Human Mind Was Wirelessly Connected to a Computer
In March 2021, researchers at Brown University successfully transmitted brain signals wirelessly to a computer for the first time—the move is a breakthrough for paralyzed people, as the removal of cumbersome wires takes this tech one step closer to being available for home use. Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) have been used to help people type, use robotic prostheses, and even move their own limbs in the past, but for the first time participants in these studies can use this technology in their homes, rather than in a lab setting.
Drones Helped Us Get a Handle on Plastic Pollution
Throughout 2021, UK-based startup Ellipsis Earth has been mapping the scale of the world’s plastic pollution with camera-equipped drones that are able to identify the exact origin of the trash. These speedy surveys allow experts to better understand the solutions needed in different areas, from pushing through dumping regulations at beaches to installing more bins in littering hotspots. The startup, which was officially founded in 2019 following several years of research and development, has undertaken projects all over the world from the UK coastline to the banks of the Ganges river in India.
Scientists Revealed That Cheese Isn’t Bad for You
A 2011 paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine analyzed three cohorts that together tracked 120,877 US adults over several decades. The authors found that foods like potatoes, processed meats, and refined grains were associated with weight gain over time, while yogurt, fruit, and nuts were associated with weight loss. The cheese was right in the middle: On average, eating more or less of it had essentially no effect on weight.
That finding has held up in more recent research. A 2018 analysis of a study of 2,512 men in Wales, for example, showed a mild inverse relationship between cheese consumption and body mass after five years, meaning eating cheese was associated with weight loss, though that effect faded at the 10-year mark. A meta-analysis of 37 randomized clinical trials found that increased dairy consumption overall led to increased lean muscle mass and decreased body fat. So, just to recap so far: The evidence tends to show that cheese does not make you gain weight.
China Eliminated Malaria
In June end, the World Health Organization declared China free of malaria after “decades of targeted and sustained action” against the disease. In the 1940s, China reported 30 million malaria cases annually; in 2020, the country reported four consecutive years of zero indigenous cases, paving the way for WHO to declare it malaria-free in 2021. In April, WHO launched a campaign to rid 25 more countries of malaria by 2025.
Analysts Built Software That Revolutionized the Fight against Child Sexual Abuse
The team at the Internet Watch Foundation in Cambridgeshire has a tireless job: They spend hours trawling through child sexual abuse images and categorizing them to help countries crackdown on offenders. This year, the team rebuilt their hashing software so that the data shared with law enforcement agencies across the world is relevant to their localities, meaning they can prioritize the most serious images, more easily remove and block the content, and bring offenders to justice.
NASA Made Oxygen on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance Rover successfully converted some of Mars’s carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere into oxygen in April. As a giant leap toward getting humans on Mars, NASA said the move “could pave the way for science fiction to become science fact,” which is just a cool thing to say.
NASA’s newest six-wheeled robot on the Martian surface includes converting some of the Red Planet’s thin, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere into oxygen. A toaster-size, experimental instrument aboard Perseverance called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) accomplished the task. The test took place April 20, the 60th Martian day, or sol, since the mission landed Feb. 18.
While the technology demonstration is just getting started, it could pave the way for science fiction to become science fact – isolating and storing oxygen on Mars to help power rockets that could lift astronauts off the planet’s surface. Such devices also might one day provide breathable air for astronauts themselves.
United Flew the First Passenger Aircraft with 100-Percent Sustainable Fuel
In December, 100 passengers flying from Chicago to Washington, DC, were the first in the world to do so with one engine running on 100-percent non-petroleum-based sustainable fuel made from sugar water and corn. The fuel is said to burn up to 75 percent cleaner than petroleum-based fuels, and while there is some debate about greenwashing surrounding the event, it was nonetheless a vital moment for the aviation industry.
Electric Vehicles Outsold Diesel for the First Time in Europe
In August, electric cars outsold diesel ones in Europe for the very first time, and next year, experts expect that more electric cars will be sold overall in the UK. The surge is believed to be driven by a fall in prices, a wider range of vehicles, petrol shortages, and a rise in the number of charging spots available. A total of 260,000 electric cars are expected to be sold in 2022 versus 221,000 diesel models, according to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the UK automotive trade body. The figures do not include hybrid models. Electric vehicles are seen as critical for meeting air pollution and climate change goals, such as those being discussed at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, UK, Read more at New Scientist.
The Ever Given Was Freed From the Suez Canal
It is a sign of just how grim things got last year that one of the most widely talked and joked about events was a container ship getting stuck in the Suez Canal for six days. Still, we all had a reason to celebrate in late March when the vessel was finally freed or, to put it another way when the memes finally came to an end.
Renewable Energy Had a Record Year
When it comes to the climate crisis, the world needs any bit of good news it can get. And in December, the International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed that 2021 was renewable energy’s biggest year ever, with roughly 290 GW of renewable energy generation installed globally—a k loads of lovely wind turbines and solar panels—despite the pandemic and the rising cost of raw materials.
