Scientists report the engineering of crops with a photorespiratory "shortcut" to boost plant growth by 40% in real-world agronomic conditions.[7][8]
4 January
Researchers at Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) report a way to control properties of excitons and change the polarisation of light they generate, which could lead to transistors that undergo less energy loss and heat dissipation.[9]
Researchers design an inhalable form of messenger RNAaerosol that could be administered directly to the lungs to help treat diseases such as cystic fibrosis.[10]
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) report a new way to stabilise the "tearing modes" in fusion reactors, using radio waves to create small changes in the temperature of the plasma, allowing it to be controlled more easily.[11]
11 January – Researchers at the University of Michigan demonstrate a new approach to 3D printing, based on the lifting of shapes from a vat of liquid, which is up to 100 times faster than conventional processes.[22]
14 January – A study in the journal PNAS finds that Antarctica experienced a sixfold increase in yearly ice mass loss between 1979 and 2017.[23]
16 January – A study in Ecological Monographs suggests there may be sustained foraging specialization, fasting and omnivory in the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the world's largest fish.[24]
Astronomers report that a day on the planet Saturn has been determined to be 10h 33m 38s+ 1m 52s − 1m 19s, based on studies of the planet's C Ring.[25][26]
21 January
Scientists report that the Greenland ice sheet is melting four times faster than in 2003, with its largest sustained ice loss coming from the southwest region.[27]
22 January – Alphabet's Waymo subsidiary announces that it will later in 2019 begin construction in the US State of Michigan on the World's first factory for mass-producing autonomous vehicles.[28][29][30][31]
23 January
Scientists in China report the creation of five identical clonedgene-editedmonkeys, using the same cloning technique that was used with Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua – the first ever cloned monkeys – and Dolly the sheep, and the same gene-editing CRISPR-Cas9 technique allegedly used by He Jiankui in creating the first ever gene-modified human babies Lulu and Nana. The genetically modified monkey clones were made in order to study several medical diseases.[32][33][34]
23 January: Five identical clonedgene-editedmonkeys (similar to the one pictured above) created, in order to study several medical diseases.[32][33][34]
NASA scientists report the discovery of the oldest known Earth rock – on the Moon. Apollo 14 astronauts returned several rocks from the Moon and later, scientists determined that a fragment from one of the rocks contained "a bit of Earth from about 4 billion years ago." The rock fragment contained quartz, feldspar, and zircon, all common on the Earth, but highly uncommon on the Moon.[38]
The complete axolotl genome is reported to have been sequenced by the University of Kentucky.[39][40]
25 January – AlphaStar, a new artificial intelligence algorithm by Alphabet's DeepMind subsidiary, defeats professional players of the real-time strategy game StarCraft II in ten rounds out of eleven.[41][42][43]
30 January – Scientists report that several types of humans, including Denisovans, Neanderthals and related hybrids, may have habitated the Denisova Cave in Siberia over thousands of years, but it is unclear whether they ever shared the cave.[47]
31 January
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, demonstrate a new form of 3D printer, which uses light exposure to transform a viscous liquid into complex solid objects.[48]
A new AI developed by RMIT University in Melbourne and trained to play the 1980s video game Montezuma's Revenge is reported to be 10 times faster than Google DeepMind and able to finish the game.[49]
5 February – NASA reports that the two small communication CubeSats, that accompanied the InSight lander to the planet Mars, went silent, and are unlikely to be heard from again.[56]
6 February
NASA and NOAA confirm that 2018 was the fourth hottest year on record globally, at 0.83 degrees Celsius (1.5 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1951 to 1980 mean.[57]
Scientists from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias publish the first evidence of a collision between exoplanets, which is believed to have occurred in the Kepler-107 system, approximately 1,670 light years from Earth.[58]
13 February: Mars Opportunity rover mission ends; last image (see above) of 228,771 total over nearly 15 years.[63][64]
8 February – NASA scientists, studying the latest returned images and data, report that 486958 Arrokoth, the remote Kuiper Belt Object visited by the New Horizons spacecraft, was determined to be more flattened than thought earlier; and has been described to be more like a large "pancake" (larger lobe) and a "walnut" (smaller lobe), rather than two ellipsoids.[1][65]
13 February – NASA officials declare that the Mars rover Opportunity has ended its mission, after failing to respond to repeated transmitted wake-up signals. Its last contact was on 10 June 2018 (Click here for the last panorama image.)[63][64]
Scientists use gene therapy to restore hearing in an adult mouse model of DFNB9 deafness.[69]
19 February
Researchers at Oxford Martin School publish evidence that, in the longer term, some forms of cultured meat could be worse for the environment than traditional farmed meat.[70][71]
Scientists announce a new form of DNA, named Hachimoji DNA, composed of four natural, and four unnatural nucleobases. Benefits of such an eight-base DNA system may include an enhanced ability to store digital data, as well as insights into what may be possible in the search for extraterrestrial life.[75][76]
SpaceX launches SpaceIL's Beresheet probe, the world's first privately financed mission to the Moon.[79][80]
Astronomers led by Scott S. Sheppard announce the discovery of FarFarOut, the most distant object yet found in the Solar System, at an estimated distance of 140 AU (21 billion km) from the Sun.[81]
25 February
Scientists report evidence that Neanderthals walked upright much like modern humans.[82][83]
26 February – Researchers at RMIT University demonstrate a method of using a liquid metal catalyst to turn carbon dioxide gas back into coal, potentially offering a new way to store carbon in solid form.[85]
Scientists report the creation of mice with infrared vision, using nanoparticles injected into their eyes.[88]
March
3 March – An uncrewed demonstration flight of the new crew capable version of the SpaceXDragon spacecraft, intended to carry American astronauts into space, achieves successful autonomous docking with the International Space Station.[89] It returned to Earth a few days later.[90]
11 March: Scientists report that cell nuclei from woolly mammoth remains showed biological activity when transplanted into mouse cells.[91]
Astronomers report the discovery of unusual dimming in EPIC 204376071, a star that has been observed to dim in brightness by up to 80%, much more deeply than the 22% dimming of Tabby's star.[97][98][99]
7 March – Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrate a new optical imaging system that could enable the discovery of tiny tumours, as small as 200 cells, deep within the body.[100]
8 March – Astronomers report that the mass of the Milky Waygalaxy is 1.5 trillion solar masses within a radius of about 129,000 light-years, over twice as much as was determined in earlier studies, and suggesting that about 90% of the mass of the galaxy is dark matter.[101][102]
11 March – A team of Japanese and Russian scientists report that cell nuclei from woolly mammoth remains showed biological activity when transplanted into mouse cells.[91]
13 March – The laser of ELI-NP in Măgurele, part of the European ELI Project, becomes the most powerful laser system ever made, reaching a peak power of 10 Petawatts.[103]
15 March – NASA reports that latent viruses in humans may be activated during space missions, adding possibly more risk to astronauts in future deep-space missions.[104]
PhysicistAdrian Bejan presents an explanation of why timeseems shorter as we get older, which can be attributed to "the ever-slowing speed at which images are obtained and processed by the human brain as the body ages."[110][111][112]
Chinese scientists report inserting the human brain-related MCPH1 gene into laboratory rhesus monkeys, resulting in the transgenic monkeys performing better and answering faster on "short-term memory tests involving matching colors and shapes", compared to control non-transgenic monkeys, according to the researchers.[119][120]
29 March – Paleontologists describe a site called Tanis, in North Dakota's Hell Creek Formation, containing animal and plant fossils dated to 65.76 million years BCE. These remains are embedded with tiny rock and glass fragments that fell from the sky in the minutes and hours following the Chicxulub impact. The deposits also show evidence of having been swamped with water, caused by the subsequent megatsunamis.[126][127]
Scientists report confirming the presence of methane on the planet Mars, and determining that the source of the methane likely came from an ice sheet about 300 miles east of Gale Crater. The Curiosity rover is currently exploring Gale Crater.[132][133][134]
16 April – Scientists report, for the first time, the use of the CRISPR technology to edit human genes to treat cancer patients with whom standard treatments were not successful.[148][149]
17 April – After a long search, astronomers report the detection of helium hydride, a primordial molecule thought to have been formed about 100,000 years after the Big Bang, for the first time in outer space in NGC 7027.[150][151]
25 April – Astronomers report further substantial discrepancies, depending on the measurement method used, in determining the Hubble constant, suggesting a realm of physics currently not well understood in explaining the workings of the universe.[156][157][158][159][160]
A study of nearly 1,000 gay male couples who took antiretroviral therapy, published in The Lancet, finds no cases of HIV transmission over eight years.[167][168]
11 May – Atmospheric CO2, as measured by the Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, reaches 415 parts per million (ppm), the highest level for 2.5 million years.[174][175] During the late Pliocene, sea levels were up to 20 m higher, and the global climate was 3 °C hotter.
Researchers at Macquarie University report that plastic pollution is harming the growth, photosynthesis and oxygen production of Prochlorococcus, the ocean's most abundant photosynthetic bacteria, responsible for 10% of oxygen breathed by humans.[181]
Researchers at University of Nebraska Medical Center describe the role of TGF-beta type II signaling receptor (TGFBR2) in osteoarthritis, which plays a key role in the progression of the disease by regulating joint development. They also identify a potential new drug that could treat it.[184]
Researchers from the University of Leeds report that nearly a quarter of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is now unstable, with melting of the Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers now five times faster than 25 years previously.[187][188]
19 May
Researchers at the University of Melbourne report an unusual slowdown in the growth of life expectancy in Australia, following 20 years of rapid increases.[189][190]
Physicists report that decay processes of quasiparticles in certain strongly interacting medium systems may be stopped entirely, which may help make such particles basically immortal.[191][192]
21 May – Researchers at McMaster University report the discovery of a new and more efficient method of storing vaccines in temperatures of up to 40 °C for weeks at a time.[198][199][200]
Superconductivity at very high pressure is observed at a temperature of -23 °C (-9 °F), a jump of about 50 degrees compared to the previous confirmed record, by researchers at the University of Chicago.[201][202]
23 May
Researchers at the University of Southampton predict that the average (median) body mass of mammals will collectively reduce by 25 per cent over the next century, due to the impact of human activity.[203][204][205]
10 June: Scientists report that Ahuna Mons, a very high mountain on Ceres, may have been formed from a plume of mud ejected from deep inside the dwarf planet.[210]
4 June – Astronomers report the discovery of a star, named ASASSN-V J213939.3-702817.4, non-variable earlier, observed to be associated with a very unusual, deep dimming event. The star, in the Indusconstellation, is about 3,630 ly (1,110 pc) away.[212][213][214]
Scientists report that Ahuna Mons, a very high dome-shaped mountain on the dwarf planetCeres, may have been formed by a plume of mud ejected from deep within the planet.[210][218]
A study by researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, identifies nearly 600 plants that have disappeared since the Industrial Revolution – more than twice the number of birds, mammals and amphibians combined – with extinctions now occurring 500 times faster than the natural background rate.[219][220]
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder demonstrate "nanobio-hybrid" organisms capable of using airborne carbon dioxide and nitrogen to produce a variety of eco-friendly plastics and fuels.[222]
20 June – Researchers at Lancaster University describe a new electronic memory device that combines the properties of both DRAM and flash, while recording or deleting data using hundreds of times less energy.[227]
21 June: Scientists release 1st video appearance of a giant squid in United States waters.[228]
21 June – Scientists release the video appearance, for the second time, and for the very first time in waters of the United States, of a giant squid in its deepwater habitat.[228][229][230]
22 June – Scientists working with the Curiosity rover on the planet Mars report the detection of a significant amount of methane, the largest amount ever detected by the rover – 21 parts per billion units by volume (ppbv) (i.e., one ppbv means that if you take a volume of air on Mars, one billionth of the volume of air is methane). Methane is a possible indicator of life, but may also be produced geologically.[231][232][233]
23 June – Researchers in Greece report for the first time, a single-step Laser texturing process for the fabrication of anti-reflective transparent surfaces based on biomimicry.[234]
27 June – NASA's Dragonfly spacecraft is selected to become the fourth mission in the New Frontiers program. It will launch in 2026, arriving on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan in 2034.[235][236]
Astronomers report that FRB 190523, a non-repeating Fast Radio Burst (FRB), has been discovered and, notably, localized to a few-arcsecond region containing a single massive galaxy at a redshift of 0.66, nearly 8 billion light-years away from Earth.[252][253]
8 July – Astronomers report that a new method to determine the Hubble constant, and resolve the discrepancy of earlier methods, has been proposed based on the mergers of pairs of neutron stars, following the detection of the neutron star merger of GW170817.[259][260] Their measurement of the Hubble constant is 70.3+5.3 −5.0 (km/s)/Mpc.[261]
10 July – Anthropologists report the discovery of 210,000 year old remains of a Homo sapiens and 170,000 year old remains of a Neanderthal in Apidima Cave in southern Greece, over 150,000 years older than previous H. sapiens finds in Europe.[262][263][264]
Carnegie Mellon University reports an artificial intelligence program, developed in collaboration with Facebook AI, which is able to defeat leading professionals in six-player no-limit Texas hold'em poker.[266]
13 July – The Russian/German Spektr-RG observatory is successfully launched into space, on a seven-year mission to study X-ray sources.[269]
15 July
Astronomers report that non-repeatingFast Radio Bursts (FRB)s may not be one-off events, but actually FRB repeaters with repeat events that have gone undetected and, further, that FRBs may be formed by events that have not yet been seen or considered.[270][271]
16 July – Astronomers report the determination, based on a new method (Red Giant Stars method), of the Hubble Constant as 69.8 km s−1 Mpc−1, a value in the middle of two earlier values determined by two other methods: 67.4 (CMB Radiation method) and 74.0 (Cepheids method).[277][278]
17 July – Astronomers rule out the chances of ~30 m (98 ft) asteroid 2006 QV89's hitting Earth in September 2019 by eliminating the possibility of its passing through an area where it would have to be if it were on an impacting orbit. Prior to this, the asteroid had been given a one-in-7,000 chance of hitting Earth.[279]
25 July – Astronomers report that 2019 OK, a previously undetected asteroid up to 130 metres (430 feet) across, passed within 72,000 kilometres (45,000 miles) of Earth on 25 July 2019 at 01:22 GMT.[282]
Astronomers report finding an A-type main-sequence star, S5-HVS1, traveling 1,755 km/s (3,930,000 mph), faster that any other star detected so far. The star is in the Grus (or Crane) constellation in the southern sky, and about 29,000 light-years from Earth, and may have been ejected out of the Milky Waygalaxy after interacting with Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy.[287][288][289][290][291]
Danish polar research institution, Polar Portal, reports a spike in Greenland ice loss, with 11 billion tons melted in one day and 197 Gigatonnes during the month of July.[296]
Engineers at the University of Buffalo reveal a new device able to cool parts of buildings by up to 11 °C (20 °F), without consuming electricity. The system uses an inexpensive polymer/aluminum film at the bottom of a solar "shelter", which absorbs heat from the air inside the box and transmits that energy back into outer space.[299]
6 August – Scientists at the University of Leeds create a new form of gold just two atoms thick, measured at 0.47 nanometres. In addition to being the thinnest unsupported gold ever produced, it functions 10 times more efficiently as a catalytic substrate than larger gold nanoparticles.[300][301][302]
7 August – Biologists report the discovery of the fossil remains of a first-of-its-kind extinct giant parrot named The Hercules parrot (or Heracles inexpectatus) in New Zealand. The parrot is thought to have stood up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall and weighed approximately 7 kg (15 lb).[303][304]
Researchers at Harvard report the creation of "cyborgorganoids", which consist of 3D organoids grown from stem cells, with embedded sensors to measure activity in the developmental process.[306]
Researchers report that Windows 10 users may be at risk for "critical" system compromise due to design flaws of hardware device drivers from multiple providers.[310]
Astronomers using the Keck Observatory report a sudden brightening of Sagittarius A*, which became 75 times brighter than usual, suggesting that the supermassive black hole may have encountered another object.[311]
The most accurate study of exoplanets to date, published by Penn State, estimates that one in six Sun-like stars contain planets of similar size and orbital period to Earth.[315]
15 August
Chemists report the formation, for the first time, of an 18-atom cyclocarbon of pure carbon; such chemical structures may be useful as molecular-sized electronic components.[316]
22 August – Research by Norwegian scientists adds to a growing body of evidence that too much sitting is related to a higher risk of early death, and that even a small amount of regular activity can lengthen lifespan.[322]
23 August
Austrian and Chinese scientists report the first teleportation of three-dimensional quantum states, or "qutrits", which are more complex than two-dimensional qubits.[323]
26 August – Astronomers report that newly discovered long-term pattern of absorbance and albedo changes in the atmosphere of the planet Venus are caused by "unknown absorbers", which may be microorganisms high up in the atmosphere of the planet.[325][326]
28 August
Scientists report the discovery of a nearly intact skull, for the first time, and dated at 3.8 million years ago, of Australopithecus anamensis in Ethiopia.[327]
Astronomers report the discovery, based on deep, irregularly shaped transits, of a second disrupted planetary object being ripped apart by its host star; in this instance, the host star is a white dwarf named ZTF J0139+5245; the first such similar host star discovered was WD 1145+017 in 2015.[328]
Scientists report the discovery of a new distinctive light wave, named a Dyakonov–Voigt wave, that results from a particular manipulation of crystals, that was first suggested in equations developed by physicist James Clerk Maxwell in the middle 1800s.[329][330]
In a study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, researchers at Spain's Carlos III Health Institute note the discovery of the genetic mutuation TNPO3, known for causing muscular dystrophy, may also give protection against HIV.[332][333][334]
Scientists in China report a way of regrowing the complex structure of tooth enamel, using calcium phosphate ion clusters as a precursor layer.[335][336]
2 September – Insilico Medicine reports the creation, via artificial intelligence, of six novel inhibitors of the DDR1 gene, a kinase target implicated in fibrosis and other diseases. The system, known as Generative Tensorial Reinforcement Learning (GENTRL), designed the new compounds in 21 days, with a lead candidate tested and showing positive results in mice.[338][339][340]
5 September – Astronomers report that the observed dimmings of Tabby's Star may have been produced by fragments resulting from the disruption of an orphaned exomoon.[341][342]
Mathematicians report, after a 65-year search (since 1954), the solution to the last integer left below 100 (i.e., "42") expressed as the sum of three cubes.[343]
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology demonstrate the first artificial hand for amputees that merges user and robotic control, a concept in neuroprosthetics known as shared control.[350]
Google reports the creation of a deep learning system, trained on 50,000 different diagnoses, able to detect 26 skin conditions as accurately as dermatologists.[354][355]
16 September: The most massive neutron star ever discovered, with 2.17 solar masses placing it on the boundary of the theoretical maximum.
16 September
Biochemists report that "RNA-DNA chimeras" (complex mixtures of RNA molecules and DNA molecules) may be a more effective way of producing precursor life biochemicals, than the more linear approaches (with pure RNA and pure DNA molecules) used earlier.[356][357]
Astronomers using the Green Bank Telescope identify a rapidly rotating millisecond pulsar, called J0740+6620, as the most massive neutron star ever observed, with 2.17 solar masses in a sphere only 30 kilometers across.[360]
Scientists at the Mayo Clinic report the first successful use of senolytics, a new class of drug with potential anti-aging benefits, to remove senescent cells from human patients with a kidney disease.[361][362]
In a study published in PNAS, researchers at MIT detail a new emission free method of cement production, a major contributor to climate change.[363][364]
17 September – A small clinical trial, announced by U.S. company NeuroEM Therapeutics, shows reversal of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease patients after just two months of treatment using a wearable head device. Electromagnetic waves emitted by the device appear to penetrate the brain to break up amyloid-beta and tau deposits.[365]
Canadian company Deep Genomics announces that its AI-based drug discovery platform has identified a target and drug candidate for Wilson's disease. The candidate, DG12P1, is designed to correct the exon-skipping effect of Met645Arg, a genetic mutation affecting the ATP7B copper-binding protein.[374]
The Amery Ice Shelf in Antarctica produces its largest iceberg in more than 50 years, with a chunk called D28 being calved off that is 1,636 km2 in area and weighs an estimated 315 billion tonnes.[370]
30 September – By combining doses of lithium, trametinib and rapamycin into a single treatment, researchers extend the lifespan of fruit flies (Drosophila) by 48%.[377]
Scientists at the Deep Carbon Observatory quantify the amount of carbon held by the Earth, finding that 1.85∗1018 tonnes is present, the vast majority below ground.[379][380]
2 October – Scientists reveal the photo carrier dynamics in heterojunctionphototransistors and show how molecular packing can impact on photoresponse. The study could lead to new schemes to engineer efficient photo carrier transport in general.[384]
4 October – Scientists use a new parallelised technique, known as femtosecond projection TPL (FP-TPL), to 3D print nanoscale structures up to 1,000 times faster than conventional two-photon lithography (TPL).[385][386]
Researchers genetically engineer Escherichia coli that can manufacture large amounts of psilocybin, which is in clinical trials for treating depression and other brain diseases.[391]
8 October – Researchers at Duke University Health System identify a mechanism for cartilage repair in humans, which could allow joints and possibly entire limbs to regenerate.[378]
15 October – OpenAI demonstrates a pair of neural networks trained to solve a Rubik's Cube with a highly dexterous, human-like robotic hand.[392][393]
16 October – Researchers at Harvard Medical School identify a link between neural activity and human longevity. Neural excitation is linked to shorter life, while suppression of overactivity appears to extend lifespan.[394]
23 October: Google notes its 53-qubit 'Sycamore' processor has achieved quantum supremacy.[396]
18 October
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, describe the use of nanoscale optical probes to monitor neural activity, with potential to greatly increase the scale and bandwidth available compared to microelectrode arrays.[397][398]
A new stable form of plutonium, which may be a transient phase in radioactive waste repositories, is discovered by scientists using the European Synchrotron in Grenoble, France.[399]
21 October
In a study, published in the journal Nature, researchers at the Broad Institute describe a new method of genetic engineering superior to previous methods like CRISPR they call "prime editing".[400][401][402]
25 October – A new carbon capture system is described by MIT, which can work on the gas at almost any concentration, using electrodes combined with carbon nanotubes.[411]
Astronomers observe the large asteroid Hygiea in higher resolution than ever before, revealing it to be spherical and a likely dwarf planet candidate; possibly the smallest in the Solar System.[416][417]
Researchers report that the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov is outgassing water, and in a manner similar to the outgassing of water in a typical comet in the Solar System.[418][419]
29 October – A study in Nature concludes that rising sea levels will threaten 300 million people by 2050, more than triple previous estimates. The upward revision is based on the use of a multilayer perceptron, a class of artificial neural network, which analysed topographical maps in greater detail than before and provided more accurate land elevations.[422][423][424]
30 October – A large-scale study by researchers in Germany finds that insect populations declined by one-third between 2008 and 2017.[425][426][427]
31 October – Researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, develop a new film that is applied to solar cells, which combines nanocrystals and microlenses to capture infrared light. This can increase the solar energy conversion efficiency by 10 percent or more.[428]
4 November – Scientists confirm that, on 5 November 2018, the Voyager 2 probe had officially reached the interstellar medium (ISM), a region of outer space beyond the influence of the Solar System, and has now joined the Voyager 1 probe which had reached the ISM earlier in 2012.[429][430]
5 November – 11,000 scientists from around the world publish a study in the journal BioScience, warning "clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency."[432][433][434]
6 November – Scientists at the University of Rochester demonstrate a new technique for creating superhydrophobic metals that float on water, using femtosecond laser bursts to "etch" the surfaces and trap air.[435]
Jim Peebles, awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics for his theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology.[441] notes, in his award presentation, that he does not support the Big Bang Theory, due to the lack of concrete supporting evidence, and states, "It's very unfortunate that one thinks of the beginning whereas in fact, we have no good theory of such a thing as the beginning."[442]
Researchers report that astronauts experienced serious blood flow and clot problems while on board the International Space Station, based on a six-month study of 11 healthy astronauts. The results may influence long-term spaceflight, including a mission to the planet Mars, according to the researchers.[443][444]
Scientists in Japan use single-cell RNA analysis to find that supercentenarians have an excess of cytotoxic CD4 T-cells, a type of immune cell.[445]
Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is fully mapped for the first time, using data from NASA's Cassini mission.[447]
Scientists report detecting, for the first time, sugar molecules, including ribose, in meteorites, suggesting that chemical processes on asteroids can produce some fundamentally essential bio-ingredients important to life, and supporting the notion of an RNA world prior to a DNA-based origin of life on Earth, and possibly, as well, the notion of panspermia.[448][449][450]
Researchers at the University of Notre Dame develop a new method for lifelong learning in artificial neural networks, which entails the use of a ferroelectric ternary content-addressable memory component. Their study, featured in Nature Electronics, aims to replicate the human brain's ability to learn from only a few examples, adapting to new tasks based on past experiences.[451]
20 November
Astronomers report a notable gamma ray burst explosion, named GRB 190114C, initially detected in January 2019, that, so far, has been determined to have had the highest energy, 1 Tera electron volts (Tev), ever observed for such a cosmic event.[452][453]
A study shows that the consensus among climate change scientists has grown to 100%, based on a review of 11,602 peer-reviewed articles published in the first seven months of 2019.[454]
Astronomers from Yale University report that the recently detected interstellar comet2I/Borisov (including coma and tail), is "14 times the size of Earth", presented an image comparing the comet size with the size of planet Earth [...] and stated, "It's humbling to realize how small Earth is next to this visitor from another solar system."[460]
Researchers report, based on an international study of 27 countries, that caring for families is the main motivator for people worldwide.[461][462]
Chinese astronomers report the discovery of LB-1, the name of a galactic B-type star,[466] as well as the name of a very closely associated over-massive stellar-mass black hole,[467] at least 7,000 light-years (2,100 pc) from Earth.[467] The black hole is, at nearly 70 solar masses, over twice the mass as the maximum predicted by most current theories of stellar evolution.[466][467][468]
December
2 December: Molecule, PJ34, found that promotes the self-destruction of up to 90% of the pancreatic cancer cells in laboratory mouse studies.[469][470]
2 December
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy demonstrate X-ray Laser-Enhanced Attosecond Pulse generation (XLEAP), a new method for observing the movements of electrons, using lasers just 280 attoseconds long.[471]
Researchers from Tel Aviv University describe how a molecule known as PJ34 triggers the self-destruction of pancreatic cancer cells, which were reduced by up to 90% in mouse models.[469][470]
3 December – Researchers from the University of Bath report the creation of artificial neurons that reproduce the electrical properties of biological neurons onto semiconductor chips.[472][473]
6 December – New calculations show that hollow spherical bubbles containing positronium gas are stable in liquid helium and could therefore serve as the source of positronium Bose-Einstein condensates for gamma-ray lasers, which could be used for medical imaging, spacecraft propulsion, and cancer treatment. Work to realize such bubbles is ongoing and near term results might have applications in quantum computing.[478]
7 December – Didier Queloz, winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics, takes issue with those who are not supportive of helping to improve climate change, stating, "I think this is just irresponsible, because the stars are so far away I think we should not have any serious hope to escape the Earth [...] Also keep in mind that we are a species that has evolved and developed for this planet. We're not built to survive on any other planet than this one [...] We'd better spend our time and energy trying to fix it."[479]
8 December – Astronomers report that the star Betelgeuse has significantly "fainted" in visibility and, possibly as a result, may suggest the star to be in the last stages of its evolution, and may be expected to explode as a supernova within the next 100,000 years, much sooner than thought previously.[480][481][482]
10 December: Substantial amounts of water ice detected just below the surface in certain areas on the planet Mars.[483]
9 December
Researchers at EPFL discover that the viscosity of solutions of electrically charged polymers dissolved in water is influenced by a quantum effect. This tiny quantum effect influences the way water molecules interact with one another.[484]
Researchers publish a study, "Ultrafast stimulated emission microscopy of single nanocrystals," in which they report on a technique for studying femtosecond events in non-fluorescent, nano-scale objects.[485]
Scientists in China create pigs with monkeyDNA; thus creating an animal hybrid with genetic material from two different species.[487]
Intel reveals a first-of-its-kind cryogenic control chip – code-named "Horse Ridge" – for control of multiple quantum bits (qubits) and scaling of larger quantum computer systems.[488]
Astronomers report studies that question the validity of an essential assumption supporting the existence of dark energy, suggesting that dark energy may not actually exist. Lead researcher of the new studies, Young-Wook Lee of Yonsei University, said, "Quoting Carl Sagan, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, but I am not sure we have such extraordinary evidence for dark energy. Our result illustrates that dark energy from SN cosmology, which led to the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, might be an artifact of a fragile and false assumption."[490][491]
NASA scientists report that substantial amounts of "water ice" may be readily available just below the surface on the planet Mars, in some particularly well mapped areas (image).[483]
Ford Motor Company, in a joint research project with Microsoft, reveals a "quantum-inspired" algorithm able to cut traffic by 73% and shorten commuting times by 8% in a simulation of 5,000 cars.[492][493]
11 December
Scientists report the discovery of cave art in central Indonesia that is estimated to be at least 43,900 years old, and noted that the finding was "the oldest pictorial record of storytelling and the earliest figurative artwork in the world".[494]
Researchers find evidence that the carbon dioxide concentration in the oceans rose before the asteroid impact that caused the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs. This was likely caused by long-term volcanic eruptions from the Deccan Traps and acidified the oceans already before the asteroid impact. Their results might inform preparations for consequences of contemporary human-caused climate change in the Earth system and were made possible by a new method for analyzing the calcium isotope composition of fossilized sea shells.[495]
16 December – Scientists report that a lamella-like thin-film transistor composed of metal oxide semiconductors and organic polymer can be fabricated at low temperatures from solutions and operate under severe stress conditions. The study could provide a low-cost way for a range applications for large-area flexible electronics.[497][498]
18 December
The CHEOPS space telescope, whose mission is to study the formation of extrasolar planets and determine their precise radius, likely density and internal structure, is launched.[499][500]
Scientists report that Homo erectus, a species of extinct archaic humans, may have survived to nearly 100,000 years ago, much longer than thought previously.[501][502]
28 December – NASA reports that astronaut Christina Koch has now spent 289 days on the International Space Station, more time in space than any other female astronaut, breaking the previous record of retired astronaut Peggy Whitson.[513]
30 December – Chinese authorities announce that He Jiankui, the scientist who claimed to have created the world's first genetically edited human babies, has been sentenced to three years in prison and fined 3 million yuan (US$430,000) for his genetic research efforts.[514][515][516]
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: This section seems to be missing November and December, and possibly parts of January, September, and October. Needs checking with the subarticles of Deaths in 2019.. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2019)
11 January – Michael Atiyah, British-Lebanese mathematician and Fields medalist (b. 1929)
6 February – Manfred Eigen, German chemist and Nobel laureate (b. 1927)
^Wan-Ting Chen; Kai Jin; Nien-Hwa Linda Wang (10 January 2019). "Use of Supercritical Water for the Liquefaction of Polypropylene into Oil". ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 7 (4): 3749–3758. doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b03841. S2CID104315099.
^ abBrancalion, Pedro H. S.; Niamir, Aidin; Broadbent, Eben; Crouzeilles, Renato; Barros, Felipe S. M.; Almeyda Zambrano, Angelica M.; Baccini, Alessandro; Aronson, James; Goetz, Scott; Reid, J. Leighton; Strassburg, Bernardo B. N.; Wilson, Sarah; Chazdon, Robin L. (3 July 2019). "Global restoration opportunities in tropical rainforest landscapes". Science Advances. Vol. 5, no. 7. doi:10.1126/sciadv.aav3223. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
^Vanderbosch, Z.; et al. (2019). "A White Dwarf with Transiting Circumstellar Material Far Outside Its Tidal Disruption Radius". arXiv:1908.09839v1 [SR astro-ph. SR].
^Powell, James (20 November 2019). "Scientists Reach 100% Consensus on Anthropogenic Global Warming". Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society. 37 (4): 183–184. doi:10.1177/0270467619886266. S2CID213454806. The consensus among research scientists on anthropogenic global warming has grown to 100%, based on a review of 11,602 peer-reviewed articles on "climate change" and "global warming" published in the first 7 months of 2019.
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