On December 8, The Atlantic, an American magazine, for the first time, published the "Top Ten Breakthroughs of the Year" list, summarizing the most important technological advancements globally in 2022. These achievements span the stages of human life from birth to death and cover a wide range of fields from human cells to space.
The Atlantic stated that a theme of this year's list is the "twin ideas" principle, meaning that significant breakthroughs often have more than one contributor. For example, the telegraph was invented by Charles Wheatstone and Samuel Morse in the same year, 1837, and the patent for the telephone was applied for by Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell on the same day in 1876. Accordingly, many of this year's breakthroughs are the result of team efforts rather than individual awards.
This year, within just a few months, several astonishing generative artificial intelligence (Generative AI) applications have emerged, and humanity has achieved several "unheard of" breakthroughs in cancer treatment in one year. In this golden age of new vaccine technology, different companies are building on the success of COVID-19 vaccines to provide new antiviral weapons for humanity.
"These breakthroughs are just the beginning of the long story we call progress. Some promising discoveries may never produce affordable and widely used products. Others may take years or even decades to realize their potential. Capable companies, fair policies, and wise regulations will be necessary to guide these 'seedlings' to truly flourish," the magazine wrote.
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Google's Imagen video can create short high-definition video clips through artificial intelligence generation technology. Image source: Google
The outbreak of generative artificial intelligence: A new dawn in the way of creation
The most important technology story of this year may be that artificial intelligence tools seem to have reached the outer boundary of human creativity. Artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) applications, such as the image generation model "Stable Diffusion" and AI painting tool DALL-E 2, transform text prompts into rich illustrations. Large language models, such as the just globally popular ChatGPT, can answer complex questions, output customized Wikipedia articles in seconds, write lyrics, and even create articles in the style of famous writers, although sometimes mediocre. In the short term, they are expected to become assistants to practitioners in the creative industry.
Derek Thompson, a reporter for The Atlantic, wrote: "As a journalist, I am most excited about their potential to help me complete complex writing. When I feel stuck with a definition or a transitional sentence, I can give an artificial intelligence a prompt, and after tasting the feast of online writing, it will generate some sentences that I can edit into my own voice."
In fact, Thompson adapted the above passage with ChatGPT, and the prompt he gave was: "Write an article about the significance of GPT in The Atlantic in the style of Derek Thompson." Thompson said that it is fashionable to declare that there is help from ChatGPT now, but it may become redundant in a few years because a lot of writing will have the assistance of artificial intelligence.
Aditya Ramesh, a co-inventor of DALL-E, said that the goal of his technology is to teach "artificial intelligence systems to see the world in a human way." However, what is even more eerie is that these tools will also teach humans to see the world in the way of artificial intelligence. Over time, humans will learn how to talk to these things, fluently use their unfamiliar language, and discover how to produce amazing original artworks with a set of perfect words. These incredible tools may change human ideas about how to work, how to think, and what human creativity really is.The Power to Reverse Death: Organs Revived in Dead Pigs
Is death reversible? For a few pigs this year, at least for their organs, it is. By injecting an experimental substance into the blood vessels of animals that had been dead for an hour, researchers at Yale University managed to restart their hearts. Yale bioethicist Stephen Latham said that the technology is "very far from being used in humans." In the short term, scientists hope that their research can help doctors preserve the organs of those who have just died for transplantation surgery.
However, the long-term implications of the experiment cannot be ignored. If we have the ability to revive the hearts or other organs of people who have just died, when might we be able to reverse sudden death? Can we revive soldiers who have lost too much blood on the battlefield? Can we stockpile a barrel of such organs in hospitals and nursing homes to save patients? Should every family in the future keep some of these organs in case of a terrible accident?
The Power of Synthetic Life: Mouse Embryo "Born" Without Sperm or Eggs
This summer, scientists cultivated a mouse embryo in the laboratory without the use of sperm, eggs, or a womb. The key is that a team at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel cultivated the embryo in the laboratory using only stem cells. It grew a tail on the sixth day, a beating heart on the eighth day, and even a rudimentary brain. Some scientists say that this result, published in the journal Cell this year, is the most important scientific breakthrough of 2022.
Scientists are not yet close to turning stem cells into human infants, but this work does show that humans have made a significant leap in the ability to cultivate synthetic organs and more closely study the relationship between embryonic mutations and developmental diseases. As developmental biologist Paul Tesar of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine said, "As long as science begins to enter a place where it is feasible to develop from a group of stem cells in a petri dish to organ development, this is a rather crazy and extraordinary era."
The Vaccine Troops Are Coming: New Vaccines Against Malaria and All Influenza
Decades later, historians may consider the 2020s as the golden age of vaccine breakthroughs, with the COVID-19 vaccine just the beginning.
In September, a new malaria vaccine developed by scientists at the University of Oxford was found to be highly effective. A trial involving 450 children in Burkina Faso found that three doses of the vaccine plus a booster shot were up to 80% effective in preventing infection. Malaria causes more than 400,000 deaths every year and is not caused by a virus, but by a protozoan called Plasmodium, for which there has been no extensive vaccine attempt so far. However, the latest trial of the Oxford vaccine has taken humanity a step closer to solving this problem that leads to child mortality.
In November, scientists discovered an experimental influenza vaccine that can induce protective immune responses against all known types of influenza in animals. This breakthrough used mRNA technology, which, although it cannot prevent all influenza infections, can enhance the immune protection level of patients, reduce the harm of seasonal influenza, and alleviate scientists' concerns that the next global pandemic may come from an influenza strain with a higher mortality rate than COVID-19. The influenza virus family is very broad, with at least 20 identified lineages. The current influenza vaccine provides very limited protection. However, a universal influenza vaccine will help our immune system prepare to deal with every type of influenza. Scott Hensley, a professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, said, "Imagine if the global population was prepared for every influenza subtype, wouldn't that be a good thing?"The James Webb Telescope has captured spectacular new images of the "Pillars of Creation," which refers to the star-forming region in the Eagle Nebula.
Snapshot of the Dawn of Time: Seeing the First Galaxies in the Universe
In July, NASA's James Webb Telescope sent back its first image from the cosmos, showcasing the brilliant nebula with unprecedented clarity. One image, resembling a de-nucleated cherry, actually captured a red spot with a history of over 13 billion years, providing us with the oldest snapshot of the "infant universe" ever.
These exquisite photos may lead to new discoveries in cosmology. By flipping through the snapshots of the "infant universe," scientists may be able to piece together the story of the beginning of the universe. Behind these dreamlike images, there may be evidence of what actually happened during or after the Big Bang.
And this is just the beginning. "Astronomers haven't even turned the Webb telescope to its maximum capacity yet," writes Marina Koren of The Atlantic. "With every deep observation, every look back into the past, the telescope will bring us closer to the cosmic Big Bang, revealing dark galaxies." The James Webb Telescope not only has the most complex camera zoom function in the solar system, but it is also the greatest time machine in history.
Unheard-of Progress in Fighting Cancer: Magical Treatments and Home Tests
In a trial involving 18 rectal cancer patients, researchers found that every patient's cancer disappeared because they underwent a new type of immunotherapy. Dr. Luis Diaz Jr. of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center said, "I believe this is the first time this has happened in the history of cancer."
A few months later, a trial of a new drug for metastatic breast cancer also achieved similar miraculous results. Scientists have developed a monoclonal antibody therapy that targets tumor cells with mutated protein HER2 - a common culprit in cancer. These drugs sought out and destroyed cells with mutations with astonishing precision, extending the lives of many patients by more than six months. In a conversation with The New York Times, one doctor called these results "unheard of," while another doctor considered the trial "a new standard of care."
This study brings new hope that a combination of genetic breakthroughs and targeted therapies can precisely fight cancer cell by cell without the need for multiple rounds of brutal chemotherapy. Another gene mutation often associated with various cancers is KRAS, which was once considered "incurable." However, this year, according to The Wall Street Journal, in a study, Amgen's drug targeting this mutation in lung cancer defeated common chemotherapy, helping patients survive without tumor progression.
Finally, as most people know, the best way to treat cancer is to detect it early. However, many of the deadliest cancers are undetectable before they worsen, and waiting for them to worsen is akin to a death sentence. For this reason, simple and accurate tests may be one of the most important fronts in the long-term war against cancer. This year, Grail launched a blood test called Galleri, which is not cheap, not perfect, and not yet approved by the FDA, but it is a start. The test looks for circulating tumor DNA in the blood, costing nearly $1,000. According to two early reports, this screening can detect 50 types of cancer with a false-positive rate of less than 1%. If such tests become cheaper, more accessible, and more accurate, they will herald a hopeful future for the medical community - breakthroughs in early detection and late-stage treatment that will squeeze cancer from both ends.Treatments for Obesity Increase: Truly Effective Weight Loss Drugs
Until recently, most responsible doctors did not prescribe medication for weight loss. The term "weight loss drugs" was understandably a pejorative, with patients having to choose between diet and exercise, or bariatric surgery. However, in the past 18 months, due to a pleasant surprise, weight loss drugs have undergone an extraordinary revolution.
In the 2010s, patients taking the diabetes drug semaglutide noticed something interesting: they lost a significant amount of weight. And this side effect was not accidental. Last year, the FDA approved semaglutide for weight loss in injectable form, with a new name: Wegovy. Wegovy appears to work by mimicking hormones that regulate insulin release, as well as by slowing the rate at which the stomach empties.
Semaglutide is not the only drug that helps people lose weight without significant side effects. Another similar weight loss drug called tirzepatide has shown in its latest clinical trials that patients' weight decreased by an average of 20%. The drug may receive FDA approval next year.
In addition, Amgen is currently testing a drug called AMG-133. In the first phase of trials, patients taking the highest dose lost more than 14% of their body weight in less than three months. Amgen's larger phase II study will begin next year.
Deciphering Multiple Sclerosis Cases: Understanding the "Long Virus" Phenomenon
In terms of long-term effects, the coronavirus is not particularly special, as many viral diseases can have long-lasting impacts. Over time, scientists may come to understand that many significant diseases should be considered as infected with a "long virus."
For example, more than 1 million Americans currently suffer from multiple sclerosis. This year, a team of scientists studying a military population reported strong evidence that the Epstein-Barr virus, known for causing mononucleosis, is the main cause of multiple sclerosis. Infection with the Epstein-Barr virus increases the risk of developing multiple sclerosis by more than 30 times. This research helps to focus efforts to prevent multiple sclerosis on vaccines targeting the Epstein-Barr virus.
Legal Lab-Grown Meat: Regulation Takes the Lead
Some breakthroughs are about new regulations, not just new technologies.This year, the FDA approved California-based Upside Foods to produce lab-grown chicken, marking the first-ever cultured meat product to break through this critical regulatory barrier. Although there are still many hurdles to overcome, such as approval from the Department of Agriculture, before consumers can order Upside Foods' chicken sandwiches, this is at least a beginning.
Currently, cultured meat is only a minuscule part of the global animal product industry. However, as time goes on, with regulatory approval and commercial success, scientists will have the funding to perfect the fat and protein density of cultured meat. Decades from now, millions of people may truly come to appreciate the consistency and taste of non-animal meat, as when cultured ribeye steaks become as stable as electronic devices, consumers can feel assured about what they are purchasing.
The small reactor NuScale Power Module was selected for Time magazine's 2022 list of inventions of the year.
Green energy revolution: smaller nuclear reactors and greater geothermal energy breakthroughs
Combating climate change requires the deployment of already invented technologies, such as solar panels and wind turbines, but also new inventions in the fields of nuclear and geothermal technologies. This year, humanity is closer to achieving breakthroughs in both categories.
Due to well-known nuclear accidents, people are concerned about the safety of nuclear power, and the cost of nuclear power is high. However, small and safe reactors will be cheaper to build and faster to approve. The only small reactor with an approved design by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the NuScale Power Module, was selected for Time magazine's 2022 list of inventions of the year. The reactor, less than 80 feet tall, can generate enough clean electricity to power approximately 60,000 homes. The first plant may begin operation by the end of this decade.
Then there is geothermal energy, which means drilling deep underground to harness the Earth's heat to generate electricity. Geothermal is an ideal energy source, more stable than wind or solar power, and without nuclear waste. The problem is that in some parts of the world, one must drill very, very deep to access geothermal energy. When drilling deep into the Earth, one encounters ancient rocks (usually granite), which require new technology to penetrate. The newly established Quaise company is researching a drilling technology that can vaporize granite with a beam of highly concentrated radio frequency energy. If such technology can be widely used, deep drilling will become common, and almost any piece of land can access geothermal energy. It is as if humanity has a magic wand, waving it on Earth to make any place as energy-rich as oil fields in Texas or Saudi Arabia.