Photo credit: sickkids.ca. That would be one-third of the world’s projected population. So as I look back at 2020, here were the top ten discoveries of the year. If you’re new to my annual top ten list, here are my criteria: These discoveries must be directly related to people , places or events mentioned in Scripture, or to the composition of Scripture itself, as opposed to the many discoveries that are made in Bible lands which teach us much about the different cultures. Two neutron stars crash into … “Viruses do not take breaks.” Another outbreak (now contained) occurred in early June near the DRC’s Équateur Province. The .gov means it’s official. This has led to an influx of theories, ranging from the scientific approach of suggesting it is a genetic disorder to the Facebook groups and bloggers blaming it … While only a single meal, the find provides an exceptional look at the final hours of a creature's life more than a hundred million years ago. How to stop discarded face masks from polluting the planet. Successful Immunotherapy for Canine Bone Cancer Advances to Human Brain Cancer Trial. Scientists estimate that these early dust pieces lurk only in about five percent of meteorites, but that hasn’t discouraged them from continuing to hunt for these clues to our galaxy’s history. This length is only about a tenth of their full-grown counterparts and might help explain why researchers haven’t yet found other examples of these tiny tyrants—most scientists just weren’t looking for such a pint-sized predator. They said the photon crossed the molecule in about 247 zeptoseconds. Autism has long been a misunderstood disorder as the cause has been difficult to trace. The newly described embryonic fossils were not from T. rex, but an earlier species of related tyrannosaur that has not been identified. Scientists compare notes on the stratigraphy of Chiquihuite Cave in preparation for sampling traces of plant and animal DNA from the sediments. ARS SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES 2020 13 ANIMAL PRODUCTION & PROTECTION Since the introduction of this disease in the Republic of Georgia in 2007, 16 countries … Astronomers, archaeologists, geneticists, and many other scientists made mind-boggling breakthroughs in 2020. In the center a deceased Hypacrosaurus nestling has the back of its skull embedded in shallow waters. Yet among these pivotal events were an array of scientific discoveries that slipped under the radar. An illustration shows what Tyrannosaurus rex hatchlings may have looked like. They haven’t extracted DNA from the fossil cells, however, so they can’t confirm yet whether the material is unaltered DNA or another genetic byproduct. Newly discovered tower of coral, standing more than 1,640 feet tall, adds to the seven other so-called detached reefs in the northern Great Barrier Reef. What’s more, dated to some two million years old, the skull marks the earliest remains of this ancient human ancestor. Scientists said in May they had discovered what is believed to be the oldest-known land animal. In the final few months of 2020, a historically divisive election dominated headlines. Please be respectful of copyright. But it’s an exciting look at the finer details that fossilization can preserve. But this year, the spiky creature served up even more excitement when an analysis revealed that the animal’s last meal was also preserved in its belly. Amongst the top observations and scientific discoveries of 2020, the solar cycles have a huge impact on the earth from radio-communications, solar grids, increase in radiation on earth to astronauts who travel and work in space. Scientists said they used new measuring methods to confirm that cloud seeding can produce snowfall under the right conditions. Get to know about some of the facts of technology that you may not be aware of by going through. As 2020 — and a new decade — approaches, here's a look back at some of the most awe-inspiring scientific discoveries made during the last 10 years. Ebola is a hemorrhagic fever marked by a host of symptoms—including bleeding, fever, stomach pains, weakness, and rashes—and is spread through direct contact with an infected person or animal’s blood or bodily fluids. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Bursts of dust from aging stars, similar to the Egg Nebula pictured above, are one possible source of the large ancient grains found in meteorites. While the creature is the earliest land animal known from a fossil, soil worms are believed to have lived before them – possibly 450 million years ago. A team of Australian scientists on board the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor was mapping the northern Great Barrier Reef seafloor when they stumbled on a towering skyscraper of coral more than 1,640 feet tall—the first of its kind discovered in more than 120 years. As the deadly coronavirus pandemic raged around the world, lives were uprooted. Yet in August of this year, NASA announced a far less extraordinary explanation for its suddenly shadowed face: The star burped. It passed closest to the Sun on July 3 and its closest approach to Earth will occur on July 23. This image of Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars in the sky, is a color composite made from exposures taken as part of the Digitized Sky Survey 2. As 2020 comes to a close, we look back at ten significant developments that you might have missed. But the music of Mars reverberates at a higher pitch than most natural hums on Earth. See how science is making today’s news. 4) people, or 22% (UI 15–28%) of the world population, belong to a vulnerable group which has at least one underlying condition that raises the risk of (AP Photo/Sergei Grits). Known as a detached reef, the newfound coral tower is one of eight now known in the region. Citing rotten food, separating young cubs from their mothers, missing animals, and fraud, court cases aim to end the most exploitive practices. Offshore wind is poised to take off in the U.S.—but it won’t be easy, 80 years ago, a player made baseball history … an organ player, that is. An artist’s impression of the InSight lander on Mars. having been changed into a fossil. The killing of George Floyd sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism. Short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, InSight is designed to listen for tectonic activity and meteorite impacts, study how much heat is still flowing through the planet, and track Mars’s wobble as it orbits the sun. Scientists released the largest three-dimensional, or 3D map of the universe ever created. A zeptosecond is one trillionth of a billionth of a second. For the purposes of … American researchers announced they had used radar and other instruments to measure snowfall levels during experiments carried out in the state of Idaho. How did Brazil’s lauded vaccine program fail at COVID-19? But there were other big scientific developments in 2020, as well. Researchers in Chiquihuite Cave wear protective gear to prevent contamination of excavation areas where they are looking for genetic signatures of plants and animals. These natural structures provide vital habitats for creatures like turtles and sharks, which flit in and out of the deep waters adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. The dust coalesced with other rocks inside what would become the Murchison meteorite, which lit up skies over Australia in September 1969 as it careened to the surface of our planet. For this list, we’re looking at amazing discoveries announced in 2020 that added something new to our scientific understanding of the world. The solution isn’t complicated: Throw them away. Known as the InSight lander, the robotic geologist recently beamed some of its early findings back to Earth, exciting and perplexing scientists around the world. The process formed a cloud of stardust that could have blocked Betelgeuse’s light from eager earthbound viewers. And the new analysis of stone artifacts, including blades, projectile points, and rock flakes, interspersed with bits of charcoal dated to some 30,000 years old, suggests humans likely arrived in the Americas before glaciers began to melt. “Nature” names ten important scientific discoveries in 2020 The underground detectors of the Kamioka Observatory in Japan detected neutrinos (or antineutrinos) traveling 295 kilometers across the earth 2020 is destined to be an extraordinary year. In 2020, scientists announced the potential discovery of phosphine in in the clouds of Venus, sparking speculation on its implications for life.