Scientific achievements. CRISPR has edited genes inside the human body. Google taught AI to adapt to complex environments
Payment systems with facial recognition: already widely used
Facial recognition systems are used in many countries to search for criminals, control access to sensitive facilities, and in some countries to confirm payments in online banking. Since 2014, the Chinese company Alibaba Group has been testing facial recognition algorithms developed by Face++. They are going to be used for identification and confirmation of orders in payment system Alipay. The accuracy of the algorithm has already reached 80%.
This year, the scientific community was able to grow human organelles in the laboratory, such as livers, tiny kidneys and pea-sized brains. These mini-cells, including parts of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, were made from stem cells by a team led by Jürgen Knoblich from the Institute of Molecular Biology Vienna. The authors hope that these organoids will serve to study the early stages of brain development.
Metallic hydrogen created
This year, a team of researchers noticed that mice's brains cleared out during sleep, opening 60% more channels between neurons and allowing more cerebrospinal fluid to circulate. This increased flow, for example, transports substances associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to the discovery's authors, led by Maiken Nedergaard of the University of Rochester. Science Magazine highlights that these solar panels are still not as efficient as those currently sold.
Another company that is gradually introducing facial recognition is . It uses the Selfie Pay feature, which allows you to confirm online payments using a selfie. In order for the application to take a photo, you need to nod or blink - this way the algorithm will make sure that it is a live client and not his photo. The system is already being tested in the Netherlands, USA, Canada and EU countries. This year MasterCard promises to expand the list of countries.
Today, roof truss panels are transforming sunlight into electricity with efficiency up to 20%, while perovskite currently is 15%. They are improving very quickly,” the magazine writes. The new technique involves replacing lipids with a clear gel, leaving neurons and other brain cells visible.
On this moment The technique is limited to small samples: it takes nine days to apply it to four-millimeter-diameter sections of a mouse's brain. Thanks to atomic analysis of the viral protein structure, researchers were able to develop a possible vaccine.
Panoramic selfie: now
The first amateur camera, Panono Explorer Edition, which allows you to take photos with a 360-degree view, appeared on the market in 2015 and ushered in a new era in photography. After that, many panoramic cameras costing up to $500 from Kodak, Samsung, Sony and other companies appeared on the market. Journalists from the world's leading publications use such cameras to film reports from hot spots. For example, journalists from The New York Times on Samsung camera Gear 360 filmed a video from a refugee camp in Niger.
Now part of the scientific community hopes that the same approach can be used against hepatitis C virus, dengue and West Nile virus, among other viral diseases. This is a revolutionary breakthrough because its applications range from treating and developing strategies for diseases such as malaria or cancer, to improving transgenic crops or editing human embryos.
We discovered Pluto's icy heart
With the arrival of the dwarf planet, the first initial recognition of our solar system.
The lymphatic system operates in the brain
The lymphatic system is responsible for clearing waste from the body and plays a key role in the functioning of the immune system. Neuroscientists were surprised to discover that this system also works in the brain.The format of 360-degree photos and videos makes it possible to show what is happening most authentically, and in the future, it may become a standard for news materials.
Panoramic videos are already being used to create virtual reality. For example, the British alcohol manufacturer Diageo produced a VR video called “Decisions”, warning about the dangers of driving while intoxicated.
Experts believe that dysfunction of the lymphatic vessels in the brain may be one of the causes of some neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, in the future, the connection between the lymphatic system and the brain should be carefully investigated to discover its connection with this type of disease.
First effective Ebola vaccine
The World Health Organization announced this summer that clinical trials of a new Ebola virus vaccine in Guinea were 100% effective. The results showed that about 10,000 people who were infected with the virus for ten days were free of the virus.
Gene therapy 2.0: already now
Photo: Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library
Gene therapy is a set of biotechnological and medical methods aimed at treating diseases caused by mutations in the DNA structure or damage to DNA by viruses, using editing of the genetic apparatus. Gene therapy was initially considered a cure for inherited genetic diseases, but researchers now hope to use it to combat a wide range of diseases: Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart failure and cancer. In May, the European Union approved the use of gene therapy for severe combined immunodeficiency in children.
A creepy act that Einstein hated
Although the vaccine is in a preliminary stage and more tests will be needed to improve it in the future, the progress provides great hope in the fight against this serious disease. Quantum theory predicted that the observation of one object could affect another, even if it was at the other end of the universe, a phenomenon that Einstein did not believe in, since he believed that no information could travel faster than light.
Google taught AI to adapt to complex environments
However, this year, two electrons located more than one kilometer apart maintained an "invisible" and instantaneous connection, overcoming the problem posed by Einstein. The discovery, which was contributed by the Institute of Photonic Sciences of Barcelona, would allow future development of technologies to improve the security of communications and high-performance computing.
One of the most promising gene therapy technologies is CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. This technology was discovered in 2013 as a mechanism for bacterial immunity using viral DNA. Scientists call it “molecular scissors” because it allows you to cut and change sections of DNA of any organisms directly in living cells with high precision. In October, Chinese scientists conducted the world's first adult human experiment using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Sichuan University researchers injected modified T lymphocytes into a patient with lung cancer. This is expected to start the process of destroying cancer cells in his body.
Reliability of psychological studies surveyed
In recent years, attempts have been made to replicate the results of some important studies in the field of psychology. While this result may seem alarming, most experts were optimistic about the results, given that it could help them better understand the reliability of these studies.
Yeast modified to produce opiates
With this breakthrough, scientists overcame the limitation of obtaining these compounds exclusively from plants and opened the door to new treatments to combat cancer, infectious diseases and chronic problems such as arthritis or high blood pressure.
Botnet of things: already now
In the early 2000s, hackers learned how to hack computers connected to the Internet and organize them into a network for massive attacks to a specific server. With the spread of the “Internet of Things” - inexpensive connected cameras, printers and scanners - hackers increasingly began to target vulnerable smart devices. Through them, cybercriminals gain control of equipment local networks, modems, network storage, video surveillance systems and even industrial control systems.
Secrets of the earth's mantle columns
For nearly 40 years, there has been debate about the mysterious columns of the Earth's mantle, hot rocky ducts rising from within our planet. However, until this year, its nature was not known. Scientists have confirmed the existence of 28 of these columns using seismic waves created by earthquakes, which bend and change their speed when they encounter an obstacle in their path.
Kennewick Man, ancestor of modern Americans
This showed that the columns are wider than expected, meaning they push out more heat coming from the Earth's core, suggesting they play an important role in regulating the planet's temperature. It was found 19 years ago near the town that gives its name, Kennewick, in Washington state. The genome sequence of the hand bone from this skeleton has revealed that some American Indian tribes, such as the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, may be descendants of this hominid.
In September, the website of the hosting company OVH was hit by a record-breaking botnet. The total power of the attacks reached 1 Tb/s, the highest power of one of them was 799 Gb/s.
Reinforcement learning: will spread in 1–2 years
Artificial intelligence AlphaGo, based on reinforcement learning, beat world champion Lee Sedol at Go
The discovery contradicts the belief that Kennewick Man was the ancestor of indigenous peoples of the Pacific such as the Ainu and Polynesians. Life expectancy for a child born last year is 82 years! But what are the discoveries that have allowed us to live longer in the last century?
Don't worry, we're not at risk of death, but remember to wash your hands for 20 seconds before lunch and dinner, when you touch food, when you come home after a wild day out with friends, and generally every time you touch things that could be in contact with external elements. Sterilize surgical equipment. Unfortunately, the science of the era was unaware of these facts, and doctors did not understand the cause of death of so many patients after apparently successful surgery.
Reinforcement learning is a type of machine learning in which a system learns by interacting with its environment. The most promising research in this area is being conducted by the DeepMind laboratory, a division of Alphabet. In 2016, her AlphaGo program beat world champion Lee Sedol 4:1 in ancient Chinese Go. board game, which was considered inaccessible for a long time artificial intelligence.
Thus, although there was no concept of the existence of pathogenic microbes, diseases, the mortality rate of patients affected by Lister dropped sharply. It is for this reason that blood transfusions, rather than saving the wounded, have had a tragic end: often the blood transfusion was not compatible with the person receiving it. Vaccines Preventing disease is better than preventing disease. Antibiotics Scottish doctor Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered in his laboratory that some kind of mold was killing them. Prenatal Care Prenatal care is called the checks, exams and visits that enable millions of moms every day to grow into the best bellies and their babies.
DeepMind employees suggest that the prospects for reinforcement learning are much broader than gaming artificial intelligence. For example, it will allow robots to learn to walk and manipulate unfamiliar objects without extensive prior instructions, and self-driving cars to learn from each trip.
Practical quantum computer: in 4–5 years
Blood pressure control. Blood pressure indicates the strength with which our body's blood presses against the walls of our arteries. It's simple and direct control that can save your life. So, a few stories: When you get into your car, always wear your seat belt. And remember other passengers to do the same! Chemotherapy Cancer is one of the most common and dangerous diseases. Fortunately, research, new discoveries, and new treatments are making it possible to heal more and more people.
Quantum computer D-Wave Systems.
A quantum computer is a computing device that uses the phenomena of quantum superposition and quantum entanglement to transmit and process data. The basic unit of calculation in it is the quantum bit, which, unlike a bit, can mean 1 and 0 at the same time. This allows a quantum computer to perform calculations 100 million times faster than a standard computer.
One of these therapies is chemotherapy, a treatment that is used to treat people with cancer by killing cancer cells and shrinking tumors, causing them to heal or improve quality of life. Some of the discoveries below are familiar to you, aren't they? Others will no doubt be surprised. Not every “Eureka!” is planned, but there are ten proofs here.
New technologies will allow growing organs
Penicillin is one of the most famous and lucky accidents of the century and deserves first place in this ranking. Alexander Fleming forgot to clean his workplace. When he returned to his office, he noticed that some of the biocultures he was growing had some kind of strange sponge. Only the bacteria that died next to her were unfamiliar. Thus, penicillin became one of the first and still most widely used antibiotics.
Last May, IBM made its quantum computer available at its Yorktown Heights lab through the IBM Quantum Experience cloud platform. To date, about 40 thousand users have conducted more than 275 thousand experiments using IBM Quantum Experience. The computer's processor consists of five qubits, and IBM hopes to increase the power to 50 qubits in the future. On March 6, the company announced the creation of a new division, IBM Q, which will develop a quantum computer model.
This list wouldn't be complete without at least one distracting professor. Secondly, however, there are no broken vessels, but it is a life-saving device. The pacemaker was implanted in chest a heart-sick person, because the American engineer Wilson Frantich reached into the box and pulled out what he needed.
The device pulled out in 1.8 milliseconds and stopped at one. The sound was as old as humanity - a perfect heartbeat. Speaking of strange connections, 18-year-old chemist William Perkin wanted to cure malaria. Instead, his efforts changed the face of fashion forever and - yes, yes! - helped fight cancer.
In addition to IBM, this year several companies - Google, Inte, Microsoft - as well as the Research Institute of the Netherlands and the Delft Technical Institute promise to present practical developments in the field of quantum computing.
Neurochips for the paralyzed: in 10–15 years
An artificial uterus has been created
Perkin is trying to invent artificial quinine. But instead of a cure for malaria, his experiments gave him a fat, vague mess. The more he observed, the more he noticed its beautiful color. It turned out that Perkin created the world's first synthetic paint.
His color was much better than any natural color. The color was brighter, more vibrant and did not bleach or wash off. His discovery turned chemistry into a scientific gold mine - it became attractive to a whole generation of curious people. But the story doesn't end there. One of the people who inspired Perkin's work was German bacteriologist Paul Ehrlich, who used Perkin's stains to drive immunology and chemotherapy.
A paralyzed patient plays Guitar Hero using a neurochip. Photo: Battelle Memorial Institute
In recent years, scientists have made great strides in developing neural interfaces that restore motor functions in patients with spinal cord injuries. If in 2015 it was mainly about experiments on animals - rats and primates - now laboratories in different countries testing new technologies on human volunteers.
In April 2016, staff at The Ohio State University and Battelle Memorial Institute made significant progress in treating a patient with quadriplegia - paralysis of all limbs. Thanks to a microchip implanted in the motor cortex of the brain, which transmits decoded signals to the muscles of the hand using electrical stimulators, he was able to relearn how to move his fingers and even play Guitar Hero.
In the future, scientists also hope to create wireless neurochips that can restore neural connections in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Driverless trucks: in 5–10 years
The Otto driverless truck made its first commercial flight on October 20, 2016. Photo: Anheuser-Busch, Otto
The advent of autonomous trucks on the road is predicted to have a stronger and more controversial impact on society than the advent of passenger cars. In the long term, driverless technology will make freight transportation cheaper, but in the short term it will lead to a surge in unemployment. According to a White House report, there are approximately 1.7 million truck drivers employed in the US alone.
The developers suggest that the introduction of autonomous trucks will help reduce the number of accidents, since more than 90% of them occur due to driver errors.
The first commercial delivery by a driverless truck took place on December 20. It was carried out by Otto, a company owned by Uber, which develops autonomous control systems for freight transport. A driverless truck traveled 200 kilometers from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs at a speed of 88 kilometers per hour and delivered 45,000 cans of Budweiser beer to the Anheuser-Busch brewing corporation.
Cellular atlas: after 5 years
Illustration: Genome Research Limited
An international consortium of scientists from the US, UK, Sweden, Israel, the Netherlands and Japan is set to create a detailed 3D map of human cells, visualizing for the first time what makes up the human body. To do this, we will have to catalog 37.2 trillion microscopic images of cells in the human body, determining the molecular signature of each cell and assigning it “ geographical coordinates» location in the human body. “Cell Atlas” is a priority project on the list of medical research in which Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan are going to invest $3 billion. Scientists expect that this project will have a significant impact on biology and medicine over the next few decades, helping to understand the causes of cancer and autoimmune diseases, as well as developing effective drugs for their treatment.
Solar thermophotovoltaic batteries: in 10–15 years
Nanophotonic solar thermophotovoltaic cell. Photo: MIT
Standard silicon solar cells capture only visible light ranging from violet (380 nanometers) to red (780 nanometers) and can convert a limited amount of light into electricity. Currently the majority solar panels operate with an efficiency of 20%, and, according to scientists, even in theory it cannot exceed 32%. Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are working to create a thermophotovoltaic converter (STPV), which will make it possible to obtain energy not only from light, but also from converted heat.
The element consists of several layers of carbon nanotubes that absorb thermal radiation, and a photonic emitter crystal that converts it into visible light and redirects it to a solar cell, which converts the energy into electricity. This installation is at least twice as efficient as conventional solar cells.
EAST NEWS
On July 27 in Portland, Oregon, scientists made a significant breakthrough in gene editing technology. Using CRISPR, they successfully removed human embryo gene associated with heart disease.
2. Metallic hydrogen created
Harvard University
On January 27, for the first time in science, scientists created metallic hydrogen, applying nearly five million atmospheres of pressure to liquid hydrogen. In its metallic state, hydrogen can act as a true superconductor, a technology that will revolutionize many fields from energy storage to rocket science.
3. A habitable planet has been discovered
NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle
On April 19, scientists from the European Organization for Astronomical Research found the best planet for extraterrestrial life. LHS 1140b was discovered in the habitable zone of a dim star 40 light-years from Earth.
4. CRISPR edited genes inside the human body
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
On June 1, scientists used CRISPR gene editing technology (the most affordable gene editing technique) in the human body for the first time. The new study aimed to remove human papillomavirus (HPV) from 60 women by using a gel containing the necessary DNA coding for the cervix to disable the tumor's growth mechanism.
5. New technologies will allow growing organs
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
On May 1st, advances were made in the field of regenerative medicine. The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine is currently leading projects to grow human organs and tissues. Its researchers' discoveries could help repair nerve damage and even regrow entire limbs and internal organs.
6. Google taught AI to adapt to complex environments
DeepMind/YouTube
On July 11, Google's artificial intelligence division, DeepMind, published a paper illustrating how its experts train AI algorithms to adapt to complex and changing environments.
7. SpaceX relaunched a “spent” rocket
SpaceX
On March 30, SpaceX successfully launched and landed a previously used Falcon 9 rocket. This breakthrough further increased availability space launches- savings of more than $18 million per launch.
8. An artificial uterus was created
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
On April 26, doctors at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia were able to simulate a woman's uterus using a synthetic device to prevent death and illness in prematurely born babies under 37 weeks in a newborn lamb.