These scientific discoveries changed the world. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for thirty mind-blowing breakthroughs that reshaped science in the past decade.
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00:00That's the first time we've ever had a conversation using this system.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for 30 mind-blowing breakthroughs
00:09that reshaped science in the past decade.
00:12Pretty impressive when you look at them once you realize you're looking back 40,000 years
00:16in time.
00:19Number 30.
00:20The Oldest Black Hole.
00:21The James Webb Space Telescope is one of the most advanced tools ever devised to study
00:25the history of the universe.
00:27This is going to be the next big thing for astrophysics.
00:32We are going to rewrite the textbooks.
00:34In 2024, it spotted GN-Z11, one of the farthest and oldest known galaxies, born around 400
00:41million years after the Big Bang.
00:43Located 13.4 billion light-years from Earth, GN-Z11 also contains the oldest known black
00:49hole to exist in the observable universe.
00:51The black hole at the galactic center is unfathomably gigantic.
00:55Its size suggests a level of growth that is forcing scientists to reconsider what we
01:00know about black holes, space, and time.
01:03GN-Z11 and its supermassive black hole offer us a glimpse into the earliest days of the
01:07universe.
01:08There were literally thousands of galaxies in an area of the sky that, up until that
01:15particular image, we didn't even know anything existed.
01:19Number 29.
01:21Discovering the Cause of Lupus.
01:22In test tubes and in mice with kidney inflammation, the effects were profound.
01:27It stopped the progression of the lupus kidney disease without the need for toxic immunosuppressant
01:33drugs.
01:34A recent study published in Nature has identified not only a cause of lupus, but a potential
01:39way to reverse it.
01:40Lupus is an autoimmune disease wherein the body attacks its own healthy tissues and organs.
01:44It can lead to severe inflammation or permanent tissue damage, and is incredibly difficult
01:49to diagnose.
01:50If someone hears the word lupus, they often think the worst.
01:53But in fact, many people with lupus are living with it as a hidden disability and are functioning
01:58quite well or very productive.
02:00Now, researchers have learned that lupus patients have an imbalance in T-cells.
02:04They have too many that harm healthy cells and too few that aid repair.
02:08The imbalance is triggered by an excess of interferon, which can block other important
02:13proteins in the body.
02:14The study found that interferon-inhibiting medication fixes the imbalance.
02:18Lupus patients the world over now have hope that their diseases can be both treated and
02:23possibly reversed.
02:24In the lab, Dr. J. Choi and his colleagues added a special mediator to the blood, a molecule
02:29deficient in patients that successfully impacted just the lupus-causing immune response.
02:35Number 28, a weight loss drug revolution.
02:38When the food goes through your intestines, those cells in the intestine makes these hormones,
02:45and the hormones go to the brain and say you're full.
02:48A new class of weight loss drugs has shattered our understanding of obesity treatment and
02:52weight management.
02:53In the last few years, medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide have flooded both TikTok and
02:59the marketplace.
03:00They work by mimicking a hormone that reduces appetite and slows stomach emptying.
03:04Combined, these factors lead to significant sustained weight loss without surgery.
03:09It's really amazing to see it when it works, and people will say that it's the first time
03:14they felt normal or it's the first time they felt full.
03:18Wow.
03:19Beyond weight loss, these drugs spotlight the biological roots of obesity, challenging
03:24the longstanding view that it's solely a lifestyle issue.
03:27Their success is driving further research into metabolic and appetite regulation.
03:31That research could lead to new treatments for related conditions like diabetes and heart
03:35disease.
03:36Culturally, these drugs could reduce obesity stigma and promote more compassionate, science-backed
03:41approaches to weight management.
03:43It tells the body that you've just eaten, although that's not actually true.
03:47The body does not take any action in response to the resulting weight loss.
03:52Number 27.
03:53A cure for sickle cell?
03:55Our approach is targeted.
03:57We're actually going specifically to the location in the genome where the sickle mutation is
04:02located and correcting it.
04:04Recent breakthroughs in genetic modification are offering hope for treating sickle cell
04:08anemia.
04:09Using advanced techniques like CRISPR, scientists can now precisely target and edit the
04:13gene responsible for sickling red blood cells.
04:16In trials, researchers have modified patients' stem cells.
04:19Afterwards, these patients produce healthy, round red blood cells.
04:23A technology called CRISPR, it's very precise, it's like a scissor.
04:27It can go and specifically the area of the genes that make the hemoglobin F, it goes
04:34and change it to a new DNA that we insert.
04:40Early results show patients experiencing fewer pain crises and even living symptom-free
04:45for extended periods.
04:46This approach represents a potential one-time cure.
04:49This would be life-altering for patients suffering through painful or expensive ongoing treatments.
04:54As gene editing technology advances, it could lead to safer, more accessible therapies for
04:59other genetic diseases.
05:01Once they get in with us, they get through the process, they get the gene therapy and
05:06then they start feeling better.
05:07Number 26.
05:09Hand-reading technology for patients who are paralyzed.
05:12Not only can we accurately decode the words that he's reading prompted off of a screen,
05:17but we can also accurately predict what he's trying to say in free-form conversation.
05:22In 2023, a study was published in Nature Neuroscience that read like something out of a science
05:27fiction novel.
05:29Scientists were able to partially decode thoughts from brain scans, utilizing AI to translate
05:34brain activity into language.
05:36This technology offers new hope for those with locked-in syndrome.
05:39These individuals are nearly completely paralyzed, unable to speak or write.
05:43I really just want to emphasize that for this work, it has to be controlled by the person's
05:48attempts to speak.
05:49Well, first of all, there's no evidence that decoding internal thoughts is possible with
05:53the current technology.
05:55In trials, volunteers listened to podcasts while lying in a brain scanner.
05:59The AI then learned to link brain scan patterns with the words they heard.
06:03While not a perfect translation, the AI was shockingly accurate.
06:07As these tools are refined, they could possibly one day restore vital communication abilities
06:12to those unable to move or speak.
06:14What we're picking up on are neural activity related directly to the attempts to move peripheral
06:20muscles and that's what we're able to decode into speech.
06:27Recent advancements in battery technology could change the world.
06:31Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, water-based and calcium-ion batteries use
06:35safer non-flammable materials.
06:37They reduce the risks of overheating and environmental impact.
06:41Researchers have found that aqueous batteries, which use water as an electrolyte, offer strong
06:45potential for energy storage without toxic chemicals.
06:49Calcium batteries in turn could become a more affordable and abundant alternative to lithium.
06:54Calcium is the fifth most abundant element, making it cheaper and easier to source.
06:58Energy needs are only going to increase.
07:00The demand for safer, eco-friendly batteries grows every day, especially with the expansion
07:05of renewable energy and electric vehicles.
07:08If perfected, water and calcium batteries could help meet global energy needs sustainably.
07:13Scientists all over the world are in a race to make you better, to make you powerful,
07:18to make you cleaner, to make you cheaper, to make you into a super battery.
07:25Number 24.
07:27Advancements in fusion energy.
07:28Last month, the laser shot fired from this control room put two units of energy into
07:34the experiment, atoms began fusing, and about three units of energy came out.
07:41Humanity might be on the verge of replicating the sun's power on Earth.
07:45Fusion energy occurs when atomic nuclei combine at extremely high temperatures.
07:49This reaction releases enormous energy without harmful emissions or long-lived radioactive
07:55In other words, endless clean energy.
07:57In 2022, researchers at the National Ignition Facility achieved a breakthrough.
08:02They achieved net energy gain, producing more energy than was used to trigger the reaction.
08:07Now what they achieved, it's called fusion ignition, and it's referred to as the holy
08:13grail of clean energy.
08:15Scientists have been chasing it for decades.
08:17This milestone is crucial in proving that artificial fusion is possible.
08:21But challenges remain.
08:23Sustaining stable reactions and managing extreme temperatures over long periods require new
08:27materials and technologies.
08:29Recent setbacks highlight the need for continued investment and innovation to overcome the
08:34obstacles to fusion power.
08:36Each one of these lasers is one of the most energetic in the world, and you have 192 of
08:42them.
08:43That's pretty cool, right?
08:44Well, pretty hot, actually.
08:46Number 23.
08:48Reef restoration.
08:49We've lost 25 to 40 percent of the world's corals in just our lifetime.
08:55If we keep up this way and don't do anything about it, we may lose the other half of it
09:00just within the next hundred years.
09:03Coral reefs are vital to Earth's survival.
09:05They support a quarter of all marine life, protect coastlines from erosion, and sustain
09:10fishing.
09:11They are also currently under existential threat.
09:14Rising ocean temperatures cause coral bleaching, where corals expel the algae essential for
09:19their health.
09:20Pollution and unsustainable fishing practices also damage coral structures.
09:24Restoration efforts are thankfully beginning to spread.
09:26Some efforts involve planting coral fragments on damaged reefs.
09:30This technique has seen solid results in Australia's Great Barrier Reef, where scientists transplant
09:35heat-resistant corals.
09:37So here scientists wonder if you might be able to produce a new kind of coral that proves
09:42more successful in the changing waters of the reef.
09:46Hawaii's Super Coral Initiative does the same.
09:48In the Caribbean, Coral Restoration Foundation grows coral in nurseries, replanting them
09:53to rebuild reef systems.
09:55Their restoration is crucial for biodiversity, food security, and combating climate change
10:00impacts.
10:01We really walk the walk.
10:04And the second is that scale at which we're trying to work at.
10:07We are working at an unprecedented scale.
10:09It's unmatched by any other group as well.
10:14The Big Ring
10:15The discovery of the Big Ring has reshaped our understanding of the universe's scale
10:19and structure.
10:20Spanning 1.3 billion light-years, the Big Ring is a tremendous ring-shaped structure
10:25composed of galaxies and galaxy clusters.
10:28This loop is much larger than any previously discovered cosmic structures.
10:32The method uses these really bright sources of light known as quasars.
10:36And then when we measure the light from these quasars, it can tell us about things that
10:40are in between the quasar and us.
10:43For decades, astrophysicists have abided by the cosmological principle.
10:48The universe is essentially homogeneous in all directions.
10:51Structures this vast shouldn't be possible.
10:54The Big Ring shatters that assumption.
10:56The universe appears to contain patterns far more complex than previously thought.
11:00This finding invites scientists to rethink cosmic evolution.
11:04There may be completely unknown forces or processes shaping the universe in ways we
11:09can't yet comprehend.
11:10So when we find these large-scale structures, these huge large-scale structures like the
11:15Big Ring or the Giant Egg, these are so big that we're now not seeing this statistical
11:21homogeneity.
11:22We're not seeing this smoothness in the universe.
11:24Number 21.
11:26Microorganisms Capturing Carbon
11:27We're harnessing algae's ability to grow very fast and perform photosynthesis in order
11:33to take the carbon dioxide in flue gas and turn it into biomass.
11:39Extracting carbon from the atmosphere is a vital part of combating climate change.
11:43Microbiologists have jumped into the fight, engineering bacteria and microalgae that consume
11:47greenhouse gases.
11:48These microorganisms can capture CO2 and convert it into high-value products like fuels, fertilizers
11:54and animal feed.
11:55Depending on the system, either sunlight or chemical energy is used to power this transformation.
11:59We're actually starting to see real-life solutions to some of the most pressing issues
12:04of the day.
12:05So climate change and the way in which we need to try and mitigate against that, but
12:08also get more sustainable ways in which we can feed humans and a growing population is
12:13really fantastic in terms of what's coming out of this project.
12:16There are two main microbial systems, photobioreactors, which use sunlight, and chemical reactors,
12:22which use energy from sources like hydrogen or organic waste.
12:25There are still significant hurdles to overcome before this technology can save the world.
12:31are needed to handle hot exhaust gases, adding to high production costs.
12:35With further development, microbial carbon capture could play a vital role in achieving
12:40net-zero emissions.
12:41So for us, it's really important that the farms are pre-floating, that they're modular
12:42and that they're infinitely scalable.
12:43And so we're out here at the moment trying to ascertain whether we can achieve those
12:44things.
12:45Number 20, the first image of a black hole.
12:56This inspires creatives and scientists alike, but of the many strange and wondrous things
13:01that make up the universe, black holes are without a doubt among the most captivating.
13:06And in 2019, after over a century of theories pointing towards their existence, a black
13:11hole was finally caught on camera.
13:13The Event Horizon Telescope, an international collaboration made up of eight radio telescopes
13:18from around the world, revealed a black hole larger than our own solar system at the heart
13:23of the Messier 87 galaxy, over 50 million light years away.
13:27This image is the end result of over a decade of effort, and is an accomplishment that many
13:32once believed to be impossible, even within the scientific community.
13:36Number 19, pushing the limits of reproduction.
13:40While reproductive science can be a very controversial area of research, there are also so many potential
13:45benefits from greater knowledge.
13:47In 2016, a child was conceived not from two adults, but three.
13:52The sperm came from a man, while an egg's nucleus and another egg were from two separate
13:57women.
13:58The purpose?
13:59To circumvent the mother's neurological disorder called Lee syndrome, which had claimed the
14:02lives of two previous children.
14:04Elsewhere, scientists have laid the groundwork to create human sperm and eggs from nothing
14:08but blood and skin cells.
14:11Last but not least, 2019 saw the successful cloning of macaque monkeys using the Dolly
14:16method.
14:17Number 18, progress towards artificial brains.
14:21It's long been featured in works of science fiction, but soon, it could become a reality.
14:26In 2014, IBM unveiled TrueNorth, a computer chip consisting of 4,096 processor cores that
14:33emulates the human brain's approach to encoding and managing information.
14:37Though it's just a stepping stone, TrueNorth already has potential real-world applications,
14:42with progress in predicting seizures.
14:44In 2016, IBM once again outdid itself when it unveiled artificial phase-change neurons,
14:50and the company shows no signs of slowing down, especially with ever more competition
14:55entering the field.
14:56The development of a new superconducting switch in 2018, which essentially works as an artificial
15:01synapse, brings us another step closer to the creation of some forms of artificial brains.
15:07Number 17, the first rhesus monkey clone.
15:09Why it's important to work with rhesus macaques is because these are the type of non-human
15:15primate that's most often used in research.
15:18And so we have a lot of information about them in other respects.
15:23In 2020, the world was introduced to Retro, the first-ever rhesus monkey clone.
15:28While the technology to clone him isn't necessarily revolutionary, his life marks a groundbreaking
15:33milestone in science.
15:35Scientists achieved Retro's creation using somatic cell nuclear transfer.
15:39This method is similar to that used for cloning Dolly the sheep decades ago.
15:43But rhesus monkeys share significant genetic similarity to humans.
15:48This technique's success in primates opens up new avenues for studying complex human
15:52diseases.
15:53The ultimate but still elusive goal is to use cloning technology to create healthy tissues,
16:00which can be transplanted to heal damaged cells and organs.
16:04Cloned monkeys could provide consistent models for conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's,
16:08and cancer.
16:09Additionally, Retro's cloning could accelerate research in regenerative medicine.
16:15Scientists may develop new therapies using cloned cells.
16:18While ethically sensitive, the achievement offers a promising future for understanding
16:22and treating genetic diseases.
16:24Having genetically different animals in an experiment always complicates things.
16:29And so the idea was to have genetically identical rhesus macaques that you then use in a variety
16:35of experiments to look at things which might be applied to humans.
16:39Number 16.
16:40Interstellar Advances Though this decade has been notably lacking
16:44in terms of manned space flights beyond the International Space Station, it's nonetheless
16:48broadened our spatial horizons in a big way.
16:512012 saw Voyager 1 traverse the heliosphere to provide unprecedented data from beyond
16:56our solar system.
16:57This was followed by Voyager 2 in 2018, which, having more of its instruments intact when
17:02it crossed the heliopause, the outer perimeter of the heliosphere, gave scientists even more
17:07to consider when it comes to magnetic fields, plasma, and solar winds.
17:11This decade also saw the identification of the fascinating interstellar object hurtling
17:16through our solar system, dubbed Oumuamua.
17:19Number 15.
17:20The Rise of Elastocalorics Our method describes the influence of material
17:25properties and process control on the cooling power and the efficiency of the cooling process.
17:30The findings enable the development of optimized elastocaloric cooling processes, which are
17:35the basis for the design of efficient cooling devices.
17:38As global temperatures climb, cooling needs are set to skyrocket in every country on Earth.
17:43Enter elastocaloric technology.
17:46Elastocalorics are a green, efficient alternative to traditional cooling methods.
17:50Unlike conventional air conditioning, elastocaloric heat pumps use no refrigerants, gases which
17:55can currently harm the environment.
17:57The most common refrigerants contain hydrofluorocarbons.
18:02These gases are thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide when released into the
18:07atmosphere.
18:08Instead, they rely on metals like nickel and titanium that absorb and release heat through
18:13motion.
18:14This innovative process utilizes basic physics and could represent massive cuts in energy
18:19use.
18:20Elastocaloric cooling technology holds enormous potential.
18:23Developing nations and rural areas could have an accessible, sustainable way to stay cool
18:27without electricity.
18:29Research is rapidly advancing.
18:31With increased commercial interest, elastocaloric heat pumps may soon become standard equipment.
18:3714.
18:38New Targeted Gene Therapy
18:40Around the world, at this very moment, countless scientists are hard at work trying to find
18:44solutions to the various diseases and conditions that plague us as a species.
18:49Cures are few, far between, and hard-fought.
18:52But in 2017, the FDA approved something truly miraculous, a treatment for the form of hereditary
18:58blindness known as labor congenital amaurosis.
19:02It's a degenerative condition, and so the best results to date have been observed in
19:06younger patients.
19:07But, with just a single gene therapy injection directly into the retina of each eye, the
19:12majority of patients see noticeable improvements.
19:1513.
19:17Animal Discoveries
19:18As this past decade has reminded us, while space is undeniably captivating, we've still
19:23got plenty to learn about our planet's co-inhabitants.
19:26The decade saw the discovery of everything from a bright purple crab to a microchameleon,
19:31and in 2013, we met the olinguito, the first newly discovered carnivorous mammal in the
19:37Western Hemisphere in roughly 35 years.
19:40In 2015, biofluorescence was observed in hawksbill sea turtles, making them the first known reptile
19:46with bioluminescence.
19:48Perhaps most fascinating, however, was the 2019 revelation that Visayan warty pigs use
19:53tools, and have a great name.
19:56More specifically, they pick up pieces of bark or sticks and use it to dig nests for
20:00themselves.
20:01How cool is that?
20:0312.
20:04Synthetic DNA
20:05DNA governs pretty much everything about life.
20:08Think of it as the recipe or blueprint for all living things.
20:12Though we've been obsessed with DNA for decades, the last decade has seen the scientific
20:16community making unprecedented leaps forward in all things DNA-related.
20:21And with the creation of synthetic DNA, this research just got way more exciting.
20:25Synthetic DNA naturally consists of four nucleotide molecules labeled A, G, C, and
20:30T.
20:31But, a 2017 study showed that it was possible to introduce four new letters to create eight-letter
20:37DNA, which has been dubbed hachimoji DNA.
20:40In short, science has added new building blocks into the mix.
20:44This proves that life can function beyond the four bases naturally occurring on Earth,
20:48opening the door to big discussions about the nature of life.
20:5211.
20:53External Wombs
20:55Much time, money, and energy goes into research that seeks to extend our lives or improve
21:00human health.
21:01But this decade has also seen a serious push to develop viable alternatives in the form
21:05of artificial replacement body parts.
21:08A 3D-printed tibia bone was successfully surgically implanted in a patient in 2017, and organs
21:14don't seem very far behind.
21:16One of the most uniquely compelling man-made technologies that's been developed over
21:20the last decade is the artificial womb.
21:22In 2017, researchers were able to successfully develop a lamb in a biobag, and it's believed
21:29the technology can be used to save babies born prematurely.
21:3310.
21:34Discovering the Building Blocks of Life Beyond Earth
21:37Much to the disappointment of alien enthusiasts, another decade has come and gone without the
21:41discovery of intelligent extraterrestrial life.
21:44Be that as it may, various off-planet findings did provide ample cause to hope.
21:50Planet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko, probed by the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft,
21:56was found to have the essential building blocks of life, including amino acids.
22:01This has caused much speculation about the origins of life on Earth, and that crucial
22:05initial material may have originated elsewhere.
22:08Furthermore, NASA confirmed the presence of organic compounds in the water vapors of Saturn's
22:13moon Enceladus, which has further bolstered the hypothesis that life could exist below
22:17the planet's icy crust in the liquid ocean below.
22:219.
22:22Combating Major Diseases
22:24There are few viruses more infamous than Ebola.
22:27When there's an outbreak, the effects are deadly and devastating, especially when the
22:31local people have inadequate access to medical treatment.
22:34In 2015, however, a field trial of a vaccine was hugely successful.
22:39In 2019, the vaccine was officially approved in Europe, with the American Food and Drug
22:44Administration soon following suit in mid-December of the same year.
22:48The Ebola vaccine wasn't the only breakthrough of its kind, however.
22:51We also saw the rollout of a malaria vaccine that performed well in trial applications,
22:56as well as major improvements in HIV prevention and treatment both in America and around the
23:01world.
23:028.
23:03Rocket Science
23:04NASA gets a lot of flack for not doing more manned missions to space, but the simple reality
23:09is the numbers don't add up, well, at least not with the current tech.
23:13The cost of sending people into space and getting them home safely is astronomical.
23:18SpaceX, however, has developed reusable rockets that will hopefully make space travel far
23:23more affordable heading into the next decade.
23:26In December of 2015, after a few failed attempts, SpaceX achieved its goal by successfully landing
23:32the craft in an upright position.
23:34In 2017, they achieved another milestone by reusing a recovered orbital-class rocket booster.
23:40And with the launch of the Crew Dragon ship in 2019, commercial space travel looks set
23:45to become a reality sooner rather than later.
23:487.
23:49Dating Some of the World's Oldest Art
23:52These cave drawings might not set new standards for realism, but when you consider their age,
23:56they are certainly mind-blowing.
23:59Discovered in the Maris Caves on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi decades ago, these works
24:03of ancient art have finally been properly dated, as having been produced nearly 40,000
24:08years ago, and can now be counted among the oldest known works of art found anywhere on
24:13Earth.
24:14Much of the images have been worn away by the passage of time, but rough outlines of
24:18hands and animal illustrations remain.
24:20In terms of age, they're rivaled only by the Chauvet cave paintings of southern France
24:25discovered in 1994, and their identification forces us to re-evaluate the history of human
24:30development in relation to representational art around the world.
24:346.
24:35Repairing Brain Cells
24:36Neuroscientists have known for 20 years that neurogenesis, or the repair of brain cells,
24:47is theoretically possible.
24:49The brain has a supply of stem cells that it can use to repair tissue.
24:52More recently though, a study published in Nature found another limited form of brain
24:57repair.
24:58Patients with Timothy syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects neurons, were treated
25:01with a drug regimen.
25:03These drugs allowed neurons to develop as they would in a normal brain.
25:17This discovery presents scientists with a new path of possibility for treating other
25:20genetic disorders.
25:22In theory, similar treatments could be possible for schizophrenia, epilepsy, ADHD, and other
25:27neurodevelopmental disorders.
25:415.
25:45The Beginning of the CRISPR Era
25:47As previously discussed, this decade has been an especially exciting one for anyone interested
25:51in DNA.
25:53Not only did researchers manage to create synthetic DNA, but with the CRISPR-Cas9 system,
25:58a tool can effectively be used to edit DNA.
26:01We're just beginning to explore possible applications, but in theory, there are too
26:05many to count.
26:06In 2018, twins in China were illegally and unethically genetically modified as embryos
26:13to attempt to make them immune to HIV.
26:15But possibilities include disease resistance, reverse engineering extinct species, cures
26:20to various genetic illnesses, and the ability to create more durable crops.
26:25For those who look to works of science fiction as a roadmap to the future, CRISPR is being
26:29heralded as the key to mastering humanity's genetic destiny.
26:344.
26:35Kepler-452b
26:36Our search for life beyond planet Earth has taken on many forms, but arguably the most
26:41promising approach has been in identifying potentially habitable planets, those with
26:45Earth-like characteristics that could theoretically have given rise to intelligent life.
26:50Throughout the decade, we've found thousands of new exoplanets beyond our solar system,
26:54but arguably the most exciting is Kepler-452b, which is arguably the closest to an Earth
26:59twin discovered to date.
27:01It's been said that if we could reach it, which is unlikely with 1,400 light-years separating
27:06us, life there would be possible.
27:09Though given the extreme gravity, colonists living there would experience notable physiological
27:14changes over time, including changes in bone strength.
27:183.
27:20Observing the First Gravitational Waves
27:22Like black holes, gravitational waves have been the subject of much theorization dating
27:26back over a century, but it wasn't until 2015 that their existence was finally confirmed.
27:33Gravitational waves are ripples caused by the movement of objects with sufficient mass
27:37through space, and that's exactly what the LIGO and VIRGO observatories in America and
27:42Europe were able to observe directly for the first time following what has been identified
27:46as the distant collision of two black holes.
27:50What does this mean?
27:51Well, for starters, it's the long-overdue confirmation of an element of Einstein's
27:55theory of relativity that even Einstein himself doubted.
27:58More importantly, however, gravitational waves are a measurable force that allows us to explore
28:03and understand previously unfathomable depths of space.
28:082.
28:09Monkey Communication
28:10Recently, researchers monitored the calls of baby marmosets from birth to two months.
28:21Marmoset monkeys are some of the smallest primates on Earth.
28:24In 2024, researchers at Hebrew University made a startling discovery about these cute
28:29little guys.
28:30They are creatures of complex social structure with individual identities.
28:34They recorded communications between groups of marmosets.
28:37In analyzing the vocalizations, the researchers realized that some of these calls were used
28:42to label each other.
28:43Using parental interaction experiments, their study shows that baby marmoset vocal development
28:49is influenced by parental feedback.
28:51To put it in layman's terms, marmoset monkeys have names.
28:54It is the first time that scientists have recorded this behavior outside of humans,
28:58elephants, and dolphins.
29:00This discovery may force humans to rethink the level of intelligence in other primates.
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29:201.
29:22The Rise of Artificial Intelligence
29:25Once not so long ago, we spoke of artificial intelligence as if it were a concept limited
29:30to the distant future and works of science fiction.
29:33But in reality, we're already living in the age of AI.
29:36In 2016, the Google AI program AlphaGo, which is part of DeepMind, bested the world champion
29:43of Go in four out of five matches.
29:45It's a testament to the very real potential of computer learning, not to mention the superior
29:50processing power of artificial intelligence compared to the human brain.
29:53And this is by no means a one-off.
29:55Watson, what is Sauron?
29:57Sauron is right and...
29:59Over the past decade, various AI programs have been beating some of the world's top
30:03players in a variety of games, including poker, Jeopardy, and even StarCraft 2.
30:09Are you a big old nerd?
30:10Are you plugged into the scientific community?
30:12Blind us with your science and let us know your favorite breakthroughs from the last
30:15decade below.
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