Breakthrough scientific findings in 2016

Black holes crash into each other, fossils that store dinosaurs, life-friendly planets, are findings that seem to appear only in movies this year.

A few of the countless discoveries that belong to the world of science in 2016 promise to change the way human understanding of the world we live in, from humanity's origins to capacity improvement study the deepest depths of the universe, according to National Geographic magazine.

Attractive waves

It took a hundred years since genius physicist Albert Einstein predicted its existence, weak waves of waves spreading in the structure of the universe finally exposed. Called gravitational waves, they are produced by some of the most intense events in the universe, and this time as a result of the fusion of two black holes.

Despite the terrible birth, long-standing gravitational waves can still escape humanity's sight because of the extremely small extent of their influence in the universe observed by human tools. Thanks to the help of ultra-sensitive devices in the state of Louisiana and Washington (USA), the scientific community finally felt the gravitational waves hit the earth in February, and continued to observe them appear several months later. there. This finding is groundbreaking because gravitational waves promise to help humanity observe invisible objects in the universe, such as the horrific clash of black holes.

Amber dinosaur tail

Almost turned into jewelry, but a small amber mass was found in the Myanmar market, which was lucky to reach the paleontologists' hands. And in early December, they claimed it was the first specimen to contain a dinosaur tail. Dating back to 99 million years ago, this specimen was originally mistaken for a certain plant branch.

However, the test results showed that it contained soft bone and tissue with feathers, belonging to a juvenile individual of the hollow-tailed lizard, a family of dinosaurs including modern-day dinosaurs and birds. Scientists are waiting anxiously for findings that promise even more impressive dinosaurs in amber sediments.

The nearest planet promises life

Illustration of sunset on Proxima planet b.(PHOTO: SPACE.COM).

The hope of finding signs of extraterrestrial life took a step forward to reality in August this year, when astronomers announced evidence of the existence of a world revolving around a near star. most solar system. Just 4.24 light years away from the globe, Proxima Centauri has long fascinated astronomers and fiction writers. And its planet is Proxima b, about the size of the earth, and rotates in orbit close enough to the central star to allow for the existence of liquid water on the planet's surface. Experts are now looking for ways to invent technology that can detect signs of life on Proxima b.

Treasure of ancient footprints

Footprints of ancient people in Tanzania volcanic land.(PHOTO: NATGEO).

Tanzania is an invaluable source of information on the early days when humanity appeared on the surface of the globe. After the time of finding bones, tools and other evidence for the existence of many different relatives of modern people, the scientific community jumped in October to rejoice after discovering hundreds of footprints. of the ancient people in an excavation area named Engare Sero. Dating from 5,000 to 19,000 years old, these footprints show that many ancient people once moved in groups close to a towering volcano in the region.

In the 1970s, in another place called Laetoli, paleontologists found the oldest footprint in the world, belonging to the Australopithecus afarensis family, about 3.6 million years ago, with the most famous representative is Lucy. And in December 2016, experts even discovered more footprints in Laetoli, promising to add more knowledge about the extinct family.

Giant sea crocodile

Illustration of the marine crocodile Machimosaurus rex.(PHOTO: NEOGAF).

In early 2016, scientists shook the world with news of finding the largest sea crocodile in history, in a desert in Africa. Based on skull and other bones in Tunisia, it seems that this "monster" can be longer than 9m and weigh more than 3 tons. Named Machimosaurus rex, the 120-million-year-old animal provided key evidence of a massive extinction event in the late Jurassic, about 145 million years ago.

So far, paleontologists have argued that if the event actually took place, the entire family of teleosaurids, including Machimosaurus, would have been wiped off the surface of the globe. The discovery of fossil bones of this species after the time of destruction means that some marine reptiles have escaped extinction.

The spaceship arrives Jupiter

After overcoming 2.73 billion km in five years, NASA's Juno spacecraft in July excelled in completing its mission to anchor Jupiter's orbit. Launched in August 2011, Juno was the first human instrument to enter the orbit of the largest solar system since the Galileo mission ended in 2003. The solar-powered ship was set Next to study the structure and intense magnetic field of the giant gas planet, paving the way for its mission to reach the icy moon Europa in the next few decades.