2012 in science

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The year 2012 has involved many significant scientific events and discoveries, some of which are listed below. 2012 will mark Alan Turing Year, a celebration of the life and scientific influence of the English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and computer scientist Alan Turing. In addition, 2012 was declared the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All by the United Nations.

Events and discoveries

January

• 1 January – NASA's GRAIL-B satellite successfully enters lunar orbit, joining its twin spacecraft GRAIL-A. The two satellites will study the Moon's gravitational field, generating a detailed map of its fluctuations to help scientists understand how the Moon formed. (NASA)
• 2 January
  • China launches its first commercial 3DTV channel, operated by China Central Television (CCTV). (BBC)
  • A new study shows that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and effective intervention for treatment-resistant depression in patients with either unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar ll disorder (BP). (MedicalXpress)
• 3 January – Experimental, genetically-modified, fast-ageing mice, injected with stem cells, exhibited improved health and lived two to three times longer than expected, according to findings published in Nature Communications. (EurekAlert!) (National Geographic)
• 4 January
  • American scientists report that a parasitic species of fly which compels honey bees to abandon their hives may be responsible for a global honey bee die-off that has decimated hives around the world. Honey bees are crucial pollinators, and their rapidly-diminishing population may have severe effects on human agriculture. (AP)
  • University of Wyoming scientists unveil genetically-modified silkworms capable of producing large amounts of spidersilk, which has a greater tensile strength than steel. If available in bulk quantities, the silk could be used to produce high-strength medical sutures and lightweight forms of body armor. (BBC)
  • Scientists at the University of Southern California develop a method for generating accurate 3D models of cellular genomes. (PhysOrg)
  • Researchers at Oxford University report promising results in human trials of a prototype hepatitis C vaccine. (Fox News)
  • Scientists at Cornell University use a specialised lens to cloak an object from view for 40 trillionths of a second by altering the speed of light. (AP)
• 5 January
  • Mae Jemison, the first African-American female astronaut, is selected to head the DARPA- and NASA-sponsored 100-Year Starship project, which aims to conduct research into the technological and human elements needed for manned interstellar travel. (BBC)
  • Classified documents are leaked detailing a range of advanced non-lethal weapons proposed or in development by the United States Armed Forces. Among the systems described are a laser-based weapon designed to divert hostile aircraft, an underwater sonic weapon for incapacitating SCUBA divers and a heat-based weapon designed to compel crowds to disperse. (BBC)
  • American scientists report that they have bred the first-ever monkeys grown from cells taken from different embryos. Such "chimeric" hybrid monkeys could give valuable insights into the development of human embryos. (BBC)
  • A team of international researchers reports that low-resistivity electrical wires can be produced at the nanometer scale by chaining phosphorus atoms together and encasing them in silicon. In future, the development may permit the production of efficient nanometer-scale electronics. (Scientific American)
  • A team of American, French and Italian researchers demonstrate working transistors made from cotton fibers, doped with gold nanoparticles and a conductive polymer. The invention could permit the creation of a range of electronic-fabric devices, including clothing capable of measuring pollutants, T-shirts that display dynamic information, and carpets that sense how many people are crossing them. (IEEE Spectrum)
• 6 January
  • The human brain's ability to function can start to deteriorate as early as age 45, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. (BBC)
  • Scientists have refuted a Greenpeace claim that genetically-modified corn has caused a new insect pest. (PhysOrg)
• 9 January
  • Human emissions of carbon dioxide will defer the next Ice Age, according to a new study. (BBC)
  • Researchers in California have produced a cheap plastic capable of removing large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the air. The new material could enable the development of "artificial trees" that lower atmospheric concentrations of CO₂ in an effort to lessen the effects of climate change. (Science Mag)
• 10 January
  • The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show opens in Las Vegas, Nevada. Among the new products and technologies showcased are large-screen OLED televisions, quad-core tablet computers and consumer-ready 3D printers. (BBC)
  • Climate change, in the form of reduced snowfall in mountains, is having a major impact on mountainous plant and bird communities, through the increased ability of elk to stay at high elevations over winter and consume plants, according to a study in Nature Climate Change. (Science Daily)
• 11 January
  • An international team of astronomers report that each star in the Milky Way Galaxy may host "on average ... at least 1.6 planets," suggesting that over 160 billion star-bound planets may exist in our galaxy alone. The team used gravitational microlensing to discover the gravitational effects of planets orbiting distant stars. (BBC)
  • American astronomers discover three rocky exoplanets smaller than Earth, the smallest such worlds yet found, orbiting a red dwarf star 130 light-years from Earth. (Wired)
  • Researchers report the discovery of a natural hormone that has a similar effect to exercise on muscle tissue – burning calories, improving insulin processing, and perhaps boosting strength. (Technology Review)
• 12 January
  • Scientists formally describe the world's smallest known vertebrate species, Paedophryne amauensis – a frog that measures just 7 millimeters in length. The species was first discovered in Papua New Guinea in 2009. (The Guardian)
  • A University of Connecticut researcher who studied the health benefits of resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, has been found to have falsified data on numerous occasions. (Medical News Today)
• 13 January
  • IBM researchers successfully store a single bit of data in a group of just 12 supercooled iron atoms; current commercial hard disks require over 1 million atoms to store one bit of data. The breakthrough, which was achieved with the use of a scanning tunnelling microscope, may permit the production of ultra-high-density computer storage media in future. (BBC) (E-Commerce Times)
  • German scientists convert a gold sphere just 60 nanometres in diameter into an ultra-sensitive listening device, potentially allowing the sounds of bacteria and other single-celled organisms to be recorded. (New Scientist)
• 14 January – Researchers at the University of Cambridge repair myelin sheath damage in ageing mice with multiple sclerosis by injecting the blood of younger mice into them, reactivating the older mice's regenerative stem cells. (New Scientist)
• 15 January – Russia's Fobos-Grunt Martian sample return spacecraft, which became stranded in orbit after a post-launch malfunction in November 2011, re-enters Earth's atmosphere. (BBC)
• 18 January
  • Astronomers report the discovery of the most distant dwarf galaxy yet found, approximately 10 billion light-years away. (Christian Science Monitor)
  • A British amateur astronomer discovers a new Neptune-sized exoplanet, just days after the BBC's Stargazing Live program makes a public appeal for volunteers to assist scientists in the search for potential exoplanets. Over 100,000 volunteers are reportedly taking part in the ongoing search. (BBC)
  • Archaeologists find a novel tulip-shaped fossil, formally named Siphusauctum gregarium, in the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale in the Canadian Rockies. The 20-centimetre-long creature reportedly possessed a unique filter feeding system. (Science Daily)
  • A working 9-nanometer transistor is developed by IBM engineers, demonstrating that nanotubes could serve as a viable alternative to silicon in future nanoelectronic devices. (Nano Letters) (Technology Review)
• 19 January
  • Austrian researchers develop a quantum computer capable of performing calculations without revealing any of the data involved, using encoded strings of photons designed to appear random. This method of "blind quantum cryptography" may permit sensitive data to be processed and transferred without any danger of interception or decryption, leading to ultra-secure cloud computing. (New Scientist)
  • NASA data shows that in 2011, temperatures in the Arctic rose beyond the record established in 2010 — setting a new record. (Skeptical Science)
• 20 January – Virologists agree to a temporarily hiatus on experiments on the H5N1 influenza virus, due to fears that an airborne strain of the lethal virus could be used by bioterrorists. (New Scientist)
• 22 January
  • American researchers report that nanoparticles can be successfully engineered to mimic part of the body's immune system, improving its response to vaccines. (BBC)
  • An international team of scientists has concluded that anthropogenic CO2 emissions over the last 100 to 200 years have already raised ocean acidity far beyond the range of natural variations. (Science Daily)
• 23 January
  • South Korean scientists develop touchscreens that can recognise the existence and concentration of DNA molecules placed on them. The invention could allow the development of smartphones with the ability to diagnose users' medical conditions. (ABC)
  • The Lancet reports that a human medical trial of embryonic stem cells successfully eased a degenerative form of blindness in two volunteers, and showed no signs of any adverse effects. (Medical Xpress)
  • Brain scans of people under the influence of the psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, have given scientists the most detailed picture to date of how psychedelic drugs work. (Imperial College London)
  • Scientists demonstrate a terahertz antenna 100 nanometers across – 30,000 times smaller than the previous smallest antenna. The invention could permit the production of lightweight, handheld devices able to accurately scan for bombs, chemicals and even subcutaneous tumors. (ExtremeTech) (PopSci)
• 24 January
  • Earth is struck by the largest solar storm since 2005, creating huge aurorae and potentially interfering with satellite communications worldwide. (BBC)
  • A nest of dinosaur eggs 100 million years older than the previous oldest site is found in South Africa. The fossils are of the prosauropod species Massospondylus, a relative of the long-necked sauropods. (BBC)
• 25 January
  • University of Washington scientists report that injecting sulfate particles into the stratosphere will not fully offset climate change. (Science Daily)
  • A study in Japan finds that green tea can significantly reduce disability in the elderly, likely due to its antioxidant content. (MedicalXpress)
• 26 January – American researchers successfully "cloak" a three-dimensional object, making it invisible from all angles, for the first time. However, the demonstration works only for waves in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum. (BBC)
• 27 January
  • An international team of scientists reports that graphene, already widely known for its conductive properties, is also able to selectively filter gases and liquids. The material could thus potentially find use in industrial distillation and water purification. (BBC) (The Register)
  • A study published in the journal Carcinogenesis shows that in both cell lines and mouse models, grape seed extract (GSE) kills head and neck cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. (MedicalXpress)
  • Using an airborne LIDAR system, scientists produce the most detailed 3D image of the Amazon rainforest yet recorded, allowing the accurate measurement of the rainforest's ecoystem and rate of deforestation. (The Guardian)
  • 2012 BX₃₄, an asteroid between 8 metres (26 ft) and 11 metres (36 ft) across, passes within 60,000 kilometres of the Earth, performing one of the closest asteroid flybys yet recorded. (BBC)
  • British animators develop a new algorithmic method of creating highly realistic CGI trees, allowing films and video games to easily display realistic 3D foliage. (New Scientist)
• 29 January – Using stem cells generated from patients with schizophrenia, bipolar depression and other mental illnesses, scientists at the University of Edinburgh create neurones with brain tissue genetically identical to the person's brain. The breakthrough could allow new treatments for mental illnesses to be accurately tested without endangering patients. (The Guardian)
• 30 January
  • A UN report warns that time is running out to ensure there is enough food, water and energy for a rapidly rising global population. By 2030, the world will need at least 50 percent more food, 45 percent more energy and 30 percent more water, according to estimates. (Reuters) (UN)
  • The British Royal Navy begins development of a new anti-missile defence system, the Sea Ceptor, capable of intercepting and destroying supersonic missiles within an area of 500 square miles (1,300 km²). The system is likely to enter service by 2017. (BBC)
  • American researchers report that ultrasound waves can be used effectively to kill sperm, potentially offering a new male contraceptive method. (HealthcareGlobal)
  • Ozone from anthropogenic air pollution in North America leads to the annual loss of 1.2 million tonnes of wheat in Europe alone, according to a study published by British universities. (PhysOrg)
  • A NASA study reports that changes in solar activity cannot be responsible for the current period of global warming. The sun's total solar irradiance has in recent years dipped to the lowest levels recorded during the satellite era. (ScienceDaily)
  • According to genetic studies, modern humans seem to have mated with "at least two groups" of ancient humans: Neanderthals and Denisovans.
• 31 January
  • American scientists successfully demonstrate a method of decoding thoughts by studying activity in the human brain's superior temporal gyrus, which is involved in linguistic processing. Using this method, a device which reads and transmits the thoughts of brain-damaged patients could become a reality in the future. (The Telegraph) (BBC)
  • Microchip designer AMD launches its Radeon HD 7950 graphics card, based on a 28 nanometer manufacturing process – a more advanced die shrink of the current 32 nanometer standard. (The Inquirer)
  • Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, has almost completely dried up due to a combination of severe drought and the impact of the recently-built Three Gorges Dam. (The Guardian)

February

• 1 February – Researchers report that the eruption of supervolcanoes could be predicted several decades before the event by detecting the seismic and chemical signs of a massive magma buildup. (BBC)
• 2 February
  • The European Commission issues a 225-million-euro (US$330 million) contract to an Anglo-German consortium for eight additional satellites to expand Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system. (BBC)
  • Astronomers report the discovery of a large exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of a star 22 light-years distant. This is the fourth potentially life-supporting exoplanet discovered since May 2011. (San Francisco Chronicle)
  • Researchers reportedly create the world's thinnest pane of glass, a sheet of silicon and oxygen just three atoms wide. The glass formed in an accidental reaction when the scientists were synthesizing graphene on copper-covered quartz. (ScienceMag)
• 3 February
  • The European Southern Observatory successfully activates its Very Large Telescope (VLT) by linking four existing optical telescopes to operate as a single device. The linked VLT is the largest optical telescope yet built, with a combined mirror diameter of 130 metres (430 ft). (BBC)
  • Physicists at Germany's Max Planck Institute unveil a microscope that can image living brain cells as they function inside a living animal. (PhysOrg)
  • American scientists demonstrate a medical procedure that may allow patients suffering from nerve damage to recover within weeks, rather than months or years. The procedure makes use of a cellular mechanism similar to that which repairs nerve axons in invertebrates. (Science Daily)
  • MIT researchers develop high-temperature photonic crystals capable of efficiently converting heat to electricity, potentially allowing the creation of pocket-sized microreactors with ten times the efficiency and lifespan of current commercial batteries. As photonic crystals are already a relatively mature technology, the new invention could be commercialised in as little as two years. (ExtremeTech)
  • A Lancet study reports that global malaria deaths may be badly underestimated, giving a revised 2010 malaria death toll of 1.24 million. By contrast, the World Health Organisation estimated that 655,000 people died of malaria in 2010. (BBC)
• 4 February – Dutch doctors successfully fit an 83-year-old woman with an artificial jaw made using a 3D printer. This operation, the first of its kind, could herald a new era of accurate, patient-tailored artificial transplants. (BBC)
• 6 February
  • After nearly 20 years of intermittent drilling, Russian scientists reportedly break through to the surface of the subterranean Lake Vostok, buried 2.5 miles (4.0 km) under the Antarctic ice. The lake, which has not been uncovered for over 15 million years, may harbour a unique prehistoric ecosystem. (The Guardian) (The Washington Post)
  • A team of engineers and biologists develop a working WORM computer memory out of salmon DNA molecules by combining the DNA with silver nanoparticles. (ExtemeTech)
  • Scientists from Yale University have discovered a fungus in the South American rainforest that eats plastic. It is hoped that this organism could be used in the breaking down of waste matter in landfills and other locations. (TG Daily)
• 7 February
  • Scientists report that rapid declines in some British and European ladybird species are being caused by the spread of the invasive harlequin species. (BBC)
  • The entire genome of an extinct species of human – the 40,000-year-old Denisova hominin – has been decoded from a fossil. (PhysOrg)
• 8 February – NASA data reveals that the total land ice lost from Greenland, Antarctica and Earth's glaciers and ice caps between 2003 and 2010 totalled about 4.3 trillion tons (1,000 cubic miles), adding about 0.5 inches (12 millimeters) to global sea levels. Such a quantity of ice would be sufficient to cover the entire United States to a depth of 1.5 feet (0.5 meters). (NASA/JPL)
• 9 February – Researchers at Case Western Reserve University discover that bexarotene, a drug normally used to treat skin cancer, can quickly reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in mice, removing over 50% of the disease's trademark amyloid plaque from the brain within 72 hours. (CNN)
• 10 February – Scientists at the University of California, San Diego report the creation of the tiniest telecommunications laser yet built, just 200 nanometers wide. The highly efficient nanolaser could be used to develop optical computers and ultra-high-resolution imaging systems. (PopSci)
• 13 February
  • The European Space Agency successfully conducts the maiden launch of its new Vega rocket, transporting several satellites into orbit, including the first Polish, Hungarian and Romanian satellites. (The Telegraph)
  • BAE engineers unveil a carbon-fiber-based structural battery capable of being integrated into a device's framework, reducing weight while maintaining structural strength and power capacity. (BBC)
• 14 February – In a groundbreaking human trial, American scientists report that damaged heart tissue in heart attack patients can be repaired with infusions of the patient's own stem cells. The treatment halved the amount of extant scar tissue within a year. (BBC)
• 15 February – Nevada becomes the first state to allow the testing of autonomous vehicles on US public roadways. (DMV)
• 16 February – The speed someone walks may predict their likelihood of developing dementia later in life, according to researchers in the US. (BBC)
• 20 February – Scientists report regenerating Silene stenophylla from 32,000 year old remains. This surpasses the previous record of 2000 years for oldest material used to regenerate a plant. (Washington Post)
• 22 February
  • Scientists have extended the life of male mice by 15%, using an enzyme called SIRT6. (KurzweilAI)
  • Engineers at Stanford have developed a wirelessly powered, self-propelled medical device that can travel through the blood stream to deliver drugs, perform diagnostics or microsurgeries. (Science Daily)
  • NASA reported the detection of the solid form of buckyballs (buckminsterfullerene) in deep space.
• 26 February
  • Researchers have shown off the first images of the "charge distribution" in a single molecule, showing an intricate dance of electrons at tiny scales. (BBC)
  • It may be possible to one day create an "unlimited" supply of human eggs to aid fertility treatment, US doctors say. (BBC)
• 27 February – Scottish research has shown it could be possible to reverse the muscle damage seen in children with a form of motor neurone disease, using a drug to boost levels of a protein. (BBC)
• 28 February – IBM has announced a breakthrough in quantum computing. (IBM) (KurzweilAI)

Predicted and scheduled events

May

• 20 May – An annular solar eclipse will take place (21 May 2012 for local time in the Eastern Hemisphere).

June

• 4 June – A partial lunar eclipse will take place.
• 5 June – A transit of Venus, one of the rarest predictable astronomical phenomena, will occur on 5-6 June.

August

• 6 August – NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, whose mission is to land and operate the largest rover ever on the surface of Mars, is expected to land at Gale Crater on 6 August 2012.

November

• 13 November – A total solar eclipse will take place on 13-14 November.
• 28 November – A penumbral lunar eclipse will take place.

December

• 21 December – Scientists predict that none of the predicted cataclysmic events of 21 December 2012 will occur.

Date unknown

• Researchers at the Large Hadron Collider, after a winter hiatus, expect that in the summer of 2012, "if all goes well," they will gather enough information to "resolve the Higgs question," referring to the search for the hypothetical Higgs boson, the discovery of which could explain why elementary particles have mass.

Deaths

January

• 3 January – James F. Crow, American geneticist (b. 1916).
• 6 January – Roger Boisjoly, American rocket engineer (b. 1938).

February

• 19 February – Renato Dulbecco, Italian American virologist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1975) (b. 1914).

See also

• List of emerging technologies
• List of years in science
• 2012 in spaceflight