2014 not only saw people taking charge of social situations on the internet, but also witnessed talents of really dexterous and intelligent doctors, scientists, researchers, and astronauts who reached the pinnacle of excellence, development, growth and discoveries. As we are counting days to welcome the new year,let’s look at some of the coolest and bizarre discoveries and researches of 2014.
1.
6 January – A new way to eliminate metastasizing cancer cells which travel through the bloodstream has been discovered by researchers at Cornell University. We are ready to fight you cancer!
2.
22 January – Researchers found ‘childhood amnesia’ in which the earliest memories before the age of 3 will disappear when a child reaches the age of 7.
We are going to ask all 7 year olds if they remember anything about when they were less than 3!
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27 January – This discovery will leave you surprised! Genetic analysis of a European male from 7,000 years ago revealed he had dark skin, dark hair & blue eyes – this means lighter (whiter) skin color evolved much later! This means most of us were born dark! :) :o
Meanwhile, the oldest ancestor of Gerard Butler!
4.
27 January – Larger mammals are becoming extinct so ‘rats could dominate many ecological niches and evolve to huge sizes in the future’!
(according to an academic from the University of Leicester)
5.
9 February – The world discovered one of the oldest known stars in the Universe, SMSS J031300.36-670839.3!
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6.
26 March- A new addition to the solar family! Astronomers discovered a new minor planet, named 2012 VP113,beyond Neptune.
7.
1 April- You can reduce your risk of death at any time by 42% by eating 7 or more portions (560 g) of fruit & vegetables a day as compared to eating less than 1 portion. Say yes to more fruits and veggies!
(A new study by University College London)
8.
7th April- Green tea extract enhances cognitive functions, especially the working memory! It can be a possible treatment for dementia.
9.
14th April– NASA scientists reported the beginning of a new moon within the A Ring of Saturn.
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10.
17th April- Discovery of Kepler-186f – an Earth-sized exoplanet!
11.
1 May – E-cigarettes get so hot that they, too, can produce carcinogens found in cigarettes at similar levels!
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12.
May 15- Scientists said that Jupiter’s great Red Spot is decreasing in size! This is a very serious issue.
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13.
2 June – Scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) got so inspired by dinosaurs that they developed a robot which can run at a speed of 46 km/hr on a treadmill.
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14.
10 June – New evidences proved Earth & the Moon are 60 million years older than what was believed earlier!
God bless our mother Earth!
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15.
4th July – Japanese scientists found a way to slow down the ageing process in flowers by up to a half. Thankfully, bouquets will now remain fresh for longer! :)
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31st July – Scientists reported the details of the evolution of birds from theropod dinosaurs!
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17.
21 August- Researchers designed a computer program that is capable of recognizing users’ emotional states up to 87%.
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18.
21 August- Children’s social skills are declining as they get less time for face-to-face interaction due to their increased use of digital media, according to a UCLA psychology study.
19.
31 August- A study found that wine protects against cardiovascular disease in people who exercise however, another study of 131,000 people has found drinking tea reduces non-cardiovascular mortality by 24 %.
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20.
31 August- An office loaded with plants makes staff happier and boosts productivity by 15 %!
(a study by the University of Queensland)
21.
3rd Sept- Direct brain-to-brain communication! Researchers in Washington successfully transmitted information via the internet between intact scalps of two human subjects!
22.
3rd Sept- Astronomers confirmed our own Milky Way galaxy is part of a newly identified super-cluster of galaxies! So what most of us thought is right!
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23.
9th September- Taking three slow, short walks of 5 minutes each can reverse the harmful effects of prolonged sitting for 3 hours.Take note everyone!
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24.
9th September- Astronomers have discovered the first evidence of water ice-clouds on an object outside of our own Solar System.
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25.
17 September- Development of the 1st blood test to diagnose major depression in adults.
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26.
24 September- India’s first probe to Mars, the Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan. We successfully entered orbit at 02:00 UTC.
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27.
4 October – The 1st baby born to a mother with womb transplant in Sweden.
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28.
14 October- Plants now absorb 16% more CO2!
(according to research published in the journal PNAS)
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29.
21 October – A paralysed man became the 1st in the world to walk again after the 1st therapy which involved transplanting cells from his nose into his severed spinal cord! :)
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30.
11 November – A decades-old mystery solved! Australian researchers found how the massive DNA molecules in some tumours are formed (Frankenstein’s monster- way), stitched together from other parts of the genome. This explains how tumours ensure their own survival. May be we could beat tumour in a few years! :)
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31.
17th Nov- Detailed genetic analysis proved that being gay is genetic.
Listen up, people! It is not a mental disorder! Now, even science can prove it!
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32.
26th November – An experimental vaccine to prevent Ebola showed promising results in a Phase 1 clinical trial. :)
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33.
1 December- HIV evolves into a less deadly & less infectious form of disease as it spends more time infecting people!
34.
2 December- Skeleton of the former king, Richard III who died in 1485 was found under a UK parking lot. The oldest DNA identification case of a known individual.
35.
5 December- Universities & archives announced the release of Albert Einstein ’s papers, with more than 30,000 unique documents, available online at Digital Einstein.
