2024 saw several exciting scientific breakthroughs. One of the most notable was the significant progress made by SpaceX with their Starship rocket. This powerful and fully reusable launch vehicle aims to revolutionize space travel, making it more affordable and accessible for future missions to the Moon and Mars. While the Starship program faced challenges, its advancements this year have generated significant excitement and anticipation for the future of space exploration, reports BBC.
Chopstick Catch
SpaceX achieved a significant milestone in October when the Starship rocket’s lower booster successfully landed back on its launchpad during its fifth test flight. This marked a significant step towards SpaceX’s goal of developing a fully reusable and rapidly deployable rocket for lunar and Martian missions. Engineers at SpaceX hailed the successful landing as a “day for the history books.
Mapping Fly Brain
Scientists have successfully mapped every single neuron and its connections within the brain of a fruit fly, an insect with a brain smaller than a pinhead. This unprecedented level of detail provides valuable insights into brain function and represents a major leap forward in our understanding of the human brain.
Lost City Found
A PhD student, Luke Auld-Thomas, stumbled upon evidence of a lost Mayan city while researching for his dissertation. He was reviewing laser survey data from a Mexican environmental monitoring organization when he noticed patterns that suggested the presence of a large ancient city, potentially home to 30-50,000 people during its peak between 750 and 850 AD.
IVF Rhino Pregnancy
In a significant breakthrough for rhino conservation, scientists achieved the world’s first IVF pregnancy in a southern white rhino, a close relative of the critically endangered northern white rhino.
While the surrogate mother unfortunately died from an infection, the successful development of the 6.5cm male foetus within her demonstrated the viability of using IVF techniques to preserve the northern white rhino species. This groundbreaking achievement offers hope for the survival of these critically endangered animals.
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Source: BBC
