The most interesting discoveries in the world. Incredible discovery - scientists have found an ocean inside the Earth

The development of science is currently extremely dynamic, and these incredible discoveries of 2016 are proof of this.

15.Largest known prime

On January 7, 2016, the largest known prime number was discovered, which is 274 207 281 - 1 and contains 22 338 618 decimal digits. The discovery was made by Curtis Cooper as part of the GIMPS project.

14. The ninth planet of the solar system

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have presented evidence that the ninth planet in the solar system does exist. Calculations showed that the planet revolves around the Sun at a distance of 20 orbits of Neptune, its mass is 10 times more mass Earth. And 1 year on this planet is equal to 17000 years on Earth!

13. Eternal Keeper of Information

In February of this year, scientists from the University of Southampton presented the world with an amazing invention. They created an eternal information keeper from nanostructured glass. The device is capable of storing 360 terabytes of data and is not affected by high temperatures (up to 1000 degrees Celsius), and its shelf life is several billion years.

12. Fish that can walk on land and climb trees

A fish capable of walking on land, crawling into trees and hunting birds has been discovered in Papua New Guinea. This species, despite its innocent appearance, is very aggressive and poses a serious danger to animals on the islands of Boigu and Saibai, Australia. The fish are said to have a respiratory organ and move along the ground using their pectoral fins.

11. A brain implant that allows a paralyzed person to control a hand

The implant sends signals directly to the muscles via wires, bypassing the spinal cord. A man can now raise a glass of water and even play a video game. The ingenious invention belongs to scientists from the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in New York.

10. Successful landing of the first stage of the rocket in the ocean

On April 8, 2016, SpaceX was able to land the first stage of a Falcon 9 launch vehicle on a platform in the ocean for the first time. The first stage can now be used multiple times, reducing costs.

9. Converting carbon dioxide to stone

At the Hellisheidy plant in Iceland, scientists pumped CO2 into volcanic rocks, accelerating the natural process of basalt turning into carbonates, which then become limestone. This method will help not exacerbate the greenhouse effect problem.

8. Scientific name for pleasant tingling sensation in the back of the head

The phenomenon of perception, characterized by a pleasant tingling sensation in the back of the head, spreading in the form of goosebumps along the skin of the neck and back to the limbs in 2016 acquired scientific name- Autonomous sensory meridional response (ASMR). ASMR sensations are caused by sound, visual, tactile or cognitive stimuli.

7. Second Moon

2016 HO3 is an asteroid discovered by the Hawaiian Automatic Telescope on April 27, 2016, which is the best and most stable example of a permanent quasi-satellite of Earth to date. Became the "second moon" of the Earth about 100 years ago.

6. Eyeless miracle worm

This year, scientists discovered that Caenorhabditis elegans (a free-living nematode) has the ability to see light. Careful experiments on the excitation of individual neurons have shown that the worm can respond to photons of different wavelengths, but the greatest effect is achieved when using an ultraviolet light source. Now C. elegans can become a model object for the study of human blindness.

5. The mathematical algorithm of our intelligence

“At the heart of our complex calculations there is relatively simple mathematical logic in the brain, ”says Dr. Joe Tsien, a neuroscientist at medical college Georgia. Tsien's theory is based on the n = 2i-1 algorithm, which determines the number of groups (or "clicks" as the scientist calls them) needed to recognize and resolve situations. In other words, the more clicks, the more complex the thought. N is the number of neural groups connected in all possible ways; 2 - means that neurons in this group are receiving or not receiving input; i is the information they receive; -1 is the math part, allowing you to consider all the possibilities.

4. Farting fish

Scientists from the UK and Canada have concluded that herring farts! For these fish, farting is a way of communication and a way to maintain the integrity of the school at night.

3. Scientific explanation of going to the astral plane

Many people who have experienced coma talk about their astral travels. Scientists from the University of Ottawa became interested in this phenomenon and invited a girl for research, who claimed that she could initiate the separation of the soul from the body at will. During the experiment, the researchers used an MRI machine to monitor her brain during “ astral travel". It has been found that those parts of the brain that are responsible for perception of physical location and visualization of movement are activated during such experiences. But this does not mean that the soul leaves the body. This is a kind of hallucination triggered by a certain neurological mechanism.

2. Stem cells to repair damaged spinal cord

A team of scientists led by researchers from the University of California, San Diego, have been able to use human neural stem cells to successfully repair a damaged spinal cord. Studies in rats have shown that grafted stem cells stimulate neuronal regeneration and partially replace the functions of lost neurons.

1. The gene mutation that made us all appear

The ACE2 gene is the possible progenitor of all who live on planet Earth. Biologists in Atlanta, Georgia, concluded that a single gene was able to transform single-celled organisms into multicellular ones. And in the past, it was a gene mutation that led to the emergence of complex life forms. Small changes in the DNA sequence had a strong effect on a certain protein and, instead of its main role as an enzyme, it became necessary for the organization of multicellular structures.

The most incredible discoveries that puzzled scientists

Most Incredible Discoveries That Perplexed Scientists - Ancient Chinese Trumpets - Female online magazine"Pretty Women Life"

One of the most incredible discoveries was the ancient pipes in China. In one remote area in China, there is a mountain with three strange triangular holes, inside of which a large number of ancient rusty pipes have been discovered. As it turned out, some of them lead to the interior of the mountain, and some to the nearby salt lake. The most interesting thing is that no garbage was found in the pipes, that is, they were used for some purpose, but who ?, because it is simply impossible to live there!

Another interesting discovery was the Antikythera Mechanism, discovered in 1902 on an old ship that sank near the Greek island of Antikythera. The purpose of this device is still a mystery, as the 2,000-year-old mechanism consists of 82 fragments, including bronze gears and parts that were not used in any device at that time. Scientists speculate that it may be a cross between an ancient calculator and an astrolabe (the oldest astronomical instrument).

The mysterious sound in the ocean, recorded by the staff of the US National Oceanic Research Agency, was also a very interesting discovery. This sound was able to pick up 2 microphones located at a distance of 3000 miles from each other. Having determined the wave characteristics of such a sound, scientists came to the conclusion that it was emitted by some living creature, although until now science has not known a single animal that can reproduce such a loud sound.

The Baghdad batteries found in the territory of Ancient Mesopotamia are another amazing discovery. The estimated age of the find is more than 2000 years. At first, they were identified by archaeologists as old clay vessels for storing food. However, during research, a copper rod was found inside. Scientists suggested that the vessels could contain some kind of liquid, which, when interacting with copper, could give an electric charge. If their theory is correct, then the found device is the world's first battery.

Underwater pyramids at the bottom Bermuda Triangle This incredible discovery was made in the 20th century by Charles Berlitz. His expedition discovered a pyramid at a depth of 400 meters under water, near Bermuda. The worn pyramid was 3 times higher than the largest known at that time Egyptian pyramid of Cheops and had smooth glass edges. It is very interesting that the pyramid does not consist of blocks, because seams and cracks are not visible on it, but it seems that it was carved from a monolith. Despite the fact that the US authorities classified this information, a new message recently appeared, which says 2 more pyramids of similar origin and shape, found in areas of the Bermuda Triangle. According to preliminary data, the age of the unknown structures does not exceed 500 years.

Over the past 10 years, many amazing discoveries and achievements have occurred in the world of science. Surely many of you who read our site have heard about most of the points presented in today's list. However, their significance is so high that it would be a crime to fail to recall them even briefly. They need to be remembered at least for the next decade, until new, even more amazing scientific achievements are made on the basis of these discoveries.

Stem cell reprogramming

Stem cells are amazing. They perform the same cellular functions as the rest of the cells in your body, but, unlike the latter, they have one amazing property- if necessary, they are able to change and acquire the function of absolutely any cells. This means that stem cells can be converted, for example, into erythrocytes (red blood cells) if your body lacks the latter. Or white blood cells (leukocytes). Or muscle cells. Or neurocytes. Or ... in general, you get the idea - in almost all types of cells.

Despite the fact that the general public has known about stem cells since 1981 (although they were discovered much earlier, at the beginning of the 20th century), until 2006 science had no idea that any cells of a living organism could be reprogrammed and transformed into stem cells. Moreover, the method of such transformation turned out to be relatively simple. The first person to figure out this possibility was the Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka, who transformed skin cells into stem cells by adding four specific genes to them. Within two to three weeks from the moment when skin cells turned into stem cells, they could be further transformed into any other type of cells in our body. For regenerative medicine, as you understand, this discovery is one of the most important in recent history as this sphere now has an almost limitless source of cells needed to heal the damage your body has suffered.

Largest discovered black hole

"Blot" in the center - our solar system

In 2009, a group of astronomers decided to find out the mass of the black hole S5 0014 + 81, which at that time was just discovered. Imagine their surprise when scientists learned that its mass is 10,000 times the mass of the supermassive black hole located in the center of our Milky way, which actually made it the largest currently known black hole in the known universe.

This ultramassive black hole has a mass of 40 billion suns (that is, if you take the mass of the sun and multiply it by 40 billion, you get the mass of a black hole). No less interesting is the fact that this black hole, according to scientists, was formed at the time of the very early period history of the universe - just 1.6 billion years after the Big Bang. The discovery of this black hole contributed to the understanding that holes of this size and mass can increase these rates incredibly quickly.

Memory manipulation

It already sounds like a seed to some Nolan's "Beginning", but in 2014 scientists Steve Ramirez and Xu Liu manipulated the memory of a laboratory mouse, replacing negative memories with positive ones and vice versa. The researchers implanted special light-sensitive proteins into the mouse's brain and, as you might have guessed, simply shone it into the eyes.

As a result of the experiment, positive memories were completely replaced with negative ones, which were firmly entrenched in her brain. This discovery opens the door to new treatments for those who suffer from PTSD or who cannot cope with the emotions of the loss of loved ones. In the near future, this discovery promises to lead to even more surprising results.

A computer chip that mimics the work of the human brain

A few years ago, this was considered as something fantastic, but in 2014, IBM introduced the world to a computer chip that works on the principle of the human brain. With 5.4 billion transistors and 10,000 times less electricity to operate than conventional computer chips, SyNAPSE is able to simulate your brain's synapse. 256 synapses, to be precise. They can be programmed to perform any computational task, which can make them extremely useful for use in supercomputers and different types distributed sensors.

Thanks to its unique architecture, the SyNAPSE chip is not limited to the performance we are used to evaluating in conventional computers. It only comes into operation when necessary, which allows significant energy savings and maintains operating temperatures. This revolutionary technology has the potential to truly change the entire computer industry over time.

One Step Closer to Robot Dominance

In the same 2014, 1,024 tiny robots "kilobots" were tasked with uniting in the shape of a star. Without any additional instructions, the robots independently and together began to complete the task. Slowly, hesitantly, colliding with each other several times, but they still completed their task. If one of the robots got stuck or "lost", not knowing how to become, neighboring robots came to the rescue, which helped the "lost" to navigate.

What is the achievement? Everything is very simple. Now imagine that the same robots, only a thousand times smaller in size, are introduced into your circulatory system and, uniting, are sent to fight some serious disease that has lodged in your body. Larger robots, also uniting, are sent on some kind of search and rescue operation, and even larger ones are used for fantastically fast construction of new buildings. Here, of course, you can recall some scenario for a summer blockbuster, but why push it?

Dark matter confirmation

According to scientists, this mysterious matter may contain answers that explain many as yet unexplained astronomical phenomena. Here's one of them as an example: let's say, before us is a galaxy with the mass of thousands of planets. If we compare the actual mass of these planets and the mass of the entire galaxy, the numbers will not converge. Why? Because the answer goes much deeper than simply calculating the mass of matter that we can see. There is also matter that we are unable to see. It is precisely called "dark matter".

In 2009, several US laboratories announced the detection of dark matter using sensors submerged in an iron mine to a depth of about 1 kilometer. Scientists were able to determine the presence of two particles, whose characteristics correspond to the previously proposed description of dark matter. There are many rechecks to be carried out further, but all indications are that these particles are actually particles of dark matter. This may be one of the most amazing and significant discoveries in physics over the past century.

Is there life on Mars?

Perhaps. In 2015, NASA published photographs of the Martian mountains with dark stripes at their base (photo above). They appear and disappear depending on the season. The fact is that these stripes are irrefutable evidence of the presence of liquid water on Mars. Scientists cannot say with absolute certainty whether the planet had such features in the past, but the presence of water on the planet now opens up many prospects.

For example, the presence of water on the planet can be of great help when humanity finally assembles a manned mission to Mars (sometime after 2024, according to the most optimistic forecasts). In this case, astronauts will have to carry much less resources with them, since everything they need is already available on the Martian surface.

Reusable rockets

Private aerospace company SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, was able, after several attempts, to soft-land a spent rocket onto a remotely controlled floating barge in the ocean.

Everything went so smoothly that the landing of spent rockets for SpaceX is now considered a routine task. In addition, this allows the company to save billions of dollars in missile production, since now they can be simply sorted out, refueled and reused (and more than once, in theory), instead of just sinking somewhere in Pacific... Thanks to these rockets, mankind has become at once several steps closer to manned flights to Mars.

Gravitational waves

Gravitational waves Is a ripple of space and time moving at the speed of light. They were predicted by Albert Einstein in his general theory relativity, according to which mass is capable of bending space and time. Gravitational waves can be created by black holes, and in 2016 they were able to detect them using high-tech equipment of the laser-interferometric gravitational-wave observatory, or simply LIGO, thereby confirming Einstein's century-old theory.

This is really very important discovery for astronomy, since it proves much of Einstein's general theory of relativity and allows, with the help of instruments such as LIGO, to determine and track events of huge cosmic scales in the future.

TRAPPIST system

TRAPPIST-1 is a star system located approximately 39 light years from our solar system. What makes it special? Not much, if you do not take into account its star, which has 12 times less mass compared to our Sun, as well as at least 7 planets orbiting around it and located in the so-called Goldilocks zone, where life could potentially exist.

Around this discovery, as expected, there is a heated debate now. It even comes to statements that the system may not be suitable for life at all and its planets look more like unsightly traveling space boulders than our future interplanetary resorts. Nevertheless, the system deserves absolutely all the attention that is now riveted on it. Firstly, it is not so far from us - only some 39 light years from the solar system. On the scale of space - around the corner. Secondly, it has three earth-like planets located in the habitable zone and which are, perhaps, the best targets for the search for extraterrestrial life today. Thirdly, on all seven planets there may be liquid water - the key to life. But the likelihood of having it is highest on three planets that are closer to the star. Fourth, if life really exists there, then we can confirm this without even sending a space expedition there. Telescopes like JWST, which is set to launch next year, will help address this issue.

Every year, scientists make the most incredible discoveries, from insignificant to turning points in the history of all mankind, from completely random to those to which researchers have been going for years and decades. Breakthroughs occur in absolutely different areas from space exploration and archeology to biology and many others scientific spheres... Some of these discoveries help us understand the most mysterious mysteries in the world or allow us to see something completely incredible for the first time.

Galilean satellites
When, in January 1610, the famous Italian Renaissance astronomer Galileo Galilei pointed his brand new telescope into the sky, he had no idea that he would soon discover the 4 largest moons of Jupiter, now known as the Galilean moons. By and large, until that very moment, no scientist assumed that other planets could also have their own satellites.

Microbial evolution
Antibiotics and vaccines have saved millions of lives, but to the surprise of scientists, some microbes develop and change faster than we can find a way to destroy them. The flu virus, for example, mutates so quickly that last year's vaccines no longer help fight new strains. It turns out that some hospitals are infected with bacteria that have become almost immune to antibiotics, and if so, then even a small cut can threaten life-threatening infections.

Moa birds
When moa bones were first discovered in the 1830s, biologists did not immediately get used to the idea that these were the remains of birds. These bones were so unusual and large that scientists were reluctant to recognize them as belonging to the class of birds. Today we know that moas were huge animals and could not fly. They lived mainly in New Zealand, but have not survived to this day. Their extinction occurred roughly between 1300 and 1440 AD. The disappearance of such unusual kind was the exorbitant hunting of the Maori tribes, whose representatives settled on the island at the end of the 14th century.

Monument to Yonaguni
In 1987, while searching for a good spot to observe hammerhead sharks, the head of the Yonaguni-Cho Tourism Association, Kihachiro Aratake, noticed sea ​​water unusual solitary formations resembling architectural structures. The find was made off the coast of Yonaguni Island, the southernmost landmass of the Japanese Ryukyu archipelago. Until now, there is no consensus in the scientific community as to whether this formation is natural, whether a person has put his hand to it, or whether this place is completely the fruit of human labor.

Baghdad battery
If you have lived without electricity for some time, you should know that batteries and accumulators are a very important source of energy. The Baghdad battery proves that humanity tried to create batteries several thousand years ago. The battery is a set of 3 artifacts found in the Kujut Rabu district of Iraq near Baghdad. The 2,000-year-old find consists of a ceramic pot, a metal cylinder, and a rod. If you fill a pot with vinegar or a similar liquid, it can produce up to 1.1 volts of energy. There were no written explanations for the use of this ancient device, but archaeologists agreed that it was most likely an ancient battery.

Infrared radiation
Infrared rays were discovered by British astronomer William Herschel in 1800 while he was studying heating. different colors... In his experiments, the scientist used a prism to decompose light into a color spectrum, and thermometers to measure the thermal effect of each individual color. Today infrared radiation used in many areas of our lives, including heating systems, search engines, meteorology and astronomy.

Temperatures below absolute zero
Previously, scientists believed that? 273.15 ° C is an absolute zero, below which it is impossible to go down, and which is the limit for the thermodynamic temperature scale. However, a team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Germany has recently been able to disprove the absolute zero theory. In a vacuum, the scientists managed to cool the cloud of gas atoms to below? 273.15 ° C. The result of the experiments was so unexpected that the researchers at first had no idea how to proceed with the frozen particles.

Mars tsunamis
Scientists have recently published studies proving that a massive tsunami struck the surface of Mars about 3.4 million years ago. This discovery literally stunned members of the astronomical community. Experts believe that the red planet suffered a lot from two meteorite strikes, which provoked huge tidal waves that could reach up to 50 meters in height.

Costa Rican stone balls
In the area of ​​the river delta on the small island of Isla del Cano, located in the territorial waters of the Republic of Costa Rica (Isla del Cano, Costa Rica), you can find very unusual stone formations. Also known as petrospheres, these man-made balls are scattered throughout the island - over 300 such spheres have already been found on Isla del Cano. For the first time in our time, these stones were found in the 1930s, when workers were clearing an area here for a banana plantation. According to the researchers, the balls were made by the ancestors of the indigenous people who lived here during the Spanish invasion. Their exact age and purpose are still unknown.

Mandela effect
Today science fiction writers and some scientists reflect on the topic parallel worlds, but have you heard of parallel memories? Fiona Broome, a self-described medium, claims that while most people remember the death of legendary South African President Nelson Mandela in 2013 from old age and illness, there are those who remember his death in the 1980s, when Mandela was still in prison. The woman called this strange phenomenon the "Mandela Effect", although all over the world people talk about alternative memories not at all about the hero of the apartheid times.

Tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun
The virtually intact tomb of King Tutankhamen was discovered by Egyptologists Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon in 1922. Tutankhamun was one of the most famous pharaohs, and his death at the age of 18 is still a mystery. ancient egypt... The news of the archaeological find was so widely reported in the media around the world that it even spurred a resurgence of public interest in history. ancient civilization.

Hurricane on Saturn
In 2013, the strongest hurricane was recorded by the NASA spacecraft orbiting Saturn. The epicenter of the storm was about 2,000 kilometers in diameter, and the speed of the clouds reached 530 kilometers per hour. On Earth, hurricanes feed warm ocean waters but Saturn has no oceans or seas. And this leads scientists to a dead end, because it is not clear how else then to explain the occurrence of such a serious storm on a distant planet.

Humpback Whale Songs
Humpback whales make strange sounds that scientists have been unable to decipher for decades. In 2015, off the Hawaiian island of Maui, researchers recorded a completely new type of whale sound. The mysterious noise is so low that it is barely audible to the human ear. Biologists have yet to understand how humpback whales make these sounds, and what their purpose is.

Moving stones
Death Valley National Park in California, USA, despite its gloomy name, can boast of a completely positive attitude, because even stones come to life here. At the beginning of the 20th century, the public first heard about the migrating stones of this reserve, and since then many versions have been put forward about how they move. Experts offered a choice of both the theory of alien interference and magnetic influence, and the tricks of animals or simple jokers. But the clue was found quite recently - it turned out that the stones were displaced under their own weight during strong winds moving rock formation on a thin layer of ice.

Maria Celeste
Mary Celeste was an American merchant ship abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean in the Azores. The ship sailed from New York to Genoa on November 7, 1872, and was rediscovered only on December 5. Almost all the supplies were still on the ship, and even the personal belongings of the crew and captain lay in their places untouched. But there was no trace of Maria Celeste's team. Since then, no one has heard of them, and this case is still considered one of the greatest mysteries in the history of modern navigation.

Black holes
Black holes can rightfully be called some of the strangest and most mesmerizing celestial objects we have ever discovered in deep space. These are spatio-temporal regions that have such a powerful gravitational force that it is simply impossible to get out of there. Albert Einstein was the first to predict the existence of these objects back in 1916, with only the theory of relativity at his disposal. The term "black hole" itself appeared in 1967, and was coined by the American astronomer John Wheeler, but the first black hole was truly discovered only in 1971.

Antikythera Mechanism
It may sound crazy, but the first analog computer was created around 100 BC. The Antikythera Mechanism is an ancient version of the computer that was used to predict the location of astronomical bodies and eclipses. Discovered in July 1901 among the remains of a shipwreck near the Greek island of Antikytra, this device was supposedly designed and installed by Greek scientists between 200 and 100 BC.

RNA interference
In 1998, in a series of experiments, scientists found out that gene expression (transformation process hereditary information from genes to functional RNA or protein) is controlled by a phenomenon later called RNA interference. This process protects us from viruses that try to invade our DNA and drives gene expression. For their work on the study of this phenomenon, scientists Craig Mello and Andrew Fire (Craig Mello, Andrew Fire) were awarded Nobel Prize in the field of physiology and medicine. Later, this discovery contributed to the study of gene silencing - the shutdown of genes that causes diseases such as high blood pressure and a number of other ailments.

Voynich manuscript
Perhaps one of the most mysterious manuscripts in human history, the Voynich manuscript is an amazing artifact, the origin and ownership of which are still completely unknown. The manuscript is full of plant illustrations, strange symbols and diagrams, and is written in mysterious language, which does not belong to any of the famous historians and archaeologists of civilizations.

Extraterrestrial neutrinos and Antarctica
With the help of equipment at the IceCube Neutrino observatory in Antarctica, physicists recently finally discovered evidence of cosmic rays beyond our solar system... These energy rays are very difficult to register, so scientists have to rely on studying the neutrinos (subatomic particles) that arise when the rays interact with their environment.

Mass burial of animals
In 1971, paleontologists discovered a huge animal burial in a cornfield in Idaho. Once there was a pool of a large reservoir, and this place became the last refuge for the skeletons of almost 200 animals. Apparently, these animals died of suffocation about 12 million years ago and were hidden for a long time from prying eyes under a deep layer of volcanic ash. After an unexpected find, this place was given the status of the Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park.