2017 Was a Year of Amazing Advances for Humanity

December 27, 2017

Marian L. Tupy’s list:

February 6: The age of the bionic body – from robot hands, controlled by your mind, to electronic eyeballs, experts reveal 6 medical marvels introduced by new technology.
February 6: Biologists help deaf mice hear again by inserting healthy genes into their ears – the work shows an ‘unprecedented recovery of inner ear function’ and could be used in humans.
February 10: Computers turn medical sleuths and identify skin cancer – algorithm works as reliably as board-certified dermatologists, study shows.
February 15: For the blind, an actual-reality headset – not just Star Trek fiction, a new visor from eSight is a lightweight, high-contrast vision system for legally blind people.
February 17: Wyoming man receives ‘miracle’ face transplant 10 years after suicide attempt.
February 18: Smartphones to become pocket doctors after scientists discover camera flash and microphone can be used to diagnose illness.
February 20: Hope for millions as scientists discover multiple sclerosis treatment that can slow its progression.
February 22: Life expectancy to break 90 barrier by 2030.
March 2: Teenager’s sickle cell reversed with world-first therapy.
March 3: Terminal cancer patients go into complete remission after groundbreaking gene therapy.
March 3: UTA professor invents breath monitor to detect flu.
March 6: Google’s artificial intelligence can diagnose cancer faster than human doctors – the system is able to scan samples to determine whether or not tissues are cancerous.
March 8: The robot will see you now! Chat-bots that monitor symptoms will become more accurate and quicker at spotting illness than doctors.
March 8: Scientists discover new state of matter called ‘Time Crystals’ – time crystals seemingly break the rules of normal time-keeping and potentially pave the way for quantum computers and quantum sensors.
March 10: Scientists make progress toward engineering synthetic yeast – the work brings to six the number of yeast chromosomes that now can be synthesized, according to new research.
March 13: More people could benefit from BRCA breast cancer drugs.
March 14: Swedish men on target to be first to completely stub out smoking.
March 15: Startup serves up chicken produced from cells in lab – ‘clean meat’ developers say it avoids towering costs of feeding, caring for livestock.
March 15: The next innovation in shipping – Wind Power; Maersk launches trial run of tanker using rotating cylinders that can function as high-tech sails.
March 18: An insect’s eye inspires a new camera for smartphones – a series of eyelets can make cameras much smaller.
March 23: New rotavirus vaccine could prevent thousands of childhood deaths.
March 24: Machines which detect cancer symptoms could be out in a year.
March 27: Can tech speed up emergency room care? A New York hospital system tests a new way to use telemedicine, where E.R. doctors examine patients without being in the same room.
April 2: Plastic-eating fungus may solve garbage problem.
April 6: To handle electronic waste, freeze it and pulverize it – scientists say a new technique can make it more profitable to harvest metals and other materials from circuit boards in old TVs, computers and more.
April 26: Artificial ‘brain in a dish’ is created in a world first: Breakthrough could shed light on conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
May 2: CRISPR eliminates HIV in live animals.
May 4: Scientists engineer baker’s yeast to produce penicillin molecules.
May 5: Iceland drills 4.7 km down into volcano to tap clean energy.
May 11: Scientists have created an exoskeleton to stop elderly people from falling.
May 11: HIV life expectancy ‘near normal’ thanks to new drugs.
May 17: Lab-grown blood stem cells produced at last – two research teams cook up recipe to make long-sought cells in mice and people.
May 18: Antibodies from a human survivor define sites of vulnerability for broad protection against ebola viruses.
May 18: Scientists look to skies to improve tsunami detection.
May 22: World’s largest aircraft completes successful test flight.
May 23: MIT researchers develop a moisture-responsive workout suit with live cells.
June 1: ‘Instantly rechargeable’ battery could change the future of electric and hybrid automobiles.
June 1: Extinct species of Galapagos giant tortoise may be resurrected.
June 3: SpaceX successfully launches reused Dragon spacecraft for ISS resupply.
June 3: ‘Liquid Biopsy’ passes early test in quest to find cancer in blood .
June 13: Live antibiotics use bacteria to kill bacteria.
July 3: This Silicon Valley company wants to ‘make better humans’ through biohacking.
July 6: DNA from sharks that can live up to 400 years could hold the secret to a longer life.
July 6: Robot wars – knee surgery marks new battleground for companies.
July 9: Banks deploy AI to cut off terrorists’ funding.
July 11: Scientists design a solar cell that captures nearly all energy of solar spectrum.
July 17: Bananas – scientists create vitamin A-rich fruit that could save hundreds of thousands of children’s lives.
July 22: This new material could let phones and electric cars charge in seconds.
July 26: New artificial spider silk: stronger than steel and 98 percent water.
July 28: Melanoma: – new, more effective drug steps closer.
July 28: Could stem cells reverse the aging process)?
July 28: Juvenescence AI to develop first compounds generated by Insilico’s deep-learned drug discovery engines.
August 4: IBM storage breakthrough paves way for 330TB tape cartridges.
August 28: Anti-inflammatory drug ‘cuts heart attack risk’.
August 30: Trial raises Parkinson’s therapy hope.
August 30: FDA clears first gene-altering therapy — ‘a living drug’ — for childhood leukemia.
September 7: Shropshire farm completes harvest with nothing but robots
September 12: U.S. middle-class incomes reached highest-ever level in 2016, Census Bureau says.
September 23: Newly engineered antibody could kill off 99 per cent of HIV strains.
September 28: DNA surgery on embryos removes disease.
October 9: Google is going to use experimental high-altitude balloons to provide internet in Puerto Rico.
October 18: Dyslexia link to eye spots confusing brain, say scientists.
October 29: Saudi Arabia to allow women into sports stadiums.
November 13: Brain implant boosts human memory by mimicking how we learn.
November 14: ‘Better than Concorde’ supersonic 1,687mph airliner to ‘revolutionize’ air travel by 2025 (link).
November 15: The firm that can 3D print human body parts.
November 15: US scientists try 1st gene editing in the body.
November 15: US biotech unicorn steps up competition for BioNTech’s mRNA personalized cancer vaccine.
November 24: Cancer breakthrough: Potential cure could be ready as early as next year.
November 26: Diabetes drug ‘could be used to end agony of transplant rejection’.
November 29: Expanding DNA’s alphabet lets cells produce novel proteins.
November 30: Designer proteins—the new generation of HIV vaccines being put to the test
November 30: Trees are covering more of the land in rich countries – the spread of forests is not always popular. But it is sure to continue.
December 1: HIV breakthrough as cancer drug could hold secret to curing the virus.
December 1: In Rwanda, drones deliver medical supplies to remote areas – such services help people in isolated regions – and could yield lessons for making shipments elsewhere.
December 4: China rules aquaculture as fish output triples in decade.
December 7: Bumper crops boost global cereal supplies in 2017/18.
December 10: Democracy is far from dead – in 12 years, the share of the world’s people who live in ‘free’ countries has risen.
December 11: Huntington’s breakthrough may stop disease.
December 11: Tasmanian tigers aren’t extinct (or at least they won’t be for long!) – Scientists unlock mysterious creature’s DNA – and plan to clone it bring the beast back to Australia.
December 13: Streetlights could be replaced by glowing trees, after scientists make plants shine in the dark.
December 14: Haemophilia A trial results ‘mind-blowing’.