The months following December 2019 became quite a real-life dystopian science fiction movie when news of a new virus in Wuhan, China broke out and spread worldwide. Everyone was still going on about their lives in the first quarter of 2020, not knowing that life was about to change into something now known as the “new normal.” Then the virus was finally given a name: Covid-19, and soon almost every country had cases, and the numbers only started to rise. Then the lockdowns, restrictions, social distancing, and mask-wearing days started alongside the vaccinations and anti-vaccine movements.
But in between all these depressing things happening and the light at the end of a tunnel in the form of the vaccines, there have been many other scientific breakthroughs that you may have missed out on. It’s totally fine if you did, as the media frenzy around the pandemic and any news related to it are still trending these days. But if you did miss out on some of this groundbreaking news, then you’re in luck, as you can check out some of them here.
Scientific Breakthroughs That Should Be On Your Radar
“Depressing” is a word that people shouldn’t just use casually, but it’s an apt adjective to describe what the world has turned into in a span of two years since the Covid-19 pandemic started. If you’re suddenly into alternative forms of wellness or nutraceutical manufacturer herbal medicines, then that’s all cool. Everyone has to find ways to cope with what’s happening. It’s still better than Gal Gadot singing “Imagine.”
But if you’re into some good news or maybe some fascinating scientific breakthroughs that all the frenzy surrounding the pandemic has overshadowed, then here are some that might interest you:
1. World Health Organization (WHO) declared one of the largest Ebola outbreaks is over.
To start this list with good news related to another disease should be suitable to give you some hope that the Covid-19 pandemic will soon be declared over as well. Okay, so, on June 25, the WHO has finally closed the chapters of the second biggest Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This outbreak is named Kivu, and it has infected more than 3,480 and killed around 2,300. While the Kivu outbreak’s infected people and death toll are nowhere near the Covid-19’s figures, it’s still good news that scientists and healthcare workers worked hard for, and that should be celebrated.
2. Scientists discover plastic-devouring bacteria.
Of course, everyone is well aware of the plastic pollution crisis that most people are still choosing to ignore these days, but there is some hope that this problem will soon have more long-term solutions. The plastic-eating bacteria called Ideonella sakaiensis was discovered in 2016 by scientists in Osaka, Japan. Unfortunately, it might be too early to celebrate this news, as scientists discovered that the bacteria could only decompose PET, a specific kind of plastic. Still, it’s one small step that could revolutionize how the world will deal with its plastic problem. More research is being done to utilize these bacteria in something that could potentially be used commercially.
3. Scientists stumble upon a massive reef.
Suppose you’re into some major discoveries concerning marine life. In that case, you should know that a team of scientists in the research vessel of Schmidt Ocean Institute has discovered a coral reef taller that I said to be taller than The U.S.A.’s infamous Empire State Building. The reef is approximately 1,640 feet tall, and it looks like it has been housing many thriving marine creatures and organisms, some of which are new marine species. Isn’t that amazing, especially as humanity has only explored 5% of the planet’s oceans?
4. Two students discover what could be the oldest Homo erectus skull.
Being a student means that people mostly expect you to learn and study, but that is not the case with Jesse Martin and Angeline Leese from Australia’s La Trobe University. The two students found skull pieces that they extracted from rocks in Johannesburg, South Africa, and initially thought they were of an ancient baboon. But after they finished assembling it, they finally realized it was a humans’, and further tests show that it could be two million years old.
Science Is Amazing
With all the recent preposterous movements that the pandemic has caused to begin, like the anti-maskers and the anti-vaccine people, it will continue to baffle many people what kind of childhood they have gone through to feel they know better than scientists. Yes, science changes as better science comes along all the time, but it just shows how fascinating it is. Don’t you love science?
