Science is proactive: today's discoveries become our reality, determining its appearance. Amazingly, this process is accelerating every year. And the beginning of the 21st century has already given the world a whole scattering of revolutionary discoveries that are changing our world right now. Let's look at the most significant discoveries of the beginning of the century.
1. Graphene– an almost completely transparent, ultra-thin and ultra-strong (second only to carbyne) two-dimensional material with a whole range of useful properties and prospects for use in technology in the near future.
Discovered by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, for which the physicists were awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize. Ideal for creating soft light panels, flexible as strong paper, computers, next generation touch screens, watch bracelets and many other know-how. In addition to everyday use, the discovery has fantastically changed the understanding of scientific research. Now phenomena that previously would have required colossal and expensive installations such as a hadron collider to study can be studied in the laboratory. There are great prospects for using graphene in solar cells, supercapacitor electrodes, and for creating ultra-light and high-strength “space” composite materials.
2. Quantum clocks
- the most accurate chronometer in the world, surpassing all previously existing ones. 2012 Nobel laureates Serge Haroche and David Wineland made a discovery that broke the quantum barrier.
Application – creation of quantum computers. Working with quantum bits, or “qubits” as they are called, allows one to increase the power of computer technology several times over. A full-fledged system of this kind has not yet been created, but it is a matter of time.
3. Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) - the result of the discovery of the giant magnetoresistance effect by Albert Fehr and Peter Grünberg. In 2007, scientists received the Nobel Prize for it, and the world received a revolutionary technology in the field of compact information storage. High-speed memory is characterized by low power consumption and high recording density.
What is important is that the contents of MRAM are preserved even when the power is turned off. Also, unlike dynamic and ferromagnetic memory, its operation is not affected by ionizing radiation. And this already suggests that it can be successfully used in space technology! We have witnessed how the density of recording information on hard drives has increased many times over. And miniature devices with enormous information capacity are our reality.
4. Decoding the human genome by the bands Francis Collins and Greg Venter in 2006. In 2015, the genome mapping work was completely completed. Long-term study of the genome in the future promises the possibility of individual genetic examination, more accurate and “targeted” treatment at the level of “reprogramming” of genes - gene therapy.
In combination with the creation of an autonomous artificial heart (2001), a retina (2002), an electronic nose (2006), artery prostheses (2009), limb prostheses controlled by a mental interface (2010), “ethical "not embryonic stem cells (2012) and other discoveries in the field of medicine, one can easily imagine the future of this vital field of knowledge.
The first synthetic chromosome genome, created in 2010, is inserted into a bacterial cell without genetic material. After which the cell “came to life” and began to divide. The creation of vaccines in a matter of hours, the production of effective biofuel, new food products - these are just a small part of the forecasts for the use of this discovery.
5. Discovery of water on Mars and discovery of Eris (Eris) is the second massive dwarf planet in the Solar System after Pluto.
It was the discovery of Eris that led to the fact that Pluto ceased to be the ninth planet, but moved into the category of “dwarf”.
The picture of the world has already changed, and knowledge that was relevant 15 years ago has become almost the ignorance of the Middle Ages. Considering that the 21st century is just beginning, humanity is sure to expect many more fantastic discoveries!
5 grand discoveries of the 21st century: the world will never be the same! updated: April 20, 2019 by: mila ognevich
Having radically changed our world, however, even now humanity, in terms of technology development and progress, sees only the tip of the iceberg. However, this in no way cools the ardor of scientists and researchers of various stripes, but, on the contrary, only fuels their interest.
Today we will talk about our time, which we all remember and know. We will talk about discoveries that one way or another became a real breakthrough in the field of science and will start, perhaps, with the most significant. It is worth mentioning here that the most significant discovery is not always significant for the average person, but is primarily important for the scientific world.
First position is a very recent discovery, however, its significance for modern physics is colossal; this is the discovery by scientists of the “god particle” or, as it is usually called, the Higgs boson. In fact, the discovery of this particle explains the reason for the appearance of mass in other elementary particles.
It is worth noting that they have been trying to prove the existence of the Higgs boson for 45 years, but it was only recently possible to do this. Back in 1964, Peter Higgs, after whom the particle is named, predicted its existence, but there was no way to practically prove it.
But on April 26, 2011, the news spread across the Internet that with the help of the Large Hadron Collider, located near Geneva, scientists had finally managed to discover the sought-after particle, which had become almost legendary. However, scientists did not immediately confirm this, and only in June 2012 did experts announce their discovery. However, the final conclusion was reached only in March 2013, when CERN scientists made a statement that the discovered particle was indeed a Higgs boson.
Despite the fact that the discovery of this particle has become a landmark for the scientific world, its practical use at this stage of development remains questionable. Peter Higgs himself, commenting on the possibility of using the boson, said the following: “The existence of a boson lasts only something like one quintillionth of a second, and it is difficult for me to imagine how a short-lived particle could be used for so long. Particles that live for a millionth of a second, however, are now being used in medicine.” So, at one time, a famous English experimental physicist, when asked about the benefits and practical application of magnetic induction discovered by him, said, “What benefit can a newborn child have?” and with this, perhaps, I closed this topic.
Second position Among the most interesting, promising and ambitious projects of humanity in the 21st century is the deciphering of the human genome. It is not for nothing that the Human Genome Project has the reputation of being the most important project in the field of biological research, and work on it began in 1990, although it is worth mentioning that this issue was also considered in the 80s of the 20th century.
The goal of the project was clear - it was initially planned to determine the sequence of more than three billion nucleotides (nucleotides make up DNA), as well as to determine more than 20 thousand genes in the human genome. However, later, several research groups expanded the task. It is also worth noting that the study, completed in 2006, spent $3 billion.
The stages of the project can be divided into several parts:
1990. The US Congress allocates funds for studying the human genome.
1995. The first complete DNA sequence of a living organism is published. The bacterium Haemophilus influenzae was considered
1998. The first DNA sequence of a multicellular organism is published. The flatworm Caenorhabditis elegans was considered.
1999. At this stage, more than two dozen genomes have been deciphered.
2000. The "first human genome assembly" was announced - the first reconstruction of the human genome.
2001. First draft of the human genome.
2003. Complete decoding of DNA, it remains to decipher the first human chromosome.
2006. The last stage of work to decipher the complete human genome.
Despite the fact that scientists around the world made grandiose plans for the end of the project, their expectations were not met. At the moment, the scientific community has recognized the project as a failure in its essence, but it is by no means impossible to say that it was absolutely useless. New data has made it possible to accelerate the pace of development of both medicine and biotechnology.
And the third, occupies the last position in today's list... Actually, the third position will remain free. This does not mean that no more important and interesting discoveries have occurred - on the contrary, there are more than enough discoveries and achievements in the field of science, but we will leave it to you to decide which one is worthy of taking this position. You can consider this, if not homework, then our desire to communicate and find out the opinions of many people.
So, for example, someone may think that the discovery of water on Mars is an excellent reason to declare this achievement a candidate for the role of bronze medalist, while others will disagree and say that the production of a new material - graphene - is a much more significant event. One way or another, everyone has the right to their opinion and we are sure that by sharing your thoughts, you can interest others and learn a lot of new things.
There is still so much unknown and unexplored left in the world that scientists simply have no time to sit idly by. They are trying to unravel the mysteries of space and find a cure for cancer, discover the elixir of longevity and invent self-improving artificial intelligence. We will tell you in our article what new scientific discoveries and inventions have been made in recent years.
Incredible scientific discoveries of our time
It is difficult to immediately assess the findings of 21st century researchers. Their weight and necessity will probably be appreciated not even by us, but by our descendants. But we have chosen the most significant, in our opinion, new scientific discoveries of the 21st century, which can become landmarks for humanity.
Artificial muscles of the human body
American scientists from Duke University managed for the first time in laboratory conditions to grow muscles of the human skeleton, which are practically no different from ordinary ones. They are able to respond to external stimuli, including exposure to electric current, administration of medications, etc. The muscle tissue obtained in the laboratory will be used to study muscle diseases and during testing of medicinal substances.
MRI can predict human behavior
New possibilities of magnetic resonance imaging became known after the publication of the journal Neuron, which published the results of the latest research in this area of diagnostics in one of its articles. It turns out that an MRI image can be used to create a behavioral model of a person. In other words, magnetic resonance imaging can predict a person’s behavior in the future, assess the degree of his learning ability, detect a tendency towards antisocial behavior, including crimes, and also predict the response to drug therapy.
HIV vaccine
The immunodeficiency virus was called the plague of the 20th century; in the 21st century there was hope of finding a cure for it. Scripps Institute researchers have developed an effective vaccine that can combat certain types of HIV. This medicine causes DNA to transform and the immune system to activate. The research has not yet been completed, but if scientists' promises come true, the fight against AIDS will become much easier.
Cancer treatment based on nanotechnology
Iranian scientists have made their contribution to the fight against cancer by developing a nanotablet capable of reducing the toxic effects of anti-cancer drugs on the body. Doctors say this medicine will help significantly increase the effectiveness of breast cancer treatment. But the opening is barely a year old, and it’s too early to draw final conclusions.
Ocean on Mars
New scientific discoveries by NASA confirm the version of the existence of life on Mars in the past. Scientists who analyzed the available data came to the conclusion that part of the northern hemisphere of the Red Planet was once occupied by the ocean. Its area was approximately equal to the area of our Atlantic, and the depth in some places reached 1.6 km. And where there is water, there is life...
Another human ancestor found
Paleontologists have discovered fragments of bones of Homo naledi in South Africa - creatures that, according to scientists, were the ancestors of modern humans. The remains of 15 skeletons were found in Dinaledi Cave. Researchers have already suggested that Homo naledi lived in what is now Africa about 3 million years ago. It should be noted that there are skeptics in the scientific community who believe that the discovered fragments are clearly not enough to make a conclusion about their belonging to a human ancestor.
Working longer hours increases the risk of stroke
The medical journal The Lancet published research from which it follows: a 55-hour work week increases the risk of stroke by 33%. While people working 35-45 hours are less susceptible to this disease. Excessive work also increases the likelihood of ischemia by 13%.
You will learn other new scientific discoveries by watching the video:
Exciting inventions of our time
Practice does not lag behind theory: the 21st century has brought us not only new scientific discoveries, but also incredible inventions that no one could even dream of half a century ago.
Retinal implant
With the advent of this invention, people who had lost their vision due to degenerative changes received hope for its partial restoration. The implant appeared on the American market in 2013, and on the European market a year later. With him, millions of blind people got the chance to see this world again.
Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. Thomas Edison
ReWalk
A device that allows people who have lost the ability to walk due to spinal cord injury to walk again. Having appeared on the market quite recently, it has already proven itself well.
Camera in a tablet
This invention has become an excellent replacement for the invasive probe used in gastroscopy. Equipped with a micro-camera, the 25mm capsule is easy to swallow without causing any discomfort and transmits the image to the monitor. It leaves the body naturally.
Teleportation
Movement in space has become more real with an invention made by scientists at the California Institute. Using a special device, they managed to teleport a proton. This, of course, is not a person, or even a pencil, but, most importantly, the first step has been taken.
We tried to list the main new scientific discoveries and inventions of the 21st century, and time will tell which of them will be called brilliant.
Take it for yourself and tell your friends!
Read also on our website:
show more
The beginning of the 21st century was marked by a large number of scientific discoveries. But behind them there is simply a string of questions that make the scientific world think: but in fact, everything is not as simple as it seems even to the luminaries of science.
BIONICS
Biomechanical devices and prostheses controlled by thought have been created
American Zach Water tested a bionic leg prosthesis by climbing the stairs to the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower skyscraper in Chicago.
In 2013, the first prototypes of “smart” prostheses with feedback (emulation of tactile sensations) appeared, which allow a person to feel what the prosthesis “feels”. In the 2010s, devices separate from humans were created, controlled only through a mental interface (sometimes with invasive contacts, but more often it looks like a head hoop with a dry electrode) - computer games and exercise machines, manipulators, vehicles, etc.
ELECTRONICS
The petaflop barrier has been crossed
In 2008, a new supercomputer in Los Alamos (USA) began operating at a speed of more than a quadrillion (one thousand trillion) operations per second. The next barrier, exascale (quintillion operations per second), will be reached in the coming years. Systems with such incredible speed are needed primarily for high-performance computing - processing data from scientific experiments, climate modeling, financial transactions, etc.
Andrey Okunkov. Photo: Radio Liberty
Perelman and Smirnov are representatives of the Leningrad Mathematical School, graduates of the well-known 239th school and the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics of St. Petersburg State University. But there were also Muscovites among the mathematical Nobel Prize nominees, for example, a professor at Columbia University who worked in the USA for many years and a graduate of Moscow State University Andrey Okunkov . He received the Fields Medal in 2006, at the same time as Perelman, for his achievements connecting probability theory, representation theory, and algebraic geometry. In practice, Okunkov's work over the years has found application both in statistical physics to describe the surfaces of crystals, and in string theory - a field of physics that tries to combine the principles of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity.
Story
Peter Turchin. Photo: Stevens University of Technology
He proposed a new theory at the intersection of mathematics and the humanities Petr Turchin . It is surprising that Turchin himself is not a mathematician or a historian: he is a biologist who studied at Moscow State University and now works at the University of Connecticut and studies populations. Population biology processes develop over a long period of time, and their description and analysis often require the construction of mathematical models. But modeling can also be used to better understand social and historical phenomena in human society. This is exactly what Turchin did in 2003, calling the new approach cliodynamics (on behalf of the muse of history Clio). Using this method, Turchin himself established “secular” demographic cycles.
Linguistics
Andrey Zaliznyak. Photo: Mitrius/wikimedia
Every year in Novgorod, as well as in some other ancient Russian cities, such as Moscow, Pskov, Ryazan and even Vologda, more and more birch bark letters are found, the age of which dates back to the 11th-15th centuries. In them you can find personal and official correspondence, children's exercises, drawings, jokes, and even love letters - “The Attic” is about the funniest ancient Russian inscriptions. The living language of letters helps researchers understand the Novgorod dialect, as well as the life of ordinary people and the history of Rus'. The most famous researcher of birch bark documents is, of course, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Zaliznyak : It’s not without reason that his annual lectures, dedicated to newly found letters and deciphering old ones, are filled with people.
Climatology
Vasily Titov. Photo from noaa.gov
On the morning of December 26, 2004, the day of the tragic tsunami in Indonesia, which, according to various estimates, killed 200-300 thousand people, a graduate of NSU, working at the Tsunami Research Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Seattle (USA), Vasily Titov woke up famous. And this is not just a figure of speech: having learned about the strongest earthquake that occurred in the Indian Ocean, the scientist, before going to bed, decided to run a tsunami wave forecasting program on his computer and posted its results online. His forecast turned out to be very accurate, but, unfortunately, it was made too late and therefore could not prevent human casualties. Now the tsunami forecasting program MOST, developed by Titov, is used in many countries around the world.
Astronomy
Konstantin Batygin. Photo from caltech.edu
In January 2016, the world was shocked by another piece of news: in our native solar system. One of the authors of the discovery was born in Russia Konstantin Batygin from the University of California. Having studied the movement of six cosmic bodies located beyond the orbit of Neptune, the last of the currently recognized planets, scientists have used calculations to show that at a distance seven times greater than the distance from Neptune to the Sun, there should be another planet orbiting the Sun. Its size, according to scientists, is 10 times the diameter of the Earth. However, in order to be completely convinced of the existence of the distant giant, it is still necessary to see it with a telescope.
Anna Shustikova