appear, through a touchpoint of the physical object. This would give the allusion of sight through a high resolution as well as helping people read in a non-invasive manner.

Internet of everything

This list wouldn’t be complete without the mention of the rapid expansion of the online world. Now we see the rise of touch screens, social media, e-books and online media streaming. People are becoming more and more connected through their screens than ever before. Big market players included Skype, FaceBook, YouTube and Google. This digital age has to lead to the thought that our society will become so powerful that we will almost “wear the internet”.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING…