Top 7 Most Interesting Science Stories Of 2022.

2022 was a big year for science. From genetically-engineered heart transplants to finding out why Saturn has shimmering rings, scientists and science have given us some of the most interesting stories of this year. 

Before 2022 comes to an end, let’s take a look at the 7 most interesting science stories of the year. 

Top 7 Most Interesting Science Stories of 2022 

1. Man receiving a genetically engineered heart of a pig for transplant

We are not click-baiting you with this title. This is a true story and one of the most bizarre and fascinating inventions in science of the year. 57-year-old David Benett was terminally ill and in dire need of a heart transplant. In January, the US Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency transplant authorization to be performed on Bennett. Bennett received a genetically modified pig heart which was performed by cardiothoracic surgeon Bartley Griffith, MD, University of Maryland Medical Center. The heart transplant was a groundbreaking discovery in science and opened up the door for Xenotransplantation. 

Unfortunately, Bennett passed away 2 months after the transplant. 

2. The NASA Dart Mission 

On September 26, NASA’s DART satellite crashed into Asteroid Dimorphos, successfully reducing its orbit time by 32 minutes and changing its trajectory. With the success of this mission, we now stand a better chance than ever of saving the planet from a future asteroid strike and avoiding the same fate as dinosaurs. 

3. China has created an artificial sun that is five times hotter than the actual Sun.

Chinese scientists created the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), a nuclear fusion reactor that set records by maintaining a temperature of 158 million degrees Fahrenheit (70 million degrees Celsius) for 1,056 seconds. The accomplishment moves researchers a small but important step closer to developing a source of nearly limitless clean energy. EAST had already broken a record by operating for 101 seconds at an unheard-of 216 million F in May 2021.

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In comparison, the actual sun's core reaches temperatures of about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit.

4. James Webb telescope discovered a multitude of the oldest galaxies and remnants of stars in the universe. 

After its successful launch in December 2021 and early 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope started probing into the known universe and captured the most interesting things, such as the pillars of creation, the oldest star, and the oldest galaxy in the universe. 

5. There is now a plausible explanation for the rings of Saturn

Until 2022, there was no plausible explanation for the beautiful rings surrounding Saturn. Astronomers from MIT and UC-Berkeley have put forth a theory that suggests that once upon a time, Saturn had an icy moon named Chrysalis. Chrysalis was shattered by the planet and its other moon Titan, approximately 160 million years ago. The remains of Chrysalis are now seen as the shimmery rings surrounding Saturn. 

Related | NASA’s James Webb Captures The Clearest Picture of Neptune’s Rings

6. Time traveling can become a possibility 

Source: Science.com

A study published in the Physical Review D theorizes that the entrances to black holes and white holes could be connected by wormholes, acting as a space-time conduit. And that wormholes are real and exist in space, but are hiding in plain sight. 

If wormholes are indeed real, then their existence would shatter everything we know about space and time, and time travel which is often shown in sci-fi could very well become a reality.  

Related | What Is The Difference Between Black Holes And Wormholes?

10. Nanomaterial Graphyne can now be synthesized in bulk

Source: Wikipedia

In 1987, Baughman et al first theorized the synthesis of Graphyne, a nanomaterial. Since then, scientists have been intrigued by graphyne for a long time because of its resemblance to the "wonder substance" graphene and trying to create the novel form of carbon. But owing to recent findings from the University of Colorado Boulder, that endeavor is now over. Scientists from University of Colorado Boulder have been successful in finally synthesizing Graphyne, that too, in bulk.

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Science is fascinating! It’s filled with amazing facts and mysteries that challenge our understanding of the world. In fact, it’s one of the few things you can always count on to stay unchanged.

As humans, we constantly try to make sense of the world around us. This is why science is so interesting — it helps us to understand the natural world and our place in it. 

We hope that you liked this article on 7 of the most interesting science stories of 2022. 

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