10 most outstanding international scientific milestones in 2021

1. mRNA vaccines change the way humanity approaches disease

Behind the fight against the pandemic, scientists are quietly working on what will surely be recognized as one of the greatest scientific and medical achievements of the 21st century: vaccine technology. ask for mRNA.

This technology works by teaching cells how to make proteins, thereby helping to trigger an immune response inside our body. The mRNA vaccine has initially shown the ability to create antibodies against Covid-19, offering hope even as variants like Omicron continue to emerge.

Scientists hope that mRNA technology will help people deal with many diseases worldwide in the future.

2. Probe enters the Sun's atmosphere for the first time

Launched in 2018, NASA's Parker Solar Probe has achieved something that humans have not been able to do before, which is entering the Sun's atmosphere (also known as the coronal region) at a distance. approximately 8.1 million miles (13 million km) above the surface of this star.

By entering and sampling the Sun's atmosphere, scientists say, Parker has achieved a scientific achievement similar to when humans landed on the Moon.

This could be a giant leap for solar science, as humanity finds the source that powers the Sun and other stars in the galaxy where we live.

3. Conquer Mars, start the search for signs of life

On February 18, NASA's Perseverance rover landed on the surface of Mars, and found organic compounds containing carbon-hydrogen bonds in some of the rocks they studied at Jezero crater.

In December, the European Space Agency's ExoMars probe also initially discovered "a significant amount of water" hidden under the surface of Mars in the Grand Canyon area.

Not long ago, the robot Chuc Dung on May 22 also officially rolled to explore the vast Utopia Planitia plain in the North of Mars.

These achievements, along with other missions on and around Mars, have changed humanity's view and understanding of Earth's "neighbor" planet. 

4. The Space Race of Private Billionaires

2021 is a very special year for the Space Science industry, when large corporations have successfully conducted private flights into space, and then safely returned to Earth.

Never before in human history has the whole process of letting you sit in a cabin, then soar into space, and then return to Earth, has been so easy. The special thing is that anyone can participate in this activity, whether the passenger is a university student, or an 82-year-old woman.

Of course, the cost to make each such flight still runs into the billions of dollars and is beyond the reach of 99% of us. However, the difference is that now, a future reaching for the stars is in the palm of our hands, not just a "distant dream".

5. The world's first living robot that can breed

The world's first "living" robot, formed from stem cells of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), less than 1mm wide, has an entirely new form of biological reproduction, unlike any other. any animal or plant known to science.

Accordingly, these robots called xenobots are initially spherical and made of about 3,000 cells, but can then be cloned under certain special conditions.

While xenobot technology is in its infancy and does not yet have any real-world applications, this combination of molecular biology and artificial intelligence could be used in a wide range of tasks in the body and environment. school in the future.

6. The Earth becomes more inhospitable due to climate change

Destructive floods in the German state of Rhineland and surrounding areas (Image: AP).

In mid-February, an unprecedented cold wave suddenly hit Texas, USA with temperatures dropping to -18⁰C in many places.

By March, in Beijing, China had the worst sandstorm in a recent decade. The sky turns orange as smog and pollution make the air quality dangerous.

In the summer, many places receive record heat, such as in Moscow, Russia up to 34.8 degrees Celsius, or many places in the US and Canada also reach more than 50 degrees Celsius.

In July, catastrophic floods claimed the lives of more than 300 people in central China's Henan province. Meanwhile, in Europe, nearly 200 people were killed by torrential rains that caused flooding in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

7. Artificial intelligence predicts the 3D structure of proteins on the human body

In July, the second generation of AlphaFold's algorithm, used by the company DeepMind, produced a comprehensive map of the protein structure for nearly 99% of all human proteins, including tens of thousands of structures. structures for vitally important components of the human body were missing in earlier experimental models.

Not only that, the advanced algorithm can also predict thoroughly about the interactions of molecules inside a living cell, thereby contributing to bringing us to an important step in understanding the dynamics of the human body. force of living cells.

8. The "Dragon Man" skull complicates the human genealogy tree

Described as the most important fossil discovery in 50 years, a skull found, hidden at the bottom of a well in northeastern China for more than 80 years, could rewrite human evolution.

Based on the primitive features found on the skull, this may be the closest evolutionary relative of modern humans among known ancient humans such as Neanderthals and Homo erectus.

Dubbed "Dragon Man," the skull sample represents a group of people who lived in East Asia at least 146,000 years ago.

9. The Winchcombe meteorite that fell in the UK contained "germs of life"

On February 28, a meteorite weighing nearly 300 grams crashed in the UK. The small rock, named Winchcombe, is dated to the very beginning of the Solar System, about 4.6 billion years ago.

The stone is formed from carbon chondrite, the most primitive and primitive matter in the solar system and is known to contain organic matter and amino acids, the ingredients for life, the scientists say.

Although there is no trace of biological activity on Earth until nearly a billion years after the formation of the Solar System, studying meteorites like Winchcombe can provide us with clues about the chemical raw materials. created life on Earth.

10. Artificial food boom

In July, a company in France produced the world's first artificial foie gras from duck stem cells.

In August, Osaka University used stem cells from the famous Wagyu beef to 3D print meat containing muscle, fat and blood vessels in an arrangement similar to that of a regular steak.

In October, Nestle introduced vEGGie egg replacement product containing soy protein, omega 3 fatty acids and Vrimp, vegetarian shrimp made from seaweed, peas.

These products are groundbreaking because they offer a comparable experience to the consumer without the need for costly breeding and huge environmental impact, and without the need for ethically controversial slaughter.