Results

In addition to publishing a list of 10 best news of the year, 10 best photographs of the year, 10 of the most important breakthroughs in medicine, the 10 best statements of politicians, etc. In addition to publishing the 10 most important scientific discoveries of 2008, This top list included the following events.

1. Launch of a large adrone collider

On September 10, 2008, the first launch of the world's largest accelerator of elementary particles took place. On September 21, the European Nuclear Research Organization (CERN) took place on the official opening ceremony of Back. The holiday about the launch of the collider was overshadowed by a nearby of breakdowns. The last accident, which occurred on September 19, 2008, led to mechanical damage within superconducting electromagnets, release of a significant volume of helium into the tunnel of the tunnel and the gas extinguishing immediately in a hundred magnets. According to the physicist Igor Ivanov’s blog on the elements.ru website, it is expected that by mid -February 2009 repair work will be completed directly in the tunnel, and repaired or new magnets will be installed by the end of March. By mid -May 2008, the entire infrastructure of the collider will be restored. Then the collider cooling will follow to the operating temperature, so it is expected that by the end of June 2009 the accelerator will be ready for new electric tests of magnets.

2. Research of the North Pole of Mars

On May 26, 2008, Moscow time, the American Phenix Mars Lander probe made a successful landing on Mars near its North Pole and began to explore the previously inaccessible region of the “red” planet. The samples obtained by “Phoenix” should answer the question of whether any organic is contained there and whether it is possible to talk about the presence of life on Mars, if not in our time, then at least in the distant past.

3. Creating the first synthetic life form

The American geneticist Craig Venter and his colleagues created the world's first completely artificial chromosome. In fact, this discovery means a real revolution in biology, because now genetics will be able to create new life forms that do not exist in nature. “This is not a victory, but only a step towards it, but if further experiments are successful, then we will reach a new level of biology development: in fact, we will be able to create chromosomes of a given type to perform specific tasks,” Venter said in an interview with the Ogonyok magazine.

4. Exiting of Chinese astronauts into outer space

On September 27, 2008, the Chinese Air Force Officer of Jia Zhigan became the first Chinese to go into outer space. A spacecraft lasted a little more than half an hour, after which both Tykunavtors returned to their ship. China has become the third country after Russia and the USA, which has mastered open space. China plans to send the first Tykunaut to the Moon by 2020.

5. The number of gorillas in the Congo is much more than expected

As shown by the studies of the Wildlife Conservation Society), the number of western plain gorillas in the forests and swamps of the Republic of the Congo is two times more than expected - these places became a house for 125 thousand animals. At the same time, the war in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zair) also entered the Virung National Park, threatening the lives of about 350 mountain gorillas - half of the entire number of living gorillas of this species.

6. Opening of new exoplanets

The first planets rotating around the stars outside the solar system, the so -called “exoplanets” were found in 1995. In June 2008, the Swiss astronomer Michel Mayor from the Geneva Observatory opened another 45 small exoplanets, only one of which was 4.2 times more than the Earth (its scientists are now unofficially called “super -ground”). In November, two teams of astronomers from the USA and Canada managed to get photos of 4 exoplanets-the first images of unearthly worlds in the visible light in the optical range, before that, the scientist managed to receive photographs of distant planets only in infrared light.

7. Creation of "invisible cloak"

Researchers at the University of California in Berkeley announced the creation of a “invisible cloak”. Using nanoven fibers going inside the porous aluminum tube, they created the canvas 10 times thinner than a sheet of paper, which allowed them to wrap the item into this material and let the light waves around it, making the object almost invisible. Time journalists note that the masking coating is so fragile, and its price is so high that it is still impossible to talk about some practical use. “However, we now live in a world where invisibility is already possible.”

8. Deciphering 80% mammoth genome

In November 2008, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania (USA) Stevan Schuster announced that his research group managed to decipher the mammoth genome by 80%. Now this ancient animal has become the most genetically studied extinct look.

9. "Scientific illiteracy" of the population of the United States

Only 25% of the US inhabitants, i.e. Every fourth American, have “general scientific literacy” (Civic Scientifically Literate), i.e. It is able to read and understand articles from the scientific section of The New York Times. Time journalists note that such a study in China, on the contrary, demonstrated very high indicators of scientific literacy among the Chinese population.

10. Finding the most ancient family

In Central Germany, on the territory of the federal land of Saxony-Anhalt, a human burial made 4600 years ago was discovered. The remains of an adult woman, men and their children-boys of 8-9 and 4-5 years old, who died, apparently, were found, apparently a violent death, as evidenced by wounds on the body of people. DNA analysis confirmed that all four belonged to one family.

Based on the materials of Time and "Spark" magazines, the sites "Polit.ru" and "Elements.ru"