Thread Content
This post was last edited by I am kind on 2017-1-12 at 13:41. The Top 10 Scientific and Technological Advances in China for 2016, as well as the Top 10 Scientific and Technological Advances in the World for 2016, were announced in Beijing on December 31, 2016. These awards were selected through voting by academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering; they are organized by the Bureau of Academic Affairs of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the General Office of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the China Science News. The selected news features the most important scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs of the year. The top 10 scientific and technological news stories in China in 2016 were as follows: the successful launch of the world’s first quantum science experiment satellite, \"Micius\"” ； World’s largest single-aperture radio telescope put into operation in Guizhou ； The first flight of the Long March 5 was a success ； The return capsule of Shenzhou-11 spacecraft landed successfully, and the two astronauts returned home safely ； Leading the creation of a new map of the human brain ； Our country wins the highest award for supercomputing applications for the first time ； Pioneered in unraveling the mystery of the supramolecular structure of photosynthesis ； “The “Kaido” unmanned submersible sets a deep-dive record ； \"Antimatter has been successfully produced using ultra-intense and ultra-short lasers\"” ； The nuclear quantum effects of water were revealed for the first time. The top 10 scientific and technological breakthroughs of 2016 selected were: scientists announced the discovery of gravitational waves, confirming the final prediction of general relativity ； The most accurate three-dimensional map of the Milky Way to date has been created, revealing that the Milky Way is larger than previously thought ； New technologies can make data storage time approach “eternity”” ； Carbon nanotransistors outperform silicon transistors for the first time ； New 3D bioprinting technology marks a big step toward artificial organ transplantation ； Scientists have, for the first time, used a compound to transform skin cells into cardiocytes ； Scientists have for the first time created a “Schrödinger’s cat” in two locations simultaneously – a quantum dual-mode cat state ； Scientists have completely rewritten bacterial genomes, successfully reducing the genetic codons of E. coli ； Astronomers discover potentially habitable planets outside the solar system ； U.S. rocket makes first soft landing on a ship; inflatable capsule heads to space station. The top 10 Chinese scientific and technological advances and the top 10 global scientific and technological advances selected this time may not necessarily be the most cutting-edge ones from a scientific and technical perspective, but they reflect certain scientific achievements that attract the attention of the academicians of the two academies, as well as the issues that are currently of significant concern in China’s scientific and engineering communities. It can be seen that they not only place importance on understanding the objective world, but also value using technology to benefit humanity and address the problems of survival and development faced by people. It is reported that this annual award ceremony has been held 23 times so far. After the selection results were widely reported in the news media, they generated a strong response in society, enabling the public to gain a better understanding of the developments in science and technology both at home and abroad, and playing a positive role in promoting and popularizing scientific knowledge. Top 10 Science and Technology News Stories in China in 2016: 1. Successful launch of the world’s first quantum science experiment satellite, “Micius”. At 1:40 a.m. on August 16, the Long March 2D carrier rocket successfully launched the world’s first quantum science experiment satellite, “Micius”. This will enable our country to achieve quantum communication between satellites and the ground for the first time in the world, thereby establishing an integrated space-ground system for quantum secure communication and scientific experiments. Led by Academy Fellow Pan Jianwei, the team of leading scientists has achieved breakthroughs in quantum satellites developed through independent research, overcoming a series of key technical challenges including high-precision tracking, maintenance of polarization states between the satellite and Earth along with basis vector correction, as well as on-board quantum entanglement sources. The project was carried out jointly by units such as the **Space Science Center** of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Shanghai Institute of Microsatellite Innovation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth Sciences. The successful launch and operation in orbit of quantum satellites will help China maintain and enhance its international leadership in the practical application of quantum communication technology, leading to a significant improvement in information security and information technology capabilities. This is of great significance for promoting the sustainable development of China’s series of space science satellites. 2. The world’s largest single-aperture radio telescope was completed and put into use in Guizhou. The 500-meter-aperture spherical radio telescope, known as the \"super sky eye,\" was completed on September 25 in a karst depression in Pingtang County, Guizhou Province, and began to receive electromagnetic waves from deep within the universe, marking a significant original breakthrough by China at the forefront of science. The concept for this project was proposed by Chinese astronomers in 1994, and it took 22 years from the preliminary research to its completion. It is the world’s largest single-aperture and most sensitive radio telescope, featuring independent intellectual property rights of China. Its numerous unique capabilities make it one of the best radio telescopes in the world, and this will also provide important opportunities for new discoveries in world astronomy. As a **major scientific and technological infrastructure, the ‘Sky Eye’ project consists of several key components, including an active reflector system, a feed source support system, a measurement and control system, receivers and terminals, as well as observation bases. The active reflector is a dome-shaped cable-net structure composed of tens of thousands of steel cables and 4,450 reflective units; it resembles a giant pot in shape, with a receiving area equivalent to that of 30 standard football fields. 3. Successful maiden flight of Long March 5: At 20:43 on November 3, China’s most powerful new-generation launch vehicle, the Long March 5, was successfully launched for the first time. This success marked China’s launch capacity as being among the world’s best, as the country moved from being a major space power to a true space powerhouse. The Long March 5 represents the highest level of technological innovation in carrier rockets in our country; it fills the gap in terms of high-thrust, non-toxic and pollution-free liquid rocket engines, and achieves a major breakthrough in the technology for launching with such specialized engines. It also serves as an important foundation and prerequisite for carrying out major scientific and technological projects and large-scale initiatives such as the third phase of future lunar exploration programs, manned space stations, and the first Mars exploration mission. Tasks such as the Chang’e-5 mission’s landing on the Moon for sample collection in 2017, the launch of the space station’s core module in 2018, and the launch of a Mars probe in 2020 will all rely on the Long March 5 rocket. 4. The return capsule of Shenzhou-11 landed successfully; the two astronauts returned home safely. At 13:59 on November 18, the return capsule of Shenzhou-11 landed successfully in the designated area in central Inner Mongolia. The astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong were in good health, and the manned mission involving Tiangong-2 and Shenzhou-11 was a complete success. The Shenzhou-11 spacecraft was launched at 7:30 on October 17, and subsequently docked with Tiangong-2 to form a combined module. Two astronauts entered Tiangong-2 and stayed there for 30 days. During the flight, a series of space science experiments and technical tests were carried out. This is the 6th manned space flight carried out by our country, and it is also the second operational flight of the manned space transportation system composed of the improved Shenzhou manned spacecraft and the improved Long March 2F launch vehicle. The successful completion of the Tian Gong-2 and Shenzhou-11 manned missions marks a decisive achievement in the laboratory phase of China’s manned space program, laying a more solid foundation for the subsequent construction and operation of space stations. 5. Leading the creation of a new map of the human brain: The team led by Jiang Tianzi from the Brain Network Group Research Center at the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with other teams from home and abroad, has successfully created a new map of the human brain – the Brain Network Group Map – which was published online in the international academic journal Cerebral Cortex. The research team overcame the bottlenecks in traditional brain mapping methods that have existed for over 100 years, and proposed a new approach and method for creating brain network maps by utilizing information on brain structure and functional connections. The atlas includes 246 detailed subregions of the brain, which is 4 to 5 times more detailed than the traditional Brodmann atlas; it features objectively precise boundary definitions, and for the first time establishes a macroscopic map of live brain connections. Brain network atlases have opened up new avenues for understanding the structure and function of the human brain, providing valuable insights for the design of future brain-inspired intelligent systems. They will also lay the foundation for new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for neurological and mental disorders, and assist in identifying areas damaged by strokes or epileptic foci as well as in the precise removal of gliomas during neurosurgical operations, thereby improving the quality of diagnoses and treatment outcomes. 6. China wins the highest award for supercomputing applications for the first time. The project \"10-million-core scalable fully implicit simulation of global atmospheric dynamics\", developed through collaboration between the Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University and other institutions, has received the Gordon Bell Prize, the highest honor in the field of international high-performance computing applications. The research team proposed a fully implicit solver algorithm suitable for heterogeneous multi-core environments, which not only improves the efficiency of long-duration numerical simulations but also makes full use of the powerful computing capabilities of the \"Sunway TaihuLight\" supercomputer. “Since its release on June 20, the \"Kaiyu Taihu Light\" system has enabled various application teams at home and abroad to make breakthroughs by using it; over 100 application results have been achieved, covering 19 fields such as climate and meteorology, oceanography, aerospace, biology, materials science, high-energy physics, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences. Winning the highest award for supercomputing applications for the first time indicates that Chinese researchers are turning the speed advantages of supercomputing into practical advantages; it shows that while China’s supercomputers possess speed advantages, they are also steadily narrowing the gap with world-leading levels in terms of application capabilities. 7. Pioneering in unraveling the mystery of the supramolecular structure of photosynthesis: A research team from the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, made an important breakthrough in photosynthesis research by being the first in the world to determine the high-resolution three-dimensional structure of the photosynthetic supercomplex in the higher plant spinach. This research was published in the May issue of the journal Nature. Research on the photosynthetic mechanism based on structure holds significant theoretical importance, and it will also provide insightful solutions to issues such as energy, food, and the environment. Using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, the research team was able to determine the three-dimensional structure of the photosystem II-light-harvesting complex II supermembrane protein complex in higher plants (spinach) at a resolution of 3.2 angstroms (1 angstrom = 0.1 nanometer). This achievement marked the first time that the supramolecular structure involved in photosynthesis has been deciphered, providing important structural insights into the principles of its assembly with peripheral light-harvesting antennas as well as the energy transfer processes involved. These findings offer valuable insights for converting light energy into clean energy in the form of hydrogen. 8. The “Haidou” unmanned submersible set a deep-dive record. Image source: Chinese Academy of Sciences website. The research vessel “Exploration 1” conducted China’s first comprehensive exploration of the deep sea at depths of 10,000 meters in the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench from June 22 to August 12. China’s independently developed unmanned submersible “Haidou” successfully conducted one dive at a depth of 8,000 meters, two dives at depths of 9,000 meters each, and two dives at depths exceeding 10,000 meters. Its maximum diving depth reached 10,767 meters, setting a new record for the greatest diving and operational depth achieved by any Chinese unmanned submersible. This accomplishment makes China the third country, after Japan and the United States, to possess the capability to develop unmanned submersibles capable of operating at depths of 10,000 meters or more. This achievement has brought about a series of important breakthroughs, indicating that the deep sea at depths of 10,000 meters is no longer off-limits to China’s marine science and technology community. It represents another milestone in this field, following the successful sea trials of the Jiaolong submersible at depths of 7,000 meters. The success of China’s first scientific expedition to the abyss at a depth of 10,000 meters signifies that the country’s innovation capabilities in deep-sea technologies are shifting from primarily “following” other countries to achieving “parallel development” and even “leadership.” This marks the first step toward fully realizing the strategic goals set forth in the 13th Five-Year Plan regarding manned and unmanned deep-sea dives to 10,000-meter depths. 9. “Antimatter” was successfully produced using ultra-intense and ultra-short lasers. Image source: Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The **Key Laboratory of High-Intensity Laser Physics** at the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics utilized ultra-intense and ultra-short lasers to generate antimatter in the form of ultra-fast positron sources; this discovery will have significant applications in areas such as non-destructive material testing, laser-driven electron-positron colliders, and cancer diagnosis. The relevant research findings were published in March in the journal Plasma Physics. The acquisition of this antimatter involved a relatively complex process and optimization, addressing the noise issues caused by gamma rays; by taking advantage of the different deflection behaviors of positrons and electrons in a magnetic field, positrons were ultimately observed successfully. In the future, it holds application prospects in fields such as high-energy physics, non-destructive material testing, and cancer diagnosis. Due to its pulse width being on the order of femtoseconds, it enables an **improvement in the time resolution of detection, thereby allowing for the study of the ultra-fast evolution of material properties. 10. For the first time, the nuclear quantum effects of water were revealed. A research team led by Wang Enguo, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Jiang Ying, a professor at Peking University, discovered for the first time in the world the nuclear quantum effects of water, providing a new perspective on the mysteries of water. The relevant research findings were published in the journal Science on April 15. The study of the quantization of the hydrogen nucleus is very challenging both experimentally and theoretically. The research team made breakthroughs in relevant experimental techniques and theoretical methods, achieving imaging of the internal degrees of freedom of individual water molecules and direct identification of the hydrogen bond network structure of water; on this basis, they detected the dynamic transfer process of hydrogen nuclei. A technique called “tip-enhanced inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy” was developed, which enabled the acquisition of high-resolution vibration spectra of individual water molecules for the first time on an international scale, allowing the strength of individual hydrogen bonds to be measured. The \"non-harmonic zero-point motion\" of hydrogen nuclei weakens weak hydrogen bonds and strengthens strong hydrogen bonds; this physical picture is quite generalizable to various hydrogen bond systems, and it clarifies the quantum nature of hydrogen bonds, which has been a subject of long-standing debate in the academic community. Top 10 scientific breakthroughs of 2016: 1. Scientists announce the discovery of gravitational waves; the final prediction of general relativity is confirmed. On February 11, American scientists announced that they had detected the existence of gravitational waves for the first time. Gravitational waves were the last missing piece in the experimental verification of Einstein’s general theory of relativity, and their discovery represents a milestone achievement in the field of physics. On June 15, researchers from two gravitational wave detection projects in the United States and Europe announced once again in San Diego, California, that they had detected these \"ripples in spacetime\" – gravitational waves – \"very clearly\" once more. The delay between detecting the gravitational wave signal and announcing the discovery was because scientists needed to analyze and verify the relevant data. In research results published in the American journal Physical Review Letters, scientists detected gravitational wave signals resulting from the merger of two black holes. These two black holes are located 1.4 billion light-years from Earth. Before merging, their masses were approximately 8 and 14 times that of the Sun respectively; after merging, their combined mass was about 21 times that of the Sun. Of this total mass, roughly 1 solar mass was converted into energy, which was released in the form of gravitational waves during the merger process. 2. The most accurate three-dimensional map of the Milky Way to date has been created; it turns out that the Milky Way is larger than previously thought. Scientists have produced a three-dimensional map of the Milky Way with unprecedented precision. This research finding indicates that the size of the galaxy in which humanity resides is much larger than scientists had previously assumed. On September 14, the European Space Agency (ESA) released the first batch of data from the Gaia star map project at the European Space Astronomy Centre in Madrid, Spain. The new catalog contains the positions in the universe of 1.1 billion stars, of which 400 million stars have never been observed before. For many stars, the positioning accuracy reaches 300 milliarcseconds – equivalent to the width of a hair as seen from a distance of 30 kilometers – which will help astronomers better determine the three-dimensional structure of the Milky Way. By combining the new measurement results with data from ESA’s Gaia satellite, researchers were able to determine the accurate distances and movements of a subset of 2 million stars, thereby providing more precise information for studying their physical properties and the gravitational field of the Milky Way. 3. New technologies can make data storage last close to \"forever.\" Researchers at the University of Southampton in the UK have invented a technology called \"five-dimensional data storage\" that not only allows for the storage of huge amounts of data, but also ensures that this data can be retained for over ten billion years – essentially, for a period close to \"forever.\" The data capacity of a single storage medium using this technology can reach up to 360 terabytes, which is far higher than the capacity of current mainstream hard drives. This technology uses a femtosecond laser to write data into a transparent quartz medium. A femtosecond laser is a type of laser that operates in pulse form, with a duration that is extremely short—only a few femtoseconds (1 femtosecond equals 10 to the power of negative 15 seconds). Quartz media contain nanoscale structural dots, and the five properties of these dots—their three-dimensional spatial position, size, and orientation—can all be used to store information; hence it is referred to as \"five-dimensional data storage\". When light passes through these structural features, its polarization properties and other characteristics change; therefore, relevant data can be obtained using an optical microscope and a polarizer. 4. Performance of carbon nanotransistors exceeds that of silicon transistors for the first time. American researchers announced on September 6 that they have successfully developed a carbon nanotransistor whose performance surpasses that of existing silicon transistors, which could pave the way for carbon nanotransistors to replace silicon transistors in the future. Silicon is the current mainstream semiconductor material, widely used in various electronic components. However, due to the inherent properties of silicon, traditional semiconductor technology is believed to be approaching its limits. Carbon nanotubes possess the semiconductor properties of silicon, and the scientific community hopes to use them to create next-generation electronic components that are faster and consume less energy, thereby extending the battery life of devices such as smartphones and laptops, as well as increasing the speed of wireless communication and computing. However, for a long time, carbon nanotubes have faced a series of challenges when used as transistors; their performance has consistently lagged behind that of silicon and gallium arsenide transistors. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States described the various difficulties they overcame in the journal Science Advances. 5. New 3D bioprinting technology takes a big step forward toward artificial organ transplantation. Researchers reported in the journal Nature Biotechnology that artificial ears, bones, and muscle tissues printed using the newly developed 3D bioprinting system remained viable when transplanted into animals. Once this technology matures in the future, it may help solve the difficulties associated with artificial organ transplantation. At present, organ tissues printed using 3D bioprinting technology are usually highly unstable in structure and too fragile to be used in surgical transplants. Moreover, due to the lack of vascular structures and their small size, even if transplanted, such organs have difficulty obtaining oxygen and nutrients, making it hard for them to survive. To address the aforementioned issues, the research team improved existing 3D bioprinting technology and developed the \"Tissue and Organ Integration Printing System\" (ITOP). This newly developed 3D bioprinting system uses a water-based gel containing active human or animal cells, combined with biodegradable polymer materials as printing materials, to help artificial organs form stable structures. 6. Scientists convert skin cells into heart and brain cells using a compound for the first time. American researchers have successfully transformed skin cells into heart muscle cells and brain cells using a compound; this significant breakthrough lays the foundation for using chemical agents to repair and regenerate tissues and organs in the future. This research was led by Professor Ding Sheng, a Chinese scientist from the University of California, San Francisco, and its findings were published in two papers in the American journals Science and Cell Stem Cell. Converting skin cells into heart or brain cells has previously been achieved through transgenic methods; however, small-molecule drugs can not only **increase the efficiency and speed of this process, but also prevent potential risks associated with introducing genes into cells, such as tumor formation. 7. Scientists have for the first time created a “Schrödinger’s cat” state across two locations – a quantum two-mode cat state. On May 26, the American journal Science published a study in which scientists produced a even more peculiar form of “Schrödinger’s cat” in experiments; this state exists simultaneously in two boxes. This achievement represents another step toward the development of practical and reliable quantum computers. In 1935, Austrian physicist Schrödinger proposed the famous “Schrödinger’s cat” paradox. A cat that is both dead and alive is absurd in the real world, but with the development of quantum mechanics, scientists have successfully brought systems composed of multiple particles to this incomprehensible quantum \"Schrödinger’s cat\" state. This research introduces the element of quantum entanglement to single-mode cat states for the first time, and realizes a two-mode cat state for the first time. This is a problem that was anticipated 20 years ago and has finally been resolved today. The practical applications of this achievement lie in quantum computing, and it is also beneficial to other quantum information technologies, such as quantum communication and quantum precision measurement. 8. Scientists have completely rewritten bacterial genomes, successfully reducing the genetic codons of E. coli. Synthetic biologists have recently reported the most significant result to date in terms of bacterial genome rewriting. This progress includes the reuse of 3.8% of the base pairs in E. coli. The researchers published these findings in the American journal Science on August 18. The researchers replaced 7 of the 64 genetic codons in E. coli (the sequences that specify the genetic code for amino acids). They can now reduce the number of genetic codons by synthesizing DNA in 55 fragments, each with a length of 50,000 base pairs. The researchers also assembled these fragments into a functional E. coli strain. This research is an important step toward designing organisms with new properties, such as resistance to viral infection. This study is a demonstration that such thorough reconstruction projects are feasible. 9. Astronomers discover potentially habitable planets outside the solar system. An international team reported on August 24 in the online edition of the British journal Nature that, through long-term observations, they found that a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri may have conditions suitable for the development of life. Proxima Centauri is the star closest to our solar system, and perhaps in the near future humans will be able to send probes to this potentially habitable planet to search for signs of life. Proxima Centauri is located in the constellation Centaurus; it is a red dwarf star situated about 4.2 light-years away from the solar system. Due to its low surface temperature and dull color, humans cannot observe this neighboring star with the naked eye. An international team of researchers from countries such as the UK, the US, France, Germany, and Chile used telescopes at the European Southern Observatory and other facilities to detect signs of planets orbiting near Proxima Centauri ； Subsequent observations ultimately confirmed the existence of this planet, named Proxima b. 10. U.S. rocket makes first soft landing on a spacecraft; inflatable capsule heads to space station. NASA’s Dragon spacecraft carried the first experimental inflatable capsule to the International Space Station on April 8, marking its first delivery of supplies to the station since an explosion occurred with the same spacecraft last June. Equally noteworthy is the fact that the first stage of the launch rocket achieved a soft landing on an unmanned vessel, which is a first in the history of rocket recovery. As with previous launches, SpaceX once again attempted to have the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket land vertically on an unmanned ship in the Atlantic named \"Of Course I Still Love You.\" The previous 4 similar attempts all failed. Videos posted online by the company show that as the rocket approached the unmanned vessel, its speed gradually decreased and it kept adjusting its landing posture; eventually, it landed steadily at an angle of 90 degrees between the rocket body and the deck, with only a slight deviation from the exact center of the vessel.