Scientific research, in its various disciplines, does not cease in its efforts to make the world progress, save lives, and learn more about the world around us. For this reason, every year scientific news leaves us headlines that amaze us, and others that, unfortunately, remind us of the serious implications for the biosphere that pollution and the exploitation of resources entail.
In 2020, the scientific landscape has been filled with a new coronavirus, first observed at the end of 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Since then, SARS-CoV-2, which causes the COVID-19 disease, has been unleashed in a global pandemic, seriously affecting all countries on Earth, with more than ten million infections and 512,000 deaths. (as of July 1); and causing a general health and economic crisis.
Since January, hundreds of scientific publications and dozens of laboratories are making great efforts to develop an effective vaccine, as well as effective treatments. In addition, based on the measures of social confinement and progressive lack of definition, the experts have tried to guide the general population and the governments of the countries in the responsible use of masks and other medical supplies.
But life goes on. Physics, paleontology, biology … other sciences have also made amazing discoveries. But one of the most talked about achievements of the moment has revolved around space exploration, hand in hand with SpaceX and NASA. The Falcon9 rocket and the Crew Dragon spacecraft, owned by Elon Musk’s privately owned company, carried two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time in history, on the first commercial manned flight in history. .
Verno 2020 was also a key year for Martian exploration: three missions (the United Emirates Mars Hope mission; the China Tianwen-1 mission; and the American Perseverance mission) were sent to the red planet.
In September, there were two remarkable astronomical findings: the detection of the most massive black hole with gravitational waves; and the finding of phosphane on Venus , a possible biomarker; However, this news received a lot of criticism, since it is alleged that it could have been a measurement error. Exciting, in any case!
Do you want to know what more news has marked so far in 2020? We do a quick refresher so you can catch up at a glance! Keep scrolling through this photo gallery.
