With 2022 coming to an end in just a few days, scientists who were relentless relentless in finding the answers to the unknown. From agreeing to combat climate change to unraveling the mysteries of the black hole to launching a mission that could send humans back to the Moon, 2022 was an eventful year in many ways.
Biggest scientific milestones of the year:
1. James Webb Telescope begins science operation
The James Webb Space Telescope was launched on Christmas Eve 2021 and travelled 15,00,000 kilometres before beginning science operations in 2022. The world’s most powerful observatory peered deep into the universe, reaching back to the early moments after the Big Bang. The spacecraft returned stunning images that revealed the universe in a new light, and it is now poised to discover planets similar to Earth so that it can study their atmospheres and compositions.
2. Artemis-1 marks humanity’s journey back to the Moon
Nasa’s long-awaited Artemis-1 mission took its maiden flight to the Moon. The 25.5-day mission marked the start of our journey back to the Moon, this time with plans to stay longer and push forward to Mars. The Artemis-1 mission is the foundation for future crewed missions to the lunar surface as humanity plans to expand beyond Earth’s boundaries.
3. AI discovers 3D structures of all proteins
Artificial intelligence predicted the structure of nearly all human proteins, ushering in a new era in our understanding of our species’ evolutionary process. AlphaFold, an AI developed by Google’s DeepMind, has compiled a database of genomic instructions and is making it available online for free to researchers. For decades, scientists have struggled with the proteins’ unique and perplexing 3D structures made of amino acids.
4. Fusion energy breakthrough sets new foray into clean energy
The U.S. Department of Energy announced the achievement of fusion ignition — major scientific breakthrough decades in the making that will pave the way for advancements in national defense and the future of clean power. This was the first controlled fusion experiment in history to reach this milestone, also known as scientific energy breakeven, meaning it produced more energy from fusion than the laser energy used to drive it. It’s a technology that has the potential to one day accelerate the planet’s shift away from fossil fuels, which are the major contributors to climate change. Technology has long struggled with daunting challenges.
Also Read: Education’s Emerging Trends in 2022
