Image for representational purposes.
Credit: iStock Photo
The field of science was buzzing with experiments, discoveries, and naming of galaxies. This year, the ample amount of advancements in quantum mechanics, botany, genetics, and even space saw some of the most prominent milestones made to understand mankind and the vastness of the universe we share.
Here are some of the milestones the field saw, an emphasis to develop on resources for our benefits, another revolutionary era for science.
The discovery of Alaknanda
Image of the newly discovered spiral galaxy Alaknanda (inset) as observed in the shorter wavelength JWST bands. Several bright galaxies from the foreground Abell 2744 cluster are also seen.
Credit: TIFR
In a time where astronomers did not believe that formation of mature galaxies could exist, scientists from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Pune identified a a spiral galaxy which is said to have existed since 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. Rashi Jain and Yogesh Wadadekar named it as 'Alaknanda', after the well-known Himalayan river.
The two researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to explore the galaxy, an unexpected gift of their interests. Noting how the galaxy looks very similar to our own Milky Way, its spiral arms, a distinct disc-shape, and a bright core.
This changes everything we ay know about the origination of galaxies, and the way the evolve with time. In an interview with BBC, Wadadekar described it as a "different beast." He mentioned how 'Alaknanda' has the ability to form stars 20-30 times faster that the Milky Way's. "It's massive, it's one-third of the Milky Way in size, and has 10 billion stars. The galaxy is forming new stars at a rate that's roughly 20-30 times faster than our Milky Way's current star formation rate," he said.
Space enthusiast mention that this newly-found galaxy could very well be a twin to the one we call home. With two symmetrical arms emerging from a disc at the centre, it showcases the pattern of 'beads-on a-string', as Rashi Jain described it.
Breakthrough in humans' fire-making timeline
Representative image of fire.
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In an amazing breakthrough, scientists discovered that early mankind began making and controlling fire around 400,000 years ago. The archaeological proof specified that Neanderthals began making fire much before than we first predicted, pushing back the previously implied timeline by almost, if not more than, 350,000 years.
Recent studies in England's East farm, where flint handaxes distorted by heat, reddened silt, and fragments of iron pyrite were found, revealed that this find could shift the narrative shaped by centuries.
Various excavations done at other sites unearthed pieces of ancient skulls that suggest that the Neanderthals may have been residing there. The iron pyrite found could suggest that it may have been a part of an ancient fire-making kit.
Though it can also naturally exist due to chemicals in the ground, the East Farm region has no geological deposits on the land, said the study's co-author Andrew Sorensen.
This research's foundation reiterates that aspect that if the origin of fire-making can be this ancient, this milestone marks another step into understanding our stands in the past.
Appearance of 3I/ATLAS
The trajectory of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes through the solar system.
Credit: NASA Photo
A notable interstellar guest of the year, comet 3I/ATLAS was first spotted in the month of July, by the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile. It is only the third known interstellar object on records, apart from Oumuamua observed in Hawaii (2017) and Comet Borisov in Crimea (2019).
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been monitoring its movements around our solar system, until it moves out. It is expected to make the closest contact with earth on December 19, and this unusual guest's appearance will be a treat to enthusiasts who follow it.
The images of 3I/ATLAS took the space world by a storm, with its speed shocking ones who study it. The comet came closest to the Sun on October 30 when the Earth was on the opposite side of our star.
With a hyperbolic orbit and unique compositions, it is said to have originated from another star system, approaching from the direction of Sagittarius. It was discovered when it was in Jupiter's orbit, and poses no threat to Earth.
First case of correcting ultrarare mutation with CRISPR gene editing
Representative image of a DNA.
Credit: iStock Photo
As the medical world explores the methods of gene correction, in a first, a team of doctors at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine corrected a mutation in a nine-month-old KJ Muldoon at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia using CRISPR gene editing.
KJ was diagnosed with a condition where he was unable to break down proteins, leading to heavy accumulation of ammonia which could have eventually led to organ failure. The only treatment option was a liver transplant, which he was too young for.
His is the precedent case of halting an ultrarare disease using the editing tool. This procedure involves modification or deletion of gene sequences, and in KJ's case they replaced a single DNA base.
World’s first quantum processor powered by topological core
Majorana 1 chip.
Credit: Microsoft
With quantum computing being a talk of the scientific town, the world's first Quantum Processing Unit (QPU) powered by a Topological Core was unveiled by Microsoft earlier this year in February.
Built using the Majorana particle, the power of the chip can be scaled to a million qubits, while still being small in size. The company claims that such chips could be more powerful than all of the world's computers.
It includes a material called a topological superconductor (topoconductor) that provides a more stable pathway for movement of the qubits. Their Its properties are between traditional conductors and insulators, and are said to keep quantum information after for a long period of time. Many call it the answer to unlock the enormity of quantum computing, making the idea of fast technological inventions closer than ever.
Childhood brain cancer breakthrough with drug CT-179
Representative image of brain cancer.
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In a cancer research first, an Emory University and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute study revealed that a potential targeted therapy for brain cancer diagnosed at childhood is functional in infiltration and killing of tumour cells in models tested in mice.
The drug CT-179 targets a subset of tumour cells in pediatric cancer that resists therapy, and the study finds a lesser toxic and more effective treatment to improve patients' quality of life.
Timothy Gershon, an Emory University Professor, said the findings prove to be an advancement in the understanding of cancer cells' growth and related biological processes. In an article by Technology Networks, Gershon says, "Current treatments, including radiation and chemotherapy, often eliminate most of the tumor, but sometimes fail to eliminate cancer stem cells."
He continues, "These cancer stem cells can regrow the tumor after treatment, causing fatal recurrence. We show that CT-179 treatment specifically disrupts cancer stem cells. Combining CT-179 with treatments such as radiation therapy treats the whole tumor more effectively, including both stem cells and tumor cells that are not stem cells. Adding CT-179 to combinations of treatments may bring new efficacy to brain tumor therapy."
Algae moving in Arctic ice
Representative image of the Arctic sea.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
At the extreme temperatures of the Arctic, one would not expect to see movement in the frigid ice structures. But, in the Chukchi Sea, scientists found diatoms, a type of algae, as brown streaks in sea ice.
Being able to capture the algae's movements and cell behaviour, they noticed the diatoms' motility (in a gliding fashion) at subzero and lower temperatures.
This movement is enabled by actin filaments in their cells giving them the ability to glide on such surfaces. What many considered a dormant environment to thrive, these diatoms' discovery is essential in learning about durability of life in extreme environmental conditions, such as this icy space.
Plastic waste to carbon capture material
Representative image of plastic bottles.
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In a strong move towards sustainability, a bis-aminoamide called BAETA is developed from plastic waste when exposed to a mixture of gases. It chemically binds itself to carbon dioxide at temperatures up to 170°C.
Attributing the creation to researchers at the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University, Ji-Woong Lee, who assisted in the study, said, "Any useful carbon capture material needs to be made in the millions of tons per year from cheap and abundant sources." As stated by Chemical and Engineering News, Lee mentioned that plastic is an abundant and cheap source.
He mentioned how recycling options for such plastic waste is necessary, with alternatives proving beneficial for our environment. The most widely produced, and heavily discarded plastic is the polyethylene terephthalate (PET), though deemed fit for recycling.
This creation could potentially help reduce carbon emissions and minimize plastic pollutants in the environment. "The beauty of this method is that we solve a problem without creating a new one. By turning waste into a raw material that can actively reduce greenhouse gases, we make an environmental issue part of the solution to the climate crisis," said Margarita Poderyte, lead author of the research paper disclosing the invention, as quoted by ScienceDaily.
As the year comes to a close, 2025 saw a driven need to fight for resources to develop, answers to secrets sought, learn about our environment to preserve it, and more. The world of science continues to ponder on the journeys taken, and what more to achieve for the betterment of our planet.