Most of us are searching about the Ukraine war and the International political Deadlock around it on Google. Overnight we have a great number of experts predicting the future of conflict. Those inclined to actively monitor the market trends due to exposure to the stock markets are either are busy covering the losses or those with killer attitudes are in buying mode. Those here in the US are searching the thread comparing a hypothetical republican response versus the current democrat one. Some are also searching for past glory for the US in the International arena. Back home those famous for their anti-incumbent stance are searching points to accuse the Indian Government of doing nothing for Ukraine. Some are searching historical facts before world wars to predict if there is going to be another world war. Those inclined in domestic affairs are searching for data to predict the outcome of elections in UP, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Manipur. UP polls decide the trend in National Politics. Those opposing the incumbents are searching for numbers to claim a decline in the fortunes of the state which seems to have got a handle on organized crime. Punjab is searching for answers on the agrarian and social front. Goa politics is searching for stability, employment, and an end to corruption in mining and casinos. Uttarakhand searches for answers for environmentally sustainable development and employment amidst political race inside and between the parties. Manipur searches for answers to insurgency and political instability. Those interested in State of Politics in the states like Maharashtra and Karnataka are searching for answers to terror link of Ministers, unbelievable levels of corruption, unnecessary rows over religious symbolism. Bollywood is searching for a winning formula to compete against South and Hollywood cinema. Indian Cricket searches for answers to win ICC Silverware and continue overseas domination in tests under new management. Finally, we are all still in the search for answers posed by Pandemic to return to normalcy without facing another wave. In 2022 we have searched for everything. Things seem to be gloomy for mankind with the threat of a pandemic, world war, politics, and economic impact of all these events happening. On top of that, People are being fed with needless controversies and issues by mainstream and social media covering all this. And most importantly the threat of Climate change has posed more threatening questions to the future of Mankind.
But then someone shared new data which can make things look different. Data says the year 2022 is shaping up to be a remarkable year in science and technology and we are just 50 days into it. Nuclear fusion saw another major breakthrough… a ‘huge step’ in the quest for clean energy. A woman was cured of HIV through a breakthrough stem cell treatment. MIT engineers created an ‘impossible’ new material… stronger than steel but as light as plastic. An international team of scientists used supercomputers to unlock a ‘giant leap’ in the fight against antibiotic resistance. A new ‘game-changing’ carbon capture technology could deliver a step-change in our ability to remove carbon dioxide from the air. Researchers set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest-ever DNA sequencing technique… using it to sequence a human genome in just 5 hours and 2 minutes. A new breakthrough in spinal cord implants ‘could potentially allow paralyzed people to walk again. A ground-breaking new technology regrew a frog’s lost leg… and it might work on humans too. Surgeons completed the first-ever heart transplant with a genetically-modified animal heart… saving the life of a 57-year-old and taking a big step towards helping solve the global donor organ shortage. The biodegradable surgical tape has been invented… making some intestinal fixes as easy as ‘duct tape around leaky pipes. James Webb, the awe-inspiring $10 billion space telescope 25 years in the making, took its first images… a huge scientific milestone. An autonomous drone carrying a defibrillator saved the life of a 71-year-old having a heart attack… a first in medical history. Researchers in Sweden found a promising way to use solar power to convert carbon dioxide into fuel… using ultra-fast laser spectroscopy. The first controlled study of caloric restriction in humans is published, confirming the benefits and identifying a key protein that could be harnessed to extend health in humans. The largest and most accurate computer simulation to date of the local Universe from the Big Bang till the present is presented. OpenAlex, a free online index of over 200 million scientific documents – each with metadata such as sources, citations, author information, and research topics – is launched. The API and open source website can be used for metascience, scientometrics, and novel tools that query this semantic web of papers. The world is far from perfect, but we shouldn’t forget that never before have we had so many people whose sole purpose of work is to better understand how the world works! Though they might have spent years and years to achieve success, it is simply coincidental that they achieved success this calendar year. This is another reason to present this collection of these research accomplishments against the gloomy searches for our worldly answers.
Though we cannot predict what will happen in the next ten months of 22, as numerous researchers are working towards breakthroughs spending the day in and day out for the last many years. But, we have a few events planned. In March, The Large Hadron Collider is planned to recommence full operations. In June there is a planned launch of ESA's JUICE spacecraft, which will explore Jupiter and its large ice-covered moons after a seven-year transit. In August, NASA's Psyche Aircraft will be launched towards an asteroid. In September: ESA's EXOMars rover Rosalind Franklin will be launched to Mars. ISRO plans to launch the Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission in the third quarter of 2022
We can hope against hope that despite all its follies and self-destructive streaks human mind has the capability to research the universe and find answers to human problems.
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