The field of science goes through major changes every few months, which a lot of us probably do not even know or care about. But thousands of scientists, researchers, specialists are constantly working on some projects which will majorly affect respective fields- be it astronomy, medicine or archaeology. Each field has their own specialists who are constantly at work and come up with some brilliant discoveries. As the year 2018 comes to end, it is time to look back at the major breakthroughs of the year. Discovering more about what we know and inventing new things in the process, is a major step in the field of science. Today, let us look at some of the biggest scientific developments of 2018. Medical Breakthroughs of 2018: From Penis Transplant to FDA-Approved Cannabis, 14 Biggest Moments in Health This Year. 

Some Biggest Discoveries and Inventions of 2018

Cloning Monkeys

In a laboratory experiment in China, two healthy monkeys were cloned successfully using one donor. After a result of 70 attempts, two identical female monkeys were cloned and it was a huge step for the world of biomedical research. The goal of this research was to create more identical macaques to use in medical experiments. As monkeys are the closest in the ancestral graph to humans, particularly they chose to be cloned. Is Cloning of Humans Possible? Monkeys ‘Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua’ Becomes First Non-Human Primates to be Cloned.

Tesla Car in Space

Elon Musk's company SpaceX awed everyone when he launched a Tesla into space in the month of February. Musk attached the car on his rocket, Falcon Heavy- the most powerful launcher. For his experimental flight, Musk sent his red Tesla car into space and is said to go into the orbits close to the sun. The car might just keep flying out there for more than a hundred years, or could enter back into the Earth's orbit too.

 

Life on Mars Revelations by Curiosity Rover 

NASA's Curiosity Rover has been an immense contributor to studying deeply about the red planet. The constant question of life forms on Mars was answered by the Curiosity Rover. It revealed that the Martian surface contains organic molecules, which points out to the sign of ancient life on Mars. It also spoke of the seasonal variations that take place on Mars. A lot of discussions were held around life on Mars, conspiracy theorists with their independent researches and search of life forms.

Same-Sex Mice Giving Birth

Scientists were able to create life forms from same-sex mice pair in China. After a very successful monkey cloning, this was another breakthrough which took place in China. Using stem cells and gene editing, about 29 baby mice were born from a pair of 2 female mice. There were no problems with these babies and they grew well to have their own babies later. Scientists were able to make the genes compatible with each other and the same did not work when tried to 2 male mice. Check Pics of Healthy Mice Babies of Same-Sex Parents.

World's Oldest Known Animal

In the field of archaeology, it was a major breakthrough when the world's oldest known animal was revealed. An ancient fossil from about 558 million years ago of animal called Dickinsonia was revealed by Australian researchers from a remote area in Russia. The fossil looked more like a leaf-structure but the findings revealed it was an aquatic creature living on the planet 20 million years before the big explosion. More than a decade old mystery of the world's oldest animal was solved this year. World's Oldest Snake Fossil Dating Back to 100-Million-Years Found in Myanmar.

Vegetation on Antarctica

Scientists have been trying hard to figure out possibilities of life on Mars. And in order to sustain on the red planet, some veggies or rather some food is necessary. To help understand the surface, temperature, weather and overall conditions, scientists tried vegetation in the controlled environment of Antarctica. The Antarctica greenhouse project, saw scientists growing a considerable amount of veggies in the extreme temperatures. The idea was to execute the same in outer space at some point.

Scientists and researchers are still at work and strive continuously to find what we do not know. There are many more experiments that were successful and many that are still in the pipeline. The above list does not include all of the breakthroughs but we have tried to accommodate something from each space.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2018 03:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).