2022 in science
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The following scientific events occurred in 2022.
Events
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The graphs (full) show one visualization of recent developments of science overall based on this data (fewer papers may not be associated with decreasing success, priority, impact or activity).[2]
January
February
March
April
- 1 April
- Biochemists report finishing the complete sequence of the human genome.[3][4]
- A study shows that, contrary to widespread belief, body sizes of mammal extinction survivors of the dinosaur-times extinction event were the first to evolutionarily increase, with brain sizes increasing later in the Eocene.[5][6]
- 4 April
- The
- Researchers announce a new technique for accelerating the development of vaccines and other pharmaceutical products by up to a million times, using much smaller quantities based on DNA nanotechnology.[9][10]
- 5 April
- COVID-19 pandemic: Preclinical data for a new vaccine developed at the Medical University of Vienna indicates it is effective against all SARS-CoV-2 variants known to date, including Omicron.[17][18]
- A study presents a mechanism by which the hypothesized potential dark-energy-explaining quintessence, if true, would smoothly cause the accelerating expansion of the Universe to inverse to contraction, possibly within the cosmic near-future (100 My) given current data. It concludes that its end-time scenario theory fits "naturally with cyclic cosmologies [(each a theory of cycles of universe originations and ends, rather than the theories of one Big Bang beginning of the Universe/multiverse, to which authors were major contributors)] and recent conjectures about quantum gravity".[19][20][21]
- 6 April
- planetary defense sensors, confirms the detection of the first known interstellar object. The purported interstellar meteorite, technically known as CNEOS 2014-01-08, impacted Earth in 2014, and was determined, based on its hyperbolic trajectory and estimated initial high velocity, to be from beyond the Solar System. The 2014 meteorite was detected three years earlier than the more recent and widely known interstellar objects, ʻOumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.[22][23][24] Further related studies were reported on 1 September 2023.[25][26]
- The first known
- One science journalist reflects on the global management of the WHO took two years to say COVID is airborne"[28] – a finding hundreds of scientists reaffirmed in an open letter in July 2020[29] – with one indication that this may be one valid major concern to many expert scientists being several writings published by news outlets.[30][31]
- A study decodes electrical
- Researchers demonstrate semi-automated testing for which is lacking especially in cancer research) via extraction of statements about experimental results in, as of 2022 non-semantic, gene expression cancer research papers and subsequent testing with breast cancer cell lines via robot scientist "Eve".[36]
between fungi into word-like components
.- 7 April
- Astronomers report the discovery of
- Physicists from the Collider Detector at Fermilab determine the mass of the W boson with a precision of 0.01%. The result hints at a flaw in the Standard Model.[41]
- A trial of estimated financial energy cost of refrigerators alongside EU energy-efficiency class (EEEC) labels online finds that the approach of labels involves a trade-off between financial considerations and higher cost requirements in effort or time for the product-selection from the many available options which are often unlabelled and don't have any EEEC-requirement for being bought, used or sold within the EU.[42][43]
- 8 April
- Bioresearchers demonstrate an
- Researchers show air pollution in fast-growing tropical cities caused ~0.5 million earlier deaths in 2018 with a substantial recent and projected rise, proposing "regulatory action targeting emerging anthropogenic sources".[46][47]
- 11 April – A study confirms fMRI data about a correlated likely major effect mechanism – global increases in brain network integration.[48][49]
- 12 April – 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine:
An editorial in a scientific journal reports that relevant areas of food system research are patchy and lack independent assessments.[50] An editorial projects significant gender and age imbalance in the population in Ukraine as a substantial problem if most refugees, as in other cases, do not return over time (4 Apr).[51] A preprint reports impacts of the Ukrainian power grid synchronization with Continental Europe (15 Apr).[52]
environmental regulations
.- 14 April
- A study describes the impact of climate change on the survival of
- A preprint demonstrates how backdoors can be placed undetectably into classifying (e.g. posts as "spam" or well-visible "not spam") machine learning models which are often developed and/or trained by third parties. Parties can change the classification of any input, including in cases with types of data/software transparency, possibly including white-box access.[57][58][59]
peer-review, showing problematic continuation of GHG emissions trends.[60]
- 16 April – A
- 19 April – NASA publishes its Planetary Science Decadal Survey for 2023-2032. The future mission recommendations include a Uranus orbiter (the first visit to the planet since 1986) and the Enceladus Orbilander (landing in the early 2050s).[63][64]
- 20 April
- A study shows that common single-use plastic products – such as
- 21 April – Researchers discover that humans are interrupting a 66-million-years-old feature of ecosystems, the relationship between diet and body mass, by driving the largest vertebrate animals towards extinction, which they suggest could have unpredictable consequences.[69][70][71]
- 22 April
- The Large Hadron Collider recommences full operations, three years after being shut down for upgrades.[72]
- Scientists suggest in a
- Cancer research progress:
The largest study of whole cancer genomes reports 58 new mutational signatures and shows that for each organ "cancers have a limited number of common signatures and a long tail of rare signatures".[75][76] A study reports presence of certain bacteria in the prostate and urine for aggressive forms of prostate cancer, with biomarker- and therapeutic potentials being unclear (18 Apr).[77][78]
- 25 April
- A sustainability of food systems, animal welfare, and healthy nutrition concludes that its consumption has to be reduced substantially for sustainable consumption and names broad potential measures such as "restrictions or fiscal mechanisms".[82][83]
- A new type of cell death 'erebosis' is reported[84][85] after copper-dependent cell death was first reported the previous month.[86][87]
- 26 April
- Scientists report the detection of purine and pyrimidine nucleobases in several meteorites, including guanine, adenine, cytosine, uracil and thymine, and claim that such meteoritic nucleobases could serve as "building blocks of DNA and RNA on the early Earth".[88]
- The Global Carbon Budget 2021 concludes that fossil CO2 emissions rebounded by around +4.8% relative to 2020 emissions – returning to 2019 levels, identifies three major issues for improving reliable accuracy of monitoring, shows that China and India surpassed 2019 levels (by 5.7% and 3.2%) while the EU and the US stayed beneath 2019 levels (by 5.3% and 4.5%), quantifies various changes and trends, for the first time provides models' estimates that are linked to the official country GHG inventories reporting, and shows that the remaining carbon budget at 1. Jan 2022 for a 50% likelihood to limit global warming to 1.5 °C is 120 GtC (420 GtCO2) – or 11 years of 2021 emissions levels.[60]
- Scientists propose and preliminarily evaluate a likely transgressed planetary boundary for green water in the water cycle, measured by root-zone soil moisture deviation from Holocene variability.[89][additional citation(s) needed] A study published one day earlier integrates "green water" along with "blue water" into an index to measure and project water scarcity in agriculture for climate change scenarios.[90][91]
- 27 April
- A lineage of
- A study extends
- Researchers report routes for recycling 200 industrial waste chemicals into important drugs and agrochemicals using a software for computer-aided chemical synthesis design, helping enable "circular chemistry" as a potential area of a circular economy.[101][102]
- 28 April
- A comprehensive nutrition research approaches, proposing a multi-pillar approach, and summarizes findings towards constructing – multi-system-considering and at least age-personalized dynamic – refined longevity diets and proposes inclusion of such in standard preventive healthcare.[103][104]
- A company reports results of a phase 3 clinical trial, indicating that tirzepatide could be used for substantial weight loss – possibly larger than the, as of 2022 also expensive,[105] semaglutide approved by the FDA in 2021 – in obese people.[106][105][107][additional citation(s) needed]
- Researchers publish projections for interspecies viral sharing, that can lead to novel viral spillovers, due to ongoing climate change-caused range-shifts of mammals (mostly bats) for use in efforts of pandemic prevention.[108][109]
- A comprehensive
May
- 1 May
- A
- A preprint suggests that SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in or transmitted through the air are an unrecognized mechanism by which, transferred, passive immune protection occurs.[114][115] However, if not sustained, protection from passive herd immunity is thought to wane over the course of weeks to months.
- 4 May
- NASA reports the sonification (converting astronomical data associated with pressure waves into sound) of the black hole at the center of the Perseus galaxy cluster.[116][117]
- A single master gene that programs ear hair cells into either outer or inner ones is discovered, overcoming a major hurdle that had prevented the development of these cells to reverse hearing loss.[118][119]
- A study complements
- A study suggests, using an epidemiological model, that by reducing the transferred viral load, face masks against COVID19 may be beneficial for variolation whereby "smaller infectious doses tend to yield milder infections, yet ultimately induce similar levels of immunity".[122][123]
- 5 May
- The monthly average carbon dioxide (CO2) level in Earth's atmosphere exceeds 420 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in recorded history.[124][125]
- A new approach to reverse of
- A study demonstrates that a 30% C57BL/6J mice by 10% but when combined with daily intermittent fasting and eating during the most active time of the day it extended life span by 35%.[128][129]
- 6 May
- Scientists report the discovery of 830‑million-year-old microorganisms in fluid inclusions within halite that may, potentially, still be alive. According to the researchers, "This study has implications for the search for life in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial chemical sedimentary rocks."[130][131]
- Low
- 8 May – The UK's Met Office warns, with WMO affirmation,[134] that the probability of global average temperatures reaching 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels over the next five years is now almost 50:50 (48%). It also predicts a more than 90% chance that a new record high will occur in at least one year from 2022 to 2026.[135][136]
- 9 May
- A study reports that declining numbers of the largest fish on Earth, the endangered
- News outlets report about the first global, interactive AI- and
- 10 May – A sixth mass bleaching event is recorded at the Great Barrier Reef, with 91% of corals affected.[141][142]
- 11 May
- A logic gate for computation at femtosecond timescales is demonstrated.[143][144]
- A study shows that infusing the nourishing aged brains rejuvenates aspects of the brain, identifying FGF17 as a key target for potential therapeutics such as of anti-aging.[145][146][147]
- Scientists close a missing link in the potential origin of life from a RNA world – synergistic formation of peptides and ever-longer RNAs or peptide-decorated RNA, leading to a protein world.[148][149]
- A study suggests that in children at age 8–12 during two years, time gaming or watching digital videos can be positively correlated with measures intelligence, albeit correlations with overall screen time (including social media, socializing and TV) were not investigated and 'time gaming' did not differentiate between categories of video games (e.g. shares of games' platform and genre).[150][151]
- 12 May
- Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, is imaged for the first time by the Event Horizon Telescope team.[152][153]
- Researchers report that lunar soil has been used to grow plants for the first time.[154][155][156]
- Researchers identify the 425 biggest fossil fuel extraction projects globally, of which 40% as of 2020 are new projects that haven't yet started extraction. They conclude that "defusing" these "carbon bombs" – worked on by only "few actors" to date – would be necessary for fossil fuels unextracted".[158] On 26 May, a study calculates climate policies-induced future lost financial profits from global stranded fossil-fuel assets.[159]
- 17 May
- Isotopically pure
- A review concludes that, like in 2015, pollution (3⁄4 from air pollution) was responsible for 9 million premature deaths in 2019 (one in six deaths). It concludes that little real progress against pollution can be identified and outlines needs for attention and action such as a "formal science–policy interface".[162][163]
- A
- 18 May
- NASA reports that the Voyager 1 spacecraft, the farthest human-made object, is sending data that does not reflect what is happening on board with the antenna apparently remaining in its prescribed orientation to Earth.[166][167] On 17 June, it was reported that NASA is preparing to power down the two Voyager spacecraft in the hope of using the remaining power to extend their operation to about 2030.[168]
- A study shows how a Twin-world models cosmological model – already extensively studied to find out why gravity appears much weaker than other known forces – could explain the Hubble constant (H0) tension via interactions between the two worlds. The "mirror world" would contain copies of all existing fundamental particles.[169][170] On 2 May, another twin/pair-world or "bi-worlds" cosmology is shown to theoretically be able to solve the cosmological constant (Λ) problem, closely related to dark energy: two interacting worlds with a large Λ each resulting in a small shared effective Λ.[171][172][173] Previous similar models e.g. attempt to explain the baryon asymmetry – why there was more matter than antimatter at the beginning – with a mirror anti-universe.[174][175][176]
- 19 May
- Scientists report that RNA was found to be formed spontaneously on prebiotic basalt lava glass which is presumed to have been abundantly available on the early Earth.[177][178]
- The yellow-billed hornbill of southern Africa, famous for its role in Disney's The Lion King, is reported to be at risk of extinction due to rising temperatures in the region.[179][180]
- Boeing starts the one-week second uncrewed test flight of its Starliner space capsule in advance of its first crewed test flight later in 2022.[181][182]
- A study estimates losses of 61 metals to help the development of circular economy strategies, showing that usespans of, often scarce, tech-critical metals are short.[183]
- 20 May – Global warming is projected to substantially erode sleep worldwide.[184][185]
monkeypox
outbreak in 12 non-endemic countries.- 21 May
- Graphyne is reported to be synthesised for the first time.[186][187]
- The 2022 monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries[188] – an unprecedented number of cases detected outside of Africa[189] after the first of these cases was detected on 6 May.[190] On 24 May, the WHO states that the outbreak can be contained.[191] The main method used for the early containment is 'ring vaccination' – vaccinating close contacts of positive cases via existing vaccines.[189][192]
- 23 May
- Researchers report that
- A study shows why decarbonization must be accompanied by strategies to reduce the levels of short-lived climate pollutants with near-term effects for climate goals.[196][197]
- 24 May
- Scientists report the first 3D-printed lab-grown wood. It is unclear if it could ever be used on a commercial scale (e.g. with sufficient production efficiency and quality).[198][199]
- A CDC study based on electronic health records shows that "one in five COVID-19 survivors aged 18–64 years and one in four survivors aged ≥65 years experienced at least one incident condition that might be attributable to previous COVID-19" or long COVID.[200][201] On 18 May, an analysis of private healthcare claims shows that of 78,252 patients diagnosed with 'long COVID', 75.8% had not been hospitalized for COVID-19.[202][203]
- 25 May – The world's
- 26 May – A
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- 27 May
- A new compact CRISPR gene editing tool better suited for therapeutic (temporary) RNA editing than Cas13 is reported, Cas7-11,[208][209] – of which an early version was used for in vitro editing in 2021.[210]
- may not be harvested or planted" (13 May).[214] A preprint estimates potential impacts of the EU embargoing fossil fuels from Russia, suggesting implementing such via a partial embargo with tariffs may be beneficial (25 May).[215]
- 28 May – A new direct air capture system using isophorone diamine is demonstrated, able to remove carbon dioxide with 99% efficiency and more than twice as fast as existing systems.[216][217]
- 30 May – Frontier is announced by Oak Ridge National Laboratory as the world's first exascale supercomputer.[218][219]
- 31 May – Success of record-long (3 days rather than usually <12 hours) of human transplant organ preservation with machine perfusion of a liver is reported. It could possibly be extended to 10 days and prevent substantial cell damage by low temperature preservation methods.[220][221] On the same day, a separate study reports new cryoprotectant solvents, tested with cells, that could preserve organs by the latter methods for much longer with substantially reduced damage.[222][223]
June
- 1 June – A study shows the clonal diversity of stem cells that produce blood cells gets drastically reduced around age 70 to a faster-growing few, substantiating a novel theory of ageing which could enable healthy aging.[224][225]
- 2 June – First success of a clinical trial for a 3D bioprinted transplant, an external ear to treat microtia,[226] that is made from the patient's own cells is reported.[227]
- 3 June – The NOAA reports that the global concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere is now 50% greater than in pre-industrial times, and is likely at a level last seen 4.1 to 4.5 million years ago, at 421 parts per million (ppm).[228]
- 5 June – Progress in the
- 6 June – Cats are added to the variants of concernsince the August 2021 detection.
2022 monkeypox outbreak research finds the "presumably slow-evolving" DNA virus
has evolved roughly 6–12-fold more mutations than one would expect.rocket body – unintentionally hit the lunar surface on 4 March
.- 8 June
- Observation of the axial Higgs mode, a Higgs boson-like excitation in a charge density wave material, is reported.[238][239] It was incorrectly reported in some press releases as a dark matter particle.[240]
- Scientists provide an overview of the capabilities of missions and observatories for detecting various alien technosignatures.[241][242]
- 9 June
- A study estimates the air pollution impacts on climate change and the ozone layer from rocket launches and re-entry of reusable components and debris in 2019 and from a theoretical future space industry extrapolated from the "billionaire space race". It concludes that substantial effects from routine space tourism should "motivate regulation".[243][244]
- Researchers report a robotic finger covered in a type of manufactured living human skin.[245][246] Researchers demonstrate an electronic skin giving biological skin-like haptic sensations and touch/pain-sensitivity to a robotic hand (1 June).[247] A system of an electronic skin and a human-machine interface is reported that can enable remote sensed tactile perception, and wearable or robotic sensing of many hazardous substances and pathogens (1 June).[248] A multilayer tactile sensor hydrogel-based robot skin is demonstrated (8 June).[249]
- 10 June – The core of the
- 13 June – economic, and financial impacts of the war (23 June).[256]
- 15 June
- Astronomers identify J1144 as the fastest-growing black hole of the last nine billion years, consuming matter equivalent to one Earth every second, as well as being the most luminous quasi-stellar object of that period.[257][258][259]
- Researchers report Lac-Phe as the most significantly induced circulating metabolite in two animal models of exercise which – including via chronic administration – reduces food intake and suppresses obesity.[260][261]
- 20 June
- A study suggests global food miles CO2 emissions are 3.5–7.5 times higher than previously estimated, with transport accounting for about 19% of total food-system emissions,[262][263] albeit shifting towards plant-based diets remains substantially more important.[264]
- Researchers demonstrate a MRI-ML-based approach that can diagnose early Alzheimer's disease with high accuracy and may help identify unknown related changes in the brain.[265][266]
- A study suggests global
- 21 June – The inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in mid to later life is linked to a near-doubling in the risk of death from any cause within the next 10 years.[267][268]
- 22 June
- A study concludes that the spread of breast cancer accelerates during sleep.[269][270]
- Agilicious, an open-hardware versatile standardized quadrotor drone, currently tailored toward agility, is released.[271][272]
- The world's first
- 23 June
- The bacterium, and an organism that has encapsulated DNA despite being identified as a prokaryote and not an eukaryote, with an average length of 10 mm, T. magnifica is reported.[275][276]
- A review shows prevalence of
- Two studies about aging-related characteristics of long-lived animals like turtles are published, identifying potentially causal protective traits and suggesting many of the species have "slow or negligible senescence" (or aging).[279][280][281]
- Researchers report the controlled growth of diverse foods in the dark via solar energy and electrocatalysis-based artificial photosynthesis as a potential way to increase energy efficiency of food production and reduce its environmental impacts.[282][283]
- The
- 24 June
- NASA publishes images showing an unexpected and unexplained double crater from what is thought to be the first time human
- Early 2022 monkeypox outbreak research:
A study reports phylogenomic characterization of the first monkeypox (MP) virus outbreak genome sequences, finding the "presumably slow-evolving" DNA virus has evolved roughly 6–12-fold more mutations than one would expect and 15 SNP mutations since the beginning of the outbreak.[286][287][288] The WHO announces that MP is not yet a global public health emergency but a cause for deep concern (25 June).[287][289] Early overviews and reviews, including about current knowledge about MP prevention and treatment, are published.[289][290][291][292] Scientists are investigating circulating lineages (and potential variants) of the MP virus and compare them to the African endemic lineages.[289][293][294][295] A preprint suggests that cases "where a small fraction of individuals have disproportionately large numbers of partners, can explain the sustained growth of monkeypox cases among the MSM population" (13 June).[296][297] The MP incubation period is estimated to be 8.5 days on average and up to 21 days (16 June).[289][298] The 3D-folded structures of the whole proteome of the current DNA virus are predicted, which may be useful for the development of (better or updated) vaccines and drugs (28 June).[299] A study indicates MP contaminated surfaces within hospitals and households could be infectious (30 June).[300]
- 25 June – A study indicates that the
- 27 June
- With a small catalog of unknown bacteria, researchers suggest work on microbes soon to be released from melting glaciers across the world to identify and understand potential threats in advance and understand extremophiles.[303][304]
- Progress in Project Drawdown adds 11 new CCM solutions to its organized set of mitigation techniques.[305][306] The website's modeling framework is used in a study document to show that metal recycling has significant potential for CCM (2 June).[307] A revised or updated version of a major worldwide 100% renewable energy proposed plan and model is published (28 June).[308][309]
- 28 June
- Physicists report that
- A review elucidates the current state of climate change extreme event attribution science, concluding probabilities and costs-severities of links as well as identifying potential ways for its improvement.[312][313]
- 30 June
- 3 nm process. These feature a gate-all-around transistor architecture that reduces power consumption by up to 45%, improves performance by 23% and reduces area by 16% compared to 5 nm.[314]
- Researchers, health organizations and regulators are discussing, investigating and partly recommending variants amid substantial and ongoing immune evasion by Omicron.[315]
July
- 1 July
- Scientists show why climate benefits from
- A new CRISPR gene editing/repair tool alternative to fully active Cas9 is reported – Cas9-derived nickases mediated homologous chromosome-templated repair, applicable to organisms whose matching chromosome has the desired gene/s, which is demonstrated to be more effective than Cas9 and cause fewer off-target edits.[318][319]
- 4 July – Scientists report that heatwaves in western Europe are increasing "three-to-four times faster compared to the rest of the northern midlatitudes over the past 42 years" and that certain atmospheric dynamical changes can explain their increase.[320][321]
- 5 July – The tetraquarks", which includes a new type of tetraquark.[322]
- 6 July – A study suggests that the marginal effectiveness of a fourth
- 7 July
- The first tandem perovskite-silicon solar cell to exceed 30% efficiency (31.25%) is independently certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.[328][329]
- A study into the effects of a global nuclear war on the world's oceans is published, revealing a rapid 10.5 °C (18.9 °F) drop in temperature, along with many longer-lasting impacts.[330][331]
- 8 July – Astronomers report the discovery of massive amounts of
- 9 July – Researchers report the development of an efficient, secure and convenient method to separate, purify, store and transport large amounts of hydrogen for energy storage in renewables-based energy systems as powder using ball milling.[334][335]
- 11 July
- Researchers report the development of a deep learning system that learns intuitive physics from visual data (of virtual 3D environments) to some degree "from scratch" based on an unpublished approach inspired by studies of visual cognition in infants.[336][337] On 25 July, other researchers report the development of a machine learning algorithm that could discover sets of basic variables of various physical systems and predict the systems' future dynamics from video recordings of their behavior.[338][339]
- News outlets report about the development of algae biopanels by a company for sustainable energy generation with unclear viability[340][341] after other researchers built the self-powered BIQ house prototype in 2013.[342][343]
- 12 July – early universe with the highest resolution.[345] On 14 July, NASA presents images of Jupiter and related areas captured, for the first time, and including infrared views, by the telescope.[346] On 19 July, scientists report what could be the earliest and most distant galaxy ever discovered, GLASS-z12.[347][348][349]
- 13 July
- The discovery of fast radio burst FRB 20191221A with an unusually long duration of three seconds is reported.[350][351]
- A study affirms (see 7 March) that critical slowing down indicators suggest that tropical, arid and temperate forests are substantially losing resilience.[352][353] On 4 July, Brazil's INPE reports that the country's regions of the Amazon rainforest have been deforested by a record amount in the first half of 2022.[354]
- A study shows that
- Researchers report the development of semitransparent solar cells that are as large as windows,[357] after team members achieved record efficiency with high transparency in 2020.[358][359] On 4 July, researchers report the fabrication of solar cells with a record average visible transparency of 79%, being nearly invisible.[360]
- 18 July
- A survey of more than 3,000 experts finds that the extinction crisis could be worse than previously thought, and estimates that roughly 30% of species "have been globally threatened or driven extinct since the year 1500."[361][362]
- The first "dormant" black hole (meaning it does not emit high levels of X-ray radiation) is identified outside the Milky Way. The object, with nine solar masses, orbits a rare O-type star in a system called VFTS 243 within the Large Magellanic Cloud.[363][364]
- A study shows that climate change-related exceptional marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean Sea during 2015–2019 resulted in widespread mass sealife die-offs in five consecutive years.[365][366]
- 20 July – Scientists report that SARS-CoV-2 builds tunneling nanotubes from nose cells to gain access to the brain.[367][368]
- 21 July
- A potential gene therapy cure for haemophilia B, which corrects the genetic defect associated with the condition is announced with trial results by doctors. It caused a sustained increase in factor IX activity in 9 of 10 patients in the small trial.[369][370]
- Sunspot AR3060 explodes early in the morning. It releases a C-5 class NOAA predicts that a geomagnetic storm from this event will strike the Earth on 23 July, between 0000 UTC and 0400 UTC, as a G2 class storm, with a slight chance of a G3 storm. Aurorae could be visible as far south as 50° N latitude.[371][372][373][needs update]
- Researchers report the development of deep learning software that can design proteins that contain prespecified functional sites.[374][375]
- 23 July – The Public Health Emergency of International Concern, as the number of reported cases worldwide exceeds 17,000.[376] In July, scientists reported that the window to be able to contain the outbreak is closing or has closed.[377][378] On 5 July, a preprint indicates there can be asymptomatic infections.[379] On 27 July, an analysis of studies by a journalist indicates that "about 10-to-15% of cases have been hospitalized, mostly for pain and bacterial infections that can occur as a result of monkeypox lesions".[380] Studies published in August indicated hospitalizations of small cohorts of early patients were 8%[381] and 13%.[382]
- 25 July
- Researchers introduce the concept of necrobotics and demonstrate it by repurposing dead spiders as robotic grippers by activating their gripping arms via applying pressurized air.[383][384]
- Researchers review the scientific literature on 100% renewable energy, addressing various issues, outlining open research questions, and concluding there to be growing consensus, research and empirical evidence concerning its feasibility worldwide.[385][386]
- 26 July – Scientists analyse 2.8 million of the sequenced SARS-CoV-2 genomes and use the results to compile a 'mutations blacklist' of virus weak spots, and a 'whitelist' of mutations that would make it more transmissible.[387][388]
- 27 July – Progress towards a pan coronavirus vaccine is announced, following tests on mice. Antibodies targeting the S2 subunit of SARS-CoV-2's spike protein are found to neutralise multiple coronavirus variants.[389][390]
- 28 July
- Researchers report the development of a wearable bioadhesive stretchable high-resolution ultrasound imaging patch for days-long continuous imaging of diverse organs which may enable novel diagnostic and monitoring tools.[393][394]
- First reported discovery of an animal helping algae reproduce[395][396] after pollination in the sea was first reported in 2016.[397]
- Researchers report the development of nanoscale brain-inspired artificial synapses, using the ion proton (H+), for 'analog deep learning'.[398][399]
- Scientists report the discovery of chemical reactions by potential primordial soup components that produced amino acids and may be part of the origin of life on Earth.[400][401]
- 29 July
- In a preprint, scientists from the Galileo Project describe a planned expedition to retrieve small fragments of interstellar meteor CNEOS 2014-01-08, which "appears to be rare both in composition and in speed" and is not ruled out to be "extraterrestrial equipment",[402] using a magnetic sled on the seafloor of the impact region.[403][404]
- A study, that reanalyzes data used in a study by DeSilva et al. (2021), indicates that human brain size did not decrease over the last three thousand years as suggested by this study nor within 300 ka as suggested by other studies. It concludes that "the samples need to be specific enough to test the hypothesis across different times and populations".[405][406]
August
- 1 August
- A global challenges, with the exception of international trade and finance regulations. The study suggests enforcement mechanisms are the "only modifiable treaty design choice" with the potential to improve the effectiveness.[408][409]
- The discovery of a
- Researchers report that there being indications of such being possible as worst-case scenarios and "integrated catastrophe assessment" missing.[412][407]
- Israeli researchers report the achievement of first stem-cell derived synthetic embryos,[413][414] which are "organ-filled" and were grown solely from mouse embryonic stem cells, without sperm or eggs or a uterus, with natural-like development and some surviving until day 8.5 where early organogenesis, including formation of foundations of a brain, occurs.[415][416] They grew in vitro and subsequently ex utero in an artificial womb devised in the year before by the same team.[417]
- A
- 2 August
- Scientists conclude that the overall transgressed (see rainwater are ubiquitously, and often greatly, above guideline safe levels worldwide.[418][419] There are moves to restrict and replace their use.[418]
On 18 August, a simple method of breaking down these chemicals once they have been pulled out of contaminated water or soil[420] is described.[421][422] - A donations-funded plans of The Galileo Project in detail: a systematic scientific research program searching for (signs of) extraterrestrial technological civilizations (ETCs) on and near Earth.[424]
- Scientists conclude that the overall transgressed (see
- 3 August – Scientists report an donor organs or for revival in medical emergencies.[425]
- 4 August – Lab-made cartilage gel based on a synthetic hydrogel composite is found to have greater strength and wear resistance than natural cartilage, which could enable the durable resurfacing of damaged articulating joints.[428][429]
- 8 August
- Researchers provide a dataset of standardized calculated detailed environmental impacts of >57,000 circulating food products, potentially e.g. informing consumers or policy.[430][431]
- A study quantifies the large extent of climate change impacts on infectious diseases.[432][433]
- The creation of
- A screening AI system for many cancer types that integrates different types of data via multimodal learning is reported.[436][437]
hydrogen-powered trains
debuts in Germany.- 10 August – CDC study summarizes current knowledge about the transmission of monkeypox.[445][446]
Wastewater surveillance, which substantially expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic is used to detect monkeypox,[447][448] with one team of researchers describing their qualitative detection method on 31 August.[449]
.png){kind=spacer}
- 11 August – A bioengineered cornea made from pig's skin is shown to restore vision to blind people. It can be mass-produced and stored for up to two years, unlike donated human corneas that are scarce and must be used within two weeks.[450][451]
- 12 August — The National Centers for Environmental Information publish a report, where they state an all-time record cold temperature occurred in Australia during the month. On October 7, 2022, Zack Labe, a climate scientist for the NOAA GFDL releases a statement and a climate report from Berkeley Earth denying the all-time record cold temperature occurred saying, "There are still no areas of record cold so far in 2022."[452][453] Labe's statement also denies the record cold temperatures in Brazil, reported by the National Institute of Meteorology in May 2022, a month before the official start of winter, was also not record cold temperatures.[454]
- 13 August – Rocket Lab describes its self-funded plans in detail, first announced in early 2020,[455] to send a probe to Venus, likely in 2023, to search for life in the planet's cloud layer, where other scientists reported the potential detection of biosignature-levels of phosphine in late 2020 and thereafter.[456][457]
- ~14 August – As blackouts[464] and experiments with cloud seeding among other measures, despite experts stating it would be "marginally effective" and possibly exacerbate problems.[465] Several journalists of online newspapers have put these extreme weather events into the context of climate change adaptation (alongside highlighting of the importance of climate change mitigation).[466][467][468]
- 15 August – A study on the food impacts of a nuclear war is published. It finds that even a small-scale conflict between India and Pakistan would decrease global average caloric production by 7%, while a full-scale U.S.-Russia nuclear conflict would result in a 90% loss, killing more than 5 billion people worldwide.[469][470]
- 16 August – A university reports the better source needed][472]
- 17 August
- A report by Global Forest Watch, using new data,[473] concludes that the amount of tree cover being burned has nearly doubled in the past 20 years.[474][475]
- The
- Geologists warn that the world is "woefully underprepared" for a massive volcanic eruption. They estimate a one-in-six chance of a magnitude seven explosion in the next one hundred years.[478][479]
- Researchers report the development of floating artificial leaves for light-driven hydrogen and syngas fuel production. The lightweight, flexible devices are scalable and can float on water similar to lotus leaves.[480][481]
~August: Artificial intelligence art becomes highly sophisticated and popular and starts winning art prizes. The two images are made via the open source Stable Diffusion.
- 18 August
- A weak spot in the
- Multiple gene editing of soybean is shown to improve photosynthesis and boost yields by 20%.[486][487]
- A researcher reports that the social media keylogger to its, on iOS essentially unavoidable, in-app browser in iOS, which allows its Chinese company to gather, for example, passwords, credit card details, and everything else that is typed into websites opened from taps on any external links within the app. Shortly after the report, the company claims such capabilities are only used for debugging-types of purposes.[488][489] To date, it has largely not been investigated which and to which extent (other) apps have capacities for such or similar data-collection.[488][489][additional citation(s) needed]
- A university reports the development of an invisible coating for fireproof wood.[490]
- 20 August – A GBD systematic analysis reports the (non)progress on cancer and its causes during the 2010-19 decade, with ~44% of all cancer deaths in 2019 – or ~4.5 M deaths or ~105 million lost DALYs – due to known clearly preventable risk factors (contributions), led by smoking, alcohol use and high BMI.[491][492]
- 22 August
- A university reports the development of a driver defects and vulnerabilities in device drivers,[493] with the Mars Research Group developers describing this lack of isolation as one of the main factors undermining kernel security.[494]
- Scientists demonstrate that
- Scientists report a so far unique and unknown feature of material VO2 – it can "remember" previous external stimuli (via structural rather than electronic states), with potential for e.g. data storage.[497][498]
- A university reports the first successful transplantation of an organoid into a human, first announced on 7 July,[499][additional citation(s) needed] with the underlying study being published in February.[500]
- A university reports the development of a driver
- 23 August
- A study reports that behavior, also indicating that (their) differences in the epigenome and microbiome contribute only modestly to human variability in facial appearance.[501][502]
- Researchers introduce the concept of 'false social reality' and substantiate it by showing that (a sample of) Americans widely underestimate general public support for climate change mitigation policies by a large margin.[503][504]
- A genome-wide association study meta-analysis reports genetic factors of, the so far uniquely human, language-related skills, in particular factors of differences in skill-levels of five tested traits. It e.g. identified association with neuroanatomy of a language-related brain area via neuroimaging correlation.[505][506]
- A study reports that
- 24 August
- 25 August
- The first clear evidence for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet is revealed by the James Webb Space Telescope. The planet, WASP-39b, is a hot Jupiter located ~700 light years from Earth.[510][511][512]
- Researchers report the development of a highly effective
- 26 August – Researchers report the development of solar modules) by a startup that generate electricity from a portion of the spectrum of sunlight, allowing spectra that interior plants use to pass through.[515]
- 29 August
- A study reports that in model animals, treatment with rapamycin – which typically has negative side-effects – for a limited timespan extended lifespan as much as life-long administration started at the same age and that it was most effective during early adulthood.[516][517]
- Scientists report the key molecular mechanisms of rejuvenation they found in a comparison of the newly presented genomes of the biologically immortal T. dohrnii and a similar but non-rejuvenating jellyfish, involving e.g. DNA replication and repair, and stem cell renewal.[518][519]
- After establishment of the Scientist Rebellion around March 2021, several researchers affiliated with the movement[520] (six overall) argue for civil disobedience by colleagues in a commentary behind a paywall, hypothesizing that such may cause significant pro-climate net changes of public opinion due to "potential to cut through the myriad complexities and confusion" in the public, receiving substantial coverage by online text-based news media.[521][522]
- 31 August
- Scientists warn, in a follow-up paper to their 2021 study, that a third of tree species are threatened with extinction, showing how this will significantly alter the world's ecosystems, may negatively affect billions, and could get averted with "urgent actions".[523][524] On 1 August, a study reports that over 60 years (1960–2019), "the global forest area has declined by 81.7 million ha", concluding higher income nations need to reduce imports of tropical forest-related products and help with theoretically forest-related socioeconomic development and international policies.[525][526]
- News outlets report
September
- 1 September
- The James Webb Space Telescope takes its first direct images of a planet beyond our Solar System. The exoplanet, HIP 65426 b, is revealed in different bands of infrared light.[538][539]
- Neuroscientists report the discovery of the axo-ciliary
- Scientists elaborate a need for an
- 2 September – A first spatiotemporal map reveals key insights about axolotl brain regeneration.[544][545]
- 5 September – Researchers report the development of
- 6 September – The U.S. Department of Agriculture approves a new purple tomato, genetically modified to alter its colour and enhance its nutritional quality.[548][549]
- 7 September – A new malaria vaccine developed by the University of Oxford is shown to be ~80% effective at preventing the disease.[550][551]
- 8 September – A study adds to the accumulating research indicating postexposure antiviral TIPs could be an effective countermeasure that reduces COVID-19 transmission.[552][553] In September, India and China approve the two first nasal COVID-19 vaccines which may (as boosters)[554] also reduce transmission[555][556] (sterilizing immunity).[555]
- 9 September
- A study describes how multiple tipping points in the climate system could be triggered if global warming exceeds 1.5 °C.[557][558][559]
- Scientists report a change in gene TKTL1 as a key factor of recent brain evolution and difference of modern humans to (other) apes and Neanderthals, related to neocortex-neurogenesis.[560][561] Some of the scientists reported a similar ARHGAP11B mutation in 2016.[562][563]
- News outlets report about a study that describes a way by which geothermal power plants could store their energy within their reservoirs for dispatch to (better) help manage intermittency of solar and wind.[564][565]
- China reports the discovery of Changesite–(Y), a new mineral from lunar samples containing helium-3, widely seen as a potential fuel for fusion reactors.[566][567]
- 12 September – A study investigates funding allocations for public investment in energy research, development and demonstration. It provides insights about potential past impacts of drivers, that may be relevant to adjusting (or facilitating) "investment in clean energy" "to come close to achieving meaningful global decarbonization", suggesting advancement of impactful "coopetition".[568]
- 13 September
- A study reports results indicating COVID-19 may significantly increase risk for Alzheimer's disease,[569][570] similar to prior studies about long-term impacts besides long COVID[571] on cardiovascular outcomes,[572][573] diabetes,[574] neurologic sequelae,[575] mental health disorders,[576] and general future mortality[577] after COVID-19, including specific types[clarification needed] of sequelae less commonly seen in other viral illnesses.[578]
- The United in Science 2022 report is published by the WMO, summarizing latest climate science-related updates and assessing recent climate change mitigation progress as "going in the wrong direction".[579][580]
- 14 September
- A new deep learning technique enables year-round measurements of sea ice thickness in the Arctic.[581][582]
- A research report by
- The WHO joins health associations and scientists in calling for a global fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty to protect lives of current and future generations.[585][586]
- 15 September
- A
- A study shows the
- The second largest
- Researchers describe a way by which the aging of select immune system T cells can be prevented or is slowed down, with relevance to life extension and making vaccines more durable.[592][593]
CNEOS 2017-03-09
.- 19 September
- A study indicates a substantial decline in dinosaur
- Scientists report geochemical modeling results that increase confidence for the ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus being habitable or meeting abiogenesis-requirements.[596][597]
- 20 September – Scientists who reported the earliest known CNEOS 2017-03-09, in a preprint using the same fireball catalog. They find that the implied material strength of the two objects suggests that interstellar meteors "come from a population with material strength characteristically higher than meteors originating from within the solar system".[598][599]
- 21 September – Engineers report the development of autonomous 3D-printing drones for construction and repair.[600][601]
- 22 September
- Nanoengineers report the development of biocompatible microrobots are related to medical nanobots and proved effective in tests with mice.[602][603][604] A separate team reports the development of 'RoboCap', a robotic drug delivery capsule that enhances drug absorption by tunneling through the mucus layer in the GT (28 Sep.).[605][606]
- Around September, news outlets report about deployment, research and development of novel
- Scientists caution about potential
- Nanoengineers report the development of biocompatible
- 23 September – Astronomers report that GJ 1252b, an Earth-sized planet orbiting an M-class red dwarf, appears to have no atmosphere, which may reduce the chances of life emerging in such systems.[618][619]
- 26 September
- Jupiter makes its closest approach to Earth since 1963.[620]
- NASA's DART crashes into the asteroid Dimorphos in a first test of potential planetary defense.[621] Success of path alteration is reported on 11 October.[622]
- A study invalidates the common argument as is for high medication costs that research and development investments are reflected in and necessitate the treatment costs, finding no correlation for investments in drugs (for cases where transparency was sufficient) and their costs.[623][624]
- News outlets report, based on
- 27 September – A study finds that drinking two to three cups of ground, instant, or decaffeinated coffee each day is associated with a longer lifespan and lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with avoiding coffee.[627][628]
- 28 September
- A breakthrough in treating Alzheimer's disease is reported by pharmaceutical companies Eisai and Biogen, using a drug called lecanemab, which is designed to remove beta-amyloid proteins from the brain.[629]
- A study indicates
- Researchers report the discovery of
- 29 September
- In two studies, scientists report a novel way of cancer screening – detecting tumor-associated mycobiomes. It could be used in synergy with other biomarkers such as of bacterial microbiomes.[634][635][636]
- A study estimates the
- A study adds to the accumulating research showing that oil and gas industry methane emissions are much larger than thought.[639][640]
- 30 September
October
- 1 October – A new simulation by NASA finds that the Moon likely formed within a matter of hours, as opposed to earlier theories that proposed a much longer period of months or years.[645]
- 4 October – Edmonton Police Service reports the use of DNA phenotyping to generate 3D facial images of crime suspects.[646][647]
- 5 October
- Sciencesfor the year 2022:
- Physiology or Medicine (October 3): Svante Pääbo for discoveries involving genomes of extinct hominins
- John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger for work in quantum technology
- Scientists report the discovery of ongoing nuclear-mitochondrial segments (NUMT) were thought to have arisen only long ago. 66 thousand whole-genome sequences indicate this currently occurs as frequent as once in every ~4,000 human births.[649][650]
- Researchers outline the large potentials and benefits of marine algae-based aquaculture for the development of a future healthy and sustainable food system.[651][652]
- Scientists demonstrate the use of organoids for the study of brain development, identifying and investigating genetic switches that have a significant impact on it using single-cell transcriptome readouts.[653][654]
- 6 October
- An
- Neuroscientists report
- 7 October
- News outlets report about a study published on 28 September theorizing that the
- Neuroscientists report experimental MRI results that so far appear to imply nuclear proton spins of 'brain water'[clarification needed] in the brain were entangled, suggesting brain functions that operate non-classically which may support quantum mechanisms being involved in consciousness as the signal pattern declined when human participants fell asleep.[661][662]
- 8 October – Researchers report recommendations concerning potential geopolitical implications of potential future information about or from extraterrestrial intelligence.[663][664]
- 12 October
- Researchers report successful transplantation of human brain tissue organoids into baby rats. Such research could eventually controversially raise ethical issues relating to (non-)human intelligence/consciousness/welfare and be used to model human brain development and, as demonstrated, to investigate diseases (and their potential therapies). Unlike in other recent studies, the tissues appeared to be highly functional, to mature and to integrate with the rat brain.[665][666][667]
- A study reports that in a
- 13 October
- A novel synthetic biology-based process for recycling of plastics mixtures is presented.[672][673]
- Scientists report that in some cases, some apparently
- 14 October – Scientists from Boston University publish unauthorized (but legal) research on SARS-CoV-2 BA.1 Omicron via creation of a highly transmissible recombinant virus as a preprint, described by "many" but not all as "irresponsible gain-of-function" research.[676][677][678]
- 18 October – A study indicates there has been a substantial increase of sentiment negativity and decrease of emotional neutrality in headlines across written popular news media since 2000.[679][680]
- 19 October – A novel type of effective hydrogen storage using readily available salts is reported.[681][682]
- 20 October
- A study of PNMN, the world's largest no-fishing zone, finds a "spillover benefit" for migratory species like bigeye and yellowfin tuna.[683][684]
- The first data transmission to exceed 1
- 21 October – News outlets report about a novel agricultural robot for viable weed control using lasers or "laserweeding".[687] There are similar precision agriculture machines that have been reported before, also e.g. applying low amounts of herbicides and fertilizers with precision while mapping plant locations, in some cases autonomously.[688][689] Their benefits may include "healthier crops and soil, decreased herbicide use, and reduced chemical and labor costs".[687]
- 24 October
- 25 October – A comprehensive annually scheduled study finds climate change is "undermining every dimension of global health monitored" and reports dire conclusions from tracking of impact indicators.[694][695]
- 26 October
- In two studies, scientists report findings about the role of epigenetics – which is shaped during lifetime – in colorectal cancer, including that it is a major component of how an individual tumor varies and findings about its influences on the accumulation of DNA mutations and cancer phenotypes.[696][697][698]
- At the 30th anniversary of the World Scientists' Warning to Humanity, scientists conclude that "We are now at 'code red' on planet Earth", facing a climate emergency, warning citizens and world leaders to take necessary actions with information about tracked "recent climate-related disasters, assess[ed] planetary vital signs, and [...] policy recommendations".[699][700]
- A study concludes that cosmic radiation events in the tree-ring radiocarbon record called "Miyake events", don't appear to be caused by the solar cycle (i.e. solar flares) as thought previously and have extended durations. They occurred every ~1,000 years on average and may threaten global technologies this century.[701][702]
- A magnetical guidance system with
- 31 October
- Multiple traces of monkeypox are detected in non-sewered wastewater with sparse sampling from a densely populated metropolitan area in Asia.[706][additional citation(s) needed]
- A new record for the longest-frozen embryos to ever result in a live birth is reported in the United States, with twins born after storage for 30 years.[707]
- Multiple traces
November
sperm counts
is found to have occurred since the early 1970s.- 1 November – A
- 2 November – Scientists show that cells move faster in thicker (higher viscosity) fluids. Cancer cells can form memory of extracellular fluid, helping them to form distant cancerous colonies more efficiently when exposed to fluids of higher viscosities.[710][711]
- 3 November – Astronomers using the IXPE space observatory report that 4U 0142+61, a magnetar found 13,000 light-years from Earth, likely has a solid surface with no atmosphere.[712][713]
- 4 November – The discovery of Gaia BH1, a binary system containing what is likely the closest known black hole to Earth, is reported by astronomers in the U.S.[714][715]
- 6–18 November – The
- 7 November
- The first clinical trial of
- Scientists effects of climate change on insects, among other novel stressors,[720] which may "drastically reduce our ability to build a sustainable future based on healthy, functional ecosystems", providing several recommended mitigation options.[721][722]
- The development of organic
- 9 November
- IBM unveils its 433-qubit 'Osprey' quantum processor, the successor to its Eagle system.[724][725]
- A study shows that 50+ aged users of the dietary program cognitive aging over a 10-year period compared with non-users" despite it having nearly no conditions for the sustainability and healthiness of the food products purchased with the coupons (or coupon-credits).[726][727]
- 10 November
- A study describes how one may eventually be able to detect (distinguish) wormholes, suggesting they may have never been observed because they appear very similar to black holes.[728][729]
- Notable software developments:
- After domain seizures of open source shadow library UI Anna's Archive – which also provides access to a full copy of Z-Library content and scientific articles – is established by a team of archivists,[730][731] essentially providing the largest human book and literature library.
- News outlets report about the development of a post-editing model using
- The largest global inventory and interactive map of greenhouse gas emission sources is released by Climate TRACE (9 Nov).[734][735]
- Around the
- Two studies demonstrate platform-built-in as well browser-integrated misinformation mitigation (11 Nov).[739][740]
- Researchers develop falsity scores for over 800 contemporary elites on Twitter and associated exposure scores (21 Nov).[741][742]
- News outlets report about the first fully self-supervised anti-money laundering AI software using contemporary suboptimal datasets, LaundroGraph (24 Nov/26 Oct).[743]
- After domain seizures of
- 11 November – The global warming to 1.5 °C. At the current rate, the carbon that can still be emitted while still meeting the 1.5 °C global goal will likely (at a 50% chance) be emitted within only around nine years.[744][745][746]
- 12 November – Astronomers, using the
- 14 November
- Archaeologists report the oldest likely evidence (via heated fish teeth from a deep cave) of controlled use of fire to cook food by archaic humans ~780,000 years ago.[749][750]
- After being linked to risks for obesity,[751] mental disorders,[752] and potentially other health issues,[753] a study finds a likely association between (contemporary types of) outdoor artificial light at night and diabetes.[754][755]
- 15 November
- A forever chemicals in air and water.[756]
- A study using
- Scientists report leprosy-causing bacteria viably regenerate and rejuvenate the liver in its armadillos hosts, which may enable novel human therapies.[760][761]
- A
- 16 November
- NASA conducts the first uncrewed flight of its Space Launch System (SLS), the largest rocket in history. The onboard Orion capsule will orbit the Moon before returning to Earth, as a demonstration of planned human missions.[762][763]
- A satellite-free GPS-alternative higher-resolution positioning system using existing telecommunications networks is demonstrated, SuperGPS.[764][765]
- 18 November – Researchers theorize that in many disciplines, larger scientific productivity or success by elite universities can be explained by their larger pool of available funded laborers.[767][768] A commentary notes that academic rankings don't consider where (country and institute) the respective researchers were trained (1 Dec).[769]
- 19 November – Researchers report determinants of alertness after waking up.[770][771]
- 21 November
- Scientists in black-naped pheasant pigeon for the first time in 140 years.[772]
- A GBD study reports the first global estimates of death rates from (33) bacterial pathogens, finding such infections are contributing to one in 8 deaths (or ~7.7 million deaths), which could make it the second largest cause of death globally in 2019.[773][774]
- A pulsed electric field-based
- Scientists in
- 22 November
- The International Bureau of Weights and Measures announces it will phase out the leap second by 2035.[777]
- Photochemistry is confirmed on an exoplanet for the first time, as the James Webb Space Telescope detects a range of signatures including sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere of WASP-39b.[778]
- A cognitive abilities with older age, showing a difference of "0.4 units[clarification needed] per decade" between 5 mg and 15 mg intakes.[779][780]
- 23 November
- Acoustic Nanoscale Separation via Wave-pillar Excitation Resonance (ANSWER) is demonstrated as a way of separating nanoparticles, especially small extracellular vesicles, from biofluids in under 10 minutes.[781][782]
- A study reports phages have a large variety of CRISPR-Cas systems. They possibly may[clarification needed] use them to edit hosts' genes and for competitive advantages, e.g. against rival phages.[how?] These systems could be useful for CRISPR-Cas gene editing.[783][784][785]
- A study reports estimated contemporary prevalence and associations with belief in witchcraft around the world, which (in their data) varied between 9% and 90% between nations and is still a widespread element in worldviews globally. It also shows associations such as with low "innovative activity", lower life expectancy and high religiosity.[786][766]
- Geneticists report that the fastest-evolved regions of the positive selection prior to the human-Neanderthal split and identify over 1,500 such HAQERs that substantially distinguish humans from related other apes via datasets such as of HARs and experiments that use embryonic mouse brains.[787][788]
- Acoustic Nanoscale Separation via Wave-pillar Excitation Resonance (ANSWER) is demonstrated as a way of separating
- 24 November
- Promising results of therapeutic UTIs (3 Nov),[793][additional citation(s) needed] phase I trialed new antibiotic for gram-negative bacteria QPX9003 (20 Oct/9 Nov),[794][additional citation(s) needed] phase 2 trialed antibody CIS43LS against malaria (17 Nov),[795][796] phase 2 trialed acoziborole against African sleeping sickness parasites (29 Nov),[797][798] and phase 3 trialed lecanemab against Alzheimer's disease (29 Nov).[799][800]
- A new
- Promising results of therapeutic
- 29 November
- Canadian mineralogists discover two new minerals, Elkinstantonite and Elaliite, on the 15-tonne El Ali meteorite that grounded in Somalia.[803]
- A study maps common disease combinations or multimorbidity patterns,[804][805] a "growing public health problem worldwide".[806]
- 30 November
- An electrolysis system for viable hydrogen production from seawater without requiring a pre-desalination process, which could make it less flexible and more costly, is reported.[807][808]
- A study deploying protein imaging of adult mice suggests
- Scientists develop a quantum experiment allowing the observation of a kind of theoretical wormhole in a SYK "baby" physical model which some, but not all, consider potentially useful for the development of quantum gravity theories.[811][812][813]
December
- 1 December
- Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope report viewing clouds, likely made of methane, moving across Saturn's moon Titan.[814][815]
- Genomic epidemiologists report results from a global survey of
- Scientists report the measurement of the highest toughness ever recorded, of any material, while investigating a metallic alloy made of chromium, cobalt, and nickel.[820][821]
- 4 December – Chemical engineers report a method to substantially increase conversion efficiency and reduce material costs of green hydrogen production by using sound waves during electrolysis.[822][823]
- 5 December
- Construction begins on the Square Kilometer Array, the largest telescope in history.[824]
- A cardiovascular health effects of a large number of dietary supplements and micronutrients, including with a heat map visualizing evidence quality and health impact direction of each.[825][826]
- Health/eco-economics:
- A study projects the costs of inaction on healthcare system finances.[827]
- Results of a trial investigating financial incentives for health, in particular for weight loss, are reported (5 Dec).[828]
- Researchers provide first estimates of global costs of inadequate pollination (14 Dec).[829]
- Results of a trial on effects of climate change impact menu
- A study projects the costs of inaction on
- Construction begins on the
excess deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 and 2021, concluding ~14.8 million excess early deaths occurred[831]
- 6 December
- Scientists provide a mechanistic biological explanation for why
- Impossible Metals announces its first polymetallic nodule rocks from the seabed nearly without harming the environment (as with other seabed mining) to help address the rising global need for metals for renewable energy system components, mainly batteries.[834]
- Researchers propose "significantly increasing freshwater through the capture of humid air over oceans" to address present and, especially, future water scarcity/insecurity.[835][836]
- drug-induced liver injury which could reduce the high costs and time needed in drug development workflows/pipelines, sometimes described as the pharmaceutical industry's "productivity crisis".[837][838]
- 7 December
- Scientists report that two-million years old genetic material was found in Greenland, and is currently considered the oldest DNA discovered so far.[839][840]
- Scientists propose a new
- Scientists report that two-million years old
- 8 December
- Astronomers report in a
- In a paywalled article, American scientists propose policy-based measures to reduce large risks from life sciences research – such as pandemics through accident or misapplication. Risk management measures may include novel international guidelines, effective oversight, improvement of US policies to influence policies globally, and identification of gaps in biosecurity policies along with potential approaches to address them.[845][846]
- 9 December
- Researchers report the development of a blood test, SOBA, for Alzheimer's screening via levels of toxic amyloid beta oligomers with sensitivity and specificity of apparently 99%.[847][848] On 27 December, a separate study reports another well-performing blood test to detect Alzheimer's disease via biomarker brain-derived tau.[849][850]
- Anti-aging research:
- A study indicates that
- A
- Scientists report that
- By stimulating (or charging) genetically engineered
- Researchers report the development of 3D-printed flexible paper-thin organic photovoltaics.[859][860]
- 12 December – Scientists describe a new method to break up so-called "
- 13 December
- The Newborn Genomes Programme is announced by the UK government. It will conduct whole genome sequencing of 100,000 newborns, the largest study of its kind in the world, to aid research into the diagnosis and treatment of rare genetic conditions.[863][864]
- In a major milestone for the field, scientists at the National Ignition Facility report a net energy gain in the development of fusion power.[865][866]
- COVID-19 pandemic: A study finds that the BQ and XBB subvariants of SARS-CoV-2 are "barely susceptible to neutralization" by vaccines, including the new Omicron boosters. Key antibody drugs, Evusheld and bebtelovimab, are "completely inactive" against the new subvariants. This could result in a surge of breakthrough infections and reinfections, according to the study team, although the vaccines hold up against severe disease.[867][868]
- A study systematically assesses
- 14 December
- A excess deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 and 2021, concluding ~14.8 million excess early deaths occurred, reaffirming their prior calculations from May as well as updating them, addressing criticisms. These numbers do not include measures like years of potential life lost, far exceed the 5.42 million officially reported deaths, may make COVID-19 2021's leading cause of death, and are similar to the ~18 million estimated by another study .[871][872][831]
- Microbiome research:
- Researchers report the discovery of a gut–brain connection in mice that regulates motivation for exercise and can enhance performance by augmenting dopamine signalling during physical activity.[873][874]
- A microbiome-wide association study associates thirteen microbial taxa with depressive symptoms (6 Dec).[875][876]
- Scientists report that and how – including
- A first global review summarizes scarce data on a likely largely declining "experience of nature" and nature-disconnection which prior studies suggest have impacts on health and proenvironmental behavior.[879][880]
- A university reports on the first study (25 Oct) of the new privacy-intrusion Web tracking technique of "UID smuggling" by the ad industry, which finds it to be prevalent and largely not mitigated by latest protection tools – such as Firefox's tracking protection and uBlock Origin – and contributes to countermeasures.[881]
- A
- 15 December
- Astronomers find that a pair of exoplanets orbiting the red dwarf star Kepler-138 are likely to be water worlds.[882][883]
- News reports about the development (22 Oct) in China of an edible, plant-based ink derived from food waste, which could be used in
- Promising results of therapeutic
- 19 December – A new world record solar cell efficiency for a silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell is achieved, with scientists in Germany converting 32.5% of sunlight into electrical energy.[896]
- 20 December – OpenAI releases Point-E, a machine learning system that can generate 3D models from text prompts (text-to-3D),[897][898] similar to previously released GET3D[899][900] and Magic3D[901] by Nvidia and DreamFusion by Google.[899]
- 22 December
- A network model analysis suggests that temporary overshoots of climate change – increasing global temperature beyond Paris Agreement goals temporarily as often projected – can increase risks of climate tipping cascades "by up to 72%".[902][903]
- In a paywalled article, scientists provide 3D imaging and model analysis to reveal main causes, mechanics, and potential mitigations of the problematic prevalent lithium-ion battery degradation over charge cycles.[904][additional citation(s) needed]
- 26 December – Bio- and electrical engineers prove for the first time that human
- 27 December – Scientists report that a species of protozoan, is the first known organism for which "a virus-only diet ... is enough to fuel the physiological growth and even population growth".[907][908]
Awards
- 5 July – The Fields Medal in mathematics is awarded to Hugo Duminil-Copin, June Huh, James Maynard and Maryna Viazovska.[importance?]
- 2 December – Winners of the Earthshot Prize are announced, established in 2021 and awarded for developments useful for international climate change mitigation and sustainability goals.[909]
Deaths
- 18 January – Sir David Cox, English statistician (b. 1924)[910]
- 15 March – Eugene Parker, American solar and plasma physicist (b. 1927)
- 20 March – Wen Shengchang, Chinese oceanographer and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (b. 1921)
- 23 March – Arthur Riggs, American geneticist (b. 1939)
- 27 March – Martin Pope, American physical scientist (b. 1918)
- 27 March – aging researcher (b. 1945)
- 29 March – Paul Benioff, American physicist of quantum computing (b. 1930)
- 30 March – Kenneth Walters, British mathematician and rheologist (b. 1934)
- 1 April – Gerhard J. Woeginger, Austrian mathematician.[911]
- 5 April – Sidney Altman, Canadian-American molecular biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (1989).[912]
- 5 April – Bjarni Tryggvason, Icelandic-born Canadian astronaut (STS-85).[913]
- 5 April – Eelco Visser, Dutch computer scientist.[914]
- 5 April – Leslie Young, New Zealand economist.[915]
- 1 May – Ray Freeman, British chemist.[916]
- 1 May – Dominique Lecourt, French philosopher.[917]
- 2 May – Joseph Raz, Israeli philosopher.[918]
- 4 May – Amanda Claridge, Canadian archaeologist.[919]
- 7 May – Sir Paul Mellars, British archaeologist.[920]
- 8 May – Harry Dornbrand, American aerospace engineer.[921]
- 8 May – Zhuang Qiaosheng, Chinese geneticist and wheat breeder, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.[922]
- 9 May – John H. Coates, Australian mathematician.[923]
- 14 May – Bernard Bigot, French physicist and civil servant, director general of ITER (b. 1950)[924]
- 9 June – Gordon M. Shepherd, American neuroscientist.[925]
- 26 July – James Lovelock, English environmentalist (Gaia hypothesis) and futurist (b. 1919)[926]
- 25 August – Kurt Gottfried, Austrian-born American physicist.[927]
- 2 September – Frank Drake, American astronomer and astrophysicist (Drake equation), designer of the Arecibo message (b. 1930)[928]
- 9 December – Ademar José Gevaerd, Brazilian ufologist (b. 1962)