From the cultivation of crops in space to self-driving robotaxi services on the road, the year saw very revolutionary advances in the field of science and technology.
As the new year approaches, here’s a look at some of the most exciting scientific discoveries and technological achievements in 2020-
Vaccines are here!
The vaccines produced by Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna against Covid-19 were the first vaccines developed using RNA Messenger. It marks the fastest development and approval of a vaccine, taking just 10 months.
The Pfizer vaccine shows 95% efficacy in preventing Covid symbolic disease. While the Moderna vaccine is 94.1% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19.
Super-enzymes eating plastic
To deal with different ecological emergencies, scientists have invented “super-enzymes” that eat plastic that can break down bottles in days.
The enzymes break down a common type of plastic called polyethylene terephthalate – used in single-use bottles as well as clothing and carpets – into its chemical building blocks.
Rain on the moon
Nasa has announced that it wants to find water for the lunar surface for the first time. Nasa confirmed the presene of water molecules, H2O, in solar eclipses on the Moon. This indicates that water is widely distributed over the surface of the moon.
However, the Moon is so dry and by comparison, the Sahara Desert is 100 times more waterlogged than the SOFIA mission finds in the lunar soil.
Water molecules have been found in the Clavius Crater. The crater is in the southern hemisphere of the moon and is one of the largest faults visible from Earth.
The first crop harvested in space
Nasa astronaut Kate Rubins would harvest radish plants growing in the Advanced Plant Environment (APH) aboard the International Space Station.
She carefully collected and wrapped the foil of each of the 20 radish plants, placing them in cold storage for the 2021 return trip to Earth.
The plant test is the first time Nasa has grown radishes on the orbiting lab in the APH.
Aliens there?
Scientists, as they say, got one of the first suggestions for finding an exoplanet in the world of radio. The first possible radio signal from a planet outside the solar system is believed to be about 51 light-years away.
The researchers also identified potential exoplanetary radioactive candidates in constellation and Upsilon Andromedae cancer systems.
Robotaxis without driver
Waymo was the first company to provide self-driving car services to the public without a human supervisor in Chandler, Arizona. While autonomous vehicle supplier Zoox also unveiled a fully functional, electric, autonomous vehicle designed for congested, urban environments.
By eliminating the need for a human chauffeur, robotaxi could make it a very affordable solution for the buyers.
Chang’e 5 takes samples from the moon
In December, the moon received a new visitor: Chinese lawyer Chang’e-5 – a robotic mission of a Chinese lunar exploration program. He returned to earth and took 1,731 grams of samples collected from the moon. It was the first attempt in China to introduce lunar samples in more than 40 years after the U.S. sent astronauts to the moon to collect samples.
Nasa’s Mars 2020 mission
Mars 2020 is a Mars rover mission with a Nasa exploration program on Mars that includes a permanency rover and an ingenious helicopter drone. It will study the living conditions on Mars in preparation for future human missions.
The oldest meteor fault is found in the world
A crater in western Australia was created by a meteor strike more than 2.2 billion years ago and is the oldest impact site in the world. The publication also raises the interesting possibility that the impact could have had a profound effect on the Earth’s climate, helping to end a period of global “deep freezing”.
Wind speed on brown dwarf measured
For the first time, scientists have measured wind speed directly on a brown dwarf, a type of subterranean material that is larger than Jupiter (the largest planet in our solar system) but not exactly great for being a star.
To accomplish the discovery, they also used a new method that could be applied to learn about the atmospheres of gas-controlled planets outside our solar system.
(with support from organizations)