Scientific Discoveries: 2014

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_in_science

 
By Category

 
By Month

 
 
By Category [Top]

Anthropology [Top]

  • Genetic analysis of a European male from 7,000 years ago reveals he had dark skin, dark hair and blue eyes – suggesting that lighter skin color evolved much later than previously assumed. (January)

  • Archaeologists report that human footprints, possibly from Homo Antecessor, that may be as much as 1 million years old, were found at Happisburgh in eastern England, in May 2013. (February)
  • A new study suggests that modern humans and Neanderthals co-existed in Europe for up to 5,000 years – 10 times longer than previously thought. (August)

  • The Oregon cave, where the oldest DNA evidence of human habitation in North America was found, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The DNA, radiocarbon dated to 14,300 years ago, was found in fossilized human coprolites uncovered in the Paisley Five Mile Point Caves in south-central Oregon. (October)

 
Astronomy [Top]

  • The asteroid 2014 AA is first sighted and impacts the Earth a few hours later. This is only the second time an asteroid is observed before impacting Earth (the first being 2008 TC3). (January)

  • ESA scientists report the detection, for the first definitive time, of water vapor on the dwarf planet Ceres, largest object in the asteroid belt. The detection is made by using the far-infrared abilities of the Herschel Space Observatory. (January)

  • The discovery of four new galactic clusters is announced in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. (February)

  • The first global geologic map of Ganymede, the largest moon in the Solar System, is produced. (February)

  • Astronomers report that asteroid 2000 EM26, a Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) and Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA), 270 m (890 ft) in diameter, safely passed by the Earth at a distance about 8.8 times further from Earth than the Moon. (February)

  • NASA announces the discovery of 715 exoplanets by its Kepler mission, increasing the total number of confirmed planets outside our Solar System to nearly 1,700. (February)

  • NASA scientists report that Yamato 000593, the second largest meteorite from Mars found on Earth, contains microscopic spheres rich in carbon that may have been formed from biotic activity. (February)

  • NASA scientists report that asteroid 2014 DX110, a near-Earth asteroid roughly 20–40 m (66–131 ft) in diameter, passed less than 1 lunar distance from Earth. (March)

  • Astronomers report the discovery of a new minor planet, named 2012 VP113, beyond the planet Neptune in the solar system. (March)

  • Astronomers report the discovery of the first ring system around an asteroid (10199 Chariklo). (March)

  • NASA announces the discovery of Kepler-186f, the first Earth-sized exoplanet within the habitable zone of its host star. (March)

  • Asteroid impacts are more common than previously thought, according to a presentation by the B612 Foundation, which shows evidence that 26 multi-kiloton collisions have occurred since 2001. (March)

  • Astronomers measure an exoplanet’s length of day for the first time. Beta Pictoris b is found to have a day that lasts only eight hours. (March)

  • NASA reports that evidence for a large underground ocean of liquid water on Enceladus, moon of planet Saturn, has been found by the Cassini. According to the scientists, evidence of an underground ocean suggests that Enceladus is one of the most likely places in the solar system to “host microbial life”. (April)

  • Jupiter’s great red spot, a gigantic storm that has raged for over 300 years, continues to shrink. (May)

  • NASA releases the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field image composed of, for the first time, the full range of ultraviolet to near-infrared light. The image, in the constellation Fornax, includes some of the most distant galaxies to have been imaged by an optical telescope, existing shortly after the Big Bang. (June)

  • Astronomers detect the first Thorne-Żytkow objects (TŻOs). These hybrids of red supergiant and neutron stars, first proposed in 1975, had been “theoretical” until now. (June)

  • NASA announces strong evidence that nitrogen in the atmosphere of Titan, a moon of the planet Saturn, came from materials in the Oort cloud, associated with comets, and not from materials that formed Saturn in earlier times. (June)

  • NASA reports that gullies on the surface of the planet Mars are mostly formed by the seasonal freezing of carbon dioxide, and not by that of liquid water as considered earlier. (July)

  • Two stars – ULAS J0744+25 and ULAS J0015+01 – have been found orbiting the Milky Way at distances of 775,000 and 900,000 light-years from Earth, respectively. This makes them the most distant Milky Way stars ever detected, extending the boundaries of our home galaxy. (July)

  • NASA reports that a massive, potentially damaging, Solar Superstorm (Solar Flare, Coronal Mass Ejection, Solar EMP) event occurred on 23 July 2012, and barely missed Earth. There is an estimated 12% chance of a similar event occurring between 2012 and 2022, which could cause significant problems for civilization. (July)

  • NASA announces the determination of the most precise measurement so far attained for the size of an exoplanet (Kepler-93b); the discovery of an exoplanet (Kepler-421b) that has the longest known year (704 days) of any transiting planet found so far; and, the finding of very dry atmospheres on three exoplanets (HD 189733b, HD 209458b, WASP-12b) orbiting sun-like stars. (July)

  • The Rosetta spacecraft arrives at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The spacecraft is to begin close extended studies of a comet for the first time and is expected to land an associated probe, named Philae, on the comet’s surface in November, 2014. (August)

  • Astronomers release studies, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) for the first time, that detail the distribution of HCN, HNC, H2CO, and dust inside the comae of comets C/2012 F6 (Lemmon) and C/2012 S1 (ISON). (August)

  • Astronomers have determined that our own Milky Way galaxy is part of a newly identified supercluster of galaxies, which they have dubbed ‘Laniakea’. (September)

  • NASA reports finding evidence of plate tectonics on Europa, a satellite of the planet Jupiter – the first sign of such geological activity on another world other than Earth. (September)

  • Astronomers discover the first evidence of water ice clouds on an object outside of our own Solar System. (September)

  • India’s first probe to Mars – the Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan – successfully enters orbit at 02:00 UTC. (September)

  • NASA reports detecting water vapor on the exoplanet HAT-P-11b, the first time molecules of any kind have been found on such a relatively small exoplanet. (September)

  • A complex organic molecule, Isopropyl cyanide, has been discovered near the galactic core. This is more similar to amino acids – the building blocks of life – than any previous finding. Furthermore, it is present in abundant quantities. (September)

  • NASA reports the Curiosity rover on the planet Mars has reached Mount Sharp (or Aeolis Mons), a mountain at the center of Gale Crater and the rover mission’s long-term prime destination. (September)

  • NASA reports the GRAIL mission detected ancient rift valleys surrounding the large Oceanus Procellarum (“Ocean of Storms”) region of the Moon. (October)

  • New measurements of the Milky Way reveal there is half as much dark matter as previously thought, solving the 15-year-old “missing satellite galaxy” problem. (October)

  • Astronomers detect what appears to be a signature of ‘axions’, which are predicted to be dark matter particle candidates. If confirmed, this will be the first direct detection and identification of the elusive substance. (October)

  • The ALMA radio telescope in Chile reveals a protoplanetary solar system disk in never-before-seen detail. A series of concentric rings are visible in the image, showing the likely orbits of young planets in the process of being formed. (November)

  • Half of all stars may be found in the space between galaxies, according to a new study. (November)

 
Biology/Biomedical [Top]

  • Researchers show in precise detail how a molecular defect is responsible for Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2, then design a potential drug candidate to reverse the disease. (January)

  • A study finds that Cuvier’s beaked whale is capable of diving to a depth of 3.2 km and staying under water for 137 minutes, both records for a mammal. (March)

  • The sequencing of the tsetse fly genome, which causes the deadly sleeping sickness in Africa, is completed after a 10-year multimillion-dollar effort. (March)

  • Antibiotic resistance is now a “major global threat” to public health, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO). (March)

  • Scientists announce the discovery of pithovirus, the largest giant virus yet known, revived from a 30,000-year-old sample of frozen tundra. (March)

  • Eating seven or more portions (560 g) of fruit and vegetables a day reduces your risk of death at any point in time by 42 percent compared to eating less than one portion, reports a new study by University College London. (March)

  • Genetic mutations that drive cancer are tracked back to cancer stem cells in patients for the first time. (May)

  • The Worldwide Integrated Assessment, issued by the Task Force on Systemic Pesticides, provides “conclusive” evidence that neonicotinoid pesticides are damaging a wide range of beneficial species and are a key factor in the decline of bees. (June)

  • The largest ever study of its kind has found significant differences between organic food and conventionally grown crops. The former has almost 70 percent more antioxidants – equivalent to eating between 1-2 extra portions of fruit and vegetables a day – and significantly lower levels of toxic heavy metals. (July)

  • The anaphase-promoting complex – one of the most important and complicated proteins involved in cell division – has been mapped in 3D at a resolution of less than a nanometer. Researchers claim this finding could transform the understanding of cancer and reveal new binding sites for future cancer drugs. (July)

  • Russian cosmonauts report finding sea plankton on outer window surfaces of the International Space Station and are unable to explain how it got there. (August)

  • Scientists discover thousands of different types of microorganisms in Lake Whillans, a large body of water buried 800 m (2,600 ft) under the Antarctic ice sheet. (August)

  • Wine only protects against cardiovascular disease in people who exercise, a study finds. (August)

  • A study of 131,000 people has found that drinking tea reduces non-cardiovascular mortality by 24 percent. (August)

  • The coffee genome is published, with more than 25,000 genes identified. This reveals that coffee plants makes caffeine using a different set of genes from those found in tea, cacao and other such plants. (September)

  • Blue whales off the California coast have recovered to near historical population levels, numbering about 2,200. (September)

  • Biologists have identified a gene – AMPK – that can extend the life span of fruit flies by 30%. Furthermore, this affects the entire body when activated “remotely” in key organ systems. (September)

  • Studies show that taking three slow, short walks of five minutes each can reverse the harmful effects of prolonged sitting for three hours. (September)

  • A study of 100 billion animals fed genetically-modified and regular crops shows no effect of genetically-modified crops on animal health. (September)

  • Drinking three cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of abnormal liver enzyme levels by 25 percent, based on a study of 14,000 subjects. (October)

  • Researchers, for the first time, find a way of reproducing Alzheimer’s cells in a Petri dish. (October)

 
Climatology/Ecology [Top]

  • Melting sea ice in the Arctic and the resulting exposure of dark water is reducing Earth’s albedo more than previously forecast, according to NASA. (February)

  • Despite claims of a recent hiatus in global warming, the number of local temperature extremes has “dramatically and unequivocally increased in number and area”, according to researchers at the University of New South Wales. This has also occurred despite the complete absence of a strong El Niño since 1998. (February)

  • A large, previously stable part of Greenland is found to be melting rapidly, suggesting that future sea level estimates will have to be revised upwards. (March)

  • A new statistical analysis of temperature data since the year 1500 concludes “with confidence levels greater than 99%, and most likely greater than 99.9%” that recent global warming is not caused by natural factors and is man-made. (March)

  • Levels of atmospheric methane – a powerful greenhouse gas – had been stable for a decade, but recently began rising again. This can be explained by emissions from northern wetlands and thawing permafrost, according to a major study. (March)

  • Antarctica is now losing about 160 billion tons of ice a year to the ocean – twice as much as when the continent was last surveyed. (May)

  • Globally, May 2014 is the hottest May on record, according to data released by NOAA. (June)

  • A new report from Stanford University warns that biodiversity is reaching a tipping point that will lead to a sixth mass extinction. (July)

  • Globally, June 2014 is the hottest June since records began in 1880, according to latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This follows the warmest May on record the previous month. Experts predict that 2014 will be an El Niño year. (July)

  • NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 begins returning data on global CO2. (August)

  • Ice loss from the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets has more than doubled in the last five years, based on extensive mapping by the ESA satellite CryoSat-2. The “unprecedented” rate of melting – around 500 cubic kilometres of ice per year – is the highest on record. (August)

  • A new study finds there is 99.999% certainty that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are driving global warming. (September)

  • Greenhouse gas emissions are rising at their fastest rate since 1984, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). (September)

  • Globally, August 2014 is the hottest August on record, according to data released by NOAA. This follows the hottest May and June also this year. (September)

  • Man-made CO2 continues to track the high end of emission scenarios, eroding the chances to keep global warming below 2 °C, according to the Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research (CICERO). (September)

  • The current rate of species extinctions is 1,000 times faster than the pre-human era, according to a study in the journal Conservation Biology. (September)

  • Canada has overtaken Brazil to lead the world in forest decline, according to a new report. The pace of decline is accelerating with more than 104 million hectares – about 8.1% of global undisturbed forests — lost from 2000 to 2013. (September)

  • The rate of Amazon deforestation increased by 29% in 2013, with 5,891 km2 of forest cleared, according to figures released by the Brazilian government. (September)

  • A new study of global warming shows that ocean heat content has been greatly underestimated in the southern hemisphere. As a result, the world’s oceans are now absorbing between 24 and 58 per cent more energy than previously thought. (October)

  • Ocean acidification is causing nearly $1 trillion of damage to coral reefs each year, threatening the livelihoods of 400 million people, according to a report based on the work of 30 experts. (October)

  • Plants absorb 16% more CO2 than previously thought, according to research published in the journal PNAS. (October)

  • Globally, September 2014 is the hottest September on record, according to NASA data. This follows the hottest May, June and August, also this year. (October)

  • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) releases the final part of its Fifth Assessment Report, known as the Synthesis Report. This further discusses the possible future impacts of climate change and it is hoped will pave the way for a global, legally binding treaty in late 2015. (November)

 
Geology [Top]

  • A giant trench deeper than the Grand Canyon is discovered under Antarctic ice. (January)

  • New research indicates that most of the Grand Canyon is much younger than previously thought, having formed as recently as 5 or 6 million years ago, compared to 70 million years as previously estimated. (January)

  • A tiny fragment of zircon dating back 4.4 billion years is confirmed as the oldest known piece of Earth’s crust. It provides evidence that a solid crust formed much earlier in the planet’s history than was previously thought. (February)

  • The discovery of a ringwoodite sample provides strong evidence of water in huge volumes in the Earth’s mantle at 400 to 700 km (250 to 430 mi) below the surface. (March)

  • Researchers present new evidence of vast amounts of water in a transition layer below Earth’s crust. Although not in liquid form, it may represent the planet’s single largest reservoir. (June)

 
Paleontology [Top]

  • New analysis of a Tiktaalik Roseae fossil, dating back 375 million years, reveals a key link in the evolution of hind limbs that challenges existing theories on how they first developed. (January)

  • New and more precise dating techniques indicate that the End Permian extinction event happened over the course of 60,000 years, about 10 times faster than previously thought. (February)

  • A newly discovered ichthyosaur fossil reveals the earliest live reptile birth, dating back 248 million years. It suggests that live-bearing evolved on land and not in the sea. (February)

  • Researchers in Siberia state that they have access to good quality DNA that offers a “high chance” of cloning the woolly mammoth. (March)

  • Paleontologists in Argentina discover what appears to be the largest dinosaur yet found. Based on its gigantic thigh bones, it was 40 m (130 ft) long and 20 m (65 ft) tall, weighing 77 tons. The as yet unnamed species of Titanosaur lived in the forests of Patagonia between 95 and 100 million years ago. (May)

  • Scientists announce the discovery of a gigantic prehistoric bird, named Pelagornis sandersi, with the largest ever wingspan (up to an estimated 7.4 m (24 ft)). (July)

  • Oxygen-producing life forms were present on Earth 60 million years earlier than previously thought, according to geologists from Trinity College Dublin. (September)

  • A new fossil of Spinosaurus confirms it as the first known swimming dinosaur and the only known semi-aquatic dinosaur. It is also a larger predator than Tyrannosaurus Rex. (September)

 
Psychology and Neuroscience [Top]

  • Scientists at Kings College London have identified a gene linking brain structure to intelligence. (February)

  • New evidence, revealed in a study of 400 gay men, has strengthened the idea that male sexual orientation is influenced by genes. (February)

  • Researchers show the first evidence that green tea extract enhances cognitive functions, especially the working memory, suggesting a possible treatment for impairments such as dementia. (April)

  • A genetic mutation that causes autism is discovered. (June)

 
Physics [Top]

  • The maximum theoretical limit of energy needed to control the magnetisation of a single atom is demonstrated, a finding that could improve nanotechnology devices and quantum computers. (May)

  • Previously hypothesized Majorana fermions as quasiparticles are reported to be observed for the first time. (October)

 
 
By Month [Top]

 
January [Top]

  • Researchers show in precise detail how a molecular defect is responsible for Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2, then design a potential drug candidate to reverse the disease.

  • The asteroid 2014 AA is first sighted and impacts the Earth a few hours later. This is only the second time an asteroid is observed before impacting Earth (the first being 2008 TC3).

  • New analysis of a Tiktaalik Roseae fossil, dating back 375 million years, reveals a key link in the evolution of hind limbs that challenges existing theories on how they first developed.

  • A giant trench deeper than the Grand Canyon is discovered under Antarctic ice.

  • ESA scientists report the detection, for the first definitive time, of water vapor on the dwarf planet, Ceres, largest object in the asteroid belt. The detection is made by using the far-infrared abilities of the Herschel Space Observatory.

  • New research indicates that most of the Grand Canyon is much younger than previously thought, having formed as recently as 5 or 6 million years ago, compared to 70 million years as previously estimated

  • Genetic analysis of a European male from 7,000 years ago reveals he had dark skin, dark hair and blue eyes – suggesting that lighter skin color evolved much later than previously assumed.

 

February [Top]

  • Archaeologists report that human footprints, possibly from Homo antecessor, that may be as much as 1 million years old, were found at Happisburgh in eastern England, in May 2013.

  • New and more precise dating techniques indicate that the End Permian extinction event happened over the course of 60,000 years, about 10 times faster than previously thought.

  • Scientists at Kings College London have identified a gene linking brain structure to intelligence.

  • The discovery of four new galactic clusters is announced in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

  • The first global geologic map of Ganymede, the largest moon in the Solar System, is produced.

  • A newly discovered ichthyosaur fossil reveals the earliest live reptile birth, dating back 248 million years. It suggests that live-bearing evolved on land and not in the sea.

  • New evidence, revealed in a study of 400 gay men, has strengthened the idea that male sexual orientation is influenced by genes.

  • Astronomers report that asteroid 2000 EM26, a Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) and Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA), 270 m (890 ft) in diameter, safely passed by the Earth at a distance about 8.8 times further from Earth than the Moon.

  • Melting sea ice in the Arctic and the resulting exposure of dark water is reducing Earth’s albedo more than previously forecast, according to NASA.

  • A tiny fragment of zircon dating back 4.4 billion years is confirmed as the oldest known piece of Earth’s crust. It provides evidence that a solid crust formed much earlier in the planet’s history than was previously thought.

  • NASA announces the discovery of 715 exoplanets by its Kepler mission, increasing the total number of confirmed planets outside our Solar System to nearly 1,700.

  • Despite claims of a recent hiatus in global warming, the number of local temperature extremes has “dramatically and unequivocally increased in number and area”, according to researchers at the University of New South Wales. This has also occurred despite the complete absence of a strong El Niño since 1998.

  • NASA scientists report that Yamato 000593, the second largest meteorite from Mars found on Earth, contains microscopic spheres rich in carbon that may have been formed from biotic activity.

 
March [Top]

  • Scientists announce the discovery of pithovirus, the largest giant virus yet known, revived from a 30,000-year-old sample of frozen tundra.

  • NASA scientists report that asteroid 2014 DX110, a near-Earth asteroid roughly 20–40 m (66–131 ft) in diameter, passed less than 1 lunar distance from Earth.

  • The discovery of a ringwoodite sample provides strong evidence of water in huge volumes in the Earth’s mantle at 400 to 700 km (250 to 430 mi) below the surface.

  • Researchers in Siberia state that they have access to good quality DNA that offers a “high chance” of cloning the woolly mammoth.

  • A large, previously stable part of Greenland is found to be melting rapidly, suggesting that future sea level estimates will have to be revised upwards.

  • Astronomers report the discovery of a new minor planet, named 2012 VP113, beyond the planet Neptune in the solar system.

  • Astronomers report the discovery of the first ring system around an asteroid (10199 Chariklo).

  • A study finds that Cuvier’s beaked whale is capable of diving to a depth of 3.2 km and staying under water for 137 minutes, both records for a mammal.

 
April [Top]

  • Eating seven or more portions (560 g) of fruit and vegetables a day reduces your risk of death at any point in time by 42 percent compared to eating less than one portion, reports a new study by University College London.

  • NASA reports that evidence for a large underground ocean of liquid water on Enceladus, moon of planet Saturn, has been found by the Cassini. According to the scientists, evidence of an underground ocean suggests that Enceladus is one of the most likely places in the solar system to “host microbial life”.

  • Researchers show the first evidence that green tea extract enhances cognitive functions, especially the working memory, suggesting a possible treatment for impairments such as dementia.

  • A new statistical analysis of temperature data since the year 1500 concludes “with confidence levels greater than 99%, and most likely greater than 99.9%” that recent global warming is not caused by natural factors and is man-made.

  • NASA announces the discovery of Kepler-186f, the first Earth-sized exoplanet within the habitable zone of its host star.

  • Asteroid impacts are more common than previously thought, according to a presentation by the B612 Foundation, which shows evidence that 26 multi-kiloton collisions have occurred since 2001.

  • The sequencing of the tsetse fly genome, which causes the deadly sleeping sickness in Africa, is completed after a 10-year multimillion-dollar effort.

  • Levels of atmospheric methane – a powerful greenhouse gas – had been stable for a decade, but recently began rising again. This can be explained by emissions from northern wetlands and thawing permafrost, according to a major study.

  • Antibiotic resistance is now a “major global threat” to public health, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO)

  • Astronomers measure an exoplanet’s length of day for the first time. Beta Pictoris b is found to have a day that lasts only eight hours.

 
May [Top]

  • The maximum theoretical limit of energy needed to control the magnetisation of a single atom is demonstrated, a finding that could improve nanotechnology devices and quantum computers.

  • Jupiter’s great red spot, a gigantic storm that has raged for over 300 years, continues to shrink.

  • Genetic mutations that drive cancer are tracked back to cancer stem cells in patients for the first time.

  • Paleontologists in Argentina discover what appears to be the largest dinosaur yet found. Based on its gigantic thigh bones, it was 40 m (130 ft) long and 20 m (65 ft) tall, weighing 77 tons. The as yet unnamed species of Titanosaur lived in the forests of Patagonia between 95 and 100 million years ago.

  • Antarctica is now losing about 160 billion tons of ice a year to the ocean – twice as much as when the continent was last surveyed.

 
June [Top]

  • NASA releases the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field image composed of, for the first time, the full range of ultraviolet to near-infrared light. The image, in the constellation Fornax, includes some of the most distant galaxies to have been imaged by an optical telescope, existing shortly after the Big Bang.

  • Astronomers detect the first Thorne-Żytkow objects (TŻOs). These hybrids of red supergiant and neutron stars, first proposed in 1975, had been “theoretical” until now.

  • Researchers present new evidence of vast amounts of water in a transition layer below Earth’s crust. Although not in liquid form, it may represent the planet’s single largest reservoir.

  • Globally, May 2014 is the hottest May on record, according to data released by NOAA.

  • NASA announces strong evidence that nitrogen in the atmosphere of Titan, a moon of the planet Saturn, came from materials in the Oort cloud, associated with comets, and not from materials that formed Saturn in earlier times.

  • The Worldwide Integrated Assessment, issued by the Task Force on Systemic Pesticides, provides “conclusive” evidence that neonicotinoid pesticides are damaging a wide range of beneficial species and are a key factor in the decline of bees.

  • A genetic mutation that causes autism is discovered.

 
July [Top]

  • Scientists announce the discovery of a gigantic prehistoric bird, named Pelagornis sandersi, with the largest ever wingspan (up to an estimated 7.4 m (24 ft)).

  • NASA reports that gullies on the surface of the planet Mars are mostly formed by the seasonal freezing of carbon dioxide, and not by that of liquid water as considered earlier.

  • Two stars – ULAS J0744+25 and ULAS J0015+01 – have been found orbiting the Milky Way at distances of 775,000 and 900,000 light-years from Earth, respectively. This makes them the most distant Milky Way stars ever detected, extending the boundaries of our home galaxy.

  • The largest ever study of its kind has found significant differences between organic food and conventionally grown crops. The former has almost 70 percent more antioxidants – equivalent to eating between 1-2 extra portions of fruit and vegetables a day – and significantly lower levels of toxic heavy metals.

  • The anaphase-promoting complex – one of the most important and complicated proteins involved in cell division – has been mapped in 3D at a resolution of less than a nanometer. Researchers claim this finding could transform the understanding of cancer and reveal new binding sites for future cancer drugs.

  • Globally, June 2014 is the hottest June since records began in 1880, according to latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This follows the warmest May on record the previous month. Experts predict that 2014 will be an El Niño year.

  • NASA reports that a massive, potentially damaging, Solar Superstorm (Solar Flare, Coronal Mass Ejection, Solar EMP) event occurred on 23 July 2012, and barely missed Earth. There is an estimated 12% chance of a similar event occurring between 2012 and 2022, which could cause significant problems for civilization.

  • NASA announces the determination of the most precise measurement so far attained for the size of an exoplanet (Kepler-93b); the discovery of an exoplanet (Kepler-421b) that has the longest known year (704 days) of any transiting planet found so far; and, the finding of very dry atmospheres on three exoplanets (HD 189733b, HD 209458b, WASP-12b) orbiting sun-like stars.

  • A new report from Stanford University warns that biodiversity is reaching a tipping point that will lead to a sixth mass extinction.

 
August [Top]

  • The Rosetta spacecraft arrives at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The spacecraft is to begin close extended studies of a comet for the first time and is expected to land an associated probe, named Philae, on the comet’s surface in November, 2014.

  • Astronomers release studies, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) for the first time, that detail the distribution of HCN, HNC, H2CO, and dust inside the comae of comets C/2012 F6 (Lemmon) and C/2012 S1 (ISON).

  • NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 begins returning data on global CO2.

  • Russian cosmonauts report finding sea plankton on outer window surfaces of the International Space Station and are unable to explain how it got there.

  • Scientists discover thousands of different types of microorganisms in Lake Whillans, a large body of water buried 800 m (2,600 ft) under the Antarctic ice sheet.

  • Ice loss from the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets has more than doubled in the last five years, based on extensive mapping by the ESA satellite CryoSat-2. The “unprecedented” rate of melting – around 500 cubic kilometres of ice per year – is the highest on record.

  • A new study suggests that modern humans and Neanderthals co-existed in Europe for up to 5,000 years – 10 times longer than previously thought.

  • Wine only protects against cardiovascular disease in people who exercise, a study finds.

  • A study of 131,000 people has found that drinking tea reduces non-cardiovascular mortality by 24 percent.

 
September [Top]

  • The current rate of species extinctions is 1,000 times faster than the pre-human era, according to a study in the journal Conservation Biology.

  • Astronomers have determined that our own Milky Way galaxy is part of a newly identified supercluster of galaxies, which they have dubbed ‘Laniakea’.

  • Canada has overtaken Brazil to lead the world in forest decline, according to a new report. The pace of decline is accelerating with more than 104 million hectares – about 8.1% of global undisturbed forests — lost from 2000 to 2013.

  • A new study finds there is 99.999% certainty that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are driving global warming.

  • Oxygen-producing life forms were present on Earth 60 million years earlier than previously thought, according to geologists from Trinity College Dublin.

  • The coffee genome is published, with more than 25,000 genes identified. This reveals that coffee plants makes caffeine using a different set of genes from those found in tea, cacao and other such plants.

  • Blue whales off the California coast have recovered to near historical population levels, numbering about 2,200.

  • NASA reports finding evidence of plate tectonics on Europa, a satellite of the planet Jupiter – the first sign of such geological activity on another world other than Earth.

  • Biologists have identified a gene – AMPK – that can extend the life span of fruit flies by 30%. Furthermore, this affects the entire body when activated “remotely” in key organ systems.

  • Greenhouse gas emissions are rising at their fastest rate since 1984, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

  • Studies show that taking three slow, short walks of five minutes each can reverse the harmful effects of prolonged sitting for three hours.

  • Astronomers discover the first evidence of water ice clouds on an object outside of our own Solar System.

  • The rate of Amazon deforestation increased by 29% in 2013, with 5,891 km2 of forest cleared, according to figures released by the Brazilian government.

  • NASA reports the Curiosity rover on the planet Mars has reached Mount Sharp (or Aeolis Mons), a mountain at the center of Gale Crater and the rover mission’s long-term prime destination.

  • A new fossil of Spinosaurus confirms it as the first known swimming dinosaur and the only known semi-aquatic dinosaur. It is also a larger predator than Tyrannosaurus Rex.

  • A study of 100 billion animals fed genetically-modified and regular crops shows no effect of genetically-modified crops on animal health.

  • Globally, August 2014 is the hottest August on record, according to data released by NOAA. This follows the hottest May and June also this year.

  • Man-made CO2 continues to track the high end of emission scenarios, eroding the chances to keep global warming below 2 °C, according to the Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research (CICERO).

  • India’s first probe to Mars – the Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan – successfully enters orbit at 02:00 UTC.

  • NASA reports detecting water vapor on the exoplanet HAT-P-11b, the first time molecules of any kind have been found on such a relatively small exoplanet.

  • A complex organic molecule, Iso-propyl cyanide, has been discovered near the galactic core. This is more similar to amino acids – the building blocks of life – than any previous finding. Furthermore, it is present in abundant quantities.

 
October [Top]

  • NASA reports the GRAIL mission detected ancient rift valleys surrounding the large Oceanus Procellarum (“Ocean of Storms”) region of the Moon.

  • Previously hypothesized Majorana fermions as quasiparticles are reported to be observed for the first time.

  • The Oregon cave, where the oldest DNA evidence of human habitation in North America was found, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The DNA, radiocarbon dated to 14,300 years ago, was found in fossilized human coprolites uncovered in the Paisley Five Mile Point Caves in south-central Oregon.

  • A new study of global warming shows that ocean heat content has been greatly underestimated in the southern hemisphere. As a result, the world’s oceans are now absorbing between 24 and 58 per cent more energy than previously thought.

  • Ocean acidification is causing nearly $1 trillion of damage to coral reefs each year, threatening the livelihoods of 400 million people, according to a report based on the work of 30 experts.

  • New measurements of the Milky Way reveal there is half as much dark matter as previously thought, solving the 15-year-old “missing satellite galaxy” problem.

  • Drinking three cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of abnormal liver enzyme levels by 25 percent, based on a study of 14,000 subjects.

  • Researchers, for the first time, find a way of reproducing Alzheimer’s cells in a Petri dish.

  • Plants absorb 16% more CO2 than previously thought, according to research published in the journal PNAS.

  • Globally, September 2014 is the hottest September on record, according to NASA data. This follows the hottest May, June and August, also this year.

  • Astronomers detect what appears to be a signature of ‘axions’, which are predicted to be dark matter particle candidates. If confirmed, this will be the first direct detection and identification of the elusive substance.

 
November [Top]

  • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) releases the final part of its Fifth Assessment Report, known as the Synthesis Report. This further discusses the possible future impacts of climate change and it is hoped will pave the way for a global, legally binding treaty in late 2015.

  • The ALMA radio telescope in Chile reveals a protoplanetary solar system disk in never-before-seen detail. A series of concentric rings are visible in the image, showing the likely orbits of young planets in the process of being formed.

  • Half of all stars may be found in the space between galaxies, according to a new study.

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