2012 in science#August 2

File:COTS2Dragon.4..jpg's Dragon spacecraft (pictured) becomes the first commercial spacecraft to rendezvous with the International Space Station.]]

The year 2012 involved many significant scientific events and discoveries, including the first orbital rendezvous by a commercial spacecraft, the discovery of a particle highly similar to the long-sought Higgs boson, and the near-eradication of guinea worm disease. A total of 72 successful orbital spaceflights occurred in 2012, and the year also saw numerous developments in fields such as robotics, 3D printing, stem cell research and genetics. Over 540,000 technological patent applications were made in the United States alone in 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/us_stat.htm |title=U.S. Patent Statistics Chart Calendar Years 1963 – 2012 |publisher=USPTO |year=2012 |access-date=12 April 2013}}

2012 was declared the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All by the United Nations.{{cite web |url=http://www.sustainableenergyforall.org/about |title=Sustainable Energy for All – About |publisher=United Nations |date=4 January 2012 |access-date=24 September 2015}} 2012 also marked Alan Turing Year, a celebration of the life and work of the English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and computer scientist Alan Turing.{{cite web |title=2012: THE ALAN TURING YEAR |url=http://www.mathcomp.leeds.ac.uk/turing2012/ |access-date=4 September 2012 |archive-date=17 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217215512/http://www.mathcomp.leeds.ac.uk/turing2012/ |url-status=dead}}

Events, discoveries and inventions

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File:CERN CMS endcap 2005 October.jpg completes a landmark energy upgrade.]]

2 April – The British Army announces the development of a conductive smart fabric for infantry uniforms. The fabric, which should enter widespread service by 2015, will eliminate the need for heavy, vulnerable power cables, making soldiers' electronics safer, cheaper and more durable.{{cite web | last=Rincon | first=Paul | title=Smart fabric for new soldier uniform | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-02 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17580666 | access-date=2021-07-24}}
4 April
A new, detailed record of past climate change has shown compelling evidence that the last ice age was ended by a rise in temperature driven by an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. The key result from the new study is that it shows the carbon dioxide rise during this major transition ran slightly ahead of increases in global temperature.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=CO₂ 'drove end to last ice age' | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-04 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17611404 | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Shakun | first1=Jeremy D. | last2=Clark | first2=Peter U. | last3=He | first3=Feng | display-authors=1| title=Global warming preceded by increasing carbon dioxide concentrations during the last deglaciation | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=484 | issue=7392 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature10915 | pages=49–54| pmid=22481357 | bibcode=2012Natur.484...49S | hdl=2027.42/147130 | s2cid=2152480 | hdl-access=free }}
Austrian and Japanese researchers unveil solar cells that are thinner than a thread of spider silk, and flexible enough to be wrapped around a single human hair.{{cite web | title=Scientists develop ultra-thin solar cells | website=Phys.org | date=2012-04-04 | url=https://phys.org/news/2012-04-scientists-ultra-thin-solar-cells.html | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Kaltenbrunner | first1=Martin | last2=White | first2=Matthew S. | last3=Głowacki | first3=Eric D. | display-authors=1| title=Ultrathin and lightweight organic solar cells with high flexibility | journal=Nature Communications | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=3 | issue=1 | year=2012 | pages=770– | issn=2041-1723 | doi=10.1038/ncomms1772 | pmid=22473014 | pmc=3337988 | bibcode=2012NatCo...3..770K }}
American researchers begin a new project, funded by the National Science Foundation, to develop printable robots that can be designed and made to order by the average person in less than 24 hours. The project, which is hoped to come to fruition by 2020, could allow any individual to cheaply build automated tools for any task in their own home.{{cite web | title=Print-your-own-robots developed in US | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-04 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17614392 | access-date=2021-07-24}}
5 April
Dutch and American researchers report that they have created a working quantum computer out of diamond, using the diamond's natural impurities as superimposed qubits to perform calculations.{{cite magazine | last=Brown | first=Mark | title=Quantum computer built in the imperfections of a diamond (Wired UK) | magazine=Wired UK | date=2016-05-01 | url=http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-04/05/diamond-quantum-computer | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501213937/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-04/05/diamond-quantum-computer | archive-date=2016-05-01 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=van der Sar | first1=T. | last2=Wang | first2=Z. H. | last3=Blok | first3=M. S. | display-authors=1| title=Decoherence-protected quantum gates for a hybrid solid-state spin register | journal=Nature | volume=484 | issue=7392 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature10900 | pages=82–86| pmid=22481361 | arxiv=1202.4379 | bibcode=2012Natur.484...82V | s2cid=4424826 }}
Google unveils Project Glass, which aims to develop augmented reality glasses capable of layering information such as email, real-time traffic updates and video calls over a user's field of vision.{{Cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/google-unveils-augmented-reality-glasses/story-fn7celvh-1226319635112|title=Google unveils 'augmented reality glasses'|via=archive.ph|access-date=2022-11-17|archive-date=2012-12-30|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230145215/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/google-unveils-augmented-reality-glasses/story-fn7celvh-1226319635112|url-status=bot: unknown}}
The Large Hadron Collider re-enters operation after an energy upgrade. It now has a total collision energy of 8 trillion electronvolts, a major increase over its pre-upgrade energy of 7 TeV.{{cite web | last=Butterworth | first=Jon | title=Large Hadron Collider: We have 8 tera electronvolts - Life & Physics | website=The Guardian | date=2012-04-05 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/life-and-physics/2012/apr/05/1 | access-date=2021-07-24}}
6 April – An international team of researchers reports that a new, drug-resistant strain of malaria has emerged on the Thai–Cambodian border, potentially threatening global efforts to contain the disease.{{cite web | last=Paddock | first=Catharine | title=New Drug-Resistant Malaria Could Put Millions Of Lives At Risk | website=Medical and health information | date=2009-07-30 | url=https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159371 | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Phyo | first1=Aung Pyae | last2=Nkhoma | first2=Standwell | last3=Stepniewska | first3=Kasia | display-authors=1| title=Emergence of artemisinin-resistant malaria on the western border of Thailand: a longitudinal study | journal=The Lancet | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=379 | issue=9830 | year=2012 | issn=0140-6736 | doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60484-x | pages=1960–1966| pmid=22484134 | pmc=3525980 }}
8 April – American scientists reveal that transparent graphene sheets can be used to encapsulate liquids for study by electron microscopes. The discovery will greatly ease the accurate imaging of liquids at micro- and nanoscales.{{cite web | title=Graphene windows' clearer focus | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-08 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17628145 | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Yuk | first1=Jong Min | last2=Park | first2=Jungwon | last3=Ercius | first3=Peter | display-authors=1| title=High-Resolution EM of Colloidal Nanocrystal Growth Using Graphene Liquid Cells | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=336 | issue=6077 | date=2012-04-05 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1217654 | pages=61–64| pmid=22491849 | bibcode=2012Sci...336...61Y | s2cid=12984064 }}
10 April – The Wellcome Trust, one of the world's largest private funders of scientific research, states that it is launching a new online journal to promote the free sharing of scientific papers. The new journal, titled eLife, is part of a widespread push for open access to scientific research, and will compel researchers to make their work freely available online.{{cite web | last=Jha | first=Alok | title=Wellcome Trust joins 'academic spring' to open up science | website=The Guardian | date=2012-04-09 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/apr/09/wellcome-trust-academic-spring | access-date=2021-07-24}}
12 April
A team of researchers from France's Laboratoire Univers et Théorie releases the first ever computer model simulation of the structure of the entire observable universe, from the Big Bang to the present day. The simulation has made it possible to follow the evolution of 550 billion individual particles.{{cite web | title=First-ever model simulation of the structuring of the observable universe - CNRS Web site - CNRS | website=www2.cnrs.fr | date=2012-04-15 | url=http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/2013.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415151654/http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/2013.htm | archive-date=2012-04-15 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2021-07-24}}
A report reveals that the United States invested more in renewable energy technology in 2011 than any other nation, totalling US$48 billion. China was the second-largest investor, spending US$45.5 billion on renewables. Worldwide, the combined investment in renewables reached an all-time high, at US$236 billion. A later report published by the United Nations amends these figures, stating that China invested $52 billion in renewable energy in 2011, while the US spent $51 billion.{{cite web | last=Kinver | first=Mark | title=US tops global clean energy investment rankings | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-12 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17662973 | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite web | title=Whos Winning the Clean Energy Race 2011 Edition | website=The Pew Charitable Trusts | date=2012-04-11 | url=http://pew.org/2yHJMm8 | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite web | last=Perkowski | first=Jack | title=China Leads The World In Renewable Energy Investment | website=Forbes | date=2012-07-27 | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2012/07/27/china-leads-the-world-in-renewable-energy-investment/ | access-date=2021-07-24}}
German physicists develop the world's first universal quantum computing network, linking two laboratories using entangled rubidium atoms as network nodes.{{cite journal | title=First universal quantum network prototype links two separate labs | journal=Nature | year=2012 | doi=10.1038/nature.2012.10441 | url=http://www.nature.com/news/first-universal-quantum-network-prototype-links-two-separate-labs-1.10441 | language=es | access-date=2021-07-24| last1=Matson | first1=John | s2cid=121607474 }}{{cite journal | last1=Ritter | first1=Stephan | last2=Nölleke | first2=Christian | last3=Hahn | first3=Carolin | display-authors=1| title=An elementary quantum network of single atoms in optical cavities | journal=Nature | volume=484 | issue=7393 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11023 | pages=195–200| pmid=22498625 | arxiv=1202.5955 | bibcode=2012Natur.484..195R | s2cid=205228562 }}
An international team of researchers has used new, massively parallel DNA sequencing technology to fast-track the discovery of a breast cancer risk gene, XRCC2.{{cite web | last1=Das | first1=Anusuya | last2=Ph.D. | first2=Anusuya Das received a | last3=B.A. | first3=a | display-authors=1| title=Scientists Discover New Breast Cancer Risk Gene, XRCC2 | website=Asian Scientist Magazine | date=2012-04-12 | url=http://www.asianscientist.com/health-medicine/breast-cancer-risk-gene-xrcc2-2012/ | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Park | first1=D.J. | last2=Lesueur | first2=F. | last3=Nguyen-Dumont | first3=T. | display-authors=1| title=Rare Mutations in XRCC2 Increase the Risk of Breast Cancer | journal=The American Journal of Human Genetics | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=90 | issue=4 | year=2012 | issn=0002-9297 | doi=10.1016/j.ajhg.2012.02.027 | pages=734–739| pmid=22464251 | pmc=3322233 }}
DARPA, the US military's advanced research agency, offers a US$2 million prize to any team who can independently develop a rescue robot capable of multiple tasks, including climbing ladders, clearing obstacles, using power tools and driving cars.{{cite web | title=DARPA Offers $2M Prize For Rescue Robots | website=International Business Times | date=2021-02-17 | url=https://www.ibtimes.com/darpa-offers-2m-prize-rescue-robots-436536 | access-date=2021-07-24}}
After studying 40 years of medical records, Swedish scientists state that those with Huntington's disease are around 50% less likely to develop cancer than those without the disease. Further study may reveal the genetic mechanism behind this resistance, allowing new cancer treatments to be developed.{{cite web | last=UK | first=Cancer Research | title=Huntington's disease and similar conditions 'linked to reduced risk of cancer' : Cancer Research UK | website=info.cancerresearchuk.org | date=2012-04-14 | url=http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/cancernews/2012-04-11-Huntingtons-disease-and-similar-conditions-linked-to-reduced-risk-of-cancer | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414085612/http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/cancernews/2012-04-11-Huntingtons-disease-and-similar-conditions-linked-to-reduced-risk-of-cancer | archive-date=2012-04-14 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Ji | first1=Jianguang | last2=Sundquist | first2=Kristina | last3=Sundquist | first3=Jan | display-authors=1| title=Cancer incidence in patients with polyglutamine diseases: a population-based study in Sweden | journal=The Lancet Oncology | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=13 | issue=6 | year=2012 | issn=1470-2045 | doi=10.1016/s1470-2045(12)70132-8 | pages=642–648| pmid=22503213 }}
The United Kingdom reports that it is considering the installation of undersea power cables to allow its National Grid to draw clean energy from Iceland's volcanoes.{{cite web | title=Iceland's volcanoes to power UK? | website=Energy Live News | date=2012-04-12 | url=https://www.energylivenews.com/2012/04/12/icelands-volcanoes-to-power-uk/ | access-date=2021-07-24 | archive-date=2021-01-31 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131001330/http://www.energylivenews.com/2012/04/12/icelands-volcanoes-to-power-uk/ | url-status=dead }}
Scientists report that complexity analysis studies of the Labeled Release experiments of the 1976 Viking mission to Mars may suggest the detection of "extant microbial life on Mars."{{cite web | title=Mars Viking Robots 'Found Life' : Discovery News | website=Discovery News | date=2012-04-12 | url=http://news.discovery.com/space/mars-life-viking-landers-discovery-120412.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414163121/http://news.discovery.com/space/mars-life-viking-landers-discovery-120412.html | archive-date=2012-04-14 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite web | title=IJASS | website=ijass.org | date=2012-04-15 | url=http://ijass.org/PublishedPaper/year_abstract.asp?idx=132 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415162537/http://ijass.org/PublishedPaper/year_abstract.asp?idx=132 | archive-date=2012-04-15 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-07-24}}

File:Rb5.JPG network using entangled rubidium atoms (rubidium sample shown).]]

13 April
North Korea's Unha-3 orbital rocket disintegrates in mid-flight over the Yellow Sea, destroying its payload, the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 satellite. Analysts fear that the failed launch may raise the likelihood of North Korea conducting another nuclear weapons test.{{cite web | last=Ryall | first=Julian | title=North Korea failed rocket launch increases likelihood of new nuclear test | website=The Telegraph | date=12 April 2012 | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9202302/North-Korea-failed-rocket-launch-increases-likelihood-of-new-nuclear-test.html | access-date=2021-07-24}}
German scientists develop a fiber-based "earthquake-proof" wallpaper capable of reinforcing masonry and delaying building collapses during violent quakes. The invention could save lives by giving people more time to flee from collapsing buildings.{{cite web | last=Bayer | first=Kurt | title='Earthquake wallpaper' a scientific breakthrough | website=The New Zealand Herald | date=2012-04-13 | url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/earthquake-wallpaper-a-scientific-breakthrough/EK4FNK7L3USAFJZB5GVCT6V6II/ | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite web | last=Communications | first=Bayer AG | title=Materials | website=research | date=2013-01-24 | url=http://www.research.bayer.com/en/earthquake-protection.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124054510/http://www.research.bayer.com/en/earthquake-protection.aspx | archive-date=2013-01-24 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2021-07-24}}
The Pentagon places an order for advanced dual-focus contact lenses, designed to give soldiers greater visual awareness, in tandem with a new HUD system. The technology may enter the civilian market by 2014.{{cite web | title=Pentagon orders innovative dual-focus contact lenses | website=archive.ph | date=2013-02-02 | url=http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/pentagon-orders-innovative-dual-focus-contact-lenses/25489 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130202090121/http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/pentagon-orders-innovative-dual-focus-contact-lenses/25489 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2013-02-02 | access-date=2021-07-24}}
Dutch scientists report that they have found evidence of the existence of the Majorana fermion, a particle that is its own antiparticle. The existence of the Majorana was first theorized by the Italian scientist Ettore Majorana in the 1930s.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Majorana particle glimpsed in lab | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-13 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17695944 | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Mourik | first1=V. | last2=Zuo | first2=K. | last3=Frolov | first3=S. M. | display-authors=1| title=Signatures of Majorana Fermions in Hybrid Superconductor-Semiconductor Nanowire Devices | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=336 | issue=6084 | date=2012-04-12 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1222360 | pages=1003–1007| pmid=22499805 | arxiv=1204.2792 | bibcode=2012Sci...336.1003M | s2cid=18447180 }}
Researchers at UCLA announce that they have genetically engineered stem cells to seek out and kill HIV in mice.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416025433/http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20120413/9529/aids-hiv-stem-cells-genetic-engineering-t-cell-research.htm|publisher=Medical Daily|url=http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20120413/9529/aids-hiv-stem-cells-genetic-engineering-t-cell-research.htm|date=2012-04-13|archive-date=2012-04-16|title=Scientists Engineer Stem Cells That Can Identify and Destroy HIV Inside Living Mice|author=Christine Hsu|url-status=dead}}{{cite web | last=Angie Crouch | first=Julie Brayton | title=Turning Stem Cells into a Powerful Weapon Against AIDS | website=NBC Los Angeles | date=2012-04-12 | url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/turning-stem-cells-into-a-powerful-weapon-against-aids/1950372/ | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Kitchen | first1=Scott G. | last2=Levin | first2=Bernard R. | last3=Bristol | first3=Gregory | display-authors=1| title=In Vivo Suppression of HIV by Antigen Specific T Cells Derived from Engineered Hematopoietic Stem Cells | journal=PLOS Pathogens | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=8 | issue=4 | date=2012-04-12 | issn=1553-7374 | doi=10.1371/journal.ppat.1002649 | page=e1002649| pmid=22511873 | pmc=3325196 | doi-access=free }}
15 April – Researchers claim that new satellite imagery shows an increase in the mass of some glaciers in Asia's Karakoram mountain range. This data contrasts with the wider global trend of glacial melting.{{cite web | last=Black | first=Richard | title=Some Asian glaciers 'putting on mass' | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-15 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17701677 | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Gardelle | first1=Julie | last2=Berthier | first2=Etienne | last3=Arnaud | first3=Yves | display-authors=1 |title=Slight mass gain of Karakoram glaciers in the early twenty-first century | journal=Nature Geoscience | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=5 | issue=5 | date=2012-04-15 | issn=1752-0894 | doi=10.1038/ngeo1450 | pages=322–325| bibcode=2012NatGe...5..322G }}
16 April – A new treatment for prostate cancer can rid the disease from nine in ten men without debilitating side effects, a study has found.{{cite web | last=Smith | first=Rebecca | title=New treatment for prostate cancer gives 'perfect results' for nine in ten men: research | website=Telegraph.co.uk | date=2012-04-16 | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9206425/New-treatment-for-prostate-cancer-gives-perfect-results-for-nine-in-ten-men-research.html | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Ahmed | first1=Hashim U | last2=Hindley | first2=Richard G | last3=Dickinson | first3=Louise | display-authors=1| title=Focal therapy for localised unifocal and multifocal prostate cancer: a prospective development study | journal=The Lancet Oncology | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=13 | issue=6 | year=2012 | issn=1470-2045 | doi=10.1016/s1470-2045(12)70121-3 | pages=622–632| pmid=22512844 | pmc=3366323 }}
17 April – It is revealed that the Chinese and American militaries have been conducting informal war games together to help prevent military escalation in the event of a future cyber war.{{cite web | last=Hopkins | first=Nick | title=US and China turn to war games to build cyber detente | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=2012-04-17 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/us-and-china-turn-to-war-games-to-build-cyber-detente-20120417-1x5mk.html | access-date=2021-07-24}}
18 April – Researchers at the American National Institutes of Health demonstrate a nanotechnology-based drug treatment which can successfully alleviate some symptoms of cerebral palsy (CP). The drug, which was tested in rabbits, caused a dramatic improvement of the movement disorders and brain inflammation that are characteristic of many cases of CP.{{cite web | title=Window of opportunity to prevent cerebral palsy discovered: Nanodrugs work in newborn rabbits | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-07-24 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120418143755.htm | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Kannan | first1=S. | last2=Dai | first2=H. | last3=Navath | first3=R. S. | display-authors=1| title=Dendrimer-Based Postnatal Therapy for Neuroinflammation and Cerebral Palsy in a Rabbit Model | journal=Science Translational Medicine | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=4 | issue=130 | date=2012-04-18 | issn=1946-6234 | doi=10.1126/scitranslmed.3003162 | pages=130ra46| pmid=22517883 | pmc=3492056 }}

File:A-DNA, B-DNA and Z-DNA.png.]]

19 April
A landmark study by British and Canadian scientists reveals that breast cancer can be subdivided into ten distinct types, with its aggressiveness determined by certain genes. The new data may make breast cancer diagnoses much more precise, and allow cancer treatments to be more effectively tailored to each patient.{{cite web | last=Batty | first=David | title=Breast cancer treatment gets boost | website=The Guardian | date=2012-04-18 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/apr/19/breast-cancer-treatment-boost | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Curtis | first1=Christina | last2=Shah | first2=Sohrab P. | last3=Chin | first3=Suet-Feung | display-authors=1| title=The genomic and transcriptomic architecture of 2,000 breast tumours reveals novel subgroups | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=486 | issue=7403 | date=2012-04-18 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature10983 | pages=346–352| pmid=22522925 | pmc=3440846 | bibcode=2012Natur.486..346. }}
Led by British scientists, a consortium including American, Belgian and Danish scientists successfully develop synthetic DNA compounds, dubbed "XNA", which demonstrate evolution when faced with selective pressure.{{cite web | title=Synthetic DNA Created, Evolves on Its Own | website=Science | date=2012-04-20 | url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/120419-xna-synthetic-dna-evolution-genetics-life-science | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302032348/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/120419-xna-synthetic-dna-evolution-genetics-life-science | url-status=dead | archive-date=March 2, 2021 | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Pinheiro | first1=V. B. | last2=Taylor | first2=A. I. | last3=Cozens | first3=C. | display-authors=1| title=Synthetic Genetic Polymers Capable of Heredity and Evolution | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=336 | issue=6079 | date=2012-04-19 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1217622 | pages=341–344| pmid=22517858 | pmc=3362463 | bibcode=2012Sci...336..341P }}
British researchers identify key genes that "switch off" as the human body ages. These genes may be targeted by future anti-aging therapies.{{cite web | title=Key genes that switch off with aging highlighted as potential targets for anti-aging therapies | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-07-23 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120419191709.htm | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Bell | first1=Jordana T. | last2=Tsai | first2=Pei-Chien | last3=Yang | first3=Tsun-Po | display-authors=1| title=Epigenome-Wide Scans Identify Differentially Methylated Regions for Age and Age-Related Phenotypes in a Healthy Ageing Population | journal=PLOS Genetics | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=8 | issue=4 | date=2012-04-19 | issn=1553-7404 | doi=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002629 | page=e1002629| pmid=22532803 | pmc=3330116 | doi-access=free }}
20 April
Scientists say the notoriously dry continent of Africa is sitting on a vast reservoir of groundwater.{{cite web | last=McGrath | first=Matt | title='Huge' water resource exists under Africa | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-20 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17775211 | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=MacDonald | first1=A M | last2=Bonsor | first2=H C | last3=Dochartaigh | first3=B É Ó | display-authors=1 | title=Quantitative maps of groundwater resources in Africa | journal=Environmental Research Letters | publisher=IOP Publishing | volume=7 | issue=2 | date=2012-04-20 | issn=1748-9326 | doi=10.1088/1748-9326/7/2/024009 | page=024009| bibcode=2012ERL.....7b4009M | s2cid=154336728 | doi-access=free }}
A NASA-backed group of universities begins testing a GPS-derived earthquake warning system. The system, which uses satellite data to track seismic activity in real-time, may allow accurate earthquake and tsunami warnings to be issued up to ten times faster than is currently possible.{{cite journal | title=Satellite system will speed up tsunami warnings | journal=Nature | year=2012 | doi=10.1038/nature.2012.10480 | url=http://www.nature.com/news/satellite-system-will-speed-up-tsunami-warnings-1.10480 | access-date=2021-07-24| last1=Lovett | first1=Richard A. | s2cid=129313004 | doi-access=free }}
After three years of development, IBM reveals a new, ultra-lightweight lithium-air battery, offering greater energy density than any current lithium-ion battery. The new battery may permit the production of electric vehicles with far greater range and battery life than current models.{{cite news | last=Anthony | first=Sebastian | title=IBM creates breathing, high-density, light-weight lithium-air battery | website=ExtremeTech | date=2012-04-20 | url=http://www.extremetech.com/computing/126745-ibm-creates-breathing-high-density-light-weight-lithium-air-battery | access-date=2021-07-24}}
21 April – Scientists at Chicago's Northwestern University successfully trial a brain-computer interface capable of restoring naturalistic muscle movements in paralyzed rhesus monkeys. It is hoped the invention will eventually be approved to treat paralytic or brain-damaged humans.{{cite news | last=Anthony | first=Sebastian | title=Researchers create brain-computer interface that bypasses spinal cord injury paralysis | website=ExtremeTech | date=2012-04-20 | url=http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/126773-researchers-create-brain-computer-interface-that-bypasses-spinal-cord-injury-paralysis | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Ethier | first1=C. | last2=Oby | first2=E. R. | last3=Bauman | first3=M. J. | display-authors=1| title=Restoration of grasp following paralysis through brain-controlled stimulation of muscles | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=485 | issue=7398 | date=2012-04-18 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature10987 | pages=368–371| pmid=22522928 | pmc=3358575 | bibcode=2012Natur.485..368E }}
22 April – Intel Corporation releases its new Ivy Bridge microprocessors – the world's first commercial 22 nanometer microchips, featuring increased processing power and energy efficiency.{{cite web | last=Kelion | first=Leo | title=Intel's Ivy Bridge chips launch using '3D transistors' | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-22 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17785464 | access-date=2021-07-24}}
24 April – Planetary Resources, a startup company backed by Google billionaires Larry Page and Eric Schmidt and film director James Cameron, announces plans to develop technology to survey and mine asteroids for minerals by 2020. The company plans to launch the first element of its project, a network of orbital surveying telescopes, by 2014.{{cite web | title=Plans for asteroid mining emerge | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-24 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17827347 | access-date=2021-07-24}}
26 April
Australian scientists develop a multi-layered, silica-based hydrophobic coating with greater durability than previous such coatings. The invention may be used to make self-cleaning fabrics and antibacterial medical equipment.{{cite web | last=Palmer | first=Jason | title=Stain-shedding coating gets tough | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-26 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17852304 | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Zhao | first1=Yan | last2=Xu | first2=Zhiguang | last3=Wang | first3=Xungai | display-authors=1 | title=Photoreactive Azido-Containing Silica Nanoparticle/Polycation Multilayers: Durable Superhydrophobic Coating on Cotton Fabrics | journal=Langmuir | publisher=American Chemical Society (ACS) | volume=28 | issue=15 | date=2012-04-06 | issn=0743-7463 | doi=10.1021/la300281q | pages=6328–6335| pmid=22462539 }}
Researchers develop a crystalline quantum computer, composed of just 300 atoms, that theoretically is so powerful that it would take a conventional computer the size of the known universe to match it.{{cite web | title=Researchers claim quantum breakthrough › News in Science (ABC Science) | website=ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) | date=2012-04-26 | url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/04/26/3489504.htm | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Britton | first1=Joseph W. | last2=Sawyer | first2=Brian C. | last3=Keith | first3=Adam C. | display-authors=1| title=Engineered two-dimensional Ising interactions in a trapped-ion quantum simulator with hundreds of spins | journal=Nature | volume=484 | issue=7395 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature10981 | pages=489–492| pmid=22538611 | arxiv=1204.5789 | bibcode=2012Natur.484..489B | s2cid=4370334 }}
Scientists report that lichen survived over 34 days under Martian conditions in the Mars Simulation Laboratory (MSL) maintained by the German Aerospace Center (DLR).{{cite web | last=Baldwin | first=Emily | title=Lichen survives harsh Mars environment | website=Skymania | date=2012-04-26 | url=https://www.skymania.com/wp/lichen-survives-harsh-martian-setting/ | access-date=2021-07-24 | archive-date=2020-11-12 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112042544/https://www.skymania.com/wp/lichen-survives-harsh-martian-setting/ | url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2012/EGU2012-2113.pdf|publisher=Geophysical Research Abstracts|volume=14|date=2012|title=The adaptation potential of extremophiles to Martian surface conditions and its implication for the habitability of Mars|access-date=2021-07-24}}
27 April
Researchers identify 53 key neurons in the brains of homing pigeons which may explain how the birds navigate using Earth's geomagnetic field.{{cite web | last=Reardon | first=Sara | title=Pigeon brain's global positioning system located | website=New Scientist | date=2019-02-26 | url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21754-pigeon-brains-global-positioning-system-located/ | access-date=2021-07-24}}{{cite journal | last1=Wu | first1=L.-Q. | last2=Dickman | first2=J. D. | title=Neural Correlates of a Magnetic Sense | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=336 | issue=6084 | date=2012-04-26 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1216567 | pages=1054–1057| pmid=22539554 | bibcode=2012Sci...336.1054W | s2cid=206538783 | doi-access=free }}
The British company Reaction Engines begins testing the advanced engine precooler system intended for its reusable Skylon spaceplane. If the tests are successful, the hybrid-rocket Skylon – designed to vastly reduce the cost of orbital spaceflight – may begin flying cargo to Earth's orbit by 2020.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Key tests for Skylon spaceplane project | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-27 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17864782 | access-date=2021-07-24}}

=May=

File:Alzheimer dementia (3) presenile onset.jpg production, potentially offering a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease (cerebral plaques pictured).]]

1 May
Scientists report that a new genetic test could diagnose the risk of breast cancer years before the disease actually develops, allowing much more effective early treatment.{{cite web | last=Roberts | first=Michelle | title=Way to spot breast cancer years in advance | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-01 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-17905601 | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Brennan | first1=Kevin | last2=Garcia-Closas | first2=Montserrat | last3=Orr | first3=Nick | display-authors=1| title=Intragenic ATM Methylation in Peripheral Blood DNA as a Biomarker of Breast Cancer Risk | journal=Cancer Research | publisher=American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) | volume=72 | issue=9 | date=2012-02-28 | issn=0008-5472 | doi=10.1158/0008-5472.can-11-3157 | pages=2304–2313| pmid=22374981 | doi-access=free }}
French researchers successfully create silicene, a one-atom-thick sheet of silicon that is analogous to the much-vaunted graphene. Silicene is theorized to retain silicon's excellent semiconductor properties even at extremely small scales, and could allow the simple mass production of efficient nanoscale computers.{{cite web | last=Boyle | first=Rebecca | title=Meet Silicene, Single-Atom-Thick Sheets of Silicon That Could Supersede Graphene | website=Popular Science | date=2019-03-18 | url=https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-05/meet-silicene-single-atom-thick-sheets-silicon-could-supersede-graphene/ | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Vogt | first1=Patrick | last2=De Padova | first2=Paola | last3=Quaresima | first3=Claudio | display-authors=1| title=Silicene: Compelling Experimental Evidence for Graphenelike Two-Dimensional Silicon | journal=Physical Review Letters | publisher=American Physical Society (APS) | volume=108 | issue=15 | date=2012-04-12 | issn=0031-9007 | doi=10.1103/physrevlett.108.155501 | page=155501| pmid=22587265 | bibcode=2012PhRvL.108o5501V }}
2 May – The European Space Agency selects the Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE) proposal for its next major space exploration program. The robotic JUICE probe, which is planned to launch in 2022, will conduct in-depth studies of the Jovian moons Callisto, Europa and Ganymede.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Esa selects 1bn-euro Juice probe to Jupiter | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-02 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17917102 | access-date=2021-10-02}}
3 May – In the United Kingdom's first successful ocular implant trial, two men blinded by retinitis pigmentosa have their sight partially restored by prototype microchip implants.{{cite web | last=Collins | first=Nick | title=Eye implant restores vision to blind patients | website=Telegraph.co.uk | date=2012-05-03 | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/9243223/Eye-implant-restores-vision-to-blind-patients.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504121316/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/9243223/Eye-implant-restores-vision-to-blind-patients.html | archive-date=2012-05-04 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-10-02}}
8 May – Claire Lomas, a paralyzed British woman, becomes the first person to complete a marathon using a bionic mobility suit. The ReWalk suit allowed her to complete the London Marathon in 16 days.{{cite web | title=Paralysed Claire Lomas finishes London Marathon 16 days after it began | website=The Guardian | date=2012-05-08 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/may/08/paralysed-claire-lomas-london-marathon | access-date=2021-10-02}}
9 May – A detailed design is released for a practical artificial leaf – a potentially revolutionary milestone in the development of sustainable energy.{{cite web | title=Secrets of the first practical artificial leaf | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-10-01 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120509123900.htm | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last=Nocera | first=Daniel G. | title=The Artificial Leaf | journal=Accounts of Chemical Research | publisher=American Chemical Society (ACS) | volume=45 | issue=5 | date=2012-04-04 | issn=0001-4842 | doi=10.1021/ar2003013 | pages=767–776| pmid=22475039 }}
11 May
American researchers report that preventable infections are the leading cause of child mortality worldwide. Of the 7.6 million children who died before their fifth birthday in 2010, over 60% died of infections such as pneumonia.{{cite web | title=Child deaths: Preventable infections 'the leading cause' | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-11 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-18018071 | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Liu | first1=Li | last2=Johnson | first2=Hope L | last3=Cousens | first3=Simon | display-authors=1| title=Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality: an updated systematic analysis for 2010 with time trends since 2000 | journal=The Lancet | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=379 | issue=9832 | year=2012 | issn=0140-6736 | doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60560-1 | pages=2151–2161| pmid=22579125 | s2cid=43866899 }}
Scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China use quantum teleportation to transmit photons over a distance of {{convert|97|km|mi}} – a world record. The teleportation method, which utilises quantum entanglement to transfer information between points without crossing the intervening space, could allow the development of ultra-secure satellite communications.{{cite web| last=Nosowitz | first=Dan | title=Chinese Physicists Teleport Photons Over 100 Kilometers | website=Popular Science | date=2019-03-18 | url=https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-05/chinese-physicists-teleport-protons-over-100-kilometers/ | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite web | title=Chinese Physicists Smash Distance Record For Teleportation | website=Technology Review | date=2012-05-13 | url=http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27843/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513005458/http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27843/ | archive-date=2012-05-13 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Yin | first1=Juan | last2=Ren | first2=Ji-Gang | last3=Lu | first3=He | display-authors=1| title=Quantum teleportation and entanglement distribution over 100-kilometre free-space channels | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=488 | issue=7410 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11332 | pages=185–188| pmid=22874963 |arxiv=1205.2024| bibcode=2012Natur.488..185Y | s2cid=4415729}}

File:May 20, 2012 Eclipse, seen from Wolfforth, Texas, USA.JPG occurs (eclipse photograph from Wolfforth, Texas, shown).]]

12 May – Scientists refute the theory that sex-linked chromosomes, such as the male Y chromosome, will become extinct. A new study shows that, although such chromosomes have shrunk and lost genetic material, they remain crucially important predictors of fertility.{{cite web | title=Men can rest easy: Sex chromosomes are here to stay | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-10-01 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120508103911.htm | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Moghadam | first1=H. K. | last2=Pointer | first2=M. A. | last3=Wright | first3=A. E. | display-authors=1| title=W chromosome expression responds to female-specific selection | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=21 | date=2012-05-08 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1202721109 | pages=8207–8211| pmid=22570496 | pmc=3361381 | bibcode=2012PNAS..109.8207M | doi-access=free }}
13 May – Researchers claim that there is a strong correlation between the loss of biodiversity and the disappearance of endangered languages and cultures.{{cite web | last=Kinver | first=Mark | title=Study links biodiversity and language loss | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-13 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18020636 | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Gorenflo | first1=L. J. | last2=Romaine | first2=S. | last3=Mittermeier | first3=R. A. | display-authors=1 | title=Co-occurrence of linguistic and biological diversity in biodiversity hotspots and high biodiversity wilderness areas | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=21 | date=2012-05-07 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1117511109 | pages=8032–8037| pmid=22566626 | pmc=3361428 | bibcode=2012PNAS..109.8032G | doi-access=free }}
14 May
Researchers extend the lifespan of mice by 24%, using gene therapy applied when the mice were adults. The success of the technique, which involved inducing cells to produce more of the enzyme telomerase, suggests that adult life extension is feasible.{{cite web | title=First gene therapy successful against aging-associated decline: Mouse lifespan extended up to 24% with a single treatment | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-10-02 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120514204050.htm | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Bernardes de Jesus | first1=Bruno | last2=Vera | first2=Elsa | last3=Schneeberger | first3=Kerstin | display-authors=1| title=Telomerase gene therapy in adult and old mice delays aging and increases longevity without increasing cancer | journal=EMBO Molecular Medicine | publisher=EMBO | volume=4 | issue=8 | date=2012-05-15 | issn=1757-4676 | doi=10.1002/emmm.201200245 | pages=691–704| pmid=22585399 | pmc=3494070 }}
Scientists grow healthy bone from human embryonic stem cells. This breakthrough could allow much quicker and easier bone grafts for human patients.{{cite web | title=Bone grown from human embryonic stem cells | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-10-01 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120514161616.htm | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Marolt | first1=D. | last2=Campos | first2=I. M. | last3=Bhumiratana | first3=S. | display-authors=1| title=Engineering bone tissue from human embryonic stem cells | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=22 | date=2012-05-14 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1201830109 | pages=8705–8709| pmid=22586099 | pmc=3365157 | bibcode=2012PNAS..109.8705M | doi-access=free }}
Scientists at California's Stanford University invent a working bionic eye powered only by focused light. Though currently a prototype, the device could eventually restore the sight of millions of people with eye diseases such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sight | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-14 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-18061174 | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Mathieson | first1=Keith | last2=Loudin | first2=James | last3=Goetz | first3=Georges | display-authors=1| title=Photovoltaic retinal prosthesis with high pixel density | journal=Nature Photonics | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=6 | issue=6 | date=2012-05-13 | issn=1749-4885 | doi=10.1038/nphoton.2012.104 | pages=391–397| pmid=23049619 | pmc=3462820 | bibcode=2012NaPho...6..391M }}
15 May
The United States announces a national plan to develop an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease by 2025.{{cite web | title=US sets 2025 goal to tame Alzheimer's | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-15 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-18076186 | access-date=2021-10-02}}
American scientists develop a device which uses genetically engineered viruses to generate electricity. The invention could allow the development of ubiquitous piezoelectric micro-generators which gather energy from everyday vibrations such as closing doors.{{cite web | title=Viruses used to power tiny device | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-15 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18074644 | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Lee | first1=Byung Yang | last2=Zhang | first2=Jinxing | last3=Zueger | first3=Chris | display-authors=1| title=Virus-based piezoelectric energy generation | journal=Nature Nanotechnology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=7 | issue=6 | date=2012-05-13 | issn=1748-3387 | doi=10.1038/nnano.2012.69 | pages=351–356| pmid=22581406 | bibcode=2012NatNa...7..351L }}
16 May
American surgeons successfully restore hand function to a partly paralyzed man using a pioneering nerve transfer technique. Following the surgery and subsequent physiotherapy, the patient – who entirely lost the use of his hands in a car accident – can now feed himself and even write with some assistance.{{cite web | title=Surgeons win over paralysis | website=iAfrica.com | date=2012-05-19 | url=http://lifestyle.iafrica.com/wellness/your-health/news/794734.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120519073550/http://lifestyle.iafrica.com/wellness/your-health/news/794734.html | archive-date=2012-05-19 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Mackinnon | first1=Susan E. | last2=Yee | first2=Andrew | last3=Ray | first3=Wilson Z. | display-authors=1 |title=Nerve transfers for the restoration of hand function after spinal cord injury | journal=Journal of Neurosurgery | publisher=Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG) | volume=117 | issue=1 | year=2012 | issn=0022-3085 | doi=10.3171/2012.3.jns12328 | pages=176–185| pmid=22587551 }}
Japanese scientists develop a wireless data transmission system which operates in the currently unregulated terahertz frequency spectrum. The system can transmit data at a rate of 3 Gbit/s, a record for wireless data transmission; it could potentially be upgraded to transmit at 100 Gbit/s.{{cite news | last=Gompa | first=Neal | title=Japanese researchers transmit 3Gbps using terahertz frequencies | website=ExtremeTech | date=2012-05-16 | url=http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/129447-japanese-researchers-develop-3gbps-wifi-for-terahertz-frequencies | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Ishigaki | first1=K. | last2=Shiraishi | first2=M. | last3=Suzuki | first3=S. | display-authors=1| title=Direct intensity modulation and wireless data transmission characteristics of terahertz-oscillating resonant tunnelling diodes | journal=Electronics Letters | publisher=Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) | volume=48 | issue=10 | year=2012 | issn=0013-5194 | doi=10.1049/el.2012.0849 | page=582| bibcode=2012ElL....48..582I }}
The USGS and IAU officially name areas of Mars, including Aeolis Mons, Aeolis Palus and Robert Sharp Crater, relevant to the landing of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on 6 August 2012.{{cite web | title=NASA's New Mars Rover Will Explore Towering 'Mount Sharp' | website=Space.com | date=2012-03-29 | url=https://www.space.com/15097-mars-mountain-sharp-curiosity-rover.html | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite web | title=Three New Names Approved for Features on Mars - USGS Astrogeology Hot Topics | website=astrogeology.usgs.gov | date=2012-07-28 | url=http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/HotTopics/index.php?%2Farchives%2F447-Three-New-Names-Approved-for-Features-on-Mars.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728141903/http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/HotTopics/index.php?%2Farchives%2F447-Three-New-Names-Approved-for-Features-on-Mars.html | archive-date=2012-07-28 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-10-02}}
Engineers at Virginia Tech build the world's first 3D-printing vending machine, which allows any member of the public to rapidly print objects on demand by submitting a blueprint to the machine.{{cite web | last1=On | first1=David Commented | last2=Art | first2=Wall | last3=On | first3=Nutbastard Commented | display-authors=1 |title=is there a 3D printing vending machine? Yes.. there is now - 3d Printing | website=3dprinting.com | date=2012-10-05 | url=http://3dprinting.com/news/is-there-a-3d-printing-vending-machine-yes-there-is-now/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005083414/http://3dprinting.com/news/is-there-a-3d-printing-vending-machine-yes-there-is-now/ | archive-date=2012-10-05 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-10-02}}

File:COTS2Dragon.2..jpg's Dragon becomes the first commercial spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station.]]

20 May – An annular solar eclipse takes place.{{cite web | title=Millions witness Pacific 'ring of fire' eclipse | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-21 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18120081 | access-date=2021-10-02}}
22 May – American researchers demonstrate a rewritable DNA memory capable of storing digital data.{{cite web | title=Stanford Researchers Encode Rewritable Memory into DNA | website=Healthcare Technology | date=2012-05-22 | url=https://www.healthtechzone.com/topics/healthcare/articles/2012/05/22/291454-stanford-researchers-encode-rewritable-memory-into-dna.htm | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Bonnet | first1=J. | last2=Subsoontorn | first2=P. | last3=Endy | first3=D. | display-authors=1| title=Rewritable digital data storage in live cells via engineered control of recombination directionality | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=23 | date=2012-05-21 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1202344109 | pages=8884–8889| pmid=22615351 | pmc=3384180 | bibcode=2012PNAS..109.8884B | doi-access=free }}
23 May – In a breakthrough for adult stem cell therapy, Israeli scientists grow healthy heart muscle cells from the skin cells of patients. This development could offer a new treatment for heart failure patients.{{cite web | last=Selvadurai | first=Emily | title=Skin cells turned into healthy heart muscle cells | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-23 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-18158122 | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Zwi-Dantsis | first1=Limor | last2=Huber | first2=Irit | last3=Habib | first3=Manhal | display-authors=1| title=Derivation and cardiomyocyte differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells from heart failure patients | journal=European Heart Journal | publisher=Oxford University Press (OUP) | volume=34 | issue=21 | date=2012-05-22 | issn=1522-9645 | doi=10.1093/eurheartj/ehs096 | pages=1575–1586| pmid=22621821 | doi-access=free }}
25 May
SpaceX's uncrewed Dragon spacecraft completes a successful rendezvous with the International Space Station, becoming the first commercial spacecraft ever to do so.{{cite web | title=SpaceX Dragon Docks With International Space Station | website=The New York Times | date=2012-05-25 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/26/science/space/space-x-capsule-docks-at-space-station.html | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite web | title=SpaceX Dragon docking with ISS | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-25 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-18202702 | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite web | last=Pasztor | first=Andy | title=Private Falcon 9 Rocket Heads to Space Station | website=WSJ | date=2012-05-22 | url=https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304019404577419563393492618.html | access-date=2021-10-02}}
South Africa, Australia and New Zealand agree to co-host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the world's largest single radio telescope project. The SKA, which will comprise thousands of individual antennae with a combined signal-collecting area of {{convert|1|km2|m2}}, is expected to begin operations by 2025.{{cite web| last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Africa and Australasia to share Square Kilometre Array | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-25 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18194984 | access-date=2021-10-02}}
American researchers unveil a cloaking device capable of slowing light to a virtual halt within an array of 25,000 microscopic lenses.{{cite web | title='Cloaking' idea traps a rainbow | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-25 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18181201 | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Smolyaninova | first1=V N | last2=Smolyaninov | first2=I I | last3=Ermer | first3=H K | display-authors=1| title=Experimental demonstration of a broadband array of invisibility cloaks in the visible frequency range | journal=New Journal of Physics | volume=14 | issue=5 | date=2012-05-24 | issn=1367-2630 | doi=10.1088/1367-2630/14/5/053029 | page=053029| arxiv=1204.2319 | bibcode=2012NJPh...14e3029S | s2cid=4536928 }}
Archeologists announce the discovery of a 42,000-year-old bone flutes in a German cave – the oldest musical instruments yet discovered.{{cite journal | last1=Higham | first1=Thomas | last2=Basell | first2=Laura | last3=Jacobi | first3=Roger | display-authors=1| title=Τesting models for the beginnings of the Aurignacian and the advent of figurative art and music: The radiocarbon chronology of Geißenklösterle | journal=Journal of Human Evolution | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=62 | issue=6 | year=2012 | issn=0047-2484 | doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.03.003 | pages=664–676| pmid=22575323 | bibcode=2012JHumE..62..664H }}
29 May
A "road train" of wirelessly linked autonomous vehicles successfully completes a {{convert|200|km|mi|adj=on}} motorway journey, in Spain's first public test of autonomous vehicles.{{cite web| title=Volvo's self-drive 'convoy' hits the Spanish motorway | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-29 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18248841 | access-date=2021-10-02}}
Iran claims to have developed antivirus software capable of defending against the powerful Flame cyberweapon, which has infected computer networks across the Middle East.{{cite web | title=Iran 'finds fix' for sophisticated Flame malware | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-29 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18253331 | access-date=2021-10-02}}
30 May
Scientists successfully sequence the tomato genome, and state that tastier and more pesticide-resistant tomato varieties can be engineered for commercial use within five years.{{cite web | last=McGrath | first=Matt | title=Flavour changer: Genome could enhance tomato taste | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-30 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18253577 | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite web | last=Kelland | first=Kate | title=Tomato genome project bears fruit | website=U.S. | date=2012-05-30 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-tomato-genome-idUKBRE84T16L20120530 | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | title=The tomato genome sequence provides insights into fleshy fruit evolution | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=485 | issue=7400 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11119 | pmc=3378239 | pages=635–641| hdl=2445/28463 | hdl-access=free | author1=The Tomato Genome Consortium (TGC) | last2=Sato | first2=Shusei | last3=Tabata | first3=Satoshi | display-authors=1 | pmid=22660326 | bibcode=2012Natur.485..635T }}
Geologists report that supervolcanoes can develop much faster than previously suspected – erupting within just a few hundred years of their formation, instead of tens of thousands of years.{{cite web | title=Supervolcanoes 'can grow in just hundreds of years' | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-30 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18269593 | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Gualda | first1=Guilherme A. R. | last2=Pamukcu | first2=Ayla S. | last3=Ghiorso | first3=Mark S. | display-authors=1 | title=Timescales of Quartz Crystallization and the Longevity of the Bishop Giant Magma Body | journal=PLOS ONE | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=7 | issue=5 | date=2012-05-30 | issn=1932-6203 | pmid=22666359 | doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0037492 | page=e37492| pmc=3364253 | bibcode=2012PLoSO...737492G | doi-access=free }}

File:Roma or Bangalore Tomatoes (Indian hybrid).jpg genome is fully sequenced by international researchers.]]

31 May
SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft returns to Earth following its successful test mission to the International Space Station.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Splashdown for SpaceX Dragon spacecraft | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-31 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18273811 | access-date=2021-10-02}}
Scientists develop a nanotechnology-based immunoassay test which is potentially three million times more sensitive than conventional tests. The new test could revolutionise the early detection of maladies such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease.{{cite web | title=Nanotechnology breakthrough could dramatically improve medical tests | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-10-01 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120531165752.htm | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Zhou | first1=Liangcheng | last2=Ding | first2=Fei | last3=Chen | first3=Hao | display-authors=1| title=Enhancement of Immunoassay's Fluorescence and Detection Sensitivity Using Three-Dimensional Plasmonic Nano-Antenna-Dots Array | journal=Analytical Chemistry | publisher=American Chemical Society (ACS) | volume=84 | issue=10 | date=2012-05-01 | issn=0003-2700 | doi=10.1021/ac3003215 | pages=4489–4495| pmid=22519422 }}
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) officially names synthetic elements 114 and 116 "flerovium" and "livermorium", respectively.{{cite web | last=Witze | first=Alexandra | title=Flerovium and livermorium debut on periodic table - Molecules - Science News | website=sciencenews.org | date=2012-11-13 | url=https://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/341221/description/Flerovium_and_livermorium_debut_on_periodic_table | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113122834/https://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/341221/description/Flerovium_and_livermorium_debut_on_periodic_table | archive-date=2012-11-13 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-10-02}}{{cite web | title=IUPAC - International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry: Element 114 is Named Flerovium and Element 116 is Named Livermorium | website=iupac.org | date=2012-06-02 | url=http://www.iupac.org/news/news-detail/article/element-114-is-named-flerovium-and-element-116-is-named-livermorium.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602010328/http://www.iupac.org/news/news-detail/article/element-114-is-named-flerovium-and-element-116-is-named-livermorium.html | archive-date=2012-06-02 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-10-02}}
Sharp Corporation develops a solar cell with the highest solar energy conversion efficiency yet achieved. A conversion efficiency of 43.5% was obtained by using a concentrator triple-junction compound cell, combining a focusing lens with multiple layers of light-absorbing compounds.{{cite web | title=Sharp Develops Concentrator Solar Cell With World's Highest Conversion Efficiency of 435% | website=Photonics Online | date=2012-05-31 | url=https://www.photonicsonline.com/doc/sharp-develops-concentrator-solar-cell-with-world-s-highest-conversion-efficiency-of-0001 | access-date=2021-10-02}}

=June=

1 June
In a major milestone for neuroscience, researchers publicly release the first installment of data from their project to construct the first whole-brain wiring diagram of a vertebrate brain, that of a mouse.{{cite web | title=Neuroscientists reach major milestone in whole-brain circuit mapping project « Kurzweil | website=Kurzweil | date=2012-04-17 | url=https://www.kurzweilai.net/neuroscientists-reach-major-milestone-in-whole-brain-circuit-mapping-project | access-date=2021-10-09}}
Scientists publish the results of a successful neurorehabilitation study, in which paralysed rats regained the ability to walk and even sprint after receiving targeted electrochemical therapy. The rats' damaged spinal cords were stimulated with chemicals and implanted electrodes, and a robotic assistive harness was used to "teach" the rats to walk again.{{cite web | title=Walking and running again after spinal cord injury | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-10-09 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120531145714.htm | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=Paralysed rats 'learn to walk' | website=BBC News | date=2012-05-31 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-18257077 | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite journal | last1=van den Brand | first1=R. | last2=Heutschi | first2=J. | last3=Barraud | first3=Q. | display-authors=1 | title=Restoring Voluntary Control of Locomotion after Paralyzing Spinal Cord Injury | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=336 | issue=6085 | date=2012-05-31 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1217416 | pages=1182–1185| pmid=22654062 | bibcode=2012Sci...336.1182V | hdl=11382/373455 | s2cid=14665852 | url=https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/177736/files/van%20den%20Brand%20et%20al.%2C%20Science%202012.pdf }}
Australian researchers publish a new study revealing how the zebrafish heals its spinal cord after injury. According to the study, a specialised protein prevents paralysing glial scars forming when zebrafish have spinal cord damage. It is hoped that this protein may be exploited for the treatment of paralysed humans.{{cite web | title=Study Reveals Secret of Zebrafish - Biochemistry | website=Breaking Science News | Sci-News.com | date=2012-06-01 | url=http://www.sci-news.com/othersciences/biochemistry/article00366.html | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Goldshmit | first1=Y. | last2=Sztal | first2=T. E. | last3=Jusuf | first3=P. R. | display-authors=1 | title=Fgf-Dependent Glial Cell Bridges Facilitate Spinal Cord Regeneration in Zebrafish | journal=Journal of Neuroscience | publisher=Society for Neuroscience | volume=32 | issue=22 | date=2012-05-30 | issn=0270-6474 | doi=10.1523/jneurosci.0758-12.2012|pmc=6703582 | pages=7477–7492| pmid=22649227 }}
4 June – A partial lunar eclipse takes place.{{cite web | title=Partial lunar eclipse sets the stage for Venus transit | website=NBC News | date=2012-06-03 | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna47666636 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117154244/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna47666636 | url-status=dead | archive-date=November 17, 2020 | access-date=2021-10-09}}
5 June
American glass manufacturer Corning Inc. unveils an ultra-thin, flexible glass dubbed "Willow Glass". The invention, which is similar to Corning's widely used Gorilla Glass, could be used in the development of flexible computer displays and ultra-thin smartphones.{{cite web | last=Moskvitch | first=Katia | title=Willow Glass: ultra-thin glass can 'wrap' around devices | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-05 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18329974 | access-date=2021-10-09}}
The solar-powered Solar Impulse aircraft lands in Morocco after a 19-hour flight from Spain, marking the first intercontinental flight of a purely solar-powered aircraft.{{cite web | last=Abdennebi | first=Zakia | title=Solar plane completes maiden intercontinental trip | website=U.S. | date=2012-06-05 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-aviation-solar-idUSBRE8541F020120605 | access-date=2021-10-09}}

File:Venus transit 2012 Minneapolis TLR1.jpg, the last such event until 2117, occurs (transit image from Minneapolis shown).]]

5–6 June – A transit of Venus, one of the rarest predictable astronomical phenomena, occurs. Another such transit will not occur until the year 2117.{{cite web | title=2012 Transit of Venus | website=NASA | date=2004-06-08 | url=http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/transit12.html | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Venus makes rare trek across Sun | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-06 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17745366 | access-date=2021-10-09}}
6 June
An international group of scientists warns that population growth, widespread destruction of natural ecosystems, and climate change may be driving the Earth toward an irreversible change in the biosphere – a planet-wide "tipping point".{{cite web | title=Evidence of impending tipping point for Earth | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-06-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120606132308.htm | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Barnosky | first1=Anthony D. | last2=Hadly | first2=Elizabeth A. | last3=Bascompte | first3=Jordi | display-authors=1| title=Approaching a state shift in Earth's biosphere | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=486 | issue=7401 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11018 | pages=52–58| pmid=22678279 | bibcode=2012Natur.486...52B | hdl=10261/55208 | s2cid=4788164 | hdl-access=free }}
Scientists at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet achieve a breakthrough in creating a new vaccine, CAD106, for Alzheimer's disease.{{cite web|url=http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?l=en&d=130&a=145109&newsdep=130|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610180741/http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?l=en&d=130&a=145109&newsdep=130|title=Alzheimer's vaccine trial a success|publisher=Karolinska Institutet|archive-date=2012-06-10|access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Winblad | first1=Bengt | last2=Andreasen | first2=Niels | last3=Minthon | first3=Lennart | display-authors=1| title=Safety, tolerability, and antibody response of active Aβ immunotherapy with CAD106 in patients with Alzheimer's disease: randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, first-in-human study | journal=The Lancet Neurology | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=11 | issue=7 | year=2012 | issn=1474-4422 | doi=10.1016/s1474-4422(12)70140-0 | pages=597–604| pmid=22677258 | s2cid=42166910 }}
IPv6, a new version of the Internet Protocol, is officially launched, offering trillions of possible new web addresses.{{cite web | last=Bradley | first=Tony | title=IPv6: Five Things You Should Know | website=PCWorld | date=2012-06-06 | url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/465085/ipv6_five_things_you_should_know.html | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite AV media |people=Vint Cerf |date=2012-06-04 |title=The new, larger version of the Internet: IPv6 |trans-title= |type= |language= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uwjt32NvVA |access-date= |format=Video |time= |location= |publisher=Youtube |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= }}
Wales becomes the first nation in the world to have its plants DNA barcoded. A tiny fragment of leaf, seed or root, or even a single pollen grain, can now be used to identify species.{{cite web | last=Morgan | first=Sion | title=Wales becomes first country to DNA barcode all flowering plants | website=WalesOnline | date=2012-06-25 | url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/wales-becomes-first-country-dna-2029649 | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite journal | last1=de Vere | first1=Natasha | last2=Rich | first2=Tim C. G. | last3=Ford | first3=Col R. | display-authors=1| title=DNA Barcoding the Native Flowering Plants and Conifers of Wales | journal=PLOS ONE | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=7 | issue=6 | date=2012-06-06 | issn=1932-6203 | doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0037945|pmc=3368937 | page=e37945| pmid=22701588 | bibcode=2012PLoSO...737945D | doi-access=free }}
German scientists develop zeolite thermal storage pellets that can store four times as much thermal energy as water, and can retain their energy almost indefinitely.{{cite news | last=Anthony | first=Sebastian | title=Zeolite thermal storage retains heat indefinitely, absorbs four times more heat than water | website=ExtremeTech | date=2012-06-06 | url=http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/130523-zeolite-thermal-storage-retains-heat-indefinitely-absorbs-four-times-more-heat-than-water | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite web | title=Fraunhofer Researchers Develop New Thermal Storage System | website=AZoCleantech.com | date=2012-06-07 | url=https://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=16776 | access-date=2021-10-09}}
7 June
According to NOAA scientists, the average temperature for the contiguous United States during May 2012 was {{convert|64.3|F}}, 3.3 °F above the long-term average, making it the second-warmest May on record. The month's high temperatures also contributed to the warmest spring, warmest year-to-date, and warmest 12-month period the United States has experienced since recordkeeping began in 1895.{{cite web| title=U.S. experienced second warmest May, warmest spring on record, NOAA reports | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-10-09 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120607185751.htm | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite web | title=National Climate Report - May 2012 | website=National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) | url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/national/2012/5 | access-date=2021-10-09}}
Scientists at the University of Washington successfully sequence the genome of an 18-week-old human fetus in the womb by taking blood samples from the mother. In future, millions of children could be safely screened for genetic disorders in this way.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=Genome of 18-week-old foetus deciphered | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-07 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-18353055 | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Kitzman | first1=J. O. | last2=Snyder | first2=M. W. | last3=Ventura | first3=M. | display-authors=1| title=Noninvasive Whole-Genome Sequencing of a Human Fetus | journal=Science Translational Medicine | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=4 | issue=137 | date=2012-06-06 | issn=1946-6234 | doi=10.1126/scitranslmed.3004323 |pmc=3379884 | pages=137ra76| pmid=22674554 }}
The US Naval Research Laboratory has developed a form of underwater solar energy.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612124806/http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2012/photovoltaic-cells-tap-underwater-solar-energy|url=http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2012/photovoltaic-cells-tap-underwater-solar-energy|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-06-12|title=Photovoltaic Cells Tap Underwater Solar Energy|date=2012-06-07|publisher=U.S. Naval Research Laboratory}}
A team of New Zealand scientists report that measuring the ratio of hydrogen and methane levels on the planet Mars may help determine the likelihood of life on Mars. According to the scientists, "...low H₂/CH₄ ratios (less than approximately 40) indicate that life is likely present and active."{{cite web | title=Mars Life Could Leave Traces in Red Planet's Air: Study | website=Space.com | date=2012-06-26 | url=https://www.space.com/16284-mars-life-atmosphere-hydrogen-methane.html | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Oze | first1=C. | last2=Jones | first2=L. C. | last3=Goldsmith | first3=J. I. | display-authors=1 | title=Differentiating biotic from abiotic methane genesis in hydrothermally active planetary surfaces | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=25 | date=2012-06-07 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1205223109|pmc=3382529 | pages=9750–9754| pmid=22679287 | bibcode=2012PNAS..109.9750O | doi-access=free }}
In a separate study, a team of Netherland scientists associated with MIT reported methods of detecting hydrogen and methane in extraterrestrial atmospheres.{{cite magazine | title=New View of Exoplanets Will Aid Search for E.T. | magazine=Wired | date=2012-06-27 | url=https://www.wired.com/2012/06/tau-bootis-b/ | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Brogi | first1=Matteo | last2=Snellen | first2=Ignas A. G. | last3=de Kok | first3=Remco J. | display-authors=1 | title=The signature of orbital motion from the dayside of the planet τ Boötis b | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=486 | issue=7404 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11161 | pages=502–504| pmid=22739313 | arxiv=1206.6109 | bibcode=2012Natur.486..502B | s2cid=4368217 }}
8 June
American researchers report that they have successfully developed a key insulation technology required for the ITER nuclear fusion demonstration reactor.{{cite web | title=Researchers take big step to develop nuclear fusion power | website=Phys.org | date=2012-06-08 | url=https://phys.org/news/2012-06-big-nuclear-fusion-power.html | access-date=2021-10-09}}
American scientists build a tabletop-sized X-ray laser, vastly smaller and cheaper than most such devices. The invention could permit ultra-high-resolution imaging of microscopic structures such as living cells.{{cite web | title=X-ray lasers from tabletop device | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-08 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18359291 | access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Popmintchev | first1=T. | last2=Chen | first2=M.-C. | last3=Popmintchev | first3=D. | display-authors=1| title=Bright Coherent Ultrahigh Harmonics in the keV X-ray Regime from Mid-Infrared Femtosecond Lasers | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=336 | issue=6086 | date=2012-06-07 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1218497 | pages=1287–1291| pmid=22679093 | arxiv=2403.19535 | bibcode=2012Sci...336.1287P | hdl=10366/147089 | s2cid=24628513 | hdl-access=free }}
British researchers begin trialling "smart" hand pumps equipped with transmitters that can immediately detect and report mechanical breakdowns. This will allow vital water pumps to be fixed much more quickly in rural Africa.{{cite web | last=McGrath | first=Matt | title=Smart hand pumps promise cleaner water in Africa | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-08 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18358766 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Thomson | first1=Patrick | last2=Hope | first2=Rob | last3=Foster | first3=Tim | display-authors=1 |title=GSM-enabled remote monitoring of rural handpumps: a proof-of-concept study | journal=Journal of Hydroinformatics | publisher=IWA Publishing | volume=14 | issue=4 | date=2012-05-17 | issn=1464-7141 | doi=10.2166/hydro.2012.183 | pages=829–839| doi-access=free | hdl=10453/115094 | hdl-access=free }}
Japanese researchers grow a tiny, functioning human liver from stem cells.{{cite journal | last=Cyranoski | first=David | title=Rudimentary liver grown in vitro | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | date=2012-06-20 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature.2012.10848 | page=| s2cid=87544727 }}

File:Pan paniscus (female).jpg (female pictured).]]

10 June
Canadian scientists develop a new method of accurately visualising complex protein interactions. The development could have broad implications for the biomedical and bioengineering sciences, including the design of functional bionanomachines.{{cite web | title=Researchers watch tiny living machines self-assemble | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-11-06 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120610151304.htm | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Vallée-Bélisle | first1=Alexis | last2=Michnick | first2=Stephen W | title=Visualizing transient protein-folding intermediates by tryptophan-scanning mutagenesis | journal=Nature Structural & Molecular Biology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=19 | issue=7 | date=2012-06-10 | issn=1545-9993 | doi=10.1038/nsmb.2322 | pages=731–736| pmid=22683996 | s2cid=30976460 }}
11 June
The European Extremely Large Telescope is approved for construction by member states of the European Southern Observatory organization.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=European Extremely Large Telescope given go-ahead | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-11 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18396853 | access-date=2021-11-07}}
12 June
Scientists unveil a new porous metal-organic framework, NOTT-202, capable of capturing and storing excess carbon dioxide within its structure.{{cite web | title=New holey material soaks up CO₂ | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-12 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18396655 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Yang | first1=Sihai | last2=Lin | first2=Xiang | last3=Lewis | first3=William | display-authors=1| title=A partially interpenetrated metal–organic framework for selective hysteretic sorption of carbon dioxide | journal=Nature Materials | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=11 | issue=8 | date=2012-06-03 | issn=1476-1122 | doi=10.1038/nmat3343 | pages=710–716| pmid=22660661 | bibcode=2012NatMa..11..710Y }}
An extensive study concludes that several factors aligned to cause the extinction of woolly mammoths.{{cite web | last=Choi | first=Charles Q. | title=Mammoths Wiped Out By Multiple Killers | website=livescience.com | date=2012-06-12 | url=https://www.livescience.com/20894-woolly-mammoths-extinction.html | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=MacDonald | first1=G.M. | last2=Beilman | first2=D.W. | last3=Kuzmin | first3=Y.V. | display-authors=1 | title=Pattern of extinction of the woolly mammoth in Beringia | journal=Nature Communications | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=3 | issue=1 | year=2012 | pages=893– | issn=2041-1723 | doi=10.1038/ncomms1881 | pmid=22692536 |pmc=3621396 | bibcode=2012NatCo...3..893M }}
The IARC, a WHO research agency, concludes that diesel exhaust exposure can cause cancer.{{cite web | title=WHO: Diesel exhaust causes cancer, same magnitude as second-hand smoke | website=CBS News | date=2012-06-12 | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-diesel-exhaust-causes-cancer-same-magnitude-as-second-hand-smoke/ | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=Diesel exhausts do cause cancer, says WHO | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-12 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-18415532 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite web | title=Media Centre – IARC News – IARC | website=IARC | url=http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/2012/mono105-info.php | access-date=2021-11-07}}
A123 Systems develops an improved version of its lithium-ion battery cells, potentially lowering the cost of electric vehicles.{{cite web|url=http://www.technologyreview.com/news/428172/battery-maker-a123-announces-new-tech-to-jump/|publisher=Technology Review|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618045110/http://www.technologyreview.com/news/428172/battery-maker-a123-announces-new-tech-to-jump/|archive-date=2012-06-18|date=2012-06-12|author=Kevin Bullis|title=Battery Maker A123 Announces New Tech to Jump-Start Its Business|url-status=dead}}
13 June
NASA successfully launches its NuSTAR X-ray space telescope.{{cite web | last=Thomson | first=Iain | title=Pegasus rocket lofts NuSTAR X-ray telescope into orbit | website=theregister.co.uk | date=2012-06-13 | url=https://www.theregister.com/2012/06/13/pegasus_launch_nustar_telescope/ | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite web | title=NASA's NuSTAR Mission Lifts Off | website=NASA | date=2015-11-20 | url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/nustar/news/nustar20120613.html | access-date=2021-11-07}}
Scientists fully decode the bonobo genome.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Bonobo's genetic code laid bare | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-13 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18430420 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Prüfer | first1=Kay | last2=Munch | first2=Kasper | last3=Hellmann | first3=Ines | display-authors=1| title=The bonobo genome compared with the chimpanzee and human genomes | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=486 | issue=7404 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11128 | pmc=3498939 | pages=527–531| pmid=22722832 | bibcode=2012Natur.486..527P }}
14 June
Swedish surgeons report having implanted a patient with a working lab-grown vein created with the patient's own stem cells.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=Ten-year-old girl gets vein grown from her stem cells | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-13 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-18428889 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Olausson | first1=Michael | last2=Patil | first2=Pradeep B | last3=Kuna | first3=Vijay Kumar | display-authors=1 | title=Transplantation of an allogeneic vein bioengineered with autologous stem cells: a proof-of-concept study | journal=The Lancet | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=380 | issue=9838 | year=2012 | issn=0140-6736 | doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60633-3 | pages=230–237| pmid=22704550 | s2cid=32932649 }}
Chinese researchers report that fields of GM crops can be beneficial to nearby non-GM plants by encouraging the proliferation of beneficial predator insects, which reduce the need for pesticides.{{cite web | last=Coghlan | first=Andy | title=Genetically modified crops encourage beneficial bugs | website=New Scientist | date=2019-02-26 | url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21923-genetically-modified-crops-encourage-beneficial-bugs/ | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Lu | first1=Yanhui | last2=Wu | first2=Kongming | last3=Jiang | first3=Yuying | display-authors=1 | title=Widespread adoption of Bt cotton and insecticide decrease promotes biocontrol services | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=487 | issue=7407 | date=2012-06-13 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11153 | pages=362–365| pmid=22722864 | bibcode=2012Natur.487..362L | s2cid=4415298 }}
Examples of cave art in Spain are dated to around 38,000 BC, making them the oldest examples of art yet discovered in Europe. Scientists theorize that the paintings may have been made by Neanderthals, rather than by homo sapiens.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Red dot becomes 'oldest cave art' | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-15 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18449711 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Pike | first1=A. W. G. | last2=Hoffmann | first2=D. L. | last3=García-Diez | first3=M. | display-authors=1| title=U-Series Dating of Paleolithic Art in 11 Caves in Spain | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=336 | issue=6087 | date=2012-06-15 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1219957 | pages=1409–1413| pmid=22700921 | bibcode=2012Sci...336.1409P | s2cid=7807664 }}
2012 LZ1, a large near-Earth asteroid, passes by the planet.{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/06/120614-asteroid-earth-planet-close-watch-online-space-science/|publisher=National Geographic|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617031130/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/06/120614-asteroid-earth-planet-close-watch-online-space-science/|archive-date=2012-06-17|date=2012-06-14|author=Ker Than|title=Large Asteroid to Buzz Earth Tonight—Watch It Live}}
Physical activity levels are declining worldwide, a trend that raises major health concerns, according to a new study.{{cite web | title=Technology Making People Lazier as Finding the Remote Fast Becoming the Only Form of Exercise | website=Gawker | date=2012-06-23 | url=http://gawker.com/5919185/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623224354/http://gawker.com/5919185/ | archive-date=2012-06-23 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Ng | first1=S. W. | last2=Popkin | first2=B. M. | title=Time use and physical activity: a shift away from movement across the globe | journal=Obesity Reviews | publisher=Wiley | volume=13 | issue=8 | date=2012-06-14 | issn=1467-7881 | doi=10.1111/j.1467-789x.2011.00982.x | pmc=3401184 | pages=659–680| pmid=22694051 }}
New research warns that pH levels along the US western seaboard will drop to 7.8 by 2050, with serious consequences for many organisms.{{cite web | title=Information for journalists | website=ETH Zurich | date=2019-01-28 | url=https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/media-information.html | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Gruber | first1=Nicolas | last2=Hauri | first2=Claudine | last3=Lachkar | first3=Zouhair | display-authors=1 | title=Rapid Progression of Ocean Acidification in the California Current System | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=337 | issue=6091 | date=2012-07-13 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1216773 | pages=220–223| pmid=22700658 | bibcode=2012Sci...337..220G | s2cid=7745863 | doi-access=free }}
15 June
American scientists report a possible genetic link between diabetes and an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.{{cite web | title=Alzheimer's gene 'diabetes link' | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-15 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-18445701 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal|author1-link=Collin Y. Ewald | last1=Ewald | first1=Collin Y | last2=Raps | first2=Daniel A | last3=Li | first3=Chris | display-authors=1| title=APL-1, the Alzheimer's Amyloid Precursor Protein in Caenorhabditis elegans, Modulates Multiple Metabolic Pathways Throughout Development | journal=Genetics | publisher=Oxford University Press (OUP) | volume=191 | issue=2 | date=2012-06-01 | issn=1943-2631 | doi=10.1534/genetics.112.138768|pmc=3374313 | pages=493–507| pmid=22466039 }}
NASA scientists report that Voyager 1 may be very close to entering interstellar space and becoming the first human-made object to leave the Solar System.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Particles point way for Nasa's Voyager | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-15 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18458478 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite web | last=Ferris | first=Timothy | title=Timothy Ferris on Voyagers' Never-Ending Journey | website=Smithsonian magazine | date=2012-04-25 | url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Timothy-Ferris-on-Voyagers-Never-Ending-Journey.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425043147/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Timothy-Ferris-on-Voyagers-Never-Ending-Journey.html | archive-date=2012-04-25 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-11-07}}
16 June
China successfully launches the crewed Shenzhou 9 spacecraft on a mission to the Tiangong-1 space station module. Shenzhou 9 carries a crew of three, including China's first female astronaut, Liu Yang.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=China launches space mission with first woman astronaut | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-16 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18458544 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite web | title=China's first female astronaut to improve Shenzhou-9 crew's efficiency: spokesperson - Xinhua - English.news.cn | website=news.xinhuanet.com | date=2012-06-17 | url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-06/15/c_131655603.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617155940/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-06/15/c_131655603.htm | archive-date=2012-06-17 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-11-07}}
The United States Air Force's robotic Boeing X-37B spaceplane returns to Earth after a successful 469-day orbital mission.{{cite web | last=Wall | first=Mike | title=Air Force's Secret X-37B Space Plane Lands in Calif. After Mystery Mission | website=Space.com | date=2012-06-16 | url=https://www.space.com/16110-secret-x37b-space-plane-landing.html | access-date=2021-11-07}}
18 June – Researchers design a robot that can outperform humans in identifying a wide range of natural materials according to their textures. The invention paves the way for advancements in prostheses, personal assistive robots and consumer product testing.{{cite web | title=Robots get a feel for the world: Touch more sensitive than a human's | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-11-06 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120618194952.htm | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Fishel | first1=Jeremy A. | last2=Loeb | first2=Gerald E. | title=Bayesian Exploration for Intelligent Identification of Textures | journal=Frontiers in Neurorobotics | publisher=Frontiers Media SA | volume=6 | year=2012 | issn=1662-5218 | doi=10.3389/fnbot.2012.00004| pmc=3389458 | page=4| pmid=22783186 | doi-access=free }}
19 June – Men who are heavy tea drinkers may be more likely to develop prostate cancer, according to new research.{{cite web | title=Male tea drinkers 'may be at greater risk of prostate cancer' | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-19 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18494725 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Shafique | first1=Kashif | last2=McLoone | first2=Philip | last3=Qureshi | first3=Khaver | display-authors=1 | title=Tea Consumption and the Risk of Overall and Grade Specific Prostate Cancer: A Large Prospective Cohort Study of Scottish Men | journal=Nutrition and Cancer | publisher=Informa UK Limited | volume=64 | issue=6 | year=2012 | issn=0163-5581 | doi=10.1080/01635581.2012.690063 | pages=790–797| pmid=22697604 | s2cid=25955548 }}
20 June
Engineers build a working 50-gigapixel camera by synchronizing 98 tiny cameras in a single device.{{cite web | last=University | first=Duke | title=Engineers build 50 gigapixel camera | website=Phys.org | date=2012-06-20 | url=https://phys.org/news/2012-06-gigapixel-camera.html | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Brady | first1=D. J. | last2=Gehm | first2=M. E. | last3=Stack | first3=R. A. | display-authors=1 | title=Multiscale gigapixel photography | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=486 | issue=7403 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11150 | pages=386–389| pmid=22722199 | bibcode=2012Natur.486..386B | s2cid=4323694 }}
Renewable energy sources can fill 80 percent of American electricity demand by 2050, according to a new report.{{cite web | last=Owano | first=Nancy | title=Renewables can fill 80 percent electricity demand in U.S. in 2050 | website=Phys.org | date=2012-06-20 | url=https://phys.org/news/2012-06-renewables-percent-electricity-demand.html | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite web | title=NREL: Energy Analysis - The Renewable Electricity Futures Study | website=nrel.gov | date=2012-06-22 | url=http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/re_futures/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622030027/http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/re_futures/ | archive-date=2012-06-22 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-11-07}}
21 June
Scientists develop the world's first magnetic emulsion, based on magnetic surfactant molecules. The invention could be used to clean up oil spills or even guide medicines through human blood vessels.{{cite web | title='Magnetic emulsions' could clean up oil spills | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-21 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18521711 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Brown | first1=Paul | last2=Butts | first2=Craig P. | last3=Cheng | first3=Jing | display-authors=1 | title=Magnetic emulsions with responsive surfactants | journal=Soft Matter | publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) | volume=8 | issue=29 | year=2012 | issn=1744-683X | doi=10.1039/c2sm26077h | page=7545| bibcode=2012SMat....8.7545B | hdl=1983/dbce10cc-f6a6-440b-9dd5-04f61c4ad65b | url=https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/7400248/SM_COM_05_2012_026077.pdf }}
2.8-million-year-old climate data is reconstructed from sediment cores recovered from Lake El'gygytgyn, Russia. The data is considerably older than the 800,000-year-old ice cores found in the Antarctic.{{cite web | title=2.8 million years of climate data lurking in Russian lake | website=Ars Technica | date=2012-06-21 | url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2012/06/2-8-million-years-of-climate-data-lurking-in-russian-lake/ | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Melles | first1=Martin | last2=Brigham-Grette | first2=Julie | last3=Minyuk | first3=Pavel S. | display-authors=1| title=2.8 Million Years of Arctic Climate Change from Lake El'gygytgyn, NE Russia | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=337 | issue=6092 | date=2012-07-20 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1222135 | pages=315–320| pmid=22722254 | bibcode=2012Sci...337..315M | s2cid=729119 | doi-access=free }}
23 June – 100 years after the birth of English cryptanalyst and computer pioneer Alan Turing, British experts cast doubt on the long-held notion that Turing's death was a suicide.{{cite web | last=Pease | first=Roland | title=Alan Turing: Inquest's suicide verdict 'not supportable' | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-26 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18561092 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite web | title=Turing suicide verdict in doubt | website=fds.oup.com | date=2012-12-14 | url=http://fds.oup.com/www.oup.co.uk/pdf/general/popularscience/jackcopelandjune | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214074429/http://fds.oup.com/www.oup.co.uk/pdf/general/popularscience/jackcopelandjune | archive-date=2012-12-14 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-11-07}}
24 June
China successfully completes its first manual orbital rendezvous, as the crewed Shenzhou 9 spacecraft docks with the Tiangong-1 module without the assistance of automated docking systems.{{cite web | title=China Shenzhou-9 spacecraft makes first manual docking | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-24 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-18567115 | access-date=2021-11-07}}
Rates of sea level rise are increasing three-to-four times faster along portions of the U.S. Atlantic Coast than globally, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey report published in Nature Climate Change.{{cite web | title=News | website=USGS.gov | url=http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3256 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Sallenger | first1=Asbury H. | last2=Doran | first2=Kara S. | last3=Howd | first3=Peter A.| display-authors=1 | title=Hotspot of accelerated sea-level rise on the Atlantic coast of North America | journal=Nature Climate Change | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=2 | issue=12 | date=2012-06-24 | issn=1758-678X | doi=10.1038/nclimate1597 | pages=884–888| bibcode=2012NatCC...2..884S | url=https://zenodo.org/record/1233363 | doi-access=free }}
Lonesome George, the last known individual of the Pinta Island tortoise subspecies, dies in Galápagos National Park, probably aged over 100, thus making the subspecies extinct presumptively.{{cite news|title=Famed Galapagos tortoise dies|url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/story/2012-06-24/tortiose-species-extinct/55798794/1|work=USA Today|date=24 June 2012|access-date=2020-03-20|archive-date=2012-07-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706133544/http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/story/2012-06-24/tortiose-species-extinct/55798794/1|url-status=dead}}
26 June – The discovery of a new mineral, panguite, is announced, with samples found in the Allende meteorite.{{cite magazine | title=Meteorite Hunter Discovers New Mineral | magazine=Wired | date=2012-06-26 | url=https://www.wired.com/2012/06/new-mineral-panguite/ | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Ma | first1=C. | last2=Tschauner | first2=O. | last3=Beckett | first3=J. R. | display-authors=1 | title=Panguite, (Ti4+,Sc,Al,Mg,Zr,Ca)1.8O3, a new ultra-refractory titania mineral from the Allende meteorite: Synchrotron micro-diffraction and EBSD | journal=American Mineralogist | publisher=Mineralogical Society of America | volume=97 | issue=7 | date=2012-06-25 | issn=0003-004X | doi=10.2138/am.2012.4027 | pages=1219–1225| bibcode=2012AmMin..97.1219M | s2cid=101940461 }}
27 June
Physicists collide gold ions together to produce a quark–gluon plasma, similar to that which existed in the first instant after the Big Bang. In doing so, they momentarily produce what Guinness World Records reports is the highest artificial temperature ever: 4 trillion °C (7.2 trillion °F).{{cite web | title=Physicists produce highest man-made temperature: 7 trillion degrees | website=Los Angeles Times | date=2012-06-27 | url=https://www.latimes.com/science/la-xpm-2012-jun-27-la-sci-sn-highest-temperature-20120627-story.html | access-date=2021-11-07}}
Scientists develop a new, high-precision method for modifying organic compounds with new active molecules, easing the development of new medicines.{{cite web | title=Easier way to make new drug compounds | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-11-06 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120627131951.htm | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Leow | first1=Dasheng | last2=Li | first2=Gang | last3=Mei | first3=Tian-Sheng | display-authors=1 | title=Activation of remote meta-C–H bonds assisted by an end-on template | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=486 | issue=7404 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11158 |pmc=3386562 | pages=518–522| pmid=22739317 | bibcode=2012Natur.486..518L }}
Scientists associated with University of the Witwatersrand, Johns Hopkins University and other international Universities report that early humans, such as Australopithecus sediba, may have lived in savannas but ate fruit and other foods from the forest – behavior similar to modern-day savanna chimpanzees.{{cite web | last=Boyle | first=Alan | title=This pre-human ate like a chimp - Cosmic Log | website=Cosmic Log | date=2012-06-30 | url=http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/27/12430341-this-pre-human-ate-like-a-chimp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630144236/http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/27/12430341-this-pre-human-ate-like-a-chimp | archive-date=2012-06-30 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite web | title=Australopithecus Sediba Preferred Forest Foods, Fossil Teeth Suggest | website=The New York Times | date=2012-06-27 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/science/australopithecus-sediba-preferred-forest-foods-fossil-teeth-suggest.html | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Henry | first1=Amanda G. | last2=Ungar | first2=Peter S. | last3=Passey | first3=Benjamin H. | display-authors=1 | title=The diet of Australopithecus sediba | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=487 | issue=7405 | date=2012-06-27 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11185 | pages=90–93| pmid=22763449 | bibcode=2012Natur.487...90H | s2cid=205229276 }}
28 June – An international team of astronomers discovers evidence that our Milky Way had an encounter with a small galaxy or massive dark matter structure perhaps as recently as 100 million years ago, and as a result of that encounter it is still ringing like a bell.{{cite web | title=Milky Way struck 100 million years ago, still rings like a bell - Queen's University News Centre | website=queensu.ca | date=2012-07-01 | url=http://www.queensu.ca/news/articles/milky-way-struck-100-million-years-ago-still-rings-bell | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701021032/http://www.queensu.ca/news/articles/milky-way-struck-100-million-years-ago-still-rings-bell | archive-date=2012-07-01 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Widrow | first1=Lawrence M. | last2=Gardner | first2=Susan | last3=Yanny | first3=Brian | display-authors=1 | title=Galactoseismology: Discovery of Vertical Waves in the Galactic Disk | journal=The Astrophysical Journal | publisher=American Astronomical Society | volume=750 | issue=2 | date=2012-04-25 | issn=2041-8205 | doi=10.1088/2041-8205/750/2/l41 | page=L41| arxiv=1203.6861 | bibcode=2012ApJ...750L..41W | s2cid=118575701 }}

File:Haxby2001.jpg brain scanner which allows paralyzed people to communicate using thought alone (fMRI images shown).]]

29 June
American researchers demonstrate "paint-on" batteries, composed of active layers just 0.5 mm thick, capable of being spray-painted onto almost any surface. The technology could allow for the creation of lighter, more flexible electronic devices with a wide range of form factors.{{cite web | title='Paint-on' batteries demonstrated | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-29 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18623840 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Singh | first1=Neelam | last2=Galande | first2=Charudatta | last3=Miranda | first3=Andrea | display-authors=1 | title=Paintable Battery | journal=Scientific Reports | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=2 | issue=1 | date=2012-06-28 | issn=2045-2322 | doi=10.1038/srep00481 |pmc=3385420 | page=481| pmid=22745900 | bibcode=2012NatSR...2..481S }}
Dutch and German scientists unveil a new brain-scanning functional magnetic resonance imaging device that allows paralyzed people to type out words using only their thoughts.{{cite web | title=New brain scanner helps paralysed people spell words | website=BBC News | date=2012-06-29 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18644084 | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite web | title=Mental Scanner Lets Paralyzed People Spell Their Thoughts | website=livescience.com | date=2012-06-29 | url=https://www.livescience.com/21303-mental-scanner-lets-paralyzed-people-spell-their-thoughts.html | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Sorger | first1=Bettina | last2=Reithler | first2=Joel | last3=Dahmen | first3=Brigitte | display-authors=1 | title=A Real-Time fMRI-Based Spelling Device Immediately Enabling Robust Motor-Independent Communication | journal=Current Biology | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=22 | issue=14 | year=2012 | issn=0960-9822 | doi=10.1016/j.cub.2012.05.022 | pages=1333–1338| pmid=22748322 | s2cid=15103741 | doi-access=free | bibcode=2012CBio...22.1333S }}
Scientists discover the remains of an enormous, 3-billion-year-old impact near the Maniitsoq region of West Greenland, a billion years older than any other known collision on Earth.{{cite web | title=EcoAlert: 100-Kilometer Wide Impact Crater Found in Greenland --Oldest Known on Planet | website=dailygalaxy.com | date=2012-06-30 | url=http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2012/06/ecoalert-100-kilometer-wide-impact-crater-found-in-greenland-oldest-known-on-planet.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630040235/http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2012/06/ecoalert-100-kilometer-wide-impact-crater-found-in-greenland-oldest-known-on-planet.html | archive-date=2012-06-30 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-11-07}}{{cite journal | last1=Garde | first1=Adam A. | last2=McDonald | first2=Iain | last3=Dyck | first3=Brendan | display-authors=1 | title=Searching for giant, ancient impact structures on Earth: The Mesoarchaean Maniitsoq structure, West Greenland | journal=Earth and Planetary Science Letters | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=337-338 | year=2012 | issn=0012-821X | doi=10.1016/j.epsl.2012.04.026 | pages=197–210| bibcode=2012E&PSL.337..197G }}

=July=

1 July – The London Symphony Orchestra performs a musical composition created without human input by the Iamus computer.{{cite journal | last=Ball | first=Philip | title=Computer science: Algorithmic rapture | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=488 | issue=7412 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/488458a | pages=458| bibcode=2012Natur.488..458B | s2cid=39479249 | doi-access=free }}{{cite web | last=Ball | first=Philip | title=Iamus, classical music's computer composer, live from Malaga | website=The Guardian | date=2012-07-01 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jul/01/iamus-computer-composes-classical-music | access-date=2021-11-13}}
2 July
American researchers use a 3D printer to build a sugar framework for growing an artificial liver. The sugar structure simulates a human vascular system, allowing artificial blood vessels to be grown to support the liver.{{cite web | title=3D-printed sugar network to help grow artificial liver | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-02 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18677627 | access-date=2021-11-13}}{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Replacement-liver-soon-to-be-a-reality/articleshow/14596317.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131174122/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-02/health/32507712_1_cells-tissue-3d|archive-date=2013-01-31|date=2012-07-02|publisher=Times of India|title=Replacement liver soon to be a reality}}{{cite journal | last1=Miller | first1=Jordan S. | last2=Stevens | first2=Kelly R. | last3=Yang | first3=Michael T. | display-authors=1| title=Rapid casting of patterned vascular networks for perfusable engineered three-dimensional tissues | journal=Nature Materials | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=11 | issue=9 | date=2012-07-01 | issn=1476-1122 | doi=10.1038/nmat3357 | pmc=3586565 | pages=768–774| pmid=22751181 | bibcode=2012NatMa..11..768M }}
Scientists use ultrasound to display 3D video on a modified liquid soap membrane, creating the world's thinnest transparent video display.{{cite web | title=Soap bubble screen is 'the world's thinnest display' | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-02 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18671061 | access-date=2021-11-13}}
Graphene sheets with precisely controlled pores can purify water more efficiently than existing methods, according to scientists at MIT.{{cite web | last=Chandler | first=David L. | title=A new approach to water desalination | website=MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | date=2012-06-29 | url=https://news.mit.edu/2012/graphene-water-desalination-0702 | access-date=2021-11-13}}{{cite journal | last1=Cohen-Tanugi | first1=David | last2=Grossman | first2=Jeffrey C. | title=Water Desalination across Nanoporous Graphene | journal=Nano Letters | publisher=American Chemical Society (ACS) | volume=12 | issue=7 | date=2012-06-12 | issn=1530-6984 | doi=10.1021/nl3012853 | pages=3602–3608| pmid=22668008 | bibcode=2012NanoL..12.3602C }}
Scientists report that indirect evidence supporting the existence of the Higgs boson has been found.{{cite web | last=Sample | first=Ian | title=Higgs boson fever fills Cern with 24-hour particle people | website=The Guardian | date=2012-07-03 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/jul/03/higgs-boson-cern-particle-people | access-date=2021-11-13}}{{cite web | last1=Wickham | first1=Chris | last2=Evans | first2=Robert | title="It's a boson:" Higgs quest bears new particle | website=U.S. | date=2012-07-04 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-higgs-idUKBRE86008K20120704 | access-date=2021-11-13}}
3 July
Researchers photograph the shadow of a single atom for the first time.{{cite web | title=First photo of shadow of single atom | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-11-14 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120703172543.htm | access-date=2021-11-16}}{{cite journal | last1=Streed | first1=Erik W. | last2=Jechow | first2=Andreas | last3=Norton | first3=Benjamin G. | display-authors=1 | title=Absorption imaging of a single atom | journal=Nature Communications | volume=3 | issue=1 | year=2012 | issn=2041-1723 | doi=10.1038/ncomms1944 | page=933| pmid=22760632 | arxiv=1201.5280 | bibcode=2012NatCo...3..933S | s2cid=5616535 }}
A study led by Kansas State University discovers a new quantum state, which allows three, but not two, atoms to stick together.{{cite web | title=Strength in numbers: Physicists identify new quantum state allowing three – but not two – atoms to stick together | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-11-14 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120703142515.htm | access-date=2021-11-16}}{{cite journal | last1=Guevara | first1=Nicolais L. | last2=Wang | first2=Yujun | last3=Esry | first3=B. D. | display-authors=1| title=New Class of Three-Body States | journal=Physical Review Letters | publisher=American Physical Society (APS) | volume=108 | issue=21 | date=2012-05-22 | issn=0031-9007 | doi=10.1103/physrevlett.108.213202 | page=213202| pmid=23003251 | arxiv=1110.0476 | bibcode=2012PhRvL.108u3202G | s2cid=6091524 }}
4 July
CERN physicists announce the discovery of a particle consistent with the standard model's Higgs boson at a "5 sigma" level of significance, indicating that there is only one chance in 3.5 million to get such a result by chance without a particle.{{cite web | title=Physicists Find Particle That Could Be the Higgs Boson | website=The New York Times | date=2012-07-04 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/05/science/cern-physicists-may-have-discovered-higgs-boson-particle.html | access-date=2021-11-16}}{{cite web | last=Rincon | first=Paul | title=Higgs boson-like particle discovery claimed at LHC | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-04 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-18702455 | access-date=2021-11-16}}{{cite web | title=CERN experiments observe particle consistent with long-sought Higgs boson | website=CERN | date=2012-07-04 | url=https://home.cern/news/press-release/cern/cern-experiments-observe-particle-consistent-long-sought-higgs-boson | access-date=2021-11-16}}
American scientists develop an electrically conductive gel that can easily be printed onto surfaces with a standard inkjet printer, allowing the rapid and simple production of a wide range of electronics.{{cite web | title=Printable, electrically conductive gel with unprecedented electrical performance synthesized | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-11-14 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120704182543.htm | access-date=2021-11-16}}{{cite journal | last1=Pan | first1=L. | last2=Yu | first2=G. | last3=Zhai | first3=D. | display-authors=1 | title=Hierarchical nanostructured conducting polymer hydrogel with high electrochemical activity | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=24 | date=2012-05-29 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1202636109|pmc=3386113 | pages=9287–9292| pmid=22645374 | bibcode=2012PNAS..109.9287P | doi-access=free }}
Researchers have identified seven genetic markers linked with a woman's breast size, according to a new study.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121215131052/http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/2801-breast-size-genetic-markers.html|publisher=MyHealthNewsDaily|title=Genes for Breast Size Found|date=2012-07-03|archive-date=2012-12-15|url=http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/2801-breast-size-genetic-markers.html}}{{cite journal | last1=Eriksson | first1=Nicholas | last2=Benton | first2=Geoffrey M | last3=Do | first3=Chuong B | display-authors=1 | title=Genetic variants associated with breast size also influence breast cancer risk | journal=BMC Medical Genetics | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=13 | issue=1 | date=2012-06-30 | issn=1471-2350 | doi=10.1186/1471-2350-13-53| pmc=3483246 | page=53| pmid=22747683 | doi-access=free }}

File:CMS Higgs-event.jpg scientists report the discovery of a particle with significant similarities to the Higgs boson (Higgs collision signature shown).]]

5 July – Scientists have produced the most detailed footage of a single neuron ever seen. In the timelapse video, individual proteins are shown moving through different pathways within the cell.{{cite web | last=Aguilar | first=Mario | title=This Is the Closest Look We've Ever Gotten at a Neuron's Moving Parts | website=Gizmodo | date=2012-08-23 | url=https://gizmodo.com/this-is-the-closest-look-weve-ever-gotten-at-a-neurons-5937293 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Al-Bassam | first1=Sarmad | last2=Xu | first2=Min | last3=Wandless | first3=Thomas J. | display-authors=1 | title=Differential Trafficking of Transport Vesicles Contributes to the Localization of Dendritic Proteins | journal=Cell Reports | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=2 | issue=1 | year=2012 | issn=2211-1247 | doi=10.1016/j.celrep.2012.05.018|pmc=3408588 | pages=89–100| pmid=22840400 }}
6 July
UCLA engineers develop an ultra-high-speed optical microscope capable of quickly and reliably identifying cancer cells in human blood, paving the way for faster, cheaper and more reliable cancer diagnoses.{{cite web | title=Research & Development World | website=Research & Development World | date=2021-01-11 | url=https://www.rdworldonline.com/ | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Goda | first1=K. | last2=Ayazi | first2=A. | last3=Gossett | first3=D. R. | display-authors=1 | title=High-throughput single-microparticle imaging flow analyzer | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=29 | date=2012-07-02 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1204718109| pmc=3406874 | pages=11630–11635| pmid=22753513 | bibcode=2012PNAS..10911630G | doi-access=free }}
Scientists construct the most biologically accurate robotic legs yet built, closely mimicking the motion of human leg muscles.{{cite web | title='Most realistic' robot legs developed | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-06 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-18724114 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Klein | first1=Theresa J | last2=Lewis | first2=M Anthony | title=A physical model of sensorimotor interactions during locomotion | journal=Journal of Neural Engineering | publisher=IOP Publishing | volume=9 | issue=4 | date=2012-07-05 | issn=1741-2560 | doi=10.1088/1741-2560/9/4/046011 | page=046011| pmid=22766556 | bibcode=2012JNEng...9d6011K | s2cid=29703919 }}
7 July – Non-human animals including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures including octopuses possess consciousness, according to the new [http://fcmconference.org/img/CambridgeDeclarationOnConsciousness.pdf Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness].{{cite web | last=Harmon | first=Katherine | title=Octopuses Gain Consciousness (According to Scientists' Declaration) | website=Scientific American Blog Network | date=2012-08-21 | url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/octopus-chronicles/octopuses-gain-consciousness-according-to-scientists-declaration/ | access-date=2021-11-20}}
9 July
Scientists discover a new molecule that could potentially make teeth cavity-proof.{{cite web | last=Diaz | first=Jesus | title=Scientists Create Molecule to Make Teeth Cavityproof | website=Gizmodo | date=2012-07-09 | url=https://gizmodo.com/scientists-create-molecule-to-make-teeth-cavityproof-5924447 | access-date=2021-11-20}}
Scientists have, for the first time, directly detected part of the invisible dark matter "scaffolding" of the universe, where more than half of all matter is believed to reside.{{cite web | title=Dark matter scaffolding of universe detected for the first time | website=University of Michigan News | date=2012-07-09 | url=https://news.umich.edu/dark-matter-scaffolding-of-universe-detected-for-the-first-time/ | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Dietrich | first1=Jörg P. | last2=Werner | first2=Norbert | last3=Clowe | first3=Douglas | display-authors=1 | title=A filament of dark matter between two clusters of galaxies | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=487 | issue=7406 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11224 | pages=202–204| pmid=22763438 | arxiv=1207.0809 | bibcode=2012Natur.487..202D | s2cid=4345726 }}
10 July
A new biofuel production process created by Michigan State University researchers produces energy more than 20 times higher than existing methods.{{cite web | title=New biofuel process dramatically improves energy recovery, and uses agricultural waste | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-11-18 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120710133054.htm | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Speers | first1=Allison M. | last2=Reguera | first2=Gemma | title=Consolidated Bioprocessing of AFEX-Pretreated Corn Stover to Ethanol and Hydrogen in a Microbial Electrolysis Cell | journal=Environmental Science & Technology | publisher=American Chemical Society (ACS) | volume=46 | issue=14 | date=2012-06-28 | issn=0013-936X | doi=10.1021/es3008497 | pages=7875–7881| pmid=22697183 | bibcode=2012EnST...46.7875S }}
In two new scientific articles, researchers refute NASA's claims that bacteria can successfully incorporate arsenic into their DNA.{{cite web | title=Chemistry World Blog » RIP arsenic life | date=2012-08-30 | url=http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/2012/07/10/rip-arsenic-life/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830060117/http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/2012/07/10/rip-arsenic-life/ | archive-date=2012-08-30 | url-status=dead | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Reaves | first1=Marshall Louis | last2=Sinha | first2=Sunita | last3=Rabinowitz | first3=Joshua D. | display-authors=1 | title=Absence of Detectable Arsenate in DNA from Arsenate-Grown GFAJ-1 Cells | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=337 | issue=6093 | date=2012-07-27 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1219861| pmc=3845625 | pages=470–473| pmid=22773140 | arxiv=1201.6643 | bibcode=2012Sci...337..470R }}{{cite journal | last1=Erb | first1=Tobias J. | last2=Kiefer | first2=Patrick | last3=Hattendorf | first3=Bodo | display-authors=1 | title=GFAJ-1 Is an Arsenate-Resistant, Phosphate-Dependent Organism | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=337 | issue=6093 | date=2012-07-27 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1218455 | pages=467–470| pmid=22773139 | bibcode=2012Sci...337..467E | s2cid=20229329 | doi-access=free }}
American scientists develop an electrode-based T-shirt capable of charging cellphones on the move.{{cite web | title=T-shirts developed that could charge mobile phones | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-10 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18781878 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Bao | first1=Lihong | last2=Li | first2=Xiaodong | title=Towards Textile Energy Storage from Cotton T-Shirts | journal=Advanced Materials | publisher=Wiley | volume=24 | issue=24 | date=2012-05-16 | issn=0935-9648 | doi=10.1002/adma.201200246 | pages=3246–3252| pmid=22588714 | bibcode=2012AdM....24.3246B | s2cid=5376967 }}
It is reported that staying seated for long periods of time can reduce the human lifespan, unless mitigated by regular strenuous exercise.{{cite web | last=Popovich | first=Nadja | title=Scientists' latest depressing find: sitting down is really bad for your health | website=The Guardian | date=2012-07-10 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/society/us-news-blog/2012/jul/10/scientists-sitting-is-bad-for-you | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Katzmarzyk | first1=Peter T | last2=Lee | first2=I-Min | title=Sedentary behaviour and life expectancy in the USA: a cause-deleted life table analysis | journal=BMJ Open | publisher=BMJ | volume=2 | issue=4 | year=2012 | issn=2044-6055 | doi=10.1136/bmjopen-2012-000828| pmc=3400064 | page=e000828| pmid=22777603 }}
11 July
New research from the University of Manchester indicates that graphene – already noted for its strength and conductivity – is capable of repairing its structure without human assistance by absorbing loose carbon atoms from its vicinity.{{cite web | title=graphene miracle 5347 it can repair itself entirely unassisted | website=Gizmodo | date=2008-02-03 | url=https://gizmodo.com/search/?q=graphene%20miracle%205347%20it%20can%20repair%20itself%20entirely%20unassisted | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite web | last=Palmer | first=Jason | title=Graphene holes 'heal themselves' | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-11 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18782151 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Zan | first1=Recep | last2=Ramasse | first2=Quentin M. | last3=Bangert | first3=Ursel | display-authors=1 | title=Graphene Reknits Its Holes | journal=Nano Letters | publisher=American Chemical Society (ACS) | volume=12 | issue=8 | date=2012-07-10 | issn=1530-6984 | doi=10.1021/nl300985q | pages=3936–3940| pmid=22765872 | arxiv=1207.1487 | bibcode=2012NanoL..12.3936Z | s2cid=11008306 }}
NASA's Cassini space probe images a huge gaseous vortex shrouding the south pole of Saturn's moon Titan.{{cite web | title=Huge vortex spied on Saturn moon | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-11 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18797414 | access-date=2021-11-20}}
Virgin Galactic unveils its privately developed satellite launch vehicle, LauncherOne, and confirms that its SpaceShipTwo spaceplane will soon begin powered test flights.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716055559/http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/xxx/|publisher=Virgin Galactic|archive-date=2012-07-16|title=Virgin Galactic Reveals Privately Funded Satellite Launcher and Confirms SpaceShipTwo Poised for Powered Flight |date=2012-07-10|url=http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/xxx/}}
The Hubble Space Telescope discovers a fifth moon of the dwarf planet Pluto.{{cite web|url=http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2012/32/full/|publisher=Hubble Site|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717021637/http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2012/32/full/|archive-date=2012-07-17|date=2012-07-11|title=Hubble Discovers a Fifth Moon Orbiting Pluto}}
13 July – A new survey shows that lemurs are far more threatened by extinction than previously thought.{{cite web | last=Black | first=Richard | title=Lemurs sliding towards extinction | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-13 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18825901 | access-date=2021-11-20}}
15 July – It is reported that Dracunculiasis, also called guinea worm disease (GWD), is on the verge of being wiped out – becoming only the second human disease after smallpox to be eradicated.{{cite journal | last=Nelson | first=Roxanne | title=The World's Last Worm: A Dreaded Disease Nears Eradication | website=Scientific American | date=2012-07-01 | doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0712-24a | url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/last-worm-tropical-disease-near-eradication/ | access-date=2021-11-20}}
16 July – A major milestone in HIV prevention is reached, as the FDA approves an existing drug, Truvada, for uninfected adults at high risk of acquiring the disease.{{cite web | last=Paddock | first=Catharine | title=FDA Approves Drug To Reduce Risk Of HIV Infection | website=Medical and health information | date=2012-07-18 | url=https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/247891 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite web|url=https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm312210.htm|publisher=FDA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717044723/https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm312210.htm|archive-date=2012-07-17|date=2012-07-16|title=FDA approves first drug for reducing the risk of sexually acquired HIV infection}}
19 July
An iceberg twice as large as Manhattan reportedly breaks off from Greenland's Petermann Glacier.{{cite web | title=Iceberg breaks off from Greenland's Petermann Glacier | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-19 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18896770 | access-date=2021-11-20}}
A new nanoparticle coating with self-repairing surface functionality has been developed. The coating uses polymer stalks tipped with functional compounds to repair surface damage.{{cite web | title=You may never need to clean your car again, thanks to new coating technology | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-11-18 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120719103531.htm | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite web | title=Coating heals itself after damage | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-27 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18998638 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Dikić | first1=T. | last2=Ming | first2=W. | last3=van Benthem | first3=R. A. T. M. | display-authors=1 | title=Self-Replenishing Surfaces | journal=Advanced Materials | publisher=Wiley | volume=24 | issue=27 | date=2012-06-14 | issn=0935-9648 | doi=10.1002/adma.201200807 | pages=3701–3704| pmid=22700365 | bibcode=2012AdM....24.3701D | s2cid=6989889 }}
Astronomers have discovered the most ancient spiral galaxy yet, dating back 10.7 billion years.{{cite web | last=Gonzalez | first=Robbie | title=Hubble has spotted an ancient galaxy that shouldn't exist | website=Gizmodo | date=2012-07-19 | url=https://gizmodo.com/hubble-has-spotted-an-ancient-galaxy-that-shouldnt-exis-5927315 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Law | first1=David R. | last2=Shapley | first2=Alice E. | last3=Steidel | first3=Charles C. | display-authors=1 | title=High velocity dispersion in a rare grand-design spiral galaxy at redshift z = 2.18 | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=487 | issue=7407 | date=2012-07-18 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11256 | pages=338–340| pmid=22810697 | arxiv=1207.4196 | bibcode=2012Natur.487..338L | s2cid=205229562 }}
20 July
A giant potable aquifer is discovered in Namibia, potentially offering enough drinkable water to sustain the country for centuries.{{cite web | last=McGrath | first=Matt | title=Vast aquifer found in Namibia could last for centuries | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-20 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18875385 | access-date=2021-11-20}}
Using mice, researchers have grown sweat glands from newly identified stem cells.{{cite web | title=Sweat glands grown from newly identified stem cells | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-11-18 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120720200155.htm | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Lu | first1=Catherine P. | last2=Polak | first2=Lisa | last3=Rocha | first3=Ana Sofia | display-authors=1 | title=Identification of Stem Cell Populations in Sweat Glands and Ducts Reveals Roles in Homeostasis and Wound Repair | journal=Cell | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=150 | issue=1 | year=2012 | issn=0092-8674 | doi=10.1016/j.cell.2012.04.045|pmc=3423199 | pages=136–150| pmid=22770217 }}

File:Dracunculus medinensis.jpg (extraction of a causative guinea worm pictured) is reportedly close to being eradicated.]]

23 July
American scientists create an artificial jellyfish out of silicone and lab-grown heart cells. The construct is capable of swimming in a similar manner to real jellyfish when stimulated with an electric current.{{cite web | title=Artificial jellyfish created from heart cells | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-23 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18953034 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Nawroth | first1=Janna C | last2=Lee | first2=Hyungsuk | last3=Feinberg | first3=Adam W | display-authors=1 | title=A tissue-engineered jellyfish with biomimetic propulsion | journal=Nature Biotechnology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=30 | issue=8 | date=2012-07-22 | issn=1087-0156 | doi=10.1038/nbt.2269|pmc=4026938 | pages=792–797| pmid=22820316 }}
Researchers report that 14% of British stomach cancer cases could be prevented by reducing public salt intakes.{{cite web | title=Better food labelling 'would reduce stomach cancers linked to salt' | website=The Guardian | date=2012-07-23 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/jul/23/food-labels-salt-stomach-cancer | access-date=2021-11-20}}
Researchers create the first complete computer model of a living organism, fully simulating a bacterium.{{cite web | last=Puiu | first=Tibi | title=First ever computer model of a living organism performed | website=ZME Science | date=2012-07-23 | url=https://www.zmescience.com/medicine/genetic/computer-model-simulation-bacteria-31243/ | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite web|url=https://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2012/07/first-organism-fully-modelled.html|publisher=New Scientist|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725015534/https://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2012/07/first-organism-fully-modelled.html|archive-date=2012-07-25|date=2012-07-23|title=Virtual germ created on computer for first time|author=Paul Marks}}
25 July
Satellite data reveals that 97% of Greenland's ice is undergoing a thaw, the greatest level of ice melt ever recorded on the landmass.{{cite web | title=World News | website=NBC News | date=2012-07-24 | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/world | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite web | title=Satellites See Unprecedented Greenland Ice Sheet Surface Melt | website=NASA | date=2012-07-24 | url=http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/greenland-melt.html | access-date=2021-11-20 | archive-date=2023-06-24 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624023317/https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/greenland-melt.html | url-status=dead }}
A rift in the Antarctic rock as deep as the Grand Canyon is increasing ice melt from the continent, researchers say.{{cite web | last=Black | first=Richard | title=Antarctic: Grand Canyon-sized rift 'speeding ice melt' | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-25 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18959399 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Bingham | first1=Robert G. | last2=Ferraccioli | first2=Fausto | last3=King | first3=Edward C. | display-authors=1 | title=Inland thinning of West Antarctic Ice Sheet steered along subglacial rifts | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=487 | issue=7408 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11292 | pages=468–471| pmid=22837002 | bibcode=2012Natur.487..468B | s2cid=4429954 }}
The International Space Station's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer instrument reports that it has recorded 18 billion cosmic ray events since its installation in 2011.{{cite web | last=Palmer | first=Jason | title=Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer claims huge cosmic ray haul | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-25 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18928177 | access-date=2021-11-20}}
26 July
The rapid decline in Arctic sea ice is at least 70% due to man-made global warming, according to a new study, and may even be up to 95% caused by humans – a far higher proportion than scientists had previously thought.{{cite web | last=Jha | first=Alok | title=Loss of Arctic sea ice '70% man-made' | website=The Guardian | date=2012-07-25 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/26/arctic-climate-change | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Day | first1=J J | last2=Hargreaves | first2=J C | last3=Annan | first3=J D | display-authors=1 | title=Sources of multi-decadal variability in Arctic sea ice extent | journal=Environmental Research Letters | publisher=IOP Publishing | volume=7 | issue=3 | date=2012-07-26 | issn=1748-9326 | doi=10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034011 | page=034011| bibcode=2012ERL.....7c4011D | s2cid=11567294 | doi-access=free }}
Using complex algorithms, researchers have found that pop songs over the last 50 years have become increasingly louder and more bland in terms of the chords, melodies and types of sound used.{{cite web | title=Pop music too loud and all sounds the same: official | website=Reuters | date=2012-07-26 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-music-idUSBRE86P0R820120726 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Serrà | first1=Joan | last2=Corral | first2=Álvaro | last3=Boguñá | first3=Marián | display-authors=1 | title=Measuring the Evolution of Contemporary Western Popular Music | journal=Scientific Reports | volume=2 | issue=1 | date=2012-07-26 | issn=2045-2322 | doi=10.1038/srep00521|pmc=3405292 | page=521| pmid=22837813 | arxiv=1205.5651 | bibcode=2012NatSR...2..521S }}
Using a bone marrow transplant, two men have been "cured" of HIV infection.{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/48338421|publisher=NBC News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120727071127/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/48338421/|archive-date=2012-07-27|date=2012-07-26|title=Two more men with HIV now virus-free. Is this a cure? |author=Maggie Fox}}{{cite journal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408131320/http://pag.aids2012.org/Abstracts.aspx?AID=6016|publisher=AIDS2012|url=http://pag.aids2012.org/Abstracts.aspx?AID=6016|archive-date=2014-04-08|url-status=usurped|title=Long-term reduction in peripheral blood HIV-1 reservoirs following reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic stem cell transplantation in two HIV-positive individuals}}
Ageing termite workers are discovered to use a toxic crystalline structure to "self-destruct", spraying enemy insects with toxins in defence of their termite mounds.{{cite web | last=Crumpton | first=Nick | title=Termites' crystal backpacks help them go out with bang | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-26 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19001083 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Šobotník | first1=J. | last2=Bourguignon | first2=T. | last3=Hanus | first3=R. | display-authors=1 | title=Explosive Backpacks in Old Termite Workers | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=337 | issue=6093 | date=2012-07-27 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1219129 | pages=436| pmid=22837520 | bibcode=2012Sci...337..436S | s2cid=206540025 }}
An American gunsmith produces the world's first functional 3D-printed plastic firearm.{{cite news | last=Anthony | first=Sebastian | title=The world's first 3D-printed gun | website=ExtremeTech | date=2012-07-26 | url=http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/133514-the-worlds-first-3d-printed-gun | access-date=2021-11-20}}
27 July
In preparation for the beginning of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, British telecom companies create a hugely expanded network infrastructure in the city, including over 1,000 new Wi-Fi hotspots and thirty additional mobile phone masts.{{cite web | title=Olympics put mobile communications technology to the test | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-26 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19004151 | access-date=2021-11-20}}
Swiss scientists claim that Earth's Moon may have been formed in a glancing "hit and run" collision with a large, fast-moving protoplanet.{{cite web | title=Moon formation: Was it a 'hit and run' accident? | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-27 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19011013 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Reufer | first1=Andreas | last2=Meier | first2=Matthias M.M. | last3=Benz | first3=Willy | display-authors=1 | title=A hit-and-run giant impact scenario | journal=Icarus | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=221 | issue=1 | year=2012 | issn=0019-1035 | doi=10.1016/j.icarus.2012.07.021 | pages=296–299| arxiv=1207.5224 | bibcode=2012Icar..221..296R | s2cid=118421530 }}
Japanese women have fallen behind Hong Kong citizens in life expectancy for the first time in 25 years, dropping from 86.3 years in 2010 to 85.9 years in 2011. This was partly due to the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011, according to a report by Japan's health ministry.{{cite web | title=Japanese women fall behind Hong Kong in longevity | website=BBC News | date=2012-07-27 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-19008870 | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite web | title=Abridged Life Tables For Japan 2011 | website=ホーム{{!}}厚生労働省 |url=http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hw/lifetb11/index.html | access-date=2021-11-20|publisher=Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare}}
American scientists use microbes to cleanly convert electricity into methane gas, potentially offering a new form of renewable energy.{{cite web | title=Scientists use microbes to make 'clean' methane | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-11-18 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120727144534.htm | access-date=2021-11-20}}
29 July – Major technology companies predict that as many as 50 billion electronic devices may be wirelessly connected worldwide by 2020, as automated machine-to-machine communication sees increasing use in retail and manufacturing.{{cite web | title=Talk to Me, One Machine Said to the Other | website=The New York Times | date=2012-07-29 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/technology/talk-to-me-one-machine-said-to-the-other.html | access-date=2021-11-20}}
31 July – People with even minor symptoms of mental illness have a lower life expectancy, according to a large-scale population-based study published in the British Medical Journal.{{cite web | title=Poor mental health linked to reduced life expectancy | website=ScienceDaily | date=2021-11-18 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120731201257.htm | access-date=2021-11-20}}{{cite journal | last1=Russ | first1=T. C. | last2=Stamatakis | first2=E. | last3=Hamer | first3=M. | display-authors=1 | title=Association between psychological distress and mortality: individual participant pooled analysis of 10 prospective cohort studies | journal=BMJ | volume=345 | issue=jul31 4 | date=2012-07-31 | issn=1756-1833 | doi=10.1136/bmj.e4933 |pmc=3409083 | pages=e4933| pmid=22849956 }}

=August=

1 August – Researchers claim to have resolved one of the biggest controversies in cancer research – discovering the specific cancer cells that seem to be responsible for the regrowth of tumours.{{cite journal | last=Baker | first=Monya | title=Cancer stem cells tracked | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=488 | issue=7409 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/488013a | pages=13–14| pmid=22859177 | bibcode=2012Natur.488...13B | s2cid=205073126 | doi-access=free }}

File:593484main pia14839 full Curiosity's Sky Crane Maneuver, Artist's Concept.jpg's Curiosity rover, the largest such spacecraft yet launched, successfully lands on Mars (artist's impression pictured).]]

2 August
Scientists in Antarctica announce that they have discovered what appears to be the remains of an ancient rainforest from the early Eocene period buried deep beneath the ice.{{cite web | title=Ancient Rainforest Discovered Under Antarctica's Ice | website=Slate Magazine | date=2012-08-02 | url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2012/08/ancient-rainforest-discovered-under-antarcticas-ice-offers-global-warming-lessons-from-the-eocene-era.html | access-date=2022-01-17}}{{cite web|url=http://news.discovery.com/earth/rainforest-in-antarctica-120802.html|url-status=dead|publisher=Discovery News|title=Drilling Discovers Ancient Antarctic Rainforest|date=2012-08-02|access-date=2022-01-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904124102/http://news.discovery.com/earth/rainforest-in-antarctica-120802.html|archive-date=2012-09-04}}{{cite journal | last1=Pross | first1=Jörg | last2=Contreras | first2=Lineth | last3=Bijl | first3=Peter K. | display-authors=1| title=Persistent near-tropical warmth on the Antarctic continent during the early Eocene epoch | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=488 | issue=7409 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11300 | pages=73–77| pmid=22859204 | bibcode=2012Natur.488...73. | s2cid=4381480 }}
A study published in Animal Behavior finds that female spiders that cannibalize their mates produce much healthier offspring than non-cannibalizing spiders, supporting a link between sexual cannibalism in the animal kingdom and reproductive success.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/19072196|publisher=BBC|title=Cannibalism link to spider hatching success|author=Matt Bardo|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804021452/https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/19072196|archive-date=2012-08-04|date=2012-08-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Berning | first1=Aric W. | last2=Gadd | first2=Ryan D.H. | last3=Sweeney | first3=Kayla | display-authors=1 | title=Sexual cannibalism is associated with female behavioural type, hunger state and increased hatching success | journal=Animal Behaviour | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=84 | issue=3 | year=2012 | issn=0003-3472 | doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.06.030 | pages=715–721| s2cid=53191103 }}
3 August
Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has fallen again in the past 12 months, according to preliminary data published by Brazil's National Institute for Space Research.{{cite web | last=Vaughan | first=Adam | title=Amazon deforestation falls again | website=The Guardian | date=2012-08-03 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/aug/03/amazon-deforestation-falls-again | access-date=2022-01-17}}
American and Canadian researchers develop a medical spray which uses human skin cells and coagulant proteins to speed up the healing of open wounds such as leg ulcers. In medical trials, the "skin spray" proved over 20% more effective than other ulcer treatments.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title='Spray-on skin' helps heal leg ulcers | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-03 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-19093302 | access-date=2022-01-17}}{{cite journal | last1=Kirsner | first1=Robert S | last2=Marston | first2=William A | last3=Snyder | first3=Robert J | display-authors=1 | title=Spray-applied cell therapy with human allogeneic fibroblasts and keratinocytes for the treatment of chronic venous leg ulcers: a phase 2, multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial | journal=The Lancet | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=380 | issue=9846 | year=2012 | issn=0140-6736 | doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60644-8 | pages=977–985| pmid=22863328 | s2cid=23982375 }}
6 August
NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission successfully lands Curiosity, the largest Mars rover yet built, in Mars' Gale Crater.{{cite web | title=Mars rover Curiosity safely lands on Mars | website=Los Angeles Times | date=2012-08-06 | url=https://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-0806-mars-curiosity-rover-landing-20120806-story.html | access-date=2022-01-17}}{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Nasa's Curiosity rover successfully lands on Mars | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-06 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19144464 | access-date=2022-01-17}}
Papua New Guinea's government has approved the world's first commercial deep-sea mining project, despite strong environmental concerns.{{cite web | last=Milman | first=Oliver | title=Papua New Guinea's seabed to be mined for gold and copper | website=The Guardian | date=2012-08-06 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/aug/06/papua-new-guinea-deep-sea-mining | access-date=2022-01-17}}
7 August – New brain research refutes the results of earlier studies that cast doubts on free will.{{cite web | last=Yirka | first=Bob | title=New brain research refutes results of earlier studies that cast doubts on free will | website=Medical Xpress | date=2012-08-07 | url=https://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-brain-refutes-results-earlier-free.html | access-date=2022-01-17}}{{cite journal | last1=Schurger | first1=A. | last2=Sitt | first2=J. D. | last3=Dehaene | first3=S. | display-authors=1 |title=An accumulator model for spontaneous neural activity prior to self-initiated movement | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=42 | date=2012-08-06 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1210467109 | pages=E2904–E2913| pmid=22869750 | pmc=3479453 | doi-access=free }}
8 August
Anthropologists in northern Kenya unearth fossils of a previously unconfirmed species of human that lived approximately 2 million years ago.{{cite web | last=Ghosh | first=Pallab | title=New human species identified from Kenya fossils | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-08 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19184370 | access-date=2022-01-17}}{{cite journal | last1=Leakey | first1=Meave G. | last2=Spoor | first2=Fred | last3=Dean | first3=M. Christopher | display-authors=1 | title=New fossils from Koobi Fora in northern Kenya confirm taxonomic diversity in early Homo | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=488 | issue=7410 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11322 | pages=201–204| pmid=22874966 | bibcode=2012Natur.488..201L | s2cid=4431262 }}
Almost one-quarter of the world's population lives in regions where groundwater is being used up faster than it can be replenished, concludes a comprehensive global analysis of groundwater depletion published in Nature.{{cite journal | title=Demand for water outstrips supply | journal=Nature | year=2012 | doi=10.1038/nature.2012.11143 | url=http://www.nature.com/news/demand-for-water-outstrips-supply-1.11143 | access-date=2022-01-17| last1=Mascarelli | first1=Amanda | s2cid=131586408 | doi-access=free }}{{cite journal | last1=Gleeson | first1=Tom | last2=Wada | first2=Yoshihide | last3=Bierkens | first3=Marc F. P. | display-authors=1 | title=Water balance of global aquifers revealed by groundwater footprint | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=488 | issue=7410 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11295 | pages=197–200| pmid=22874965 | bibcode=2012Natur.488..197G | s2cid=4393813 }}
9 August – American and South Korean engineers build a flexible, worm-like robot that moves by mimicking the contraction of an earthworm. The robot's artificial muscle is based on a nickel–titanium wire that expands and contracts in response to electric currents. It can squeeze through tight spaces and absorb heavy impacts, and could be used in future for covert reconnaissance missions.{{cite web | title=Pentagon helps build Meshworm reconnaissance robot | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-09 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19200285 | access-date=2022-01-17}}{{cite journal | last1=Seok | first1=Sangok | last2=Onal | first2=Cagdas Denizel | last3=Cho | first3=Kyu-Jin | display-authors=1 | title=Meshworm: A Peristaltic Soft Robot With Antagonistic Nickel Titanium Coil Actuators | journal=IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics | publisher=Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) | volume=18 | issue=5 | year=2013 | issn=1083-4435 | doi=10.1109/tmech.2012.2204070 | pages=1485–1497| s2cid=8678063 }}
10 August – Engineers successfully test a new algorithm that allows autonomous UAVs to fly through complex structures without requiring GPS navigation.{{cite web | title=Autonomous robotic plane dodges obstacles when flying indoors | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-01-17 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120810112822.htm | access-date=2022-01-17}}
11 August
The Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak for 2012, becoming widely visible in the Northern Hemisphere.{{cite web | last=Clark | first=Stuart | title=Perseid meteor shower this weekend: how to get the best view | website=The Guardian | date=2012-08-10 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/across-the-universe/2012/aug/10/perseid-meteor-shower-astronomy | access-date=2022-01-17}}
Experts declare the 2012 London Olympics to be the "greenest Olympics ever", praising its use of recycled materials and temporary venues, and noting the improvements made to London's transport infrastructure.{{cite web | title=London 2012: Olympic Games 'greenest ever' | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-11 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-19220847 | access-date=2022-01-17}}
Sea ice in the Arctic is disappearing at a far greater rate than previously expected, according to data from the first purpose-built satellite launched to study the thickness of the Earth's polar caps.{{cite web | last=McKie | first=Robin | title=Rate of Arctic summer sea ice loss is 50% higher than predicted | website=The Guardian | date=2012-08-11 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/aug/11/arctic-sea-ice-vanishing | access-date=2022-01-17}}
12 August – Scientists discover a single genetic switch that triggers the loss of brain connections in humans, and also causes depression in animal models. The findings could lead to more effective antidepressant therapies.{{cite web | title=How stress and depression can shrink the brain | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-01-15 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120812151659.htm | access-date=2022-01-17}}{{cite journal | last1=Kang | first1=Hyo Jung | last2=Voleti | first2=Bhavya | last3=Hajszan | first3=Tibor | display-authors=1| title=Decreased expression of synapse-related genes and loss of synapses in major depressive disorder | journal=Nature Medicine | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=18 | issue=9 | date=2012-08-12 | issn=1078-8956 | doi=10.1038/nm.2886 | pages=1413–1417| pmid=22885997 | pmc=3491115 }}

File:X-51A Waverider on B-52 2009.jpg's X-51 hypersonic scramjet prototype (pictured in launch configuration) is destroyed following a test flight malfunction.]]

13 August
South Korean researchers develop a cheap electronic ink based on tiny rectennas, capable of transmitting data over short distances. The printable invention could potentially revolutionise the field of augmented reality.{{cite web | last=Kleinman | first=Zoe | title=Tiny transmitters that cost a penny to print unveiled | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-13 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19208112 | access-date=2022-01-17}}{{cite journal | last1=Park | first1=Hyejin | last2=Kang | first2=Hwiwon | last3=Lee | first3=Yonggil | display-authors=1 | title=Fully roll-to-roll gravure printed rectenna on plastic foils for wireless power transmission at 13.56 MHz | journal=Nanotechnology | publisher=IOP Publishing | volume=23 | issue=34 | date=2012-08-10 | issn=0957-4484 | doi=10.1088/0957-4484/23/34/344006 | page=344006| pmid=22885995 | bibcode=2012Nanot..23H4006P | s2cid=22474928 }}
A new class of polymers has been discovered that are resistant to bacterial attachment. These new materials could lead to a significant reduction in hospital infections and medical device failures.{{cite web | title=New bacteria-resistant materials discovered | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-01-17 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120813074017.htm | access-date=2022-01-17}}{{cite journal | last1=Hook | first1=Andrew L | last2=Chang | first2=Chien-Yi | last3=Yang | first3=Jing | display-authors=1| title=Combinatorial discovery of polymers resistant to bacterial attachment | journal=Nature Biotechnology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=30 | issue=9 | date=2012-08-12 | issn=1087-0156 | doi=10.1038/nbt.2316 | pages=868–875| pmid=22885723 | pmc=3796337 }}
US wind energy reaches 50 gigawatts of capacity.{{cite web | last1=Murray | first1=James | last2=Network | first2=part of The Guardian Environment | title=US wind energy industry breezes past 50GW milestone | website=The Guardian | date=2012-08-13 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/aug/13/us-wind-energy-industry-milestone | access-date=2022-01-17}}
14 August
Boeing's X-51 hypersonic scramjet prototype is destroyed during a powered test flight after a control fin failure.{{cite web | title=Air Force's Hypersonic X-51A jet fails latest test flight, is lost over the Pacific | website=Fox News | date=2012-08-15 | url=https://www.foxnews.com/science/air-forces-hypersonic-x-51a-jet-fails-latest-test-flight-is-lost-over-the-pacific | access-date=2022-01-17}}
Scientists from Singapore shrink the 1972 Playboy centerfold image of Swedish model Lena Soderberg to the width of a human hair. It is hoped that this new miniaturization method will lead to more efficient watermarks or covert messages.{{cite web | title=Playboy centrefold photo shrunk to width of human hair | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-14 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19260550 | access-date=2022-01-17}}{{cite journal | last1=Kumar | first1=Karthik | last2=Duan | first2=Huigao | last3=Hegde | first3=Ravi S. | display-authors=1 | title=Printing colour at the optical diffraction limit | journal=Nature Nanotechnology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=7 | issue=9 | date=2012-08-12 | issn=1748-3387 | doi=10.1038/nnano.2012.128 | pages=557–561| pmid=22886173 | bibcode=2012NatNa...7..557K }}
15 August – In a major breakthrough, an international team of scientists has proven that addiction to morphine and heroin can be blocked, while at the same time increasing pain relief.{{cite web | title=Scientists can now block heroin, morphine addiction | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-01-17 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120814213246.htm | access-date=2022-01-17}}{{cite web | title=Scientists can now block heroin, morphine addiction | website=The University of Adelaide | date=2012-08-14 | url=http://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news55261.html | access-date=2022-01-17}}{{cite journal | last1=Hutchinson | first1=M. R. | last2=Northcutt | first2=A. L. | last3=Hiranita | first3=T. | display-authors=1| title=Opioid Activation of Toll-Like Receptor 4 Contributes to Drug Reinforcement | journal=Journal of Neuroscience | publisher=Society for Neuroscience | volume=32 | issue=33 | date=2012-08-15 | issn=0270-6474 | doi=10.1523/jneurosci.0684-12.2012 | pages=11187–11200| pmid=22895704 | pmc=3454463 }}
16 August
Researchers have finally found a compound that may offer the first effective and hormone-free birth control pill for men.{{cite web | title=Finally, the promise of male birth control in a pill: Compound makes mice reversibly infertile | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-05-24 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120816121950.htm | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Matzuk | first1=Martin M. | last2=McKeown | first2=Michael R. | last3=Filippakopoulos | first3=Panagis | last4=Li | display-authors=1 | title=Small-Molecule Inhibition of BRDT for Male Contraception | journal=Cell | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=150 | issue=4 | year=2012 | issn=0092-8674 | doi=10.1016/j.cell.2012.06.045 | pages=673–684| pmid=22901802 | pmc=3420011 }}
British scientists develop the world's first room-temperature maser, using a crystal of p-Terphenyl to modify a commercial medical laser to produce coherent microwave emissions without the need for expensive magnets and coolant. The maser could be used to develop more sensitive medical scanners and radio telescopes.{{cite web | last=Palmer | first=Jason | title='Maser' source of microwave beams comes out of the cold | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-16 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19281566 | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Oxborrow | first1=Mark | last2=Breeze | first2=Jonathan D. | last3=Alford | first3=Neil M. | display-authors=1| title=Room-temperature solid-state maser | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=488 | issue=7411 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11339 | pages=353–356| pmid=22895341 | bibcode=2012Natur.488..353O | hdl=10044/1/13785 | s2cid=205229953 | hdl-access=free }}
Harvard University scientists develop a flexible, octopus-inspired robot capable of rapidly camouflaging or advertising itself by pumping liquid dyes into channels on its surface. The relatively inexpensive robots could be used in a variety of fields, from surgery to search-and-rescue to covert operations.{{cite web | last=Morelle | first=Rebecca | author-link=Rebecca Morelle | title=Camouflage bendy robot changes colour for disguise | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-16 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19286259 | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Morin | first1=Stephen A. | last2=Shepherd | first2=Robert F. | last3=Kwok | first3=Sen Wai | display-authors=1| title=Camouflage and Display for Soft Machines | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=337 | issue=6096 | date=2012-08-17 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1222149 | pages=828–832| pmid=22904008 | bibcode=2012Sci...337..828M | s2cid=782378 | url=http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:11933749 }}
17 August
Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier publish a pioneering paper on CRISPR-mediated programmable genome editing.{{cite journal |vauthors=Jinek M, Chylinski K, Fonfara I, Hauer M, Doudna JA, Charpentier E |title=A programmable dual-RNA-guided DNA endonuclease in adaptive bacterial immunity |journal=Science |volume=337 |issue=6096 |pages=816–21 |date=August 2012 |pmid=22745249 |pmc=6286148 |doi=10.1126/science.1225829 |bibcode=2012Sci...337..816J |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1230922 }}
A group of South Korean scientists has reportedly developed a carbon battery for electric vehicles capable of charging up to 120 times faster than standard batteries.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819092647/http://inhabitat.com/south-korean-scientists-use-carbon-to-quick-charge-ev-batteries/ |publisher=Inhabitat |url=http://inhabitat.com/south-korean-scientists-use-carbon-to-quick-charge-ev-batteries/ |title=New Carbon Network EV Batteries Charge Up to 120x Faster |date=2012-08-17 |archive-date=2012-08-19 |url-status=dead |author=Marc Carter}}
Researchers have demonstrated a way to potentially "hack into" a person's brain, using BCI technology.{{cite news | last=Anthony | first=Sebastian | title=Hackers backdoor the human brain, successfully extract sensitive data | website=ExtremeTech | date=2012-08-17 | url=http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/134682-hackers-backdoor-the-human-brain-successfully-extract-sensitive-data | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite web | last1=Martinovic | first1=Ivan | last2=Davies | first2=Doug | last3=Frank | first3=Mario | display-authors=1| title=On the Feasibility of {Side-Channel} Attacks with {Brain-Computer} Interfaces | website=USENIX | url=https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity12/feasibility-side-channel-attacks-brain-computer-interfaces | access-date=2022-05-26 | pages=143–158}}
Researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering successfully store 5.5 petabits of data – around 700 terabytes – in a single gram of DNA, breaking the previous DNA data density record by a thousand times.{{cite news | last=Anthony | first=Sebastian | title=Harvard cracks DNA storage, crams 700 terabytes of data into a single gram | website=ExtremeTech | date=2012-08-17 | url=http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/134672-harvard-cracks-dna-storage-crams-700-terabytes-of-data-into-a-single-gram | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Church | first1=George M. | last2=Gao | first2=Yuan | last3=Kosuri | first3=Sriram | display-authors=1| title=Next-Generation Digital Information Storage in DNA | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=337 | issue=6102 | date=2012-09-28 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1226355 | pages=1628| pmid=22903519 | bibcode=2012Sci...337.1628C | s2cid=934617 | doi-access=free }}
18 August – Scientists in the United States report that they have found a new family of spiders in the caves of California and Oregon. It is the first such discovery in North America for more than 140 years.{{cite web | title=New Trogloraptor spiders discovered in US caves | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-18 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-19305417 | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Ledford | first1=Joel | last2=Griswold | first2=Charles | last3=Audisio | first3=Tracy | display-authors=1| title=An extraordinary new family of spiders from caves in the Pacific Northwest (Araneae, Trogloraptoridae, new family) | journal=ZooKeys | publisher=Pensoft Publishers | issue=215 | date=2012-08-17 | issn=1313-2970 | doi=10.3897/zookeys.215.3547 | pages=77–102| pmid=22936872 | pmc=3428790 | bibcode=2012ZooK..215...77G | doi-access=free }}
19 August – Scientists are reportedly close to developing a baldness cure.{{cite web | last=Adams | first=Stephen | title=Baldness cure could be on shelves in two years | website=Telegraph.co.uk | date=2012-08-19 | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9485807/Baldness-cure-could-be-on-shelves-in-two-years.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819232718/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9485807/Baldness-cure-could-be-on-shelves-in-two-years.html | archive-date=2012-08-19 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-05-26}}
20 August – The first evidence of a planet's destruction by its aging star has been discovered by an international team of astronomers.{{cite web | title=First Evidence Discovered of Planet's Destruction by Its Star - Eberly College of Science | website=science.psu.edu | date=2012-08-27 | url=http://science.psu.edu/news-and-events/2012-news/Wolszczan8-2012/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827012750/http://science.psu.edu/news-and-events/2012-news/Wolszczan8-2012/ | archive-date=2012-08-27 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Adamów | first1=M. | last2=Niedzielski | first2=A. | last3=Villaver | first3=E. | display-authors=1 | title=BD+48 740—Li OVERABUNDANT GIANT STAR WITH A PLANET: A CASE OF RECENT ENGULFMENT? | journal=The Astrophysical Journal | publisher=American Astronomical Society | volume=754 | issue=1 | date=2012-07-05 | issn=2041-8205 | doi=10.1088/2041-8205/754/1/l15 | page=L15| arxiv=1206.4938 | bibcode=2012ApJ...754L..15A | s2cid=53550985 }}

File:Shanghaiviewpic1.jpg (skyline pictured) may be highly vulnerable to large-scale flooding in the near future.]]

21 August
MIT researchers report that a genetically modified organism could turn carbon dioxide or waste products into a gasoline-compatible transportation fuel.{{cite web | last=Chandler | first=David L. | title=Teaching a microbe to make fuel | website=web.mit.edu | date=2012-08-22 | url=http://web.mit.edu/press/2012/genetically-modified-organism-can-turn-carbon-dioxide-into-fuel.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822151640/http://web.mit.edu/press/2012/genetically-modified-organism-can-turn-carbon-dioxide-into-fuel.html | archive-date=2012-08-22 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Lu | first1=Jingnan | last2=Brigham | first2=Christopher J. | last3=Gai | first3=Claudia S. | display-authors=1 | title=Studies on the production of branched-chain alcohols in engineered Ralstonia eutropha | journal=Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=96 | issue=1 | date=2012-08-04 | issn=0175-7598 | doi=10.1007/s00253-012-4320-9 | pages=283–297| pmid=22864971 | hdl=1721.1/75742 | s2cid=62337 | hdl-access=free }}
A new study of nine coastal cities around the world suggests that Shanghai is most vulnerable to serious flooding later this century.{{cite web | title=Flood risk ranking reveals vulnerable cities | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-05-23 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120821114750.htm | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Balica | first1=S. F. | last2=Wright | first2=N. G. | last3=van der Meulen | first3=F. | display-authors=1 |title=A flood vulnerability index for coastal cities and its use in assessing climate change impacts | journal=Natural Hazards | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=64 | issue=1 | date=2012-06-16 | issn=0921-030X | doi=10.1007/s11069-012-0234-1 | pages=73–105| bibcode=2012NatHa..64...73B | s2cid=67817205 | doi-access=free }}
Life in the world's oceans is facing a potential mass extinction, largely due to human activity, say researchers.{{cite web | title=Earth's Oceans 'Facing A Man-Made Major Extinction Event' | website=HuffPost UK | date=2012-08-21 | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/08/21/earths-oceans-facing-a-mass-extinction_n_1817690.html | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Harnik | first1=Paul G. | last2=Lotze | first2=Heike K. | last3=Anderson | first3=Sean C. | display-authors=1| title=Extinctions in ancient and modern seas | journal=Trends in Ecology & Evolution | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=27 | issue=11 | year=2012 | issn=0169-5347 | doi=10.1016/j.tree.2012.07.010 | pages=608–617| pmid=22889500 | bibcode=2012TEcoE..27..608H }}
Researchers have developed an "electronic nose" prototype that can detect small quantities of harmful airborne substances.{{cite web | title='Electronic nose' prototype developed: Device has applications in agriculture, industry, homeland security and the military | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-05-25 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120821162526.htm | access-date=2022-05-26}}
Scientists have identified the crucial role of a protein called Mof in the epigenetics of stem cells. The protein helps prime stem cells to become specialized cells in mice.{{cite web | title=Stem cells can become anything, but not without this protein | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-05-24 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120821114746.htm | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Li | first1=Xiangzhi | last2=Li | first2=Li | last3=Pandey | first3=Ruchi | display-authors=1 | title=The Histone Acetyltransferase MOF Is a Key Regulator of the Embryonic Stem Cell Core Transcriptional Network | journal=Cell Stem Cell | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=11 | issue=2 | year=2012 | issn=1934-5909 | doi=10.1016/j.stem.2012.04.023 | pages=163–178| pmid=22862943 | pmc=3413170 }}
Analysts report that robotic technology is seeing increased use in the global mining industry, as mining and drilling companies seek to reduce personnel costs by installing autonomous trains, trucks, drills and underwater vehicles.{{cite web | last=Glance | first=David | title=The mining sector's automation agenda | website=Technology Spectator | date=2012-10-15 | url=http://technologyspectator.com.au/mining-sectors-automation-agenda | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015210959/http://technologyspectator.com.au/mining-sectors-automation-agenda | archive-date=2012-10-15 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-05-26}}
22 August
LG Electronics unveils the world's largest commercial ultra-definition TV, boasting four times the resolution of 1080p high-definition screens.{{cite web | title=LG releases 'world's biggest' ultra-definition TV | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-22 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19344834 | access-date=2022-05-26}}
NASA names the Curiosity rover's Martian landing site "Bradbury Landing", in honour of the American science fiction author Ray Bradbury, who died in June 2012 aged 91. Meanwhile, Curiosity conducts a successful short-range test drive, proving that its mobility system is in nominal condition.{{cite web | last=Jha | first=Alok | title=Curiosity rover: after 'beautiful' test drive, Nasa sets sights on Glenelg | website=The Guardian | date=2012-08-23 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/aug/22/mars-rover-nasa-curiosity-test-drive | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite web | title=NASA Mars Rover Begins Driving at Bradbury Landing | website=NASA | date=2012-08-22 | url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/aug/HQ_12-292_Mars_Bradbury_Landing.html | access-date=2022-05-26 | archive-date=2016-11-15 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115041146/http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/aug/HQ_12-292_Mars_Bradbury_Landing.html | url-status=dead }}
A large-scale test of smart vehicle data sharing begins in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Over the course of the year-long trial, around 2,800 vehicles will be fitted with vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communications, allowing them to share data about their movements and alert their drivers if they are at risk of collision. Such technology could be used in future to drastically reduce traffic accidents.{{cite web | title='Talking cars' tested in Michigan to cut road accidents | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-22 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19349517 | access-date=2022-05-26}}
23 August – New research links the origins of Indo-European languages with the spread of farming from Anatolia approximately 8,000-9,500 years ago.{{cite web | title=Indo-European languages originated in Anatolia, research suggests | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-05-25 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120823175406.htm | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Bouckaert | first1=Remco | last2=Lemey | first2=Philippe | last3=Dunn | first3=Michael | display-authors=1 | title=Mapping the Origins and Expansion of the Indo-European Language Family | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=337 | issue=6097 | date=2012-08-24 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1219669 | pages=957–960| pmid=22923579 | pmc=4112997 | bibcode=2012Sci...337..957B | hdl=1885/39039 | s2cid=36512809 }}
25 August
NASA's Voyager 1 crosses the heliopause and enters interstellar space, the first human-made object to do so.{{cite web |vauthors=Cook JR, Agle D, Brown D |title=NASA Spacecraft Embarks on Historic Journey Into Interstellar Space |publisher=NASA |date=2013-09-12 |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/voyager20130912.html |access-date=2013-09-14 |archive-date=2020-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611233345/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/voyager20130912.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last=Barnes |first=Brooks |title=In a Breathtaking First, NASA Craft Exits the Solar System |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/science/in-a-breathtaking-first-nasa-craft-exits-the-solar-system.html |date=2013-09-12 |work=The New York Times |access-date=2013-09-12}}{{cite news |last=Morin |first=Monte |name-list-style=vanc |title=NASA confirms Voyager 1 has left the Solar System |url=http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-nasa-confirms-voyager-1-has-exited-the-solar-system-20130912,0,3406650.story |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=2013-09-12}}{{cite web |title=Voyager 1 has entered a new region of space, sudden changes in cosmic rays indicate |url=http://www.agu.org/news/press/pr_archives/2013/2013-11.shtml |access-date=2013-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322025117/http://www.agu.org/news/press/pr_archives/2013/2013-11.shtml |archive-date=2013-03-22 |url-status=dead}}{{cite magazine |title=Report: Humanity Leaves the Solar System — Or Maybe Not |url=https://science.time.com/2013/03/20/humanity-leaves-the-solar-system-35-years-later-voyager-offically-exits-the-heliosphere/ |magazine=Time |date=20 March 2013 |access-date=2013-03-20 |last1=Snyder |first1=Steven James}}{{cite web |title=Report: NASA Voyager Status Update on Voyager 1 Location |url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-107&cid=release_2013-107&msource=2013107 |publisher=NASA |access-date=2013-03-20}}
Researchers discover a promising new drug target for the treatment and prevention of heart failure.{{cite web | title=Promising new drug target discovered for treatment and prevention of heart failure | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-05-25 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120825155702.htm | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite web | title=ESC - Congresses - ESC CONGRESS 2012 - Scientific Programme | website=spo.escardio.org | date=2013-05-10 | url=http://spo.escardio.org/SessionDetails.aspx?id=401883 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510144959/http://spo.escardio.org/SessionDetails.aspx?id=401883 | archive-date=2013-05-10 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2022-05-26}}
26 August
Besse Cooper, at the time the world's oldest living human, celebrates her 116th birthday, becoming one of only eight people in recorded history to indisputably do so.{{cite web | last=Swanepoel | first=Sharon | title=Sweet 116th Birthday Wishes to the World's Oldest Living Person | website=Loganville-Grayson Patch | date=2012-08-31 | url=http://loganville.patch.com/articles/happy-sweet-116th-birthday-to-the-worlds-oldest-living-person | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120831063153/http://loganville.patch.com/articles/happy-sweet-116th-birthday-to-the-worlds-oldest-living-person | archive-date=2012-08-31 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-05-26}}
Miniature surgical nets could be used to safely extract dangerous blood clots from the brains of stroke patients, potentially alleviating symptoms such as speech loss and paralysis, according to two new medical studies.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title='Clot nets' help stroke recovery | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-26 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-19355202 | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Saver | first1=Jeffrey L | last2=Jahan | first2=Reza | last3=Levy | first3=Elad I | display-authors=1 | title=Solitaire flow restoration device versus the Merci Retriever in patients with acute ischaemic stroke (SWIFT): a randomised, parallel-group, non-inferiority trial | journal=The Lancet | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=380 | issue=9849 | year=2012 | issn=0140-6736 | doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61384-1 | pages=1241–1249| pmid=22932715 | s2cid=24859470 }}{{cite journal | last1=Nogueira | first1=Raul G | last2=Lutsep | first2=Helmi L | last3=Gupta | first3=Rishi | display-authors=1 | title=Trevo versus Merci retrievers for thrombectomy revascularisation of large vessel occlusions in acute ischaemic stroke (TREVO 2): a randomised trial | journal=The Lancet | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=380 | issue=9849 | year=2012 | issn=0140-6736 | doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61299-9 | pages=1231–1240| pmid=22932714 | pmc=4176618 }}
27 August – Young people who smoke cannabis run the risk of a significant and irreversible reduction in their IQ, according to one of the largest cannabis studies ever carried out.{{cite web | last=Hughes | first=Dominic | title=Young cannabis smokers run risk of lower IQ, report claims | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-28 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-19372456 | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Meier | first1=Madeline H. | last2=Caspi | first2=Avshalom | last3=Ambler | first3=Antony | display-authors=1 | title=Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=40 | date=2012-08-27 | pages=E2657-64 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1206820109 | pmid=22927402 | pmc=3479587 | doi-access=free }}
28 August – Three decades after its last sighting, the Japanese river otter is declared extinct.{{cite web | title=Japanese river otter declared extinct - The Japan Times Online | website=japantimes.co.jp | date=2012-08-29 | url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120829a6.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829073341/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120829a6.html | archive-date=2012-08-29 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-05-26}}
29 AugustFile:AntarcticaDomeCSnow.jpg could be trapped beneath the Antarctic ice.]]
Scientists report the discovery of two new exoplanets orbiting a binary star – the first such planetary system yet discovered.{{cite magazine | last=Clark | first=Liat | title=Two planets orbiting binary star system discovered for the first time (Wired UK) | magazine=Wired UK | date=2016-05-18 | url=http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-08/29/circumbinary-planetary-system | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518042742/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-08/29/circumbinary-planetary-system | archive-date=2016-05-18 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Orosz | first1=Jerome A. | last2=Welsh | first2=William F. | last3=Carter | first3=Joshua A. | display-authors=1| title=Kepler-47: A Transiting Circumbinary Multiplanet System | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=337 | issue=6101 | date=2012-09-21 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1228380 | pages=1511–1514| pmid=22933522 | arxiv=1208.5489 | bibcode=2012Sci...337.1511O | s2cid=44970411 }}
Caloric restriction fails to extend primate lifespan, according to the results of a long-term study.{{cite web | title=Caloric Restriction Fails to Extend Primate Lifespan in Long Term Study | website=extremelongevity.net | date=2012-09-01 | url=http://extremelongevity.net/2012/08/29/caloric-restriction-fails-to-extend-primate-lifespan-in-long-term-study/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120901200006/http://extremelongevity.net/2012/08/29/caloric-restriction-fails-to-extend-primate-lifespan-in-long-term-study/ | archive-date=2012-09-01 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Mattison | first1=Julie A. | last2=Roth | first2=George S. | last3=Beasley | first3=T. Mark | display-authors=1 | title=Impact of caloric restriction on health and survival in rhesus monkeys from the NIA study | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=489 | issue=7415 | date=2012-08-29 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11432 | pages=318–321| pmid=22932268 | pmc=3832985 | bibcode=2012Natur.489..318M }}
Large volumes of methane – a potent greenhouse gas – could be locked beneath the Antarctic ice, according to a new study.{{cite web | title=Antarctic may host methane stores | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-29 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19410444 | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite web | title='Vast reservoir' of methane locked beneath Antarctic ice sheet | website=The Guardian | date=2012-08-29 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/aug/29/antarctica-methane | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Wadham | first1=J. L. | last2=Arndt | first2=S. | last3=Tulaczyk | first3=S. | display-authors=1 | title=Potential methane reservoirs beneath Antarctica | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=488 | issue=7413 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11374 | pages=633–637| pmid=22932387 | bibcode=2012Natur.488..633W | s2cid=4322761 }}
Better management of agricultural systems could provide enough food for the expected global population of 9 billion by 2050, according to a new study. However, the study ignores factors such as climate change and geopolitics.{{cite web | title=Hope of greater global food output, less environmental impact of agriculture | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-05-23 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120829151241.htm | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Mueller | first1=Nathaniel D. | last2=Gerber | first2=James S. | last3=Johnston | first3=Matt | display-authors=1 | title=Closing yield gaps through nutrient and water management | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=490 | issue=7419 | date=2012-08-29 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11420 | pages=254–257| pmid=22932270 | bibcode=2012Natur.490..254M | s2cid=17747414 }}
A cost analysis of the technologies needed to transport materials into the stratosphere to reduce the amount of sunlight hitting Earth and therefore reduce the effects of global climate change shows that they are both feasible and affordable.{{cite web | title=Shading Earth: Delivering solar geoengineering materials to combat global warming may be feasible and affordable | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-05-24 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120830191017.htm | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=McClellan | first1=Justin | last2=Keith | first2=David W | last3=Apt | first3=Jay | display-authors=1 |title=Cost analysis of stratospheric albedo modification delivery systems | journal=Environmental Research Letters | publisher=IOP Publishing | volume=7 | issue=3 | date=2012-08-30 | issn=1748-9326 | doi=10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034019 | page=034019| s2cid=16695832 | doi-access=free }}
In a world first, astronomers at Copenhagen University report the detection of a specific sugar molecule, glycolaldehyde, in a distant star system. The molecule was found around the protostellar binary IRAS 16293-2422, which is located 400 light years from Earth. Glycolaldehyde is needed to form ribonucleic acid, or RNA, which is similar in function to DNA. This finding suggests that complex organic molecules may form in stellar systems prior to the formation of planets, eventually arriving on young planets early in their formation.{{cite web | title=Sugar Found In Space: A Sign of Life? | website=Adventure | date=2012-08-30 | url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/120829-sugar-space-planets-science-life | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324090720/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/120829-sugar-space-planets-science-life | url-status=dead | archive-date=March 24, 2021 | access-date=2022-05-26}}{{cite journal | last1=Jørgensen | first1=Jes K. | last2=Favre | first2=Cécile | last3=Bisschop | first3=Suzanne E. | display-authors=1 | title=Detection of the Simplest Sugar, Glycolaldehyde, in a Solar-Type Protostar with Alma | journal=The Astrophysical Journal | publisher=American Astronomical Society | volume=757 | issue=1 | date=2012-08-29 | issn=2041-8205 | doi=10.1088/2041-8205/757/1/l4 | page=L4| arxiv=1208.5498 | bibcode=2012ApJ...757L...4J | s2cid=14205612 }}
Scientists at the University of Liverpool are leading a £1.65 million project to produce and test the first nanomedicines for treating HIV/AIDS.{{cite web | title=Researchers pioneer world's first HIV/AIDS nanomedicines | website=News | date=2012-08-30 | url=https://news.liverpool.ac.uk/2012/08/30/researchers-pioneer-worlds-first-hivaids-nanomedicines/ | access-date=2022-05-26}}
30 August – South African scientists claim that a breakthrough drug cures all strains of malaria. Clinical trials on humans are set to start in 2013.{{cite web | last=Boyle | first=Rebecca | title=South African Scientists Claim Breakthrough Drug Cures All Strains of Malaria | website=Popular Science | date=2012-08-31 | url=https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-08/south-african-scientists-claim-breakthrough-drug-cures-all-strains-malaria/ | access-date=2022-05-26}}
31 August
Researchers successfully perform the first implantation of an early prototype bionic eye with 24 electrodes.{{cite web | title=First implantation of prototype bionic eye with 24 electrodes: 'All of a sudden I could see a little flash of light' | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-05-25 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120831065003.htm | access-date=2022-05-26}}
Swedish roboticists begin a crowdsourcing project to collect thousands of 3D Kinect images of household objects which can be used to improve the navigation capabilities of domestic robots.{{cite web | title=Scanning plan aims to help robots in the home | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-31 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19434922 | access-date=2022-05-26}}
A gaze-tracking smart television that can be controlled by the eye movements of users is unveiled at a Berlin trade show.{{cite web | title=Eye-controlled Gaze TV unveiled by Haier and Tobii | website=BBC News | date=2012-08-31 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19441860 | access-date=2022-05-26}}

=September=

1 September
When they encounter a fallen bird, western scrub jays call out and gather around the body in a funeral-like display, scientists discover.{{cite web | last=Walker | first=Matt | title=Birds hold 'funerals' for dead | website=BBC Nature | date=2012-09-02 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/19421217 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902001154/https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/19421217 | archive-date=2012-09-02 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Iglesias | first1=T.L. | last2=McElreath | first2=R. | last3=Patricelli | first3=G.L. | display-authors=1 |title=Western scrub-jay funerals: cacophonous aggregations in response to dead conspecifics | journal=Animal Behaviour | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=84 | issue=5 | year=2012 | issn=0003-3472 | doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.08.007 | pages=1103–1111| s2cid=30334967 }}
NASA scientists report that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), subjected to interstellar medium (ISM) conditions, are transformed, through hydrogenation, oxygenation and hydroxylation, into more complex organics. This process is described as "a step along the path toward amino acids and nucleotides, the raw materials of proteins and DNA, respectively". Furthermore, as a result of these transformations, the PAHs lose their spectroscopic signature which could be one of the reasons "for the lack of PAH detection in interstellar ice grains, particularly the outer regions of cold, dense clouds or the upper molecular layers of protoplanetary disks."{{cite web | title=NASA Cooks Up Icy Organics to Mimic Life's Origins | website=Space.com | date=2012-09-20 | url=https://www.space.com/17681-life-building-blocks-nasa-organic-molecules.html | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Gudipati | first1=Murthy S. | last2=Yang | first2=Rui | title=IN-SITU PROBING OF RADIATION-INDUCED PROCESSING OF ORGANICS IN ASTROPHYSICAL ICE ANALOGS—NOVEL LASER DESORPTION LASER IONIZATION TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES | journal=The Astrophysical Journal | publisher=American Astronomical Society | volume=756 | issue=1 | date=2012-08-17 | issn=2041-8205 | doi=10.1088/2041-8205/756/1/l24 | page=L24| bibcode=2012ApJ...756L..24G | s2cid=5541727 }}
2 September – Austrian scientists develop a 3D printing method which can construct complex microscopic structures out of individual molecules.{{cite web | title=3-D printing on the micrometer scale | website=New Atlas | date=2012-09-03 | url=https://newatlas.com/laser-micro-printer/23918/ | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Ovsianikov | first1=Aleksandr | last2=Li | first2=Zhiquan | last3=Torgersen | first3=Jan | display-authors=1 | title=3D Photografting: Selective Functionalization of 3D Matrices Via Multiphoton Grafting and Subsequent Click Chemistry (Adv. Funct. Mater. 16/2012) | journal=Advanced Functional Materials | publisher=Wiley | volume=22 | issue=16 | date=2012-08-15 | issn=1616-301X | doi=10.1002/adfm.201290098 | pages=3527}}
3 September – Swiss engineers build a versatile, self-righting all-terrain legged robot, similar to Boston Dynamics' BigDog military robot.{{cite web | last=Biggs | first=John | title=Watch Out, Big Dog: Swiss University Builds An Improved Quadrupedal Robot – TechCrunch | website=TechCrunch | date=2012-09-03 | url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/03/starleth-robot-big-dog/ | access-date=2022-07-02 }}{{cite web | title=STARLETH: A COMPLIANT QUADRUPEDAL ROBOT FOR FAST, EFFICIENT, AND VERSATILE LOCOMOTION | website=publications.asl.ethz.ch | date=2016-03-03 | url=http://publications.asl.ethz.ch/files/hutter12starleth.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303204321/http://publications.asl.ethz.ch/files/hutter12starleth.pdf | archive-date=2016-03-03 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-07-02}}

File:DNA orbit animated static thumb.png yet produced is published.]]

4 September
The UK Office for National Statistics estimates that almost all British children born in 2012 could live to the age of 100, assuming recent improvements in healthcare and living standards continue.{{cite web | title=Will I live longer than my cat? | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-04 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19467491 | access-date=2022-07-02}}
A formal study finds little evidence of health benefits from organic foods.{{cite web | title=Little evidence of health benefits from organic foods, study finds | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-07-02 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120903221122.htm | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Smith-Spangler | first1=Crystal | last2=Brandeau | first2=Margaret L. | last3=Hunter | first3=Grace E. | display-authors=1| title=Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier Than Conventional Alternatives? | journal=Annals of Internal Medicine | publisher=American College of Physicians | volume=157 | issue=5 | date=2012-09-04 | pages=348–366 | issn=0003-4819 | doi=10.7326/0003-4819-157-5-201209040-00007 | pmid=22944875 | s2cid=21463708 }}
British scientists develop a smart, pressure-mapping carpet with an optical layer that can raise the alarm if it detects sudden falls. The carpet can also map and record walking patterns over time, allowing doctors to track movement problems in elderly patients.{{cite web | last=Heaven | first=Douglas | title=One Per Cent: Smart carpet detects falls and strange footsteps | website=newscientist.com | date=2012-09-06 | url=https://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2012/09/smart-carpet-detects-falls---a.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906232833/https://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2012/09/smart-carpet-detects-falls---a.html | archive-date=2012-09-06 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-07-02}}
A physically active lifestyle can lower the risk of breast cancer by up to 13%, according to the largest-ever study of its kind.{{cite journal | last1=Steindorf | first1=Karen | last2=Ritte | first2=Rebecca | last3=Eomois | first3=Piia-Piret | display-authors=1| title=Physical activity and risk of breast cancer overall and by hormone receptor status: The European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition | journal=International Journal of Cancer | publisher=Wiley | volume=132 | issue=7 | date=2012-09-14 | issn=0020-7136 | doi=10.1002/ijc.27778 | pages=1667–1678| pmid=22903273 | s2cid=12234356 }}
Coastal erosion due to rising sea levels may have been "dramatically underestimated", according to a new scientific model.{{cite web | title=Coastline erosion due to rise in sea level greater than previously thought, new model finds | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-06-30 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120904100145.htm | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Ranasinghe | first1=Roshanka | last2=Duong | first2=Trang Minh | last3=Uhlenbrook | first3=Stefan | display-authors=1 | title=Climate-change impact assessment for inlet-interrupted coastlines | journal=Nature Climate Change | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=3 | issue=1 | date=2012-09-02 | issn=1758-678X | doi=10.1038/nclimate1664 | pages=83–87}}
5 September
An international research team achieves quantum teleportation over a record-breaking distance of {{convert|143|km|mi}} through free space.{{cite web| title=Quantum teleportation goes the distance: Record-breaking distance of 143 kilometers through free space | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-07-02 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120905134356.htm | access-date=2022-07-02}}
Scientists publish (in Science, Nature and elsewhere) the most detailed analysis to date of the human genome, revealing that much more of our genetic code is biologically active than previously thought, and largely disproving the notion of junk DNA.{{cite web | last=Walsh | first=Fergus | title=Detailed map of genome function | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-05 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-19202141 | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | title=ENCODE: The human encyclopaedia | journal=Nature | date=2012-09-05 | doi=10.1038/489046a | last1=Maher | first1=Brendan | volume=489 | issue=7414 | pages=46–48 | pmid=22962707 | doi-access=free }}
Increased precipitation and river discharge in the Arctic has the potential to speed climate change, according to the results of a new study.{{cite web | title=Wetter Arctic could influence climate change, study finds | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-07-02 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120905200554.htm | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Zhang | first1=Xiangdong | last2=He | first2=Juanxiong | last3=Zhang | first3=Jing | display-authors=1 | title=Enhanced poleward moisture transport and amplified northern high-latitude wetting trend | journal=Nature Climate Change | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=3 | issue=1 | date=2012-07-29 | issn=1758-678X | doi=10.1038/nclimate1631 | pages=47–51}}
A new report by Oxfam suggests that the full impact of climate change on future food prices is being greatly underestimated.{{cite web | title=EXTREME WEATHER, EXTREME PRICES | website=oxfam.org | date=2013-05-01 | url=http://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/20120905-ib-extreme-weather-extreme-prices-en.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501030503/http://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/20120905-ib-extreme-weather-extreme-prices-en.pdf | archive-date=2013-05-01 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-07-02}}
NASA's Dawn spacecraft departs the asteroid 4 Vesta for the dwarf planet Ceres, which it is expected to reach in 2015.{{cite web | last=Vergano | first=Dan | title=Dawn departs Vesta | website=USATODAY.COM | date=2012-09-05 | url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2012/09/dawn-departs-from-vesta-/1 | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite web | last=Chow | first=Denise | title=NASA's Dawn Spacecraft Hits Snag on Trip to 2 Asteroids | website=Space.com | date=2012-08-15 | url=https://www.space.com/17119-nasa-dawn-asteroid-spacecraft-vesta.html | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite web | title=Dawn Gets Extra Time to Explore Vesta | website=nasa.gov | date=2012-04-21 | url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/news/dawn20120418.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421191416/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/news/dawn20120418.html | archive-date=2012-04-21 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2022-07-02}}
6 September
Japan sets a new world record for ocean drilling depth, reaching {{convert|2111|m|ft}} below the seafloor off Shimokita Peninsula.{{cite web| title=Chikyu sets a new world drilling-depth record of scientific ocean drilling | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-07-01 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120906112255.htm | access-date=2022-07-02}}
A regular intake of fish oils, together with moderate exercise, significantly helps to slow aging decline, according to a recent trial.{{cite web | last=Ball | first=Jonathan | title=Fish oils 'help slow age decline' | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-06 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19494801 | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite web | title=Could fish oil be key in protecting the elderly against muscle deterioration? - News - British Science Festival - British Science Festival - The University of Aberdeen | website=abdn.ac.uk | date=2014-02-14 | url=http://www.abdn.ac.uk/2012/news/1841/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214070900/http://www.abdn.ac.uk/2012/news/1841/ | archive-date=2014-02-14 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-07-02}}
Researchers in the US produce the shortest-ever laser pulses, with a duration of 67 attoseconds. Such "attosecond science" will make it possible to observe some of the briefest microscopic events in the universe, such as electrons moving in their orbitals, in real time.{{cite web | title=Shortest laser pulse lasts just 67 attoseconds | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-06 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19489384 | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Zhao | first1=Kun | last2=Zhang | first2=Qi | last3=Chini | first3=Michael | display-authors=1 | title=Tailoring a 67 attosecond pulse through advantageous phase-mismatch | journal=Optics Letters | publisher=The Optical Society | volume=37 | issue=18 | date=2012-09-14 | pages=3891–3893 | issn=0146-9592 | doi=10.1364/ol.37.003891 | pmid=23041894 | bibcode=2012OptL...37.3891Z }}
DARPA's cheetah legged robot prototype is recorded running faster than Usain Bolt, the world's fastest sprinter, in a treadmill test.{{cite web | last=Leach | first=Anna | title=DARPA builds faster-than-Usain-Bolt Cheetah robot | website=The Register | date=2012-09-06 | url=https://www.theregister.com/2012/09/06/legged_robot_speed_record/ | access-date=2022-07-02}}
7 September
Harvest Automation begins deliveries of its HV-100 agricultural robot, a commercial automaton capable of navigating around obstacles and working in teams to perform horticultural tasks such as pruning and spraying crops.{{cite news | title=Robots in the shrubbery | newspaper=The Economist | date=2012-09-07 | url=https://www.economist.com/babbage/2012/09/07/robots-in-the-shrubbery | access-date=2022-07-02}}
Flooded mines could supply 40% of Glasgow's heating, say geologists.{{cite web | last=Jones | first=Geraint | title=Flooded mines could supply 40% of Glasgow's heating, say geologists | website=The Guardian | date=2012-09-07 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/sep/07/flooded-mines-glasgow-heating-needs | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite web | title=The Heat Beneath Our Feet | website=bgs.ac.uk | date=2012-09-09 | url=http://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/NEWS/BSF_GSHP_FINAL.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120909064755/http://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/NEWS/BSF_GSHP_FINAL.pdf | archive-date=2012-09-09 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-07-02}}
9 September – If it is fully harnessed, wind energy could easily meet all of the world's long-term electricity demand, according to a new study.{{cite web | title=Enough wind to power global energy demand: New research examines limits, climate consequences | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-07-01 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120909150446.htm | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Marvel | first1=Kate | last2=Kravitz | first2=Ben | last3=Caldeira | first3=Ken | display-authors=1| title=Geophysical limits to global wind power | journal=Nature Climate Change | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=3 | issue=2 | date=2012-09-09 | issn=1758-678X | doi=10.1038/nclimate1683 | pages=118–121}}

File:Cercopithecus lomamiensis MaleP.jpg is formally described.]]

10 September
A new scientific model suggests that even more extrasolar planets could harbour life than previously estimated. The model assumes that subsurface liquid water could host alien life, in addition to the surface water that scientists are searching for on nearby exoplanets.{{cite web | last=Ball | first=Jonathan | title=More planets could harbour life | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-10 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19545186 | access-date=2022-07-02}}
Caribbean coral reefs are on the verge of collapse, with less than 10% of the reef area showing live coral cover.{{cite web |last=Harvey |first=Fiona |author-link=Fiona Harvey |date=2012-09-10 |title=Caribbean coral reefs face collapse |url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/sep/10/caribbean-coral-reefs-collapse-environment |access-date=2022-07-02 |website=The Guardian }}{{cite web | title=TROPICAL AMERICAS CORAL REEF RESILIENCE WORKSHOP | website=cmsdata.iucn.org | date=2012-09-12 | url=http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/caribbean_coral_report_jbcj_030912.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120912063040/http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/caribbean_coral_report_jbcj_030912.pdf | archive-date=2012-09-12 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-07-02}}
12 September
UK researchers report a major advance in the treatment of deafness, using stem cells to successfully restore hearing in animals for the first time.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=Deaf gerbils 'hear again' after stem cell cure | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-12 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-19570024 | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Chen | first1=Wei | last2=Jongkamonwiwat | first2=Nopporn | last3=Abbas | first3=Leila | display-authors=1| title=Restoration of auditory evoked responses by human ES-cell-derived otic progenitors | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=490 | issue=7419 | date=2012-09-12 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11415 | pages=278–282| pmid=22972191 | pmc=3480718 | bibcode=2012Natur.490..278C }}
A new species of monkey is identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Found in remote forests, it is only the second new monkey species to be discovered in Africa in 28 years.{{cite web | last=Vaughan | first=Adam | title=New monkey species identified in Democratic Republic of Congo | website=The Guardian | date=2012-09-13 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/sep/13/new-monkey-species-congo-lesula | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Hart | first1=John A. | last2=Detwiler | first2=Kate M. | last3=Gilbert | first3=Christopher C. | display-authors=1| title=Lesula: A New Species of Cercopithecus Monkey Endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Implications for Conservation of Congo's Central Basin | journal=PLOS ONE | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=7 | issue=9 | date=2012-09-12 | issn=1932-6203 | doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0044271 | page=e44271| pmid=22984482 | pmc=3440422 | bibcode=2012PLoSO...744271H | doi-access=free }}
Intel Corporation reveals details of its new Haswell microarchitecture, a 22 nanometer microchip family offering unprecedented computing power and energy efficiency for consumer electronics. The first commercial Haswell-powered devices are expected to emerge in 2013.{{cite web | last=Myslewski | first=Rik | title=Intel debuts 'Haswell' chippery: from tablets to servers | website=The Register | date=2012-09-12 | url=https://www.theregister.com/2012/09/12/haswell_modularity/ | access-date=2022-07-02}}
Microsoft unveils a patent for a 3D video gaming system that would allow real-time video to be projected on the walls of any room, creating a 360-degree game environment to immerse players.{{cite web | title=Microsoft Xbox 3D-projected games outlined in patent | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-12 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19568451 | access-date=2022-07-02}}
13 September
Small spherical "blueberries" found in Martian rocks may have been formed by microbes, possibly indicating that life existed on Mars in the distant past.{{cite web | title=Iron 'blueberries' may be sign of microbial life on Mars | website=Australian Life Scientist | date=2012-09-15 | url=http://www.lifescientist.com.au/article/436306/iron_blueberries_may_sign_microbial_life_mars/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915002312/http://www.lifescientist.com.au/article/436306/iron_blueberries_may_sign_microbial_life_mars/ | archive-date=2012-09-15 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Weber | first1=Karrie A. | last2=Spanbauer | first2=Trisha L. | last3=Wacey | first3=David | display-authors=1 | title=Biosignatures link microorganisms to iron mineralization in a paleoaquifer | journal=Geology | publisher=Geological Society of America | volume=40 | issue=8 | year=2012 | issn=1943-2682 | doi=10.1130/g33062.1 | pages=747–750| bibcode=2012Geo....40..747W }}
UNICEF reports that global child mortality rates have decreased significantly in recent years. Whereas approximately 12 million children died before their fifth birthday in 1990, by 2011 this figure had dropped to 6.9 million. This improvement is reportedly due to a combination of rising living standards, foreign aid and broader immunisation.{{cite web | title=Africa, South Asia lag in boost to global child health | website=afp.com | date=2012-12-29 | url=http://www.afp.com/en/news/topstories/africa-south-asia-lag-boost-global-child-health | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121229064947/http://www.afp.com/en/news/topstories/africa-south-asia-lag-boost-global-child-health | archive-date=2012-12-29 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2022-07-02}}
An IBM team in Zürich has published single-molecule images so detailed that the type of atomic bonds between their atoms can be discerned.{{cite web | last=Palmer | first=Jason | title=Atomic bond types discernible in single-molecule images | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-13 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19584301 | access-date=2022-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Gross | first1=Leo | last2=Mohn | first2=Fabian | last3=Moll | first3=Nikolaj | display-authors=1 | title=Bond-Order Discrimination by Atomic Force Microscopy | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=337 | issue=6100 | date=2012-09-14 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1225621 | pages=1326–1329| pmid=22984067 | bibcode=2012Sci...337.1326G | s2cid=206542919 }}
Scientists identify five genes that determine the form of the human face, in a find that could lead to police identification sketches based solely on DNA findings.{{cite web | title=Genes for face shape identified | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-13 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19566022 | access-date=2022-07-03}}{{cite journal | last1=Liu | first1=Fan | last2=van der Lijn | first2=Fedde | last3=Schurmann | first3=Claudia | display-authors=1| title=A Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Five Loci Influencing Facial Morphology in Europeans | journal=PLOS Genetics | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=8 | issue=9 | date=2012-09-13 | issn=1553-7404 | doi=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002932 | page=e1002932| pmid=23028347 | pmc=3441666 | doi-access=free }}
14 September
Scientists demonstrated that a brain implant can improve cognitive function in primates for the first time ever. IOP{{cite journal | vauthors = Hampson RE, Gerhardt GA, Marmarelis V, Song D, Opris I, Santos L, Berger TW, Deadwyler SA | title = Facilitation and restoration of cognitive function in primate prefrontal cortex by a neuroprosthesis that utilizes minicolumn-specific neural firing | journal = Journal of Neural Engineering | volume = 9 | issue = 5 | pages = 056012 | date = October 2012 | pmid = 22976769 | pmc = 3505670 | doi = 10.1088/1741-2560/9/5/056012 | bibcode = 2012JNEng...9e6012H }}{{cite web | last=Dvorsky | first=George | title=Scientists make monkeys smarter using brain implants. Could you be next? | website=Gizmodo | date=2012-09-14 | url=https://gizmodo.com/scientists-make-monkeys-smarter-using-brain-implants-c-5943379 | access-date=2022-07-03}}
UK weather forecasters can predict extreme winter weather in future seasons with more confidence, due to a new analytical computer model.{{cite web | last=Harrabin | first=Roger | title=Met Office model 'better at predicting extreme winters' | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-14 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19584302 | access-date=2022-07-03}}{{cite journal | last1=Fereday | first1=D R | last2=Maidens | first2=A | last3=Arribas | first3=A | display-authors=1| title=Seasonal forecasts of northern hemisphere winter 2009/10 | journal=Environmental Research Letters | publisher=IOP Publishing | volume=7 | issue=3 | date=2012-09-01 | issn=1748-9326 | doi=10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034031 | page=034031| bibcode=2012ERL.....7c4031F | s2cid=153914724 | doi-access=free }}

File:FullMoon2010.jpg's gravitational field, NASA's GRAIL satellites report that the lunar crust is much thinner than previously estimated.]]

17 September
A warp drive to achieve faster-than-light travel, a supposedly impossible goal, may not be as unrealistic as once thought, scientists say.{{cite web | last=Moskowitz | first=Clara | title=Warp Drive May Be More Feasible Than Thought, Scientists Say | website=Space.com | date=2012-09-17 | url=https://www.space.com/17628-warp-drive-possible-interstellar-spaceflight.html | access-date=2022-07-10}}
Scientists working on the Blue Brain Project have achieved a major breakthrough in mapping the human brain, identifying key principles that determine synapse-scale connectivity and making it possible to accurately predict the locations of synapses in the neocortex.{{cite journal | last=Mediacom | first=Laura Spinney / | title=Blue Brain Project Accurately Predicts Connections between Neurons | website=EPFL | date=2012-09-17 | url=https://actu.epfl.ch/news/blue-brain-project-accurately-predicts-connections/ | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite journal | last1=Hill | first1=Sean L. | last2=Wang | first2=Yun | last3=Riachi | first3=Imad | display-authors=1| title=Statistical connectivity provides a sufficient foundation for specific functional connectivity in neocortical neural microcircuits | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=42 | date=2012-09-18 | pages=E2885-94 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1202128109 | pmid=22991468 | pmc=3479474 | doi-access=free }}
NASA's twin GRAIL gravitational research satellites reveal that the Moon has a much thinner crust than previously assumed.{{cite journal | title=Tandem satellites probe the Moon's interior | journal=Nature | date=2012-09-14 | doi=10.1038/nature.2012.11419 | url=https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2012.11419 | access-date=2022-07-10| last1=Samuel Reich | first1=Eugenie | doi-access=free }}
18 September
The Dark Energy Survey's high-resolution camera begins operation in Chile, surveying distant galaxies for evidence of the action of dark energy.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.nature.com/news/2012/09/dark-energy-camera-snaps-first-pictures.html |title=Dak-energy camera snaps first pictures|date=2012-09-19|access-date=2022-07-10|website=Nature News blog}}
Massachusetts-based company Rethink Robotics releases its Baxter industrial robot, the first humanoid robot designed to apply common sense and machine learning to factory operations.{{cite web | title=Meet Baxter the Robot, Your Potential New Co-Worker | website=PCMAG | date=2012-09-18 | url=https://www.pcmag.com/archive/meet-baxter-the-robot-your-potential-new-co-worker-302810 | access-date=2022-07-10}}
Doctors in Sweden have performed the world's first mother-to-daughter uterus transplants.{{cite web | title=Mother-to-daughter womb transplant 'success' in Sweden | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-18 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-19637156 | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite web | last=Svahn | first=Krister | title=World unique uterus transplantation performed in Gothenburg - University of Gothenburg, Sweden | website=sahlgrenska.gu.se | date=2012-11-26 | url=http://sahlgrenska.gu.se/english/news_and_events/news/News_Detail/world-unique-uterus-transplantation-performed-in-gothenburg-.cid1097607 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121126071037/http://sahlgrenska.gu.se/english/news_and_events/news/News_Detail/world-unique-uterus-transplantation-performed-in-gothenburg-.cid1097607 | archive-date=2012-11-26 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2022-07-10}}
19 September
Researchers at the University of Cambridge develop a method for cheaply printing liquid crystal-based lasers using a standard inkjet printer. The invention could allow the creation of "smart wallpaper" with built-in video displays.{{cite web | last=Moskvitch | first=Katia | title=Printed lasers can make your wallpaper 'smart' | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-18 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19641112 | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite journal | last1=Gardiner | first1=D. J. | last2=Hsiao | first2=W.-K. | last3=Morris | first3=S. M. | display-authors=1| title=Printed photonic arrays from self-organized chiral nematic liquid crystals | journal=Soft Matter | publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) | volume=8 | issue=39 | year=2012 | issn=1744-683X | doi=10.1039/c2sm26479j | page=9977| bibcode=2012SMat....8.9977G | hdl=20.500.11820/05bff0ad-0721-4d7f-827e-26a1f17d1264 | url=https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/files/4930637/2012_SoftMatt_Printed_phot_arrays_from_self_org_chiral_nem_LCs.pdf }}
Arctic sea ice has reached its minimum extent for the year, setting a record for the lowest cover since satellite records began in the 1970s. The 2012 extent has fallen to 3.41 million km² (1.32 million sq mi), 50% lower than the 1979–2000 average.{{cite web | last=Rincon | first=Paul | title=Record minimum for Arctic sea ice | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-19 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19652329 | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite web | last=SVS | first=NASA's | title=SVS: Daily Sea Ice during Aug & Sept 2012 with Winds | website=Home - NASA Scientific Visualization Studio | date=2022-04-18 | url=http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003900/a003992/index.html | access-date=2022-07-10 | archive-date=2022-10-06 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006161033/https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003900/a003992/index.html | url-status=dead }}
When a huge meteor collided with Earth about 2.5 million years ago and fell into the southern Pacific Ocean, it not only could have generated a massive tsunami, but may also have plunged the world into the Ice Ages, a new study suggests.{{cite web | title=Did a 'forgotten' meteor have a deadly, icy double-punch? | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-07-10 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120919103612.htm | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite journal | last1=Goff | first1=James | last2=Chagué-Goff | first2=Catherine | last3=Archer | first3=Michael | display-authors=1| title=The Eltanin asteroid impact: possible South Pacific palaeomegatsunami footprint and potential implications for the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition | journal=Journal of Quaternary Science | publisher=Wiley | volume=27 | issue=7 | date=2012-09-03 | issn=0267-8179 | doi=10.1002/jqs.2571 | pages=660–670| bibcode=2012JQS....27..660G | s2cid=131415717 }}
A new study reveals that fast-flowing and narrow glaciers have the potential to trigger massive changes in the Antarctic ice sheet and contribute to rapid ice-sheet decay and sea-level rise.{{cite web | title=Warming ocean could start big shift of Antarctic ice | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-07-10 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120919103610.htm | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite journal | last1=Golledge | first1=Nicholas R. | last2=Fogwill | first2=Christopher J. | last3=Mackintosh | first3=Andrew N. | display-authors=1 | title=Dynamics of the last glacial maximum Antarctic ice-sheet and its response to ocean forcing | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=40 | date=2012-09-17 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1205385109 | pages=16052–16056| pmid=22988078 | pmc=3479616 | bibcode=2012PNAS..10916052G | doi-access=free }}

File:Sunny Skies over the Arctic in Late June 2010.jpg reaches the lowest extent ever recorded.]]

20 September
MakerBot Industries, an American manufacturer of 3D printers, opens the world's first 3D printer retail outlet in New York City.{{cite web | last=Brown | first=Rich | title=MakerBot revamps Replicator 3D printer, adds retail store | website=CNET | date=2012-09-19 | url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/makerbot-revamps-replicator-3d-printer-adds-retail-store/ | access-date=2022-07-10}}
Elevated CO₂ levels on humans cause decreased cognitive ability, starting at 600 ppm.{{cite web | title=Zoning Out In That Meeting? It May Not Be Your Fault | website=HuffPost | date=2012-10-25 | url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/carbon-dioxide-decision-making-meeting-rooms-classrooms_n_2006289 | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite journal | last1=Satish | first1=Usha | last2=Mendell | first2=Mark J. | last3=Shekhar | first3=Krishnamurthy | display-authors=1| title=Is CO2an Indoor Pollutant? Direct Effects of Low-to-Moderate CO2Concentrations on Human Decision-Making Performance | journal=Environmental Health Perspectives | volume=120 | issue=12 | year=2012 | issn=0091-6765 | doi=10.1289/ehp.1104789 | pages=1671–1677| pmid=23008272 | pmc=3548274 | s2cid=8604995 }}
22 September – NASA reveals plans for the "Gateway Spacecraft", a permanent outpost beyond the Moon, to be constructed from leftover components of the International Space Station.{{cite web | title=NASA deep-space outpost: NASA wants to send astronauts beyond the moon | website=Orlando Sentinel | date=2012-09-28 | url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-09-22/news/os-nasa-space-outpost-20120922_1_moon-rocks-space-launch-system-nasa-chief-charlie-bolden | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928202251/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-09-22/news/os-nasa-space-outpost-20120922_1_moon-rocks-space-launch-system-nasa-chief-charlie-bolden | archive-date=2012-09-28 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-07-10}}
23 September
Researchers have shown that many species of fruit fly will be unable to survive even a modest increase in temperature. Many are now close to or beyond their temperature safety margin, and very few have the genetic ability to adapt to climate change.{{cite web | last=Elder | first=John | title=Fruit flies at boiling point | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=2012-09-22 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/fruit-flies-at-boiling-point-20120922-26dm3.html | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite journal | last1=Kellermann | first1=Vanessa | last2=Overgaard | first2=Johannes | last3=Hoffmann | first3=Ary A. | display-authors=1 | title=Upper thermal limits of Drosophila are linked to species distributions and strongly constrained phylogenetically | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=40 | date=2012-09-17 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1207553109 | pages=16228–16233| pmid=22988106 | pmc=3479592 | bibcode=2012PNAS..10916228K | doi-access=free }}
Japanese researchers achieve a new world record for data transmission, demonstrating one-petabit-per-second fiber transmission over {{convert|50|km|mi}}: equivalent to sending 5,000 HDTV videos per second over a single fiber.{{cite web| last1=Telegraph | first1=Nippon | last2=Corporation | first2=Telephone | title=NTT HOME > NTT Press Releases > World Record One Petabit per Second Fiber Transmission over 50-km: Equivalent to Sending 5,000 HDTV Videos per Second over a Single Fiber | website=ntt.co.jp | date=2012-09-25 | url=http://www.ntt.co.jp/news2012/1209e/120920a.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925054316/http://www.ntt.co.jp/news2012/1209e/120920a.html | archive-date=2012-09-25 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-07-10}}
The first continent-wide estimate of African great ape distribution and its changes over time has revealed a dramatic decline in ape habitats.{{cite web | last=Walker | first=Matt | title=Severe loss to great ape habitat | website=BBC Nature | date=2012-09-30 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/19731343 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930001708/https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/19731343 | archive-date=2012-09-30 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite journal | last1=Junker | first1=Jessica | last2=Blake | first2=Stephen | last3=Boesch | first3=Christophe | display-authors=1| title=Recent decline in suitable environmental conditions for African great apes | journal=Diversity and Distributions | publisher=Wiley | volume=18 | issue=11 | date=2012-09-23 | issn=1366-9516 | doi=10.1111/ddi.12005 | pages=1077–1091| bibcode=2012DivDi..18.1077J | s2cid=67765445 | doi-access=free }}
24 September
UK doctors report that a new "SARS-like" respiratory coronavirus has been identified. The disease has infected at least two people in the Middle East and killed one.{{cite web | last=Roberts | first=Michelle | title=New 'Sars-like' coronavirus identified by UK officials | website=BBC News | date=2012-09-24 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-19698335 | access-date=2022-07-10}}
A major reassessment of 18 years of satellite observations provides a new, more detailed view of the changes in sea level around the world. Incorporating the data from a number of spacecraft, the study re-affirms that ocean waters globally are rising by just over 3mm per year.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Satellites trace sea level change | website=BBC News | date=2011-10-07 | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19702450 | access-date=2022-07-10}}
The entire field of particle physics is set to switch to open-access publishing, a milestone in the push to make research results freely available to readers.{{cite journal | title=Open-access deal for particle physics | journal=Nature | date=2012-09-24 | doi=10.1038/489486a | last1=Van Noorden | first1=Richard | volume=489 | issue=7417 | page=486 | pmid=23018944 | bibcode=2012Natur.489..486V | s2cid=195678949 | doi-access=free }}
25 September
New data from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory suggests that the Milky Way galaxy is surrounded by a gigantic halo of hot gas, with a far greater radius than the galaxy itself, and a roughly equal mass. If the halo's dimensions are confirmed, its concentration of mass may explain the apparent lack of baryonic matter in the galaxy.{{cite journal | last1=Gupta | first1=A. | last2=Mathur | first2=S. | last3=Krongold | first3=Y. | display-authors=1 | title=A Huge Reservoir of Ionized Gas Around the Milky Way: Accounting for the Missing Mass? | journal=The Astrophysical Journal | publisher=American Astronomical Society | volume=756 | issue=1 | date=2012-08-09 | issn=2041-8205 | doi=10.1088/2041-8205/756/1/l8 | page=L8| arxiv=1205.5037 | bibcode=2012ApJ...756L...8G | s2cid=118567708 }}
China's first aircraft carrier, a retrofitted ex-Soviet vessel named the Liaoning, enters naval service.{{cite web | last=Spegele | first=Brian | title=China Adds Aircraft Carrier to Its Navy | website=WSJ | date=2012-09-25 | url=https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444358804578017481172611110.html | access-date=2022-07-10}}
26 September – An international team of scientists identifies a key factor responsible for declining muscle repair during ageing, and discovers how to halt the process in mice with a common drug.{{cite web | title=Scientists make old muscles young again in attempt to combat aging | website=EurekAlert! | url=https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/655320 | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite journal | last1=Chakkalakal | first1=Joe V. | last2=Jones | first2=Kieran M. | last3=Basson | first3=M. Albert | display-authors=1 | title=The aged niche disrupts muscle stem cell quiescence | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=490 | issue=7420 | date=2012-09-26 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11438 | pages=355–360| pmid=23023126 | pmc=3605795 | bibcode=2012Natur.490..355C }}
27 September
Researchers have shown for the first time the trapping action of the pimpernel sundew, Drosera glanduligera, a carnivorous plant.{{cite web | title=Carnivorous plant catapults prey with snap-tentacles: Biologists describe new capture mechanism | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-07-10 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120927091534.htm | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite journal | last1=Poppinga | first1=Simon | last2=Hartmeyer | first2=Siegfried Richard Heinrich | last3=Seidel | first3=Robin | display-authors=1 | title=Catapulting Tentacles in a Sticky Carnivorous Plant | journal=PLOS ONE | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=7 | issue=9 | date=2012-09-26 | issn=1932-6203 | doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0045735 | page=e45735| pmid=23049849 | pmc=3458893 | bibcode=2012PLoSO...745735P | doi-access=free }}
NASA scientists announce the Curiosity rover's discovery of evidence of ancient flowing liquid water on Mars.{{cite web | title=Excite News - Mars rover Curiosity finds signs of ancient stream | website=apnews.excite.com | date=2013-09-21 | url=http://apnews.excite.com/article/20120927/DA1IDOO00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053259/http://apnews.excite.com/article/20120927/DA1IDOO00.html | archive-date=2013-09-21 | url-status=dead | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite web | title=NASA Rover Finds Old Streambed On Martian Surface | website=NASA | date=2012-09-27 | url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/sep/HQ_12-338_Mars_Water_Stream.html | access-date=2022-07-10 | archive-date=2020-05-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513091007/https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/sep/HQ_12-338_Mars_Water_Stream.html | url-status=dead }}
Researchers demonstrate a new type of biodegradable electronics technology with wide applications in medical implants, environmental monitors and consumer devices.{{cite web | title=Electronics that vanish in the environment or the body | website=ScienceDaily | date=2022-07-09 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120927141531.htm | access-date=2022-07-10}}{{cite journal | last1=Hwang | first1=Suk-Won | last2=Tao | first2=Hu | last3=Kim | first3=Dae-Hyeong | display-authors=1| title=A Physically Transient Form of Silicon Electronics | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=337 | issue=6102 | date=2012-09-28 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1226325 | pages=1640–1644| pmid=23019646 | pmc=3786576 | bibcode=2012Sci...337.1640H }}
Toyota begins development of the Human Support Robot, a voice-controlled domestic robot designed to help elderly and disabled people by moving objects, reaching high shelves and opening doors and curtains.{{cite web | last=Ramsey | first=Jonathon | title=Toyota developing Asimo rival for the disabled | website=Autoblog | date=2012-09-27 | url=https://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/27/toyota-developing-asimo-rival-for-the-disabled/ | access-date=2022-07-10}}
30 September – Climate change will lead to smaller fish, according to a new study led by fisheries scientists at the University of British Columbia. Under a high emissions scenario, the maximum body weight most fish species reach could decline by up to a quarter by 2050.{{cite journal | last1=Cheung | first1=William W. L. | last2=Sarmiento | first2=Jorge L. | last3=Dunne | first3=John | display-authors=1 | title=Shrinking of fishes exacerbates impacts of global ocean changes on marine ecosystems | journal=Nature Climate Change | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=3 | issue=3 | date=2012-09-30 | issn=1758-678X | doi=10.1038/nclimate1691 | pages=254–258| bibcode=2013NatCC...3..254C }}

=October=

File:Dendroaspis polylepis by Bill Love.jpg (pictured), best known for its lethal venom, also produces a highly effective painkiller.]]

1 October – Sea cucumbers and sea urchins are able to change the elasticity of collagen within their bodies, and could hold the key to maintaining a youthful appearance, according to scientists at Queen Mary, University of London.{{cite web | title=Marine animals could hold the key to looking young | website=qmul.ac.uk | date=2012-10-05 | url=http://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/items/se/84965.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005051137/http://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/items/se/84965.html | archive-date=2012-10-05 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-02-19|publisher=Queen Mary University}}{{cite journal | last=Elphick | first=Maurice R. | title=The Protein Precursors of Peptides That Affect the Mechanics of Connective Tissue and/or Muscle in the Echinoderm Apostichopus japonicus | journal=PLOS ONE | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=7 | issue=8 | date=2012-08-31 | issn=1932-6203 | doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0044492 | page=e44492| pmid=22952987 | pmc=3432112 | bibcode=2012PLoSO...744492E | doi-access=free }}{{cite journal | last1=Rowe | first1=Matthew L. | last2=Elphick | first2=Maurice R. | title=The neuropeptide transcriptome of a model echinoderm, the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus | journal=General and Comparative Endocrinology | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=179 | issue=3 | year=2012 | issn=0016-6480 | doi=10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.09.009 | pages=331–344| pmid=23026496 }}
2 October – Under a high-emissions climate change scenario, global sea levels could rise nearly {{convert|7|m|ft}} by the year 3000, according to new research.{{cite web | title=Irreversible warming will cause sea levels to rise for thousands of years to come, new research shows -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2023-02-18 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121001191531.htm | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite journal | last1=Goelzer | first1=H | last2=Huybrechts | first2=P | last3=Raper | first3=S C B | display-authors=1| title=Millennial total sea-level commitments projected with the Earth system model of intermediate complexity LOVECLIM | journal=Environmental Research Letters | publisher=IOP Publishing | volume=7 | issue=4 | date=2012-10-01 | issn=1748-9326 | doi=10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045401 | page=045401| bibcode=2012ERL.....7d5401G | s2cid=56443764 | doi-access=free }}
3 October
In preparation for a land speed record attempt, the British Bloodhound SSC team conducts a successful hybrid rocket test in Newquay. The rocket will operate in tandem with a Eurofighter Typhoon jet engine to propel the Bloodhound vehicle at {{convert|1000|mi|km}} per hour during its record attempt in 2014.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Bloodhound land speed rocket test roars over Newquay | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-03 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19818009 | access-date=2023-02-19}}
Scientists report that the venomous black mamba produces a highly effective natural painkiller.{{cite web | last=Bardin | first=Jon | title=Snake venom may hold key to pain relief without side effects | website=Los Angeles Times | date=2012-10-03 | url=https://www.latimes.com/science/la-xpm-2012-oct-03-la-sci-sn-snake-venom-pain-relief-20121003-story.html | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite journal | last1=Diochot | first1=Sylvie | last2=Baron | first2=Anne | last3=Salinas | first3=Miguel | display-authors=1| title=Black mamba venom peptides target acid-sensing ion channels to abolish pain | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=490 | issue=7421 | date=2012-10-03 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11494 | pages=552–555| pmid=23034652 | bibcode=2012Natur.490..552D | s2cid=4337253 | url=https://hal.science/hal-04016619/file/Manuscript%2BFig%2BSuppl.pdf }}
A startup company demonstrates a cheap and efficient method of printing complex electronics onto flexible substrates.{{cite web | title=Flexible nanoprinting set to dwarf semiconductor costs | website=TechEye | date=2012-10-05 | url=http://news.techeye.net/chips/flexible-nanoprinting-set-to-dwarf-semiconductor-costs | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005235235/http://news.techeye.net/chips/flexible-nanoprinting-set-to-dwarf-semiconductor-costs | archive-date=2012-10-05 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2023-02-19}}
4 October
A new genetic test can fully sequence the genome of a newborn baby in just 50 hours, a major improvement over the usual month-long sequencing process. The test can screen for 3,500 genetic diseases, allowing critically ill infants to be diagnosed and treated much more effectively.{{cite magazine | last=Park | first=Alice | title=Good News for NICU Babies: Faster DNA Testing for More Accurate Diagnoses | magazine=Time | date=2012-10-04 | url=https://healthland.time.com/2012/10/04/good-news-for-nicu-babies-faster-dna-testing-for-more-accurate-diagnoses/ | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite journal | last1=Saunders | first1=Carol Jean | last2=Miller | first2=Neil Andrew | last3=Soden | first3=Sarah Elizabeth | display-authors=1| title=Rapid Whole-Genome Sequencing for Genetic Disease Diagnosis in Neonatal Intensive Care Units | journal=Science Translational Medicine | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=4 | issue=154 | date=2012-10-03 | pages=154ra135 | issn=1946-6234 | doi=10.1126/scitranslmed.3004041 | pmid=23035047 | pmc=4283791 }}
Nissan unveils the NSC-2015, a prototype electric driverless car that can park itself, understand road markings and quickly report attempted thefts. A commercial version is planned for 2015.{{cite web | title=Nissan car drives and parks itself at Ceatec | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-04 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19829906 | access-date=2023-02-19}}
5 October
DARPA successfully tests technology which enables drones to conduct aerial refueling autonomously.{{cite web | title=Unstaffed drone refuelling test 'successful' | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-08 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19871063 | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite web | title=2012/10/05 Making Connections At 45,000 Feet: Future UAVs May Fuel Up In Flight | website=darpa.mil | date=2012-10-05 | url=http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2012/10/05.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006183120/http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2012/10/05.aspx | archive-date=2012-10-06 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2023-02-19}}
Tokyo Institute of Technology researchers make a breakthrough in teaching a computer to understand human brain function. The scientists used fMRI datasets to train a computer to predict the semantic category of an image originally viewed by five different people.{{cite web | last=Ltd. | first=Slightly Different | title=Tokyo Institute of Technology research: Training computer... | website=researchsea.com | date=2012-10-08 | url=http://www.researchsea.com/html/article.php/aid/7443/cid/6/research/tokyo_institute_of_technology_research__training_computers_to_understand_the_human_brain.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008193824/http://www.researchsea.com/html/article.php/aid/7443/cid/6/research/tokyo_institute_of_technology_research__training_computers_to_understand_the_human_brain.html | archive-date=2012-10-08 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite journal | last1=Akama | first1=Hiroyuki | last2=Murphy | first2=Brian | last3=Na | first3=Li | display-authors=1|title=Decoding semantics across fMRI sessions with different stimulus modalities: a practical MVPA study | journal=Frontiers in Neuroinformatics | publisher=Frontiers Media SA | volume=6 | year=2012 | issn=1662-5196 | doi=10.3389/fninf.2012.00024 | page=24| pmid=22936912 | pmc=3426793 | doi-access=free }}
7 October – Expanding production of palm oil – a common ingredient in processed foods, soaps and personal care products – is driving rainforest destruction and massive carbon dioxide emissions, according to a new study led by researchers at Stanford and Yale universities.{{cite web | title=Stanford researchers show oil palm plantations are clearing carbon-rich tropical forests in Borneo | website=EurekAlert! | url=https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/590955 | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite journal | last1=Carlson | first1=Kimberly M. | last2=Curran | first2=Lisa M. | last3=Asner | first3=Gregory P. | display-authors=1| title=Carbon emissions from forest conversion by Kalimantan oil palm plantations | journal=Nature Climate Change | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=3 | issue=3 | date=2012-10-07 | issn=1758-678X | doi=10.1038/nclimate1702 | pages=283–287}}
8 October
SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft launches on its first operational resupply mission to the International Space Station, following a successful demonstration mission in May 2012.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=SpaceX lifts off with ISS cargo | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-08 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19867358 | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite web | last=Malik | first=Tariq | title=Liftoff! SpaceX Dragon Launches 1st Private Space Station Cargo Mission | website=Space.com | date=2012-10-08 | url=https://www.space.com/17943-spacex-dragon-capsule-space-cargo-launch.html | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite web |last=Schmidt |first=Klaus |date=Oct 6, 2012 |title=Station Crew Waits for SpaceX Launch, Stays Busy with Science |url=http://spacefellowship.com/news/art30481/station-crew-waits-for-spacex-launch-stays-busy-with-science.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016081254/http://spacefellowship.com/news/art30481/station-crew-waits-for-spacex-launch-stays-busy-with-science.html |archive-date=Oct 16, 2012 |access-date= |website=spacefellowship.com}}
A variant in a gene involved with inflammation and the immune response is linked with a decreased risk of lung cancer, according to researchers at the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Maryland.{{cite web | title=Gene variant linked with reduced lung cancer risk | website=EurekAlert! | url=https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/509182 | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite journal | last1=Shiels | first1=Meredith S. | last2=Engels | first2=Eric A. | last3=Shi | first3=Jianxin | display-authors=1| title=Genetic variation in innate immunity and inflammation pathways associated with lung cancer risk | journal=Cancer | publisher=Wiley | volume=118 | issue=22 | date=2012-10-08 | issn=0008-543X | doi=10.1002/cncr.27605 | pages=5630–5636| pmid=23044494 | pmc=3485420 }}
Researchers have found what they claim is the first fossil yet discovered of an ancient spider attacking prey caught in its web. The amber fossil dates back between 97 million and 110 million years.{{cite web | title=Fossil of ancient spider attack only one of its type ever discovered - News & Research Communications - Oregon State University | website=oregonstate.edu | date=2012-10-10 | url=http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2012/oct/fossil-ancient-spider-attack-only-one-its-type-ever-discovered | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216034741/http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2012/oct/fossil-ancient-spider-attack-only-one-its-type-ever-discovered | archive-date=2012-12-16 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2023-02-19}}
A new Alzheimer's drug, Solanezumab, slows the pace of memory loss in patients by 34%, according to the results of two trials.{{cite web | last=Adams | first=Stephen | title=Alzheimer's drug 'slows memory loss by a third' | website=Telegraph.co.uk | date=2012-10-08 | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9594878/Alzheimers-drug-slows-memory-loss-by-a-third.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009041425/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9594878/Alzheimers-drug-slows-memory-loss-by-a-third.html | archive-date=2012-10-09 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-02-19}}
The 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded jointly to John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka, for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent stem cells.{{cite web | title=The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012 | website=NobelPrize.org | date=2012-10-08 | url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2012/press-release/ | access-date=2023-02-19}}

File:Nobel Prize.png in physics, chemistry and medicine (medal pictured) are awarded.]]

9 October
Microsoft tests a sensor bracelet that can quickly recognise a wide variety of human hand gestures. The invention could be used as a general-purpose remote control for electronics, allowing devices to be activated and controlled with simple hand movements.{{cite web | title=Microsoft's Digits hand-gesture sensor bracelet detailed | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-09 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19884218 | access-date=2023-02-19}}
The 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded jointly to Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland "for ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems". Their work may eventually help make quantum computing possible.{{cite web | title=Opinion - The Possibilities of Quantum Information | website=The New York Times | date=2012-10-13 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/opinion/sunday/the-possibilities-of-quantum-information.html | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite web | title=The Nobel Prize in Physics 2012 | website=NobelPrize.org | date=2023-02-19 | url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2012/summary/ | access-date=2023-02-19}}
10 October
Arizona State University researchers develop a new software system capable of estimating greenhouse gas emissions across entire urban landscapes, all the way down to roads and individual buildings. Previously, scientists quantified carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions at a much broader level.{{cite web | title=Study maps greenhouse gas emissions to building, street level for U.S. cities | website=ASU News | date=2012-10-09 | url=https://news.asu.edu/content/study-maps-greenhouse-gas-emissions-building-street-level-us-cities | access-date=2023-02-19}}
SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft docks with the International Space Station, becoming the first commercially contracted re-supply vehicle to do so.{{cite web | title=WATCH: SpaceX Dragon Docks With Space Station On Ice Cream Delivery Mission | website=HuffPost UK | date=2012-10-10 | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/10/10/spacex-dragon-docks-with-iss_n_1953933.html | access-date=2023-02-19}}
The 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded jointly to Robert J. Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka for their work on G-protein-coupled receptors.{{cite web | title=The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2012 | website=NobelPrize.org | date=2023-02-19 | url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2012/summary/ | access-date=2023-02-19}}
The United States Navy begins funding the development of a versatile robot capable of adapting everyday materials to rescue trapped humans.{{cite web | title=US Navy funds 'MacGyver' robot that can create tools | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-10 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19902954 | access-date=2023-02-19}}
11 October
In the largest-ever genetic study of cholesterol and other blood lipids, an international consortium has identified 21 new gene variants associated with risks of heart disease and metabolic disorders. The findings expand the list of potential targets for drugs and other treatments for lipid-related cardiovascular disease, a leading global cause of death and disability.{{cite web | title=Twenty-one genes tied to cholesterol levels identified -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2023-02-18 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121011123959.htm | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite journal | last1=Asselbergs | first1=Folkert W. | last2=Guo | first2=Yiran | last3=van Iperen | first3=Erik P.A. | display-authors=1| title=Large-Scale Gene-Centric Meta-analysis across 32 Studies Identifies Multiple Lipid Loci | journal=The American Journal of Human Genetics | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=91 | issue=5 | year=2012 | issn=0002-9297 | doi=10.1016/j.ajhg.2012.08.032 | pages=823–838| pmid=23063622 | pmc=3487124 }}
New research led by Yale University scientists suggests that a rocky planet twice Earth's size orbiting a nearby star is composed largely of diamond.{{cite web | title=Nearby super-Earth likely a diamond planet -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2023-02-18 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121011090647.htm | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite journal | last1=Madhusudhan | first1=Nikku | last2=Lee | first2=Kanani K. M. | last3=Mousis | first3=Olivier | display-authors=1 |title=A POSSIBLE CARBON-RICH INTERIOR IN SUPER-EARTH 55 Cancri e | journal=The Astrophysical Journal | publisher=American Astronomical Society | volume=759 | issue=2 | date=2012-10-25 | issn=2041-8205 | doi=10.1088/2041-8205/759/2/l40 | page=L40|arxiv=1210.2720| bibcode=2012ApJ...759L..40M | s2cid=119303024 }}
12 October – Europe launches the third and fourth of its Galileo navigation satellites, making it possible for the Galileo system to be fully tested prior to the start of operations in 2015. The system is planned to become fully operational, with 27 active satellites, by 2020.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Galileo: Europe's version of GPS reaches key phase | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-12 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19933989 | access-date=2023-02-19}}
14 October
Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner performs the highest skydive yet attempted, jumping from a pressurized capsule {{convert|24|mi|km}} above Roswell, New Mexico. Baumgartner became the first human to break the sound barrier without an aircraft during his jump.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Skydiver Felix Baumgartner breaks sound barrier | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-14 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19943590 | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite web | title=Felix Baumgartner: watch the jump | website=Telegraph.co.uk | date=2012-10-14 | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9608140/Felix-Baumgartner-watch-the-jump.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015002130/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9608140/Felix-Baumgartner-watch-the-jump.html | archive-date=2012-10-15 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-02-19}}
Scientists claim that water molecules found in lunar soil could be produced by the solar wind reacting with the Moon's surface.{{cite web | last=Collins | first=Nick | title=Water particles found on surface of the moon, scientists say | website=Telegraph.co.uk | date=2012-10-14 | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/9607901/Water-particles-found-on-surface-of-the-moon-scientists-say.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015013718/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/9607901/Water-particles-found-on-surface-of-the-moon-scientists-say.html | archive-date=2012-10-15 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite journal | last1=Liu | first1=Yang | last2=Guan | first2=Yunbin | last3=Zhang | first3=Youxue | display-authors=1| title=Direct measurement of hydroxyl in the lunar regolith and the origin of lunar surface water | journal=Nature Geoscience | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=5 | issue=11 | date=2012-10-14 | issn=1752-0894 | doi=10.1038/ngeo1601 | pages=779–782| bibcode=2012NatGe...5..779L | url=https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20130107-154912166 }}

File:Artist’s impression of a planet around Alpha Centauri B (symbolic, annotated).jpg (artist's impression pictured) orbiting Earth's nearest alien star, Alpha Centauri.]]

15 October
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a Neptune-like exoplanet that has four suns, making it the first quadruple star system ever discovered.{{cite web | last=Dvorsky | first=George | title=Unprecedented: Amateur astronomers discover a planet with four suns | website=Gizmodo | date=2012-10-15 | url=https://gizmodo.com/unprecedented-amateur-astronomers-discover-a-planet-wi-5951865 | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite journal | last1=Schwamb | first1=Megan E. | last2=Orosz | first2=Jerome A. | last3=Carter | first3=Joshua A. | display-authors=1 | title=Planet Hunters: A Transiting Circumbinary Planet in a Quadruple Star System | journal=The Astrophysical Journal | publisher=American Astronomical Society | volume=768 | issue=2 | date=2013-04-23 | issn=0004-637X | doi=10.1088/0004-637x/768/2/127 | page=127|arxiv=1210.3612| bibcode=2013ApJ...768..127S | s2cid=27456469 }}
September 2012 was tied as the warmest September ever recorded globally, according to data from the National Climatic Data Center.{{cite web | title=September 2012 Global Climate Report | website=National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) | url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2012/9 | access-date=2023-02-19}}
New research clearly shows that there is an increasing tendency for cyclones to form when the climate is warmer, as it has been in recent years.{{cite web | title=Tropical cyclones are occurring more frequently than before | website=EurekAlert! | url=https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/605376 | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite journal | last1=Grinsted | first1=Aslak | last2=Moore | first2=John C. | last3=Jevrejeva | first3=Svetlana| display-authors=1 | title=Homogeneous record of Atlantic hurricane surge threat since 1923 | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=48 | date=2012-10-15 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1209542109 | pages=19601–19605| pmid=23071336 | pmc=3511770 | doi-access=free }}
Researchers from North Carolina State University demonstrate new techniques for stretching carbon nanotubes to create carbon composites that can be used as stronger, lighter materials in a wide variety of applications.{{cite web | title=New Techniques Stretch Carbon Nanotubes, Make Stronger Composites | website=NC State News | date=2012-10-15 | url=https://news.ncsu.edu/2012/10/wms-zhu-cnt-composites/ | access-date=2023-02-19}}{{cite journal | last1=Wang | first1=X. | last2=Yong | first2=Z.Z. | last3=Li | first3=Q.W. | display-authors=1| title=Ultrastrong, Stiff and Multifunctional Carbon Nanotube Composites | journal=Materials Research Letters | publisher=Informa UK Limited | volume=1 | issue=1 | date=2012-10-11 | issn=2166-3831 | doi=10.1080/21663831.2012.686586 | pages=19–25| s2cid=41390773 }}
NASA demonstrates its X1 powered exoskeleton, a robotic assistance suit based on its Robonaut humanoid robot. The X1 exoskeleton is designed to assist paraplegics with walking, and can also be set to provide walking exercise for non-disabled astronauts.{{cite web | last=Kooser | first=Amanda | title=NASA exoskeleton suit is half way to Iron Man | website=CNET | date=2012-10-15 | url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/nasa-exoskeleton-suit-is-half-way-to-iron-man/ | access-date=2023-02-19}}
17 October
A new exoplanet is discovered orbiting Earth's closest stellar neighbour, Alpha Centauri. The new planet is believed to be too hot to sustain life, but there is a high probability that the system contains other planetary bodies, including potentially Earthlike ones.{{cite journal | last1=Dumusque | first1=Xavier | last2=Pepe | first2=Francesco | last3=Lovis | first3=Christophe | display-authors=1| title=An Earth-mass planet orbiting α Centauri B | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=491 | issue=7423 | date=2012-10-17 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11572 | pages=207–211| pmid=23075844 | bibcode=2012Natur.491..207D | s2cid=1110271 }}
Medical scientists report, on the basis of a decade-long double-blind study involving nearly 15,000 older male physicians, that subjects taking a daily multivitamin were associated with 8 percent fewer cancers compared to subjects taking a placebo.{{cite web | title=Daily Multivitamin May Reduce Cancer Risk, Clinical Trial Finds | website=The New York Times | date=2012-10-17 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/health/daily-multivitamin-may-reduce-cancer-risk-clinical-trial-finds.html | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Gaziano | first1=J. Michael | last2=Sesso | first2=Howard D. | last3=Christen | first3=William G. | display-authors=1 | title=Multivitamins in the Prevention of Cancer in Men | journal=JAMA | publisher=American Medical Association (AMA) | volume=308 | issue=18 | date=2012-11-14 | pages=1871–1880 | issn=0098-7484 | doi=10.1001/jama.2012.14641 | pmid=23162860 | pmc=3517179 }}
A drug made from a plant known as "thunder god vine," or lei gong teng, that has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine, wipes out pancreatic tumors in mice, and may soon be tested in humans.{{cite web | title=Drug From Chinese 'Thunder God Vine' Slays Tumors in Mice | website=Bloomberg.com | date=2012-10-17 | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-10-17/drug-from-chinese-thunder-god-vine-slays-tumors-in-mice | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Chugh | first1=Rohit | last2=Sangwan | first2=Veena | last3=Patil | first3=Satish P. | display-authors=1| title=A Preclinical Evaluation of Minnelide as a Therapeutic Agent Against Pancreatic Cancer | journal=Science Translational Medicine | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=4 | issue=156 | date=2012-10-17 | pages=156ra139 | issn=1946-6234 | doi=10.1126/scitranslmed.3004334 | pmid=23076356 | pmc=3656604 }}
83% of Madagascar's palms are threatened with extinction, putting the livelihoods of local people at risk, according to the latest update of the Red List of Threatened Species released today by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).{{cite web | title=IUCN - Madagascar's palms near extinction | website=iucn.org | date=2012-10-22 | url=http://www.iucn.org/news_homepage/?11273/Madagascars-palms-near-extinction | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022005214/http://www.iucn.org/news_homepage/?11273/Madagascars-palms-near-extinction | archive-date=2012-10-22 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-02}}
18 October
A kidney-like organ grown from scratch in a laboratory has been shown to work in animals – an achievement that could lead to the production of spare kidneys for patients from their own stem cells.{{cite web | last=Coghlan | first=Andy | title=Pioneering lab-grown 'kidney' does its job in animals | website=New Scientist | date=2012-10-18 | url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22398-pioneering-lab-grown-kidney-does-its-job-in-animals/ | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Xinaris | first1=Christodoulos | last2=Benedetti | first2=Valentina | last3=Rizzo | first3=Paola | display-authors=1| title=In Vivo Maturation of Functional Renal Organoids Formed from Embryonic Cell Suspensions | journal=Journal of the American Society of Nephrology | publisher=Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) | volume=23 | issue=11 | year=2012 | issn=1046-6673 | doi=10.1681/asn.2012050505 | pages=1857–1868| pmid=23085631 | pmc=3482737 }}
Extinctions during the early Triassic period left Earth a virtual wasteland due to extreme heat, a new study suggests.{{cite web | title=National Geographic | website=National Geographic | date=2012-10-12 | url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/10/121018-triassic-extinctions-hot-global-warming-science-environment/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020072805/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/10/121018-triassic-extinctions-hot-global-warming-science-environment/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 20, 2012 | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Sun | first1=Yadong | last2=Joachimski | first2=Michael M. | last3=Wignall | first3=Paul B. | display-authors=1| title=Lethally Hot Temperatures During the Early Triassic Greenhouse | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=338 | issue=6105 | date=2012-10-19 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1224126 | pages=366–370| pmid=23087244 | bibcode=2012Sci...338..366S | s2cid=41302171 }}
Using a new imaging technique, based on the detection of calcium ions in neurons, neuroscientists have developed a way to monitor how brain cells coordinate with each other to control specific behaviors.{{cite web | title=Press Center - MIT News | website=Massachusetts Institute of Technology | url=http://web.mit.edu/press/2012/neuron-imaging-calcium.html | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Chen | first1=Qian | last2=Cichon | first2=Joseph | last3=Wang | first3=Wenting | display-authors=1| title=Imaging Neural Activity Using Thy1-GCaMP Transgenic Mice | journal=Neuron | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=76 | issue=2 | year=2012 | issn=0896-6273 | doi=10.1016/j.neuron.2012.07.011 | pages=297–308| pmid=23083733 | pmc=4059513 }}
For the first time, an assembly of nanomachines has been synthesised that is capable of producing a coordinated contraction, similar to the movements of biological muscle fibres.{{cite web | title=Assembly of nano-machines mimics human muscle -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-10-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121023100940.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Du | first1=Guangyan | last2=Moulin | first2=Emilie | last3=Jouault | first3=Nicolas | display-authors=1| title=Muscle-like Supramolecular Polymers: Integrated Motion from Thousands of Molecular Machines | journal=Angewandte Chemie | publisher=Wiley | volume=124 | issue=50 | date=2012-10-18 | issn=0044-8249 | doi=10.1002/ange.201206571 | pages=12672–12676| bibcode=2012AngCh.12412672D | url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03651147/file/Angewandte2012_Giuseppone_modif.pdf }}
19 October – The European Space Agency announces that it will launch a new satellite in 2017 to study super-Earths and other large exoplanets orbiting nearby stars. The CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite (CHEOPS) will orbit the Earth at an altitude of about {{convert|500|mi|km}}.{{cite web | last1=Pearlman | first1=Robert Z. | last2=Lea | first2=Robert | last3=Pultarova | first3=Tereza | display-authors=1 |title=European Satellite to Seek Nearby Super-Earth Planets in 2017 | website=Space.com | date=2012-10-19 | url=https://www.space.com/18137-super-earth-exoplanets-satellite-launching-2017.html | access-date=2023-07-02}}

File:Laproscopic Surgery Robot.jpg (pictured) is used to perform the UK's first robot-assisted open-heart surgery.]]

22 October
Engineers develop an ultra-high-density form of magnetic tape, using barium ferrite particles to store up to 100 terabytes of data in a single tape cartridge. The invention is intended to store the huge volumes of astronomical data that the Square Kilometre Array will generate upon its inception in 2024.{{cite web | title=the future of data storage is cassette tape | website=Gizmodo | date=2012-10-22 | url=https://gizmodo.com/search/?q=the%20future%20of%20data%20storage%20is%20cassette%20tape | access-date=2023-07-02}}
British doctors use the remote-controlled Da Vinci Surgical System to perform the UK's first robotic open-heart surgery.{{cite web | last=Paduano | first=Michele | title=Da Vinci robot heart surgery at New Cross Hospital | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-22 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-20028502 | access-date=2023-07-02}}
24 October
As much as 44 billion tons of nitrogen and 850 billion tons of carbon stored in Arctic permafrost could be released over the next century, according to a new study led by the U.S. Geological Survey. This is roughly the amount of carbon already stored in the atmosphere today.{{cite web | title=USGS Release: Not-So-Permanent Permafrost (10/24/2012 12:00:00 PM) | website=usgs.gov | date=2012-10-31 | url=http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3436&from=rss_home | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031001046/http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3436&from=rss_home | archive-date=2012-10-31 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Harden | first1=Jennifer W. | last2=Koven | first2=Charles D. | last3=Ping | first3=Chien-Lu | display-authors=1| title=Field information links permafrost carbon to physical vulnerabilities of thawing | journal=Geophysical Research Letters | publisher=American Geophysical Union (AGU) | volume=39 | issue=15 | date=2012-08-07 | issn=0094-8276 | doi=10.1029/2012gl051958 | page=| bibcode=2012GeoRL..3915704H | s2cid=15126894 | url=https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/eos-faculty-publications/57 }}
Binge drinking – drinking less during the week and more on the weekends – significantly reduces the structural integrity of the adult brain, according to a new study.{{cite web | title=Moderate drinking decreases number of new brain cells -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-10-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121024164759.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Anderson | first1=M.L. | last2=Nokia | first2=M.S. | last3=Govindaraju | first3=K.P. | display-authors=1| title=Moderate drinking? Alcohol consumption significantly decreases neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus | journal=Neuroscience | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=224 | year=2012 | issn=0306-4522 | doi=10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.08.018 | pages=202–209| pmid=22906480 | pmc=4568748 }}
A new gene therapy method to prevent the inheritance of certain genetic diseases has been successfully demonstrated in human cells. It is believed that this research, along with other efforts, will pave the way for future clinical trials in human subjects.{{cite web | title=New gene therapy method tested in human cells ... and it works, researchers report -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-10-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121024133356.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Tachibana | first1=Masahito | last2=Amato | first2=Paula | last3=Sparman | first3=Michelle | display-authors=1| title=Towards germline gene therapy of inherited mitochondrial diseases | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=493 | issue=7434 | date=2012-10-24 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11647 | pages=627–631| pmid=23103867 | pmc=3561483 }}
The world's first commercial vertical farm opens in Singapore. The farm maximizes its growing space by using 120 high-rise cultivation towers, and can produce half a ton of vegetables a day.{{cite web | title=First commercial vertical farm opens in Singapore - Channel NewsAsia | website=channelnewsasia.com | date=2012-10-27 | url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1233261/1/.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027232546/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1233261/1/.html | archive-date=2012-10-27 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-02}}
25 October – Microsoft launches Windows 8, the most fundamental update to its Windows operating system in 17 years.{{cite web | title=Microsoft launches Windows 8 – video | website=The Guardian | date=2017-07-14 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/video/2012/oct/25/microsoft-windows-8-video | access-date=2023-07-02}}
26 October
The oldest Mayan tomb yet discovered is found in Guatemala. The ancient tomb is believed to date back to between 400 BC and 700 BC.{{cite web | title='Oldest Maya tomb' found in Guatemala's Retalhuleu | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-26 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-20091121 | access-date=2023-07-02}}
Scientists have recovered the sounds of music and laughter from the oldest playable American recording, dating back to 1878.{{cite web | last=Rosen | first=Rebecca J. | title=Scientists Recover the Sounds of 19th-Century Music and Laughter From the Oldest Playable American Recording | website=The Atlantic | date=2012-10-26 | url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/10/scientists-recover-the-sounds-of-19th-century-music-and-laughter-from-the-oldest-playable-american-recording/264147/ | access-date=2023-07-02}}
27 October – Women who give up smoking by the age of 30 will almost completely evade the risks of dying young from tobacco-related diseases, according to a study of more than a million women.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=Women smokers who quit by 30 'evade earlier death risks' | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-15 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-19946427 | access-date=2023-07-02}}
28 October
The uncrewed SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully completes its first fully operational resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS), landing intact in the Pacific Ocean after over two weeks docked with the ISS.{{cite web | title=SpaceX capsule returns with safe landing in Pacific | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-28 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20118963 | access-date=2023-07-02}}
British scientists invent a simple liquid-based test that can accurately diagnose diseases such as cancer or HIV by detecting small concentrations of biomarkers such as anomalous proteins.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=Cheap colour test picks up HIV | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-25 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-20084303 | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=de la Rica | first1=Roberto | last2=Stevens | first2=Molly M. | title=Plasmonic ELISA for the ultrasensitive detection of disease biomarkers with the naked eye | journal=Nature Nanotechnology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=7 | issue=12 | date=2012-10-28 | issn=1748-3387 | doi=10.1038/nnano.2012.186 | pages=821–824| pmid=23103935 | bibcode=2012NatNa...7..821D | hdl=10044/1/21938 | hdl-access=free }}
IBM researchers demonstrate the initial steps toward commercial fabrication of carbon nanotubes as a successor to silicon-based electronics.{{cite web | title=IBM Newsroom | website=IBM Newsroom | date=2023-06-28 | url=https://newsroom.ibm.com/home | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Park | first1=Hongsik | last2=Afzali | first2=Ali | last3=Han | first3=Shu-Jen | display-authors=1| title=High-density integration of carbon nanotubes via chemical self-assembly | journal=Nature Nanotechnology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=7 | issue=12 | date=2012-10-28 | issn=1748-3387 | doi=10.1038/nnano.2012.189 | pages=787–791| pmid=23103933 | bibcode=2012NatNa...7..787P }}
30 October
Britain's first 4G mobile network is launched, offering high-speed mobile data services in 11 major cities.{{cite web | last=Garside | first=Juliette | title=EE launches UK's first 4G mobile network | website=The Guardian | date=2012-10-29 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/oct/29/ee-launches-uk-4g-mobile-network | access-date=2023-07-02}}
NASA scientists report that the Curiosity Mars rover has performed the first X-ray diffraction analysis of Martian soil at the "Rocknest" site. The results from the rover's CheMin analyzer revealed the presence of several minerals, including feldspar, pyroxenes and olivine, and suggested that the Martian soil in the sample was similar to the "weathered basaltic soils" of Hawaiian volcanoes.{{cite web | title=NASA Rover's First Soil Studies Help Fingerprint Martian Minerals | publisher=Brian Dunbar | date=2012-10-30 | url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/oct/HQ_12-383_Curiosity_CheMin.html | access-date=2023-07-02 | archive-date=2016-06-03 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603091908/http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/oct/HQ_12-383_Curiosity_CheMin.html | url-status=dead }}
IBM's Watson supercomputer is to help train doctors at a medical school in Cleveland, Ohio.{{cite web | title=IBM's Watson supercomputer goes to medical school | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-31 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20159531 | access-date=2023-07-02}}
Amonix, a leading designer and manufacturer of concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar power, has achieved a milestone in the industry by successfully converting more than a third of sunlight into electricity. Its figure of 33.5% efficiency broke the previous record of 30.3%.{{cite web | title=Amonix Announces World Module Efficiency Record - www.amonix.com | website=amonix.com | date=2012-11-03 | url=http://amonix.com/pressreleases/amonix-announces-world-module-efficiency-record | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103210942/http://amonix.com/pressreleases/amonix-announces-world-module-efficiency-record | archive-date=2012-11-03 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-02}}
Pollen counts in the US will be more than double today's level by 2040, according to a new study.{{cite web | author=Location keyboard_arrow_right | title=The Year 2040: Double the Pollen, Double the Allergy Suffering? | website=Newswise | date=2012-10-30 | url=https://www.newswise.com/articles/the-year-2040-double-the-pollen-double-the-allergy-suffering | access-date=2023-07-02}}
31 October – Scientists in the Netherlands have demonstrated a form of self-healing concrete that uses limestone-producing bacteria.{{cite web | last=Rincon | first=Paul | title=Key test for re-healable concrete | website=BBC News | date=2012-10-29 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20121303 | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite web | title=TU Delft: Self-healing of Concrete by Bacterial Mineral Precipitation | website=citg.tudelft.nl | date=2012-02-25 | url=http://www.citg.tudelft.nl/index.php?id=17205&L=1 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130130133116/http://www.citg.tudelft.nl/index.php?id=17205&L=1 | archive-date=2013-01-30 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2023-07-02}}

=November=

File:Personal Training at a Gym - Cable Crossover.JPG by over 4 years.]]

1 November
Climate scientists are biased not toward "alarmism" (as the media often claims), but rather the reverse: toward cautious and conservative estimates, according to a new study.{{cite journal | last1=Brysse | first1=Keynyn | last2=Oreskes | first2=Naomi | last3=O'Reilly | first3=Jessica | display-authors=1 | title=Climate change prediction: Erring on the side of least drama? | journal=Global Environmental Change | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=23 | issue=1 | year=2013 | issn=0959-3780 | doi=10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2012.10.008 | pages=327–337| bibcode=2013GEC....23..327B }}
A gene that is associated with regeneration of injured nerve cells has been identified by scientists at Penn State University and Duke University.{{cite web | title=Gene required for nerve regeneration identified -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121101121532.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Stone | first1=Michelle C. | last2=Rao | first2=Kavitha | last3=Gheres | first3=Kyle W. | display-authors=1| title=Normal Spastin Gene Dosage Is Specifically Required for Axon Regeneration | journal=Cell Reports | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=2 | issue=5 | year=2012 | issn=2211-1247 | doi=10.1016/j.celrep.2012.09.032 | pages=1340–1350| pmid=23122959 | pmc=3513560 }}
China announces plans to construct the world's first 100-petaflop supercomputer by 2015.{{cite web | title=Supercomputing arms race continues | website=TechEye | date=2012-11-03 | url=http://news.techeye.net/hardware/supercomputing-arms-race-continues | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103052739/http://news.techeye.net/hardware/supercomputing-arms-race-continues | archive-date=2012-11-03 | url-status=unfit | access-date=2023-07-02}}
Sea levels are rising faster than expected from global warming, due to critical feedbacks missing from earlier models, according to the University of Colorado.{{cite web | title=Why seas are rising ahead of predictions: Estimates of rate of future sea-level rise may be too low -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121101153549.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite web | title=COULD ESTIMATES OF THE RATE OF FUTURE SEA-LEVEL RISE BE TOO LOW? | website=gsa.confex.com | date=2014-07-05 | url=https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2012AM/finalprogram/abstract_209198.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705070909/https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2012AM/finalprogram/abstract_209198.htm | archive-date=2014-07-05 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-02}}
China reveals its second prototype stealth fighter, the J-13, which is a smaller and faster version of the existing Chengdu J-20.{{cite web | agency=Associated Press | title=Second Chinese stealth fighter makes test flight | website=The Guardian | date=2012-11-01 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/01/second-chinese-stealth-fighter-test | access-date=2023-07-02}}
2 November – Glybera becomes the first gene therapy approved by regulatory authorities in the Western world. Commercial roll-out is expected in late 2013.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=Gene therapy: Glybera approved by European Commission | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-02 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-20179561 | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite web | title=UniQure - Press Release | website=uniqure.com | date=2012-11-05 | url=http://www.uniqure.com/news/167/182/uniQure-s-Glybera-First-Gene-Therapy-Approved-by-European-Commission.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105033602/http://www.uniqure.com/news/167/182/uniQure-s-Glybera-First-Gene-Therapy-Approved-by-European-Commission.html | archive-date=2012-11-05 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-02}}
5 November
New research suggests that just one or two individual herpes virus particles attack a skin cell in the first stage of an outbreak, resulting in a bottleneck in which the infection may be vulnerable to medical treatment.{{cite web | title=Princeton researchers identify unexpected bottleneck in the spread of... | website=archive.ph | date=2012-12-14 | url=http://www.princeton.edu/research/news/features/a/?id=8909 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20121214210845/http://www.princeton.edu/research/news/features/a/?id=8909 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2012-12-14 | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Taylor | first1=Matthew P. | last2=Kobiler | first2=Oren | last3=Enquist | first3=Lynn W. | display-authors=1 |title=Alphaherpesvirus axon-to-cell spread involves limited virion transmission | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=42 | year=2012 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1212926109 | pages=17046–17051 | pmid=23027939 | pmc=3479527 | bibcode=2012PNAS..10917046T | doi-access=free }}
A 15-year research project has succeeded in curbing the growth of polycystic kidney disease, one of the most common life-threatening genetic diseases, which affects 12.5 million people worldwide. Previously, only the symptoms of the disease could be treated.{{cite web | title=UZH Mediadesk - Cystic kidney growth curbed | website=mediadesk.uzh.ch | date=2012-11-05 | url=http://www.mediadesk.uzh.ch/articles/2012/wachstum-der-zystennieren-gebremst_en.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126214713/http://www.mediadesk.uzh.ch/articles/2012/wachstum-der-zystennieren-gebremst_en.html | archive-date=2013-01-26 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Torres | first1=Vicente E. | last2=Chapman | first2=Arlene B. | last3=Devuyst | first3=Olivier | display-authors=1| title=Tolvaptan in Patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease | journal=New England Journal of Medicine | publisher=Massachusetts Medical Society | volume=367 | issue=25 | date=2012-12-20 | issn=0028-4793 | doi=10.1056/nejmoa1205511 | pages=2407–2418| pmid=23121377 | pmc=3760207 }}
A report in the November 6 issue of Current Biology offers the first complete description of the spade-toothed whale (Mesoplodon traversii), a species previously known only from a few bones. The description is based on two individuals – an adult female and her male calf – who became stranded and died on a New Zealand beach in 2010.{{cite web | title=World's rarest whale seen for the first time -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121105130353.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Thompson | first1=Kirsten | last2=Baker | first2=C. Scott | last3=van Helden | first3=Anton | display-authors=1| title=The world's rarest whale | journal=Current Biology | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=22 | issue=21 | year=2012 | issn=0960-9822 | doi=10.1016/j.cub.2012.08.055 | pages=R905–R906| pmid=23137682 | s2cid=14219202 | doi-access=free | bibcode=2012CBio...22.R905T }}
6 November
University of Bonn scientists develop a soccer-playing robot called NimbRo-OP, intended to develop new capabilities for humanoid bipedal robots, such as using tools, climbing stairs, and using human facial expressions, gestures and body language for communication.{{cite magazine | title=Open Source, Soccer-Playing Robots for All! | magazine=WIRED | date=2012-11-08 | url=https://www.wired.com/2012/11/soccer-robots-for-all/ | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite web |last1=Schwarz |first1=Max |last2=Schreiber |first2=Michael |last3=Schueller |first3=Sebastian |last4=Missura |first4=Marcell |last5=Behnke |first5=Sven |date=2013-01-07 |title=NimbRo-OP Humanoid TeenSize Open Platform |url=http://www.ais.uni-bonn.de/papers/HSR12_NimbRo-OP.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130107222541/http://www.ais.uni-bonn.de/papers/HSR12_NimbRo-OP.pdf |archive-date=2013-01-07 |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=ais.uni-bonn.de}}
Targeting a single chemical inside cancerous cells could one day lead to a single test for a broad range of cancers, researchers say. The same system could then be used to deliver precision radiotherapy treatments.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=One test may 'find many cancers' | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-02 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-20179560 | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite web | title=In vivo imaging of DNA damage response during tumorigenesis | website=ncri.org.uk | date=2012-11-12 | url=http://www.ncri.org.uk/ncriconference/2012abstracts/abstracts/B221.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112102957/http://www.ncri.org.uk/ncriconference/2012abstracts/abstracts/B221.html | archive-date=2012-11-12 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-02}}
In the largest ever study of its kind, an international team of astronomers establishes that the rate of star formation in the universe is now only 1/30th of its peak, and that this decline is set to continue.{{cite web | title=Star formation slumps to 1/30th of its peak -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121106114141.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Sobral | first1=David | last2=Smail | first2=Ian | last3=Best | first3=Philip N. | display-authors=1| title=A large Hα survey at z = 2.23, 1.47, 0.84 and 0.40: the 11 Gyr evolution of star-forming galaxies from HiZELS★ | journal=Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | publisher=Oxford University Press (OUP) | volume=428 | issue=2 | date=2012-11-07 | issn=1365-2966 | doi=10.1093/mnras/sts096 | pages=1128–1146| doi-access=free }}
Leisure-time physical activity extends life expectancy by as much as 4.5 years, according to a study by the National Cancer Institute. Even half of the recommended weekly exercise can add 1.8 years.{{cite web | title=Leisure-time physical activity extends life expectancy as much as 4.5 years -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121106191907.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Moore | first1=Steven C. | last2=Patel | first2=Alpa V. | last3=Matthews | first3=Charles E. | display-authors=1| title=Leisure Time Physical Activity of Moderate to Vigorous Intensity and Mortality: A Large Pooled Cohort Analysis | journal=PLOS Medicine | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=9 | issue=11 | date=2012-11-06 | issn=1549-1676 | doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.1001335 | page=e1001335| pmid=23139642 | pmc=3491006 | doi-access=free }}
7 November
Canadian researchers working to develop the world's first HIV vaccine have cleared a major hurdle. Initial results from a Phase I trial have shown no adverse effects, while significantly boosting immunity. The vaccine could be commercially available in five years.{{cite web | last=Dvorsky | first=George | title=New HIV vaccine shows promising results and no adverse side-effects | website=Gizmodo | date=2012-11-07 | url=https://gizmodo.com/new-hiv-vaccine-shows-promising-results-and-no-adverse-5958536 | access-date=2023-07-02}}
Human diseases could soon be modeled in an electronic "organ-on-a-chip", with a new generation of research to replace animal testing.{{cite web | title=Human disease modeled in an organ-on-a-chip; 'Lung-on-a-chip' sets stage for next wave of research to replace animal testing -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121107141044.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Huh | first1=Dongeun | last2=Leslie | first2=Daniel C. | last3=Matthews | first3=Benjamin D. | display-authors=1| title=A Human Disease Model of Drug Toxicity–Induced Pulmonary Edema in a Lung-on-a-Chip Microdevice | journal=Science Translational Medicine | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=4 | issue=159 | date=2012-11-07 | pages=159ra147 | issn=1946-6234 | doi=10.1126/scitranslmed.3004249 | pmid=23136042 | pmc=8265389 }}
Astronomers report that HD 40307 g, a super-Earth exoplanet 42 light-years away from Earth, is within the habitable zone of its host star HD 40307 and may be "just right to support life".{{cite web | last=Wall | first=Mike | title='Super-Earth' Alien Planet May Be Habitable for Life | website=Space.com | date=2012-11-08 | url=https://www.space.com/18393-alien-planet-super-earth-habitable-hd-40307g.html | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Tuomi | first1=M. | last2=Anglada-Escudé | first2=G. | last3=Gerlach | first3=E. | display-authors=1| title=Habitable-zone super-Earth candidate in a six-planet system around the K2.5V star HD 40307 | journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics | publisher=EDP Sciences | volume=549 | date=2012-12-17 | issn=0004-6361 | doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201220268 | page=A48| s2cid=7424216 | doi-access=free }}
Rising temperatures due to climate change could mean wild arabica coffee becomes extinct within 70 years, posing a risk to the genetic sustainability of one of the world's basic commodities, according to new research.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160313044603/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/nov/08/climate-change-threatens-coffee (The Guardian)]{{cite journal | last1=Davis | first1=Aaron P. | last2=Gole | first2=Tadesse Woldemariam | last3=Baena | first3=Susana | display-authors=1| title=The Impact of Climate Change on Indigenous Arabica Coffee (Coffea arabica): Predicting Future Trends and Identifying Priorities | journal=PLOS ONE | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=7 | issue=11 | date=2012-11-07 | issn=1932-6203 | doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0047981 | page=e47981 | pmid=23144840 | pmc=3492365 | bibcode=2012PLoSO...747981D | doi-access=free }}
8 November
Due to insufficient rates of decarbonisation, the world is on track for {{convert|6|°C|°F|abbr=on}} of climatic warming by the year 2100, according to a new report.{{cite web | title=Newsroom | website=PwC | date=2019-02-22 | url=https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room.html | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite web | title=News - NCAR & UCAR News | website=University Corporation for Atmospheric Research | date=2023-06-20 | url=https://www2.ucar.edu/atmosnews/news/8264/future-warming-likely-be-high-side-climate-projections-analysis-finds | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Fasullo | first1=John T. | last2=Trenberth | first2=Kevin E. | title=A Less Cloudy Future: The Role of Subtropical Subsidence in Climate Sensitivity | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=338 | issue=6108 | date=2012-11-09 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1227465 | pages=792–794| pmid=23139331 | bibcode=2012Sci...338..792F | s2cid=2710565 }}
Scientists debate the scientific basis and claims to novelty of a proposal to use the orbital angular momentum of light and radio waves to massively boost wireless data transfer.{{cite web | last=Palmer | first=Jason | title='Twisted light' data-boosting idea sparks heated debate | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-06 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20217938 | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Tamagnone | first1=Michele | last2=Craeye | first2=Christophe | last3=Perruisseau-Carrier | first3=Julien | display-authors=1| title=Comment on 'Encoding many channels on the same frequency through radio vorticity: first experimental test' | journal=New Journal of Physics | publisher=IOP Publishing | volume=14 | issue=11 | date=2012-11-07 | issn=1367-2630 | doi=10.1088/1367-2630/14/11/118001 | page=118001| s2cid=45019775 | arxiv=1210.5365 | bibcode=2012NJPh...14k8001T }}{{cite journal | last1=Tamburini | first1=F | last2=Thidé | first2=B | last3=Mari | first3=E | display-authors=1 | title=Reply to Comment on 'Encoding many channels on the same frequency through radio vorticity: first experimental test' | journal=New Journal of Physics | publisher=IOP Publishing | volume=14 | issue=11 | date=2012-11-07 | issn=1367-2630 | doi=10.1088/1367-2630/14/11/118002 | page=118002| bibcode=2012NJPh...14k8002T | s2cid=250845566 | doi-access=free }}
MIT engineers develop a hearing aid battery which uses ions within the human inner ear to provide a steady electric current.{{cite web | last=Hewitt | first=John | title=MIT creates biobattery that could allow the human ear to power its own hearing aid | website=ExtremeTech | date=2012-11-08 | url=https://www.extremetech.com/science/139875-mit-devises-biobattery-that-could-allow-the-human-ear-to-power-its-own-hearing-aid | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Mercier | first1=Patrick P | last2=Lysaght | first2=Andrew C | last3=Bandyopadhyay | first3=Saurav | display-authors=1 | title=Energy extraction from the biologic battery in the inner ear | journal=Nature Biotechnology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=30 | issue=12 | date=2012-11-08 | issn=1087-0156 | doi=10.1038/nbt.2394 | pages=1240–1243| pmid=23138225 | pmc=3938019 }}
Nao robots are used to teach autistic primary school children in a groundbreaking trial in the UK.{{cite web | last=Burns | first=Judith | title=Robots in the classroom help autistic children learn | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-08 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/education-20252593 | access-date=2023-07-02}}
University of Washington scientists have succeeded in removing the extra copy of chromosome 21 in cell cultures derived from a person with Down syndrome, a condition in which the body's cells contain three copies of chromosome 21 rather than the usual pair.{{cite web | last=Dvorsky | first=George | title=Researchers remove extra chromosome from Down's syndrome cells. Could a gene therapy be next? | website=Gizmodo | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://gizmodo.com/researchers-remove-extra-chromosome-from-down-s-syndrom-5959838 | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Li | first1=Li B. | last2=Chang | first2=Kai-Hsin | last3=Wang | first3=Pei-Rong | display-authors=1 | title=Trisomy Correction in Down Syndrome Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells | journal=Cell Stem Cell | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=11 | issue=5 | year=2012 | issn=1934-5909 | doi=10.1016/j.stem.2012.08.004 | pages=615–619| pmid=23084023 | pmc=3705773 }}
American climatologists report that the record-breaking 2012 North American drought continues to worsen, with over 19% of the contiguous United States suffering from extreme drought, and groundwater levels declining nationwide.{{cite web | last=Gillam | first=Carey | title=U.S. drought deepens in Plains states, wheat crop suffers | website=Reuters | date=2012-11-08 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-drought-idUSL1E8M885U20121108 | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite web | title=U.S. Drought Monitor Update for November 6, 2012 - National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) | website=ncdc.noaa.gov | date=2012-11-06 | url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/us-drought-monitor-update-november-6-2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617015454/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/us-drought-monitor-update-november-6-2012 | archive-date=2013-06-17 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-02}}
9 November
The United States Army develops a tactical 3D printing capability to allow it to rapidly manufacture critical components on the battlefield.{{cite web | title=US army builds its own 3D printer | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-09 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20269645 | access-date=2023-07-02}}
Microsoft demonstrates software that translates spoken English into Chinese while preserving the speaker's intonation.{{cite web | title=Microsoft demos instant English-Chinese translation | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-09 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20266427 | access-date=2023-07-02}}
11 November – Scientists develop a highly efficient metamaterial cloaking device capable of rendering objects invisible to microwaves.{{cite web | title=Making a better invisibility cloak | website=(e) Science News | date=2012-11-11 | url=http://esciencenews.com/articles/2012/11/11/making.a.better.invisibility.cloak | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Landy | first1=Nathan | last2=Smith | first2=David R. | title=A full-parameter unidirectional metamaterial cloak for microwaves | journal=Nature Materials | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=12 | issue=1 | date=2012-11-11 | issn=1476-1122 | doi=10.1038/nmat3476 | pages=25–28| pmid=23142840 }}
12 November
The American Titan machine is declared the world's most powerful supercomputer, capable of performing 17.59 quadrillion floating point operations per second. Overall, the United States has the most supercomputers listed in the global top 500, with 251; China is in second place, with 72.{{cite web | last=Reporters | first=Telegraph | title='Titan' supercomputer is world's most powerful | website=The Telegraph | date=2020-07-30 | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9672501/Titan-supercomputer-is-worlds-most-powerful.html | access-date=2023-07-02}}
The Large Hadron Collider detects an extremely rare particle decay event, casting doubt on the popular theory of supersymmetry.{{cite web | last=Aron | first=Jacob | title=Rare particle's decay confounds hunt for new physics | website=New Scientist | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22492-rare-particles-decay-confounds-hunt-for-new-physics/ | access-date=2023-07-02}}
13 November
A total solar eclipse occurs.{{cite web | last=Clark | first=Stuart | title=Total solar eclipse in Australia: where to watch it live online | website=The Guardian | date=2012-11-13 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/across-the-universe/2012/nov/13/total-solar-eclipse-australia-watch-online | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite web | title=Thousands watch Australia's solar eclipse | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-13 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-20320663 | access-date=2023-07-02}}
A longevity gene is found which makes the Hydra vulgaris virtually immortal, and could extend human lifespans.{{cite web | title=Solving the mystery of ageing | website=Kiel University (CAU) | date=2012-11-13 | url=http://www.uni-kiel.de/aktuell/pm/2012/2012-332-foxogen-e.shtml | access-date=2023-07-02}}
Physicists conduct the first quantum teleportation from one macroscopic object to another, potentially allowing the development of quantum routers and a quantum Internet.{{cite web | author=The Physics arXiv Blog | title=First Teleportation from One Macroscopic Object to Another | website=MIT Technology Review | date=2012-11-15 | url=http://www.technologyreview.com/view/507531/first-teleportation-from-one-macroscopic-object-to-another/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118083749/http://www.technologyreview.com/view/507531/first-teleportation-from-one-macroscopic-object-to-another/ | archive-date=2012-11-18 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Bao | first1=Xiao-Hui | last2=Xu | first2=Xiao-Fan | last3=Li | first3=Che-Ming | display-authors=1 | title=Quantum teleportation between remote atomic-ensemble quantum memories | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=50 | date=2012-11-09 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1207329109 | pages=20347–20351 | pmid=23144222 | pmc=3528515 | doi-access=free }}
14 November
An international team of researchers discovers a gene that helps explain how humans evolved from chimpanzees. Scientists say the gene – called miR-941 – appears to have played a crucial role in human brain development, and may shed light on how humans learned to use tools and language.{{cite web | title=New brain gene gives us edge over apes, study suggests -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114113458.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Hu | first1=Hai Yang | last2=He | first2=Liu | last3=Fominykh | first3=Kseniya | display-authors=1| title=Evolution of the human-specific microRNA miR-941 | journal=Nature Communications | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=3 | issue=1 | date=2012-10-23 | issn=2041-1723 | doi=10.1038/ncomms2146 | page=1145| pmid=23093182 | pmc=3493648 | bibcode=2012NatCo...3.1145H }}
Even moderate drinking in pregnancy can affect a child's IQ, according to a new study using data from over 4,000 mothers and their children.{{cite web | title=Even moderate drinking in pregnancy can affect a child's IQ -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114172833.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Lewis | first1=Sarah J. | last2=Zuccolo | first2=Luisa | last3=Davey Smith | first3=George | display-authors=1| title=Fetal Alcohol Exposure and IQ at Age 8: Evidence from a Population-Based Birth-Cohort Study | journal=PLOS ONE | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=7 | issue=11 | date=2012-11-14 | issn=1932-6203 | doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0049407 | page=e49407 | pmid=23166662 | pmc=3498109 | bibcode=2012PLoSO...749407L | doi-access=free }}
A gene that nearly triples the risk of Alzheimer's disease has been discovered by an international team including researchers from Mayo Clinic. It is the most potent genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's identified in the past 20 years.{{cite web | title=Gene nearly triples risk of Alzheimer's, international research team finds -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114171710.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Guerreiro | first1=Rita | last2=Wojtas | first2=Aleksandra | last3=Bras | first3=Jose | display-authors=1| title=TREM2 Variants in Alzheimer's Disease | journal=New England Journal of Medicine | publisher=Massachusetts Medical Society | volume=368 | issue=2 | date=2013-01-10 | issn=0028-4793 | doi=10.1056/nejmoa1211851 | pages=117–127| pmid=23150934 | pmc=3631573 }}
Scientists sequence the genome of the domestic pig. The similarities between the pig and human genomes mean that the new data may have wide applications in the study and treatment of human genetic diseases.{{cite web | title=Scientists Sequence Entire Pig Genome in Breakthrough That Could Combat Human Disease | website=Medical Daily | date=2012-11-14 | url=http://www.medicaldaily.com/scientists-sequence-entire-pig-genome-breakthrough-could-combat-human-disease-243520 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420233514/http://www.medicaldaily.com/scientists-sequence-entire-pig-genome-breakthrough-could-combat-human-disease-243520 | archive-date=2016-04-20 | url-status=live | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite web | title=Scientists decode the pig genome | website=www.business-standard.com | date=2013-01-21 | url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/scientists-decode-the-pig-genome-112111500300_1.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215105141/http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/scientists-decode-the-pig-genome-112111500300_1.html | archive-date=2013-12-15 | url-status=live | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Groenen | first1=Martien A. M. | last2=Archibald | first2=Alan L. | last3=Uenishi | first3=Hirohide | display-authors=1 | title=Analyses of pig genomes provide insight into porcine demography and evolution | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=491 | issue=7424 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11622 | pages=393–398| pmid=23151582 | pmc=3566564 | bibcode=2012Natur.491..393G }}
Astronomers discover a wandering, starless rogue planet drifting through space around 100 light-years from Earth.{{cite web | title='Rogue planet' spotted 100 light-years away | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-13 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20309762 | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Delorme | first1=P. | last2=Gagné | first2=J. | last3=Malo | first3=L. | display-authors=1 | title=CFBDSIR2149-0403: a 4–7 Jupiter-mass free-floating planet in the young moving group AB Doradus? | journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics | publisher=EDP Sciences | volume=548 | date=2012-11-14 | issn=0004-6361 | doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201219984 | page=A26| s2cid=50935950 | arxiv=1210.0305 | bibcode=2012A&A...548A..26D }}
Researchers at the American National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) prove that single-wall carbon nanotubes may help protect DNA molecules from damage by oxidation.{{cite web | title=NJIT professor promotes building material of millennium: Autoclave aerated concrete | website=Phys.org | date=2012-11-07 | url=https://phys.org/news/2012-11-njit-professor-material-millennium-autoclave.html | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Petersen | first1=Elijah J. | last2=Tu | first2=Xiaomin | last3=Dizdaroglu | first3=Miral | display-authors=1 | title=Protective Roles of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes in Ultrasonication-Induced DNA Base Damage | journal=Small | publisher=Wiley | volume=9 | issue=2 | date=2012-09-18 | issn=1613-6810 | doi=10.1002/smll.201201217 | pages=205–208| pmid=22987483 }}
15 November
Scientists warn that the lethal ebola virus can spread between species as an aerosol. However, they emphasize that these aerosol particles can only travel short distances.{{cite web | last=Yong | first=Ed | title=Ebola from Pigs to Monkeys | website=The Scientist Magazine® | date=2012-11-15 | url=https://www.the-scientist.com/daily-news/ebola-from-pigs-to-monkeys-40190 | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Weingartl | first1=Hana M. | last2=Embury-Hyatt | first2=Carissa | last3=Nfon | first3=Charles | display-authors=1 | title=Transmission of Ebola virus from pigs to non-human primates | journal=Scientific Reports | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=2 | issue=1 | date=2012-11-15 | issn=2045-2322 | doi=10.1038/srep00811 | page=811| pmid=23155478 | pmc=3498927 | bibcode=2012NatSR...2..811W }}
An efficient, high-volume technique for testing potential drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease has uncovered an organic compound that restored motor function and longevity to fruit flies with the disease.{{cite web | title=Quick test speeds search for Alzheimer's drugs: Compound restores motor function and longevity to fruit flies -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115152655.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=McKoy | first1=Angela Fortner | last2=Chen | first2=Jermont | last3=Schupbach | first3=Trudi | display-authors=1 | title=A Novel Inhibitor of Amyloid β (Aβ) Peptide Aggregation | journal=Journal of Biological Chemistry | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=287 | issue=46 | year=2012 | issn=0021-9258 | doi=10.1074/jbc.m112.348037 | pages=38992–39000 | pmid=22992731 | pmc=3493940 | doi-access=free }}
New artificial muscles made from nanotech yarns and infused with paraffin wax can lift more than 100,000 times their own weight, and generate 85 times more mechanical power than the natural muscle of the same dimensions, according to scientists.{{cite web | title=Wax-filled nanotech yarn behaves like powerful, super-strong muscle -- ScienceDaily | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115141534.htm | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Lima | first1=Márcio D. | last2=Li | first2=Na | last3=Jung de Andrade | first3=Mônica | display-authors=1| title=Electrically, Chemically, and Photonically Powered Torsional and Tensile Actuation of Hybrid Carbon Nanotube Yarn Muscles | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=338 | issue=6109 | date=2012-11-16 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1226762 | pages=928–932| pmid=23161994 | bibcode=2012Sci...338..928L | s2cid=206543565 }}
If global temperatures were to rise just 1 degree Celsius, the Bhutanese glaciers would shrink by 25 percent and produce 65 percent less annual melt water, according to research published in Geophysical Research Letters.{{cite web | title=Himalayan glaciers will shrink even if temperatures hold steady | website=news.byu.edu | date=2012-11-18 | url=http://news.byu.edu/archive12-nov-bhutan.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118001252/http://news.byu.edu/archive12-nov-bhutan.aspx | archive-date=2012-11-18 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-02}}{{cite journal | last1=Rupper | first1=Summer | last2=Schaefer | first2=Joerg M. | last3=Burgener | first3=Landon K. | display-authors=1 | title=Sensitivity and response of Bhutanese glaciers to atmospheric warming | journal=Geophysical Research Letters | publisher=American Geophysical Union (AGU) | volume=39 | issue=19 | date=2012-10-09 | issn=0094-8276 | doi=10.1029/2012gl053010 | pages=n/a| bibcode=2012GeoRL..3919503R | s2cid=44951350 | doi-access=free }}
The United States Navy announces plans to replace its trained minesweeping dolphins with robotic submarines such as the Knifefish by 2017.{{cite web | last=Placide | first=Krislyn | title=U.S. Navy To Retire Mine-Sweeping Dolphins And Use Robots Instead | website=Popular Science | date=2012-11-16 | url=https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-11/us-navy-retire-mine-clearance-dolphins-and-use-robots-instead/ | access-date=2023-07-02}}
16 November
Rat heart cells are used by University of Illinois scientists to power tiny, crawling "bio-robots".{{cite web | title=Rat heart cells help create walking 'bio-bots' | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-16 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20354026 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Chan | first1=Vincent | last2=Park | first2=Kidong | last3=Collens | first3=Mitchell B. | display-authors=1| title=Development of Miniaturized Walking Biological Machines | journal=Scientific Reports | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=2 | issue=1 | date=2012-11-15 | issn=2045-2322 | doi=10.1038/srep00857 | page=857| pmid=23155480 | pmc=3498929 | bibcode=2012NatSR...2..857C }}
New research has identified a common gene variant which influences when a person wakes up each day, as well as the time of day they are most likely to die.{{cite web | title=Gene Helps Predict Time of Death | website=hms.harvard.edu | date=2012-11-21 | url=http://hms.harvard.edu/content/gene-helps-predict-time-death | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121121092422/http://hms.harvard.edu/content/gene-helps-predict-time-death | archive-date=2012-11-21 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Lim | first1=Andrew S. P. | last2=Chang | first2=Anne-Marie | last3=Shulman | first3=Joshua M. | display-authors=1| title=A common polymorphism nearPER1and the timing of human behavioral rhythms | journal=Annals of Neurology | publisher=Wiley | volume=72 | issue=3 | year=2012 | issn=0364-5134 | doi=10.1002/ana.23636 | pages=324–334| pmid=23034908 | pmc=3464954 }}
18 November – A biodegradable nanoparticle has been developed which can stealthily deliver an antigen, tricking the immune system into stopping its attack on myelin and preventing multiple sclerosis in mice.{{cite web | title=Breakthrough nanoparticle halts multiple sclerosis in mice, offers hope for other immune-related diseases | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121118141516.htm | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Getts | first1=Daniel R | last2=Martin | first2=Aaron J | last3=McCarthy | first3=Derrick P | display-authors=1| title=Microparticles bearing encephalitogenic peptides induce T-cell tolerance and ameliorate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis | journal=Nature Biotechnology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=30 | issue=12 | date=2012-11-18 | issn=1087-0156 | doi=10.1038/nbt.2434 | pages=1217–1224| pmid=23159881 | pmc=3589822 }}
19 November
Scientists report a huge decline in UK birdlife – from 210 million nesting birds in 1966, down to 166 million in 2012.{{cite web | title=Press releases | website=The RSPB | date=2023-07-07 | url=http://www.rspb.org.uk/media/releases/329911-44-million-birds-lost-since-1966 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | title=UK birds down by 44m since 1960s | website=BBC Nature | date=2012-11-19 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20360855 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119095340/https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20360855 | archive-date=2012-11-19 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | title=2012 | website=The RSPB | date=2013-01-24 | url=http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/science/sotukb/2012.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124044836/http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/science/sotukb/2012.aspx | archive-date=2013-01-24 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}
Cambridge University scientists heal paralyzed dogs by injecting them with cells grown from their nasal linings. Many of the 23 injured dogs treated with the experimental therapy regained some use of their legs even 12 months after their injury, and scientists believe that human patients could be treated in a similar fashion.{{cite web | last=Television | first=Channels | title=Scientists use nose cells to heal dog's paralysis | website=Channels Television | date=2012-11-19 | url=https://www.channelstv.com/2012/11/19/scientists-use-nose-cells-to-heal-dogs-paralysis/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Granger | first1=Nicolas | last2=Blamires | first2=Helen | last3=Franklin | first3=Robin J. M. | display-authors=1 | title=Autologous olfactory mucosal cell transplants in clinical spinal cord injury: a randomized double-blinded trial in a canine translational model | journal=Brain | publisher=Oxford University Press (OUP) | volume=135 | issue=11 | year=2012 | issn=1460-2156 | doi=10.1093/brain/aws268 | pages=3227–3237| pmid=23169917 | pmc=3501977 }}
A new tumor-tracking technique may improve outcomes for lung cancer patients.{{cite web | title=New tumor tracking technique may improve outcomes for lung cancer patients | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119163506.htm | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Buzurovic | first1=I. | last2=Yu | first2=Y. | last3=Werner-Wasik | first3=M. | display-authors=1| title=Implementation and experimental results of 4D tumor tracking using robotic couch | journal=Medical Physics | publisher=Wiley | volume=39 | issue=11 | date=2012-10-26 | issn=0094-2405 | doi=10.1118/1.4758064 | pages=6957–6967| pmid=23127089 | pmc=3494731 | bibcode=2012MedPh..39.6957B }}
IBM researchers have simulated 530 billion neurons and 100 trillion synapses on a supercomputer.{{cite web | title=IBM simulates 530 billion neurons, 100 trillion synapses on supercomputer | website= the Kurzweil Library + collections | date=2012-11-19 | url=http://www.kurzweilai.net/ibm-simulates-530-billon-neurons-100-trillion-synapses-on-worlds-fastest-supercomputer | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | title=IBM supercomputer used to simulate a typical human brain | website=New Atlas | date=2012-11-20 | url=https://newatlas.com/ibm-supercomputer-simulates-a-human-sized-brain/25093/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | title=SC12 Presentation - Compass A Scalable Simulator for an Architecture for Cognitive Computing | website=sc12.supercomputing.org | date=2012-08-26 | url=http://sc12.supercomputing.org/schedule/event_detail.php?evid=pap649 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826171047/http://sc12.supercomputing.org/schedule/event_detail.php?evid=pap649 | archive-date=2012-08-26 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}

File:Fibreoptic.jpg, scientists send encoded quantum signals using a standard commercial fiber optic, potentially allowing near-unbreakable quantum data security to be commercialised.]]

20 November
NASA scientists report (via an NPR interview) that the Curiosity Mars rover, apparently based on a SAM analysis, has provided, according to John Grotzinger (MSL Principal Investigator), "data that is gonna be one for the history books. It's looking really good." Later, a NASA spokesperson said the discovery "won't be earthshaking, but it will be interesting." Nonetheless, the scientists are presently verifying their results and expect to make an official announcement at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, which will take place between 3 December and 7 December in San Francisco, according to Grotzinger in an interview with Space.com. The news is later played down by NASA.{{cite web | title=Big News From Mars? Rover Scientists Mum For Now | website=NPR | date=2012-11-20 | url=https://www.npr.org/2012/11/20/165513016/big-news-from-mars-rover-scientists-mum-for-now | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | last=Atkinson | first=Nancy | title=Has Curiosity Made an 'Earth-Shaking' Discovery? | website=Universe Today | date=2012-11-20 | url=https://www.universetoday.com/98576/has-curiosity-made-an-earth-shaking-discovery/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite magazine | last=Kluger | first=Jeffrey | title=A Mars Announcement 'for the History Books'? Not So Fast | magazine=Time | date=2012-11-20 | url=https://science.time.com/2012/11/20/a-mars-announcement-for-the-history-books/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | last=Wall | first=Mike | title=Mars Mystery: Has Curiosity Rover Made Big Discovery? | website=Space.com | date=2012-11-20 | url=https://www.space.com/18565-mars-rover-curiosity-discovery-mystery.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | title=NASA Plays Down Mars Speculation | website=The New York Times | date=2012-11-30 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/science/space/nasa-plays-down-mars-speculation.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}
More than 1,000 coal-fired power plants are being planned worldwide, new research from the World Resources Institute has revealed, with the majority being constructed in China and India.{{cite web | last=Carrington | first=Damian | title=More than 1,000 new coal plants planned worldwide, figures show | website=The Guardian | date=2012-11-20 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/nov/20/coal-plants-world-resources-institute | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Yang | first1=Ailun | last2=Cui | first2=Yiyun | title=Global Coal Risk Assessment | website=World Resources Institute | date=2012-11-19 | url=https://www.wri.org/research/global-coal-risk-assessment | access-date=2023-07-09}}
The level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached 390.9 parts per million in 2011, a new record high, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Between 1990 and 2011, there was a 30% increase in radiative forcing.{{cite web | title=greenhouse gas bulletin nov 12 | website=wmo.int | date=2009-12-31 | url=http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_965_en.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123201108/http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_965_en.html | archive-date=2012-11-23 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web |date=9 November 2012 |title=WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin |url=http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/arep/gaw/ghg/documents/GHG_Bulletin_No.8_en.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512014629/http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/arep/gaw/ghg/documents/GHG_Bulletin_No.8_en.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-12 |access-date=2023-07-09 |website=wmo.int}}
Physicists have shown that synthetic membrane channels can be constructed through "DNA nanotechnology."{{cite web | title=Synthetic membrane channels built out of DNA: Nanotech structures mimic nature's way of tunneling through cell walls | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120122008.htm | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Langecker | first1=Martin | last2=Arnaut | first2=Vera | last3=Martin | first3=Thomas G. | display-authors=1| title=Synthetic Lipid Membrane Channels Formed by Designed DNA Nanostructures | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=338 | issue=6109 | date=2012-11-16 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1225624 | pages=932–936| pmid=23161995 | pmc=3716461 | bibcode=2012Sci...338..932L }}
Scientists have developed a computer chip that mimics a dog's nose. It is capable of rapidly identifying trace amounts of vapour molecules, providing continuous real-time monitoring at concentrations of just 1 part per billion (ppb).{{cite web | title=College of Engineering News | website=UCSB College of Engineering | date=2023-06-29 | url=http://engineering.ucsb.edu/news/673 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Piorek | first1=Brian D. | last2=Lee | first2=Seung Joon | last3=Moskovits | first3=Martin | display-authors=1| title=Free-Surface Microfluidics/Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Real-Time Trace Vapor Detection of Explosives | journal=Analytical Chemistry | publisher=American Chemical Society (ACS) | volume=84 | issue=22 | date=2012-10-29 | issn=0003-2700 | doi=10.1021/ac302497y | pages=9700–9705| pmid=23067072 }}
21 November
For the first time, encrypted quantum signals are successfully sent down a conventional broadband fiber, instead of requiring a dedicated individual cable. This development could allow quantum cryptography, which offers near-impenetrable data security, to become available to the general public.{{cite web | last=Palmer | first=Jason | title=Quantum cryptography done on standard broadband fibre | website=BBC News | date=2011-06-28 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-13940928 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Patel | first1=K. A. | last2=Dynes | first2=J. F. | last3=Choi | first3=I. | display-authors=1| title=Coexistence of High-Bit-Rate Quantum Key Distribution and Data on Optical Fiber | journal=Physical Review X | publisher=American Physical Society (APS) | volume=2 | issue=4 | date=2012-11-20 | issn=2160-3308 | doi=10.1103/physrevx.2.041010 | page=041010| s2cid=59355016 | arxiv=1212.0033 | bibcode=2012PhRvX...2d1010P }}
The effects of climate change are already evident in Europe and the situation is set to get worse, the European Environment Agency has warned.{{cite web | last=Kinver | first=Mark | title=Climate change evident across Europe, says report | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-20 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20408350 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | title=Climate change evident across Europe, confirming urgent need for adaptation | website=European Environment Agency | date=2012-11-19 | url=https://www.eea.europa.eu/media/newsreleases/climate-change-evident-across-europe | access-date=2023-07-09}}
A United Nations report – the Emissions Gap Report 2012{{cite web | title=Arquivo.pt | website=Arquivo.pt | url=http://www.unep.org/publications/ebooks/emissionsgap2012/ | archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160513232948/http://www.unep.org/publications/ebooks/emissionsgap2012/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=2016-05-13 | access-date=2023-07-09 }} – says global attempts to limit CO₂ emissions are falling well short of what is needed to stem dangerous climate change.{{cite web | last=McGrath | first=Matt | title=UN says carbon cuts too slow to curb dangerous warming | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-20 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20414596 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
For the first time, scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have defined key events that take place early in the process of cellular aging. They have shown that the acidity of the vacuole is critical to aging and the stable functioning of mitochondria.{{cite web | title=Researchers define key events early in the process of cellular aging | website=fhcrc.org | date=2011-10-12 | url=http://www.fhcrc.org/en/news/releases/2012/11/key_events_cellular_agin.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121129080319/http://www.fhcrc.org/en/news/releases/2012/11/key_events_cellular_agin.html | archive-date=2012-11-29 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Hughes | first1=Adam L. | last2=Gottschling | first2=Daniel E. | title=An early age increase in vacuolar pH limits mitochondrial function and lifespan in yeast | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=492 | issue=7428 | date=2012-11-21 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11654 | pages=261–265| pmid=23172144 | pmc=3521838 | bibcode=2012Natur.492..261H }}
The printing of 3D tissue has taken a major step forward with the creation of a novel hybrid printer that simplifies the process of creating implantable cartilage.{{cite web | last=Physics | first=Institute of | title=Cartilage made easy with novel hybrid printer | website=iop.org | date=2012-12-05 | url=http://www.iop.org/news/12/nov/page_58984.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121205180841/http://www.iop.org/news/12/nov/page_58984.html | archive-date=2012-12-05 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Xu | first1=Tao | last2=Binder | first2=Kyle W | last3=Albanna | first3=Mohammad Z | display-authors=1| title=Hybrid printing of mechanically and biologically improved constructs for cartilage tissue engineering applications | journal=Biofabrication | publisher=IOP Publishing | volume=5 | issue=1 | date=2012-11-21 | issn=1758-5082 | doi=10.1088/1758-5082/5/1/015001 | page=015001| pmid=23172542 | s2cid=4003227 }}
European Space Agency (ESA) member states agree at their ministerial council to a 10.1-billion-euro programme of activities, including a planned upgrade to the Ariane 5 rocket.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=European Space Agency defines Ariane and space station plans | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-21 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20424858 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | title=European Ministers decide to invest in space to boost Europe's competitiveness and growth | website=ESA | date=2012-11-20 | url=http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMMRH91M9H_index_0.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}
23 November
Footprints believed to have been made by the giant flightless bird Diatryma indicate that it was a "gentle herbivore" and not a fierce carnivore, scientists say.{{cite web | last=Warwicker | first=Michelle | title=Giant bird was 'gentle herbivore' | website=BBC Nature | date=2012-11-23 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20413665 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123121245/https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20413665 | archive-date=2012-11-23 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=MUSTOE | first1=GEORGE E. | last2=TUCKER | first2=DAVID S. | last3=KEMPLIN | first3=KEITH L. | display-authors=1| title=Giant Eocene bird footprints from Northwest Washington, USA | journal=Palaeontology | publisher=Wiley | volume=55 | issue=6 | year=2012 | issn=0031-0239 | doi=10.1111/j.1475-4983.2012.01195.x | pages=1293–1305| bibcode=2012Palgy..55.1293M | s2cid=55949124 | doi-access=free }}
Having a job with poor working conditions can be just as bad for a person's mental health as being unemployed, according to new research published in Psychological Medicine.{{cite web | title=Poor job as bad for mental health as no job | website=Machines Like Us | date=2014-03-12 | url=http://machineslikeus.com/news/poor-job-bad-mental-health-no-job | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312212533/http://machineslikeus.com/news/poor-job-bad-mental-health-no-job | archive-date=2014-03-12 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Butterworth | first1=P. | last2=Leach | first2=L. S. | last3=McManus | first3=S. | display-authors=1 | title=Common mental disorders, unemployment and psychosocial job quality: is a poor job better than no job at all? | journal=Psychological Medicine | publisher=Cambridge University Press (CUP) | volume=43 | issue=8 | date=2012-11-22 | issn=0033-2917 | doi=10.1017/s0033291712002577 | pages=1763–1772| pmid=23190443 | s2cid=22199013 }}
25 November
A Chinese Shenyang J-15 jet fighter conducts the first landing on the country's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. This milestone marks a major step forward in China's efforts to increase its naval power.{{cite web | title=China lands J-15 jet on Liaoning aircraft carrier | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-25 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-20483716 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
Pathological changes typical of Alzheimer's disease have been significantly reduced in mice by blockade of an immune system transmitter.{{cite web | title=Alzheimer's disease in mice alleviated: Promising therapeutic approach for humans | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121125193051.htm | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=vom Berg | first1=Johannes | last2=Prokop | first2=Stefan | last3=Miller | first3=Kelly R | display-authors=1| title=Inhibition of IL-12/IL-23 signaling reduces Alzheimer's disease–like pathology and cognitive decline | journal=Nature Medicine | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=18 | issue=12 | date=2012-11-25 | issn=1078-8956 | doi=10.1038/nm.2965 | pages=1812–1819| pmid=23178247 | s2cid=22709944 }}

File:Methanier aspher LNGRIVERS.jpg (example pictured) becomes the first large cargo vessel to attempt a winter crossing of the Arctic. As the Arctic sea ice melts in coming years, the sea route may become increasingly viable for large ships.]]

26 November
A Norwegian liquid natural gas tanker becomes the first ship of its size to attempt a winter crossing of the Arctic. As Arctic ice cover reduces due to climate change, the Arctic sea route may become increasingly viable for large ships.{{cite web | last=McGrath | first=Matt | title=Gas tanker Ob River attempts first winter Arctic crossing | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-22 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20454757 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
Researchers, including NASA scientists and engineers from Los Alamos National Laboratory, have demonstrated a new concept for a reliable nuclear reactor that could be used on space flights. The Demonstration Using Flattop Fissions (DUFF) experiment produced 24 watts of electricity.{{cite web | last1=Security | first1=Los Alamos National | last2=Energy | first2=for theU.S. Department of | title=Researchers test novel power system for space travel | website=lanl.gov | date=2012-11-29 | url=http://www.lanl.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2012/November/11.26-space-travel.php | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121129063343/http://www.lanl.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2012/November/11.26-space-travel.php | archive-date=2012-11-29 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}
27 November
Permafrost covering almost a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere contains 1.7 trillion tonnes of carbon, twice that currently in the atmosphere, and could significantly amplify global warming should thawing accelerate as expected, according to a new report released today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).{{cite web | title=Thawing of Permafrost Expected to Cause Significant Additional Global Warming, Not yet Accounted for in Climate Predictions - UNEP | website=unep.org | date=2012-12-01 | url=http://www.unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=2698&ArticleID=9338 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201135408/http://www.unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=2698&ArticleID=9338 | archive-date=2012-12-01 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}
A review reveals that grapefruit drug interactions affects even more than previously though, with the list of drugs with potentially serious interactions more than doubling since 2012. Users of heart medication are particularly vulnerable.{{cite web | title=Grapefruit juice interaction with drugs can be deadly | website=CBC | date=2013-10-06 | url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/grapefruit-juice-interaction-with-drugs-can-be-deadly-1.1253489 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Bailey | first1=David G. | last2=Dresser | first2=George | last3=Arnold | first3=J. Malcolm O. | display-authors=1| title=Grapefruit–medication interactions: Forbidden fruit or avoidable consequences? | journal=Canadian Medical Association Journal | publisher=CMA Joule Inc. | volume=185 | issue=4 | date=2012-11-26 | issn=0820-3946 | doi=10.1503/cmaj.120951 | pages=309–316| pmid=23184849 | pmc=3589309 }}
28 November
The Reaction Engines Skylon spaceplane project achieves a key engine design milestone.{{cite web | last=Amos | first=Jonathan | title=Skylon spaceplane engine concept achieves key milestone | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-27 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20510112 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
Astronomers observe a penumbral lunar eclipse.{{cite web | last=Netburn | first=Deborah | title=Penumbral lunar eclipse coming early Wednesday | website=Los Angeles Times | date=2012-11-27 | url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2012-nov-27-la-fi-tn-penumbral-lunar-eclipse-online-20121127-story.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}
Previous estimates of sea level rise have been underestimated, while estimates of global temperature rises appear to be accurate, according to a new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.{{cite web | title=Projected sea-level rise may be underestimated | website=PIK Research Portal | date=2012-11-30 | url=http://www.pik-potsdam.de/news/press-releases/projektionen-zum-meeresspiegelanstieg-koennten-unterschaetzt-worden-sein | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130230937/http://www.pik-potsdam.de/news/press-releases/projektionen-zum-meeresspiegelanstieg-koennten-unterschaetzt-worden-sein | archive-date=2012-11-30 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Rahmstorf | first1=Stefan | last2=Foster | first2=Grant | last3=Cazenave | first3=Anny | display-authors=1| title=Comparing climate projections to observations up to 2011 | journal=Environmental Research Letters | publisher=IOP Publishing | volume=7 | issue=4 | date=2012-11-27 | issn=1748-9326 | doi=10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/044035 | page=044035| bibcode=2012ERL.....7d4035R | s2cid=1568268 | doi-access=free }}
A completely new method of manufacturing the smallest structures in electronics could make their manufacture thousands of times quicker, allowing for cheaper semiconductors. The findings have been published in the latest issue of Nature.{{cite web | title=New method of manufacturing smallest structures in electronics: Discovery could revolutionize semiconductors | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121128143942.htm | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Heurlin | first1=Magnus | last2=Magnusson | first2=Martin H. | last3=Lindgren | first3=David | display-authors=1| title=Continuous gas-phase synthesis of nanowires with tunable properties | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=492 | issue=7427 | date=2012-11-28 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11652 | pages=90–94| pmid=23201685 | bibcode=2012Natur.492...90H | s2cid=205231533 }}
Scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in deciphering bread wheat's genetic code. This could lead to new varieties that are more productive and better able to cope with disease, drought and other stresses that cause crop losses.{{cite web | title=Major breakthrough in deciphering bread wheat's genetic code | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121128142144.htm | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Brenchley | first1=Rachel | last2=Spannagl | first2=Manuel | last3=Pfeifer | first3=Matthias | display-authors=1| title=Analysis of the bread wheat genome using whole-genome shotgun sequencing | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=491 | issue=7426 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11650 | pages=705–710| pmid=23192148 | pmc=3510651 | bibcode=2012Natur.491..705B }}
American engineers build a 3D printer capable of manufacturing tools from lunar regolith, potentially allowing future astronauts to manufacture equipment on-site using lunar or Martian rock.{{cite web | last=Hornyak | first=Tim | title=3D printer on moon or Mars could make tools from local rocks | website=CNET | date=2012-11-28 | url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/3d-printer-on-moon-or-mars-could-make-tools-from-local-rocks/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | title=WSU News Center - 3-D printer makes parts from moon rock | website=archive.ph | date=2012-12-12 | url=http://news.wsu.edu/pages/publications.asp?Action=Detail&PublicationID=34094&TypeID=4 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212163811/http://news.wsu.edu/pages/publications.asp?Action=Detail&PublicationID=34094&TypeID=4 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2012-12-12 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
Vanderbilt University engineers develop a lightweight powered exoskeleton, which technology company Parker Hannifin plans to release commercially for those with paraplegia in 2014.{{cite web | title=This Light, Affordable Exoskeleton Could Help The Paralyzed Walk Again | website=Co.Exist | date=2012-11-16 | url=http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680940/this-light-affordable-exoskeleton-could-help-the-paralyzed-walk-again | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201113639/http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680940/this-light-affordable-exoskeleton-could-help-the-paralyzed-walk-again | archive-date=2012-12-01 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}

File:Mercury in color - Prockter07 centered.jpg on the surface of Mercury (pictured).]]

29 November
Scientists discover the second-largest supermassive black hole ever detected, with a mass 17 billion times that of the Sun. However, the black hole resides in an anomalously small galaxy.{{cite web | last=Palmer | first=Jason | title=Giant black hole in tiny galaxy confounds astronomers | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-28 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20528137 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | last=Major | first=Jason | title="Oddball" Galaxy Contains the Biggest Black Hole Yet | website=Universe Today | date=2012-11-28 | url=https://www.universetoday.com/98678/oddball-galaxy-contains-the-biggest-black-hole-yet/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=van den Bosch | first1=Remco C. E. | last2=Gebhardt | first2=Karl | last3=Gültekin | first3=Kayhan | display-authors=1| title=An over-massive black hole in the compact lenticular galaxy NGC 1277 | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=491 | issue=7426 | year=2012 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11592 | pages=729–731| pmid=23192149 | arxiv=1211.6429 | bibcode=2012Natur.491..729V | hdl=1854/LU-8573760 | s2cid=205231230 | hdl-access=free }}
NASA reports that its MESSENGER probe has discovered water ice and organic compounds on the surface of Mercury.{{cite web | title=Breaking International News & Views | website=Reuters | date=2023-07-08 | url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-space-mercury-idUKBRE8AS17F20121129 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305142226/http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-space-mercury-idUKBRE8AS17F20121129 | url-status=dead | archive-date=March 5, 2016 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | title=Mercury Home to Ice, Messenger Spacecraft Findings Suggest | website=The New York Times | date=2012-11-29 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/science/space/mercury-home-to-ice-messenger-spacecraft-findings-suggest.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Paige | first1=David A. | last2=Siegler | first2=Matthew A. | last3=Harmon | first3=John K. | display-authors=1| title=Thermal Stability of Volatiles in the North Polar Region of Mercury | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=339 | issue=6117 | date=2013-01-18 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1231106 | pages=300–303| pmid=23196905 | bibcode=2013Sci...339..300P | s2cid=206545724 | doi-access=free }}{{cite journal | last1=Lawrence | first1=David J. | last2=Feldman | first2=William C. | last3=Goldsten | first3=John O. | display-authors=1| title=Evidence for Water Ice Near Mercury's North Pole from MESSENGER Neutron Spectrometer Measurements | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=339 | issue=6117 | date=2013-01-18 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1229953 | pages=292–296| pmid=23196909 | bibcode=2013Sci...339..292L | s2cid=19636389 | doi-access=free }}{{cite journal | last1=Neumann | first1=Gregory A. | last2=Cavanaugh | first2=John F. | last3=Sun | first3=Xiaoli | display-authors=1| title=Bright and Dark Polar Deposits on Mercury: Evidence for Surface Volatiles | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=339 | issue=6117 | date=2013-01-18 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1229764 | pages=296–300| pmid=23196910 | bibcode=2013Sci...339..296N | s2cid=206544976 | doi-access=free }}
Experts have combined data from multiple satellites and aircraft to produce the most comprehensive and accurate assessment to date of ice sheet losses in Greenland and Antarctica and their contributions to sea level rise. Ice sheet loss at both poles is increasing, the study finds.{{cite web | title=Ice Sheet Loss at Both Poles Increasing, Study Finds | publisher=Brian Dunbar | date=2013-06-06 | url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/Grace/news/grace20121129.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Shepherd | first1=Andrew | last2=Ivins | first2=Erik R. | last3=A | first3=Geruo | display-authors=1| title=A Reconciled Estimate of Ice-Sheet Mass Balance | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=338 | issue=6111 | date=2012-11-30 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1228102 | pages=1183–1189| pmid=23197528 | bibcode=2012Sci...338.1183S | s2cid=32653236 | url=https://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/0vq404h7 }}
A study published in Nature states that human genetic variation has accelerated rapidly in recent centuries, faster than natural selection can operate.{{cite magazine | title=Human Evolution Enters an Exciting New Phase | magazine=WIRED | date=2012-11-29 | url=https://www.wired.com/2012/11/recent-human-evolution-2/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Fu | first1=Wenqing | last2=O'Connor | first2=Timothy D. | last3=Jun | first3=Goo | display-authors=1| title=Analysis of 6,515 exomes reveals the recent origin of most human protein-coding variants | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=493 | issue=7431 | date=2012-11-28 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/nature11690 | pages=216–220| pmid=23201682 | pmc=3676746 }}
30 November
British scientists develop a method of safely cultivating medicinal stem cells from the blood of adult patients, potentially allowing each patient to have a personalised source of stem cells.{{cite web | title=New patient-friendly way to make stem cells for fight against heart disease | website=Science Codex | date=2012-11-30 | url=https://www.sciencecodex.com/new_patientfriendly_way_to_make_stem_cells_for_fight_against_heart_disease-103006 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Geti | first1=Imbisaat | last2=Ormiston | first2=Mark L. | last3=Rouhani | first3=Foad | display-authors=1| title=A Practical and Efficient Cellular Substrate for the Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Adults: Blood-Derived Endothelial Progenitor Cells | journal=Stem Cells Translational Medicine | publisher=Oxford University Press (OUP) | volume=1 | issue=12 | date=2012-11-29 | issn=2157-6564 | doi=10.5966/sctm.2012-0093 | pages=855–865| pmid=23283547 | pmc=3659672 }}
Italian scientists publish the first direct images of DNA, which were produced using a scanning electron microscope. The images provide photographic proof of DNA's double-helix structure, and could further scientific understanding of the compound's function.{{cite journal | last1=Gentile | first1=Francesco | last2=Moretti | first2=Manola | last3=Limongi | first3=Tania | display-authors=1| title=Direct Imaging of DNA Fibers: The Visage of Double Helix | journal=Nano Letters | publisher=American Chemical Society (ACS) | volume=12 | issue=12 | date=2012-11-28 | issn=1530-6984 | doi=10.1021/nl3039162 | pages=6453–6458| pmid=23171353 | bibcode=2012NanoL..12.6453G }}
At the Euromold trade show in Germany, manufacturers display numerous advances in commercial 3D printing technology, including a device that can rapidly print an entire bicycle.{{cite magazine | title=Next Year's 3-D Printers Promise Big Things — Really Big Things | magazine=WIRED | date=2012-11-30 | url=https://www.wired.com/2012/11/big-3d-printers-euromold-2012/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}
MIT researchers develop a protein-inspired modular robot capable of magnetically folding itself into a wide variety of shapes, potentially heralding future devices that can reconfigure themselves for nearly any purpose.{{cite web | title=Robotic equivalent of a Swiss army knife: Reconfigurable robot a step toward something that can become almost anything | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-11-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121130132743.htm | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | title=Shape-shifting robot made by MIT scientists | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-04 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20596003 | access-date=2023-07-09}}

=December=

1 December – The United States government announces the first major offering of Atlantic coastal sites for offshore wind farm developments. Around {{convert|432|mi2|km2}} will be sold off in 2013.{{cite web | last=Goldenberg | first=Suzanne | title=US government announces opening of Atlantic coast for offshore windfarms | website=The Guardian | date=2012-12-01 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/dec/01/us-government-offshore-wind-farms-atlantic | access-date=2023-07-09}}
2 December
Researchers state that they have identified the point of origin of the genes that later enabled human thought and reasoning. This development, 500 million years ago, later granted humans the ability to learn complex skills, analyse situations and think flexibly.{{cite web | title=Origin of intelligence and mental illness linked to ancient genetic accident | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-12-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121202164325.htm | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Nithianantharajah | first1=Jess | last2=Komiyama | first2=Noboru H | last3=McKechanie | first3=Andrew | display-authors=1 | title=Synaptic scaffold evolution generated components of vertebrate cognitive complexity | journal=Nature Neuroscience | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=16 | issue=1 | date=2012-12-02 | issn=1097-6256 | doi=10.1038/nn.3276 | pages=16–24| pmid=23201973 | pmc=4131247 }}
Global carbon dioxide emissions are projected to have risen further in 2012, reaching a new record high of 35.6 billion tonnes, according to figures from the Global Carbon Project.{{cite web | title=Record high for global carbon emissions | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-12-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121202164059.htm | access-date=2023-07-09}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20160313150057/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/dec/03/co2-emissions-climate-change-certain?intcmp=122 (The Guardian)]{{cite journal | last1=Peters | first1=Glen P. | last2=Andrew | first2=Robbie M. | last3=Boden | first3=Tom | display-authors=1 | title=The challenge to keep global warming below 2 °C | journal=Nature Climate Change | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=3 | issue=1 | date=2012-12-02 | issn=1758-678X | doi=10.1038/nclimate1783 | pages=4–6}}{{citation | last1=Le Quéré | first1=C. | last2=Andres | first2=R. J. | last3=Boden | first3=T. | display-authors=1| title=The global carbon budget 1959–2011 | publisher=Copernicus GmbH | date=2012-12-02 | doi=10.5194/essdd-5-1107-2012 | page= | doi-access=free }}
3 December – NASA reports that its Curiosity Mars rover has performed its first extensive soil analysis, revealing the presence of water molecules, sulfur and chlorine in the Martian soil.{{cite web | last=Lloyd | first=Craig | title=Mars Curiosity Rover Conducts First Soil Sample Test, Finds Water, Sulfur And Chlorine | website=SlashGear | date=2012-12-03 | url=https://www.slashgear.com/mars-curiosity-rover-conducts-first-soil-sample-test-finds-water-sulfur-and-chlorine-03259313/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | last=Chang | first=Kenneth | title=Mars Rover Discovery Revealed | website=The Lede | date=2012-12-04 | url=https://archive.nytimes.com/thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/mars-rover-discovery-revealed/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20160823211438/http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1399 (NASA)]
4 December
A British energy firm announces plans to construct Africa's largest solar energy plant in Ghana.{{cite web | last=McGrath | first=Matt | title=Ghana solar energy plant set to be Africa's largest | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-03 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20583663 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
NASA announces that it plans to launch another robotic Mars rover in 2020, following the success of its Curiosity rover.{{cite web | last=Wall | first=Mike | title=NASA to Launch New Mars Rover in 2020 | website=Space.com | date=2012-12-04 | url=https://www.space.com/18763-nasa-new-mars-rover-2020.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | last=Harwood | first=William | title=NASA announces plans for new $1.5 billion Mars rover | website=CNET | date=2012-12-05 | url=https://www.cnet.com/science/nasa-announces-plans-for-new-1-5-billion-mars-rover/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | title=NASA Announces Robust Multi-Year Mars Program; New Rover to Close Out Decade of New Missions | publisher=Brian Dunbar | date=2012-12-04 | url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/dec/HQ_12-420_Mars_2020.html | access-date=2023-07-09 | archive-date=2012-12-06 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121206202719/http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/dec/HQ_12-420_Mars_2020.html | url-status=dead }}
Using a simple "drag-and-drop" computer interface and DNA self-assembly techniques, researchers have developed a new approach for drug development that could drastically reduce the time required to create and test medications.{{cite web | last=Date | first=Upcoming Due | title=Drag-and-Drop DNA | website=NSF | date=2023-07-07 | url=https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=125990 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
Besse Cooper, the world's oldest living human and the last surviving person born in 1896, dies aged 116.[https://archive.today/20130111071559/http://loganville.patch.com/articles/world-s-oldest-woman-dies-at-116 (Loganville-Grayson Patch)]{{cite web | title=World's 'oldest person' Besse Cooper dies aged 116 | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-05 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-20604191 | access-date=2023-07-09}}

File:Tiefe Hirnstimulation - Sonden RoeSchaedel ap.jpg device (X-ray image pictured) to be used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in the United States.]]

5 December
Paleontologists announce the discovery of what is likely to be the oldest known dinosaur. Nyasasaurus parringtoni is believed to have lived 10-15 million years before the previous earliest known dinosaur specimens.{{cite web | title=New contender for oldest dinosaur | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-04 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20594147 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Nesbitt | first1=Sterling J. | last2=Barrett | first2=Paul M. | last3=Werning | first3=Sarah | display-authors=1 | title=The oldest dinosaur? A Middle Triassic dinosauriform from Tanzania | journal=Biology Letters | publisher=The Royal Society | volume=9 | issue=1 | date=2013-02-23 | issn=1744-9561 | doi=10.1098/rsbl.2012.0949 | page=20120949| pmid=23221875 | pmc=3565515 }}
Liquid Robotics' autonomous Wave Glider nautical robot completes a record-breaking voyage from San Francisco to Australia. The data-gathering robot, powered by solar panels and wave energy, survived storms and shark attacks during its year-long journey.{{cite web | title=Swimming robot reaches Australia after record-breaking trip | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-05 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20612140 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
In the first such operation in the United States, medical researchers implant a pacemaker-like device into the brain of an Alzheimer's disease patient in the early stages of the disease. The device, which provides deep brain stimulation and has already been used by those with Parkinson's disease, could boost memory and reverse cognitive decline.{{cite web | title=In U.S. first, surgeons implant brain 'pacemaker' for Alzheimer's disease | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-12-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121205102615.htm | access-date=2023-07-09}}
A Belgian team develops a curved LCD contact lens display. Researchers say the prototype could be used in medicine, or lead to adaptable "in-eye" sunglasses.{{cite web | last=Ltd | first=SPIE Europe | title=Belgian team develops "LCD" contact-lens display | website=optics.org - The Business of Photonics | url=http://optics.org/news/3/12/6 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
6 December
The Golden Spike Company announces plans for commercial lunar expeditions by 2020, with flights to the Moon starting at around $750 million per person.{{cite web | last=Gonzalez | first=Robbie | title=Golden Spike Company announces trips to the Moon will launch in 2020. Guess how much tickets cost. | website=Gizmodo | date=2012-12-06 | url=https://gizmodo.com/golden-spike-company-announces-trips-to-the-moon-will-l-5966332 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
Scientists identify the mechanism that allows Toxoplasma gondii – a single-celled parasite – to pass from the human gut to the brain, where it may cause suicidal thoughts and risk-taking.{{cite web | last=Connor | first=Steve | title=Cat parasite toxoplasma uses 'Trojan horse' to infect human brain and | website=The Independent | date=2012-12-07 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/cat-parasite-toxoplasma-uses-trojan-horse-to-infect-human-brain-and-may-cause-suicidal-thoughts-and-risktaking-8390165.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Fuks | first1=Jonas M. | last2=Arrighi | first2=Romanico B. G. | last3=Weidner | first3=Jessica M. | display-authors=1 | title=GABAergic Signaling Is Linked to a Hypermigratory Phenotype in Dendritic Cells Infected by Toxoplasma gondii | journal=PLOS Pathogens | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=8 | issue=12 | date=2012-12-06 | issn=1553-7374 | doi=10.1371/journal.ppat.1003051 | page=e1003051| pmid=23236276 | pmc=3516538 | doi-access=free }}
7 December
An interactive map showing the location of every German bomb dropped on London during World War II is created.{{cite web | title=London Blitz: Bomb Sight interactive map created | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-07 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-20637222 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
A young British girl successfully receives a pioneering bone replacement treatment to restore her damaged spine. The operation, the first of its kind ever attempted in Europe, used bone taken from the child's legs to replace her lower vertebrae, which were missing due to a rare and potentially lethal genetic condition.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=Pioneering surgery repairs girl's spine with leg bone | website=BBC News | date=2012-11-21 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-20426413 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
NASA's Opportunity Mars rover discovers clay-bearing deposits on the surface of Mars, indicating the past presence of liquid water.{{cite web | title=Breaking News, U.S. and World News | website=HuffPost | date=2012-12-04 | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/04/opportunity-rover-may-hav_n_2239331.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}
A new study shows that with "near perfect sensitivity", anatomical brain images alone can accurately diagnose chronic ADHD, schizophrenia, Tourette syndrome, bipolar disorder, or familial risks for major depression.{{cite journal | last1=Bansal | first1=Ravi | last2=Staib | first2=Lawrence H. | last3=Laine | first3=Andrew F. | display-authors=1 | title=Anatomical Brain Images Alone Can Accurately Diagnose Chronic Neuropsychiatric Illnesses | journal=PLOS ONE | publisher=Public Library of Science (PLoS) | volume=7 | issue=12 | date=2012-12-07 | issn=1932-6203 | doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0050698 | page=e50698 | pmid=23236384 | pmc=3517530 | bibcode=2012PLoSO...750698B | doi-access=free }}
8 December – The 1997 Kyoto Protocol on the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions is extended until 2020, having previously been set to expire by the end of 2012.{{cite web | last=Harrabin | first=Roger | title=UN climate talks extend Kyoto Protocol, promise compensation | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-08 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20653018 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
9 December – French Polynesia establishes the world's largest shark sanctuary, protecting all shark species from fishing in an area of 4.7 million square kilometres.{{cite web | title=France creates world's biggest shark sanctuary | website=RFI | date=2012-12-09 | url=https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20121209-france-creates-worlds-biggest-shark-sanctuary | access-date=2023-07-09}}
10 December
The first close-up footage of the Sunda clouded leopard, one of the rarest cat species on Earth, is released.{{cite web | last=Walker | first=Matt | title=Elusive rare cat filmed up close | website=BBC Nature | date=2012-12-10 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20627836 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121211101950/https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20627836 | archive-date=2012-12-11 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}
Scientists succeed in making the skin cells of older people act like younger cells again, simply by adding more filler to the fiber-filled area around the cells.{{cite web | title=To make old skin cells act young again, boost their surroundings | website=ScienceDaily | date=2012-12-12 | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121210101351.htm | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Quan | first1=Taihao | last2=Wang | first2=Frank | last3=Shao | first3=Yuan | display-authors=1 | title=Enhancing Structural Support of the Dermal Microenvironment Activates Fibroblasts, Endothelial Cells, and Keratinocytes in Aged Human Skin In Vivo | journal=Journal of Investigative Dermatology | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=133 | issue=3 | year=2013 | issn=0022-202X | doi=10.1038/jid.2012.364 | pages=658–667| pmid=23096713 | pmc=3566280 }}
Researchers create a shape-shifting metamaterial that could revolutionise the treatment of wounds. The liquid material could be infused with drugs, then shaped to fit perfectly inside a wound.{{cite web | last=Dillow | first=Clay | title=Shapeshifting Metamaterial Could Revolutionize How We Treat Wounds | website=Popular Science | date=2012-12-10 | url=https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-12/new-metamaterial-hydrogel-flows-liquid-remembers-its-shape/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Lee | first1=Jong Bum | last2=Peng | first2=Songming | last3=Yang | first3=Dayong | display-authors=1 | title=A mechanical metamaterial made from a DNA hydrogel | journal=Nature Nanotechnology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=7 | issue=12 | year=2012 | issn=1748-3387 | doi=10.1038/nnano.2012.211 | pages=816–820| pmid=23202472 | bibcode=2012NatNa...7..816L }}
11 December
The United States Air Force launches its robotic Boeing X-37 spaceplane on its third classified long-duration mission.{{cite web | last=Atkinson | first=Nancy | title=Air Force's Secret X-37B Space Plane Launches on Third Mission | website=Universe Today | date=2012-12-11 | url=https://www.universetoday.com/98937/air-forces-secret-x-37b-space-plane-launches-on-third-mission/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}
Numerous major Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi, demonstrate new specialist robots for cleaning up the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.{{cite web | last=Moskvitch | first=Katia | title=Robot 'race' to fix damaged Fukushima nuclear plant | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-11 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20678838 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
12 December
North Korea conducts its first successful orbital launch, placing the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 satellite into low Earth orbit.{{cite web | last1=Kim | first1=Jack | last2=Negishi | first2=Mayumi | title=North Korea rocket launch raises nuclear stakes | website=Reuters | date=2012-12-12 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-korea-north-rocket-idUSBRE8BB02K20121212 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
Astronomers report that the most distant known galaxy, UDFj-39546284, is now estimated to be even further away than previously believed. The galaxy, which is estimated to have formed around "380 million years" after the Big Bang (about 13.75 billion years ago), is approximately 13.37 billion light years from Earth.{{cite web | last=Wall | first=Mike | title=Ancient Galaxy May Be Most Distant Ever Seen | website=Space.com | date=2012-12-12 | url=https://www.space.com/18879-hubble-most-distant-galaxy.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Komatsu | first1=E. | last2=Dunkley | first2=J. | last3=Nolta | first3=M. R. | title=FIVE-YEAR WILKINSON MICROWAVE ANISOTROPY PROBE OBSERVATIONS: COSMOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION | display-authors=1 | journal=The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series | publisher=American Astronomical Society | volume=180 | issue=2 | date=2009-02-01 | issn=0067-0049 | doi=10.1088/0067-0049/180/2/330 | pages=330–376| s2cid=17581520 | arxiv=0803.0547 | bibcode=2009ApJS..180..330K }}{{cite journal | last1=Menegoni | first1=Eloisa | last2=Galli | first2=Silvia | last3=Bartlett | first3=James G. | display-authors=1| title=New constraints on variations of the fine structure constant from CMB anisotropies | journal=Physical Review D | publisher=American Physical Society (APS) | volume=80 | issue=8 | date=2009-10-23 | issn=1550-7998 | doi=10.1103/physrevd.80.087302 | page=087302| arxiv=0909.3584 | bibcode=2009PhRvD..80h7302M | s2cid=118463789 }}
DARPA announces funding for a medical foam technology that can rapidly staunch severe internal bleeding on the battlefield.{{cite web | last=Moskvitch | first=Katia | title=Battle wound foam secures Pentagon funding | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-12 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20693705 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
13 December
Scientists identify a new species of primate, the slow loris Nycticebus kayan, which is found to have a toxic bite.{{cite web | last=Bryner | first=Jeanna | title=New Primate with Face Mask & Toxic Bite Discovered | website=livescience.com | date=2012-12-13 | url=https://www.livescience.com/25507-new-primate-discovered-borneo.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{doi-inline|10.1002/22071|(Am. J. Primatol.)}}{{dead link|date=July 2023}}
China's uncrewed Chang'e 2 probe successfully performs a close flyby of the asteroid 4179 Toutatis, in the first such attempt by a Chinese spacecraft.{{cite web | title=Chang'E 2 imaging of Toutatis succeeded beyond my expectations! | website=The Planetary Society | date=2012-12-14 | url=https://www.planetary.org/articles/12141551-change-2-imaging-of-toutatis | access-date=2023-07-09}}
Physicists report the constancy, over space and time, of a basic physical constant of nature that supports the standard model of physics. The scientists, studying methanol molecules in a distant galaxy, found the change (∆μ/μ) in the proton-to-electron mass ratio μ to be equal to "(0.0 ± 1.0) × 10−7 at redshift z = 0.89" and consistent with "a null result".{{cite web | last=Moskowitz | first=Clara | title=Phew! Universe's Constant Has Stayed Constant | website=Space.com | date=2012-12-13 | url=https://www.space.com/18894-galaxy-alcohol-fundamental-constant.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Bagdonaite | first1=Julija | last2=Jansen | first2=Paul | last3=Henkel | first3=Christian | display-authors=1| title=A Stringent Limit on a Drifting Proton-to-Electron Mass Ratio from Alcohol in the Early Universe | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=339 | issue=6115 | date=2013-01-04 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.1224898 | pages=46–48| pmid=23239626 | bibcode=2013Sci...339...46B | s2cid=716087 | url=https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/1d54a47c-d3cf-4eed-900d-6a035ac35d88 | doi-access=free }}
14 December – British researchers partially sequence the genome of a fast-spreading fungus that is killing off ash trees across Europe.{{cite web | last=Briggs | first=Helen | title=Ash fungus genetic data released | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-13 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20719507 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
16 December – American scientists use a genetically modified virus to partially convert the heart muscle of guinea pigs into cells which govern the heart's rhythm, effectively creating a biological pacemaker. If this development can be applied to humans, heart conditions could be treated without the need for expensive medical implants and their attendant maintenance surgeries.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=Virus rebuilds heart's own pacemaker in animal tests | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-13 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-20713986 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Kapoor | first1=Nidhi | last2=Liang | first2=Wenbin | last3=Marbán | first3=Eduardo | display-authors=1 | title=Direct conversion of quiescent cardiomyocytes to pacemaker cells by expression of Tbx18 | journal=Nature Biotechnology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=31 | issue=1 | date=2012-12-16 | issn=1087-0156 | doi=10.1038/nbt.2465 | pages=54–62| pmid=23242162 | pmc=3775583 }}
17 December
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh develop a robotic arm that can be precisely controlled by paralyzed patients using a set of motor cortex implants.{{cite web | last=Diaz | first=Jesus | title=Woman Gains Full Mind Control Of Robotic Arm, Just Like in Star Wars | website=Gizmodo | date=2012-12-17 | url=https://gizmodo.com/woman-gains-full-mind-control-of-robotic-arm-just-like-5968979 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Collinger | first1=Jennifer L | last2=Wodlinger | first2=Brian | last3=Downey | first3=John E | display-authors=1| title=High-performance neuroprosthetic control by an individual with tetraplegia | journal=The Lancet | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=381 | issue=9866 | year=2013 | issn=0140-6736 | doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61816-9 | pages=557–564| pmid=23253623 | pmc=3641862 }}
NASA's twin GRAIL lunar satellites deorbit and are intentionally crashed into the surface of the Moon, marking the end of their year-long gravity research mission.{{cite web | last=Thomson | first=Iain | title=GRAIL orbiters make DEATH DIVE into lunar mountain | website=The Register | date=2012-12-18 | url=https://www.theregister.com/2012/12/18/grail_orbiters_crash_moon/ | access-date=2023-07-09}}
The Terrafugia Transition flying car begins flight certification tests, in preparation for its planned commercial release in 2013.[http://www.thesundaily.my/news/567448 (Sun Daily)]{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
19 December
Astronomers report that the nearby star Tau Ceti hosts five exoplanets, including one world believed to be within the star's habitable zone.{{cite web | title='Habitable' planet discovered circling Tau Ceti star | website=The Guardian | date=2012-12-19 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/dec/19/habitable-planet-discovered-tau-ceti | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Tuomi | first1=M. | last2=Jones | first2=H. R. A. | last3=Jenkins | first3=J. S. | display-authors=1| title=Signals embedded in the radial velocity noise | journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics | publisher=EDP Sciences | volume=551 | date=2013-02-26 | issn=0004-6361 | doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201220509 | page=A79|arxiv=1212.4277| s2cid=2390534 }}
The final orbital spaceflight of 2012 occurs, marking the 72nd successful orbital launch of the year, and the 78th overall.{{cite news |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/hyperbola/2013/01/space-year-review-2012-launch.html |title=Space Year Review 2012: Launch vehicles - Falcon 9, Delta IV and Soyuz show robustness in mishaps but not so for Safir or Proton |work=FlightGlobal.com |date=3 January 2013 |access-date=7 January 2013}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20781625 |title=UK's Skynet military satellite launched |publisher=BBC |date=19 December 2012 |access-date=20 December 2012 |work=BBC News |last1=Amos |first1=Jonathan}}
Chinese scientists discover fossil evidence which shows that the extinct elephant genus Palaeoloxodon survived in China until as recently as 1,000 BC. The genus was previously believed to have disappeared by 8,000 BC.{{cite web | last=Warwicker | first=Michelle | title=Extinct elephant 'survived late' | website=BBC Nature | date=2012-12-19 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20678793 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121219143118/https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20678793 | archive-date=2012-12-19 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Li | first1=Ji | last2=Hou | first2=Yongjian | last3=Li | first3=Yongxiang | display-authors=1 | title=The latest straight-tusked elephants (Palaeoloxodon)? "Wild elephants" lived 3000 years ago in North China | journal=Quaternary International | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=281 | year=2012 | issn=1040-6182 | doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2011.10.039 | pages=84–88| bibcode=2012QuInt.281...84L }}
20 December – NASA scientists release the latest WMAP results and an image of the very early universe. The nine-year WMAP data shows "13.772+/-0.059"-billion-year-old temperature fluctuations and a temperature range of ± 200 microKelvin. In addition, the study finds that 95 percent of the early universe is composed of dark matter and energy, the curvature of space is less than 0.4 percent of "flat", and the universe emerged from the cosmic Dark Ages "about 400 million years" after the Big Bang.{{cite web | last=Gannon | first=Megan | title=New 'Baby Picture' of Universe Unveiled | website=Space.com | date=2012-12-21 | url=https://www.space.com/19027-universe-baby-picture-wmap.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Bennett | first1=C. L. | last2=Larson | first2=D. | last3=Weiland | first3=J. L. | title=NINE-YEAR WILKINSON MICROWAVE ANISOTROPY PROBE ( WMAP ) OBSERVATIONS: FINAL MAPS AND RESULTS | display-authors=1| journal=The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series | publisher=American Astronomical Society | volume=208 | issue=2 | date=2013-09-20 | issn=0067-0049 | doi=10.1088/0067-0049/208/2/20 | page=20|arxiv=1212.5225| bibcode=2013ApJS..208...20B | s2cid=119271232 }}
21 December
A "Trojan horse" therapy which uses viruses concealed within white blood cells to attack tumours is successfully used to eliminate prostate cancer in mice. However, human trials have yet to be conducted.{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=James | title=Trojan-horse therapy 'completely eliminates' cancer in mice | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-20 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-20795977 | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite journal | last1=Muthana | first1=Munitta | last2=Rodrigues | first2=Samuel | last3=Chen | first3=Yung-Yi | display-authors=1| title=Macrophage Delivery of an Oncolytic Virus Abolishes Tumor Regrowth and Metastasis after Chemotherapy or Irradiation | journal=Cancer Research | publisher=American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) | volume=73 | issue=2 | date=2013-01-15 | issn=0008-5472 | doi=10.1158/0008-5472.can-12-3056 | pages=490–495| pmid=23172310 }}
As predicted by scientists, 21 December 2012 passes without any form of apocalyptic event, despite years of global anticipation.{{cite web | title=Why the World Didn't End | publisher=Brian Dunbar | date=2015-04-13 | url=http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | last=Pawar | first=Yogesh | title=The end of the world that wasn't | website=DNA India | date=2012-12-22 | url=https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-the-end-of-the-world-that-wasn-t-1780477 | access-date=2023-07-09}}

File:Colonic carcinoid (1) Endoscopic resection.jpg (carcinoid pictured).]]

24 December
Scientists analyse the genomes of individuals with a high familial risk of bowel cancer, and discover two flawed genes that may contribute to the disease.{{cite web | title=Rare genetic faults identified in families with bowel cancer - University of Oxford | website=ox.ac.uk | date=2012-12-25 | url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2012/121224.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121229102233/http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2012/121224.html | archive-date=2012-12-29 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}{{cite web | title=Two bowel cancer genes discovered | website=BBC News | date=2012-12-21 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-20810849 | access-date=2023-07-09}}
American researchers report that their experiments with liquid crystals may yield future materials that can be directly controlled and re-shaped in real time.{{Cite news |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121227110803.htm |title=Liquid crystal research may lead to creation of new materials that can be actively controlled |work=ScienceDaily |access-date=2018-05-05 |language=en}}
26 December
The world's longest high-speed rail line enters operation in China. The {{convert|2298|km|mi|adj=on}} railway links Beijing with Guangzhou.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-20842836 |title=China opens longest bullet route |date=2012-12-26 |work=BBC News |access-date=2018-05-05 |language=en-GB}}
Tigers, having been on the verge of extinction, are now making a comeback in India and Thailand, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.{{cite web | title=Wildlife Conservation Society | website=Tigers Roar Back | date=2012-12-26 | url=http://www.wcs.org/press/press-releases/tigers-roar-back-india-thailand-russia.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116224302/http://www.wcs.org/press/press-releases/tigers-roar-back-india-thailand-russia.aspx | archive-date=2013-01-16 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-07-09}}
28 December – Stanford University engineers publish a design for a future mission to the Martian moon Phobos, incorporating both an orbiting satellite and spherical surface rovers.{{Cite news |url=http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/december/rover-mars-phobos-122812.html |title=Stanford researchers develop acrobatic space rovers to explore moons and asteroids |last=Pandika |first=Melissa |name-list-style=vanc |date=2012-12-28 |work=Stanford University |access-date=2018-05-05 |language=en}}
31 December – A NASA-supported study suggests that crewed spaceflight may harm the brains of astronauts and accelerate the onset of Alzheimer's disease.{{cite journal | vauthors = Cherry JD, Liu B, Frost JL, Lemere CA, Williams JP, Olschowka JA, O'Banion MK | title = Galactic cosmic radiation leads to cognitive impairment and increased aβ plaque accumulation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease | journal = PLOS ONE | volume = 7 | issue = 12 | pages = e53275 | pmid = 23300905 | pmc = 3534034 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0053275 | bibcode = 2012PLoSO...753275C | year = 2012 | doi-access = free }}{{cite web |author=Staff |title=Study Shows that Space Travel is Harmful to the Brain and Could Accelerate Onset of Alzheimer's |url=http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=39650 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216214253/http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=39650 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 16, 2013 |date=1 January 2013 |publisher=SpaceRef |access-date=7 January 2013 }}{{cite web |last=Cowing |first=Keith | name-list-style = vanc |author-link=Keith Cowing |title=Important Research Results NASA Is Not Talking About (Update) |url=http://nasawatch.com/archives/2013/01/important-resea.html |date=3 January 2013 |publisher=NASA Watch |access-date=7 January 2013 }}

IISE ''Top 10 New Species''

The Top 10 New Species 2013 was announced on 22 May 2013 by the International Institute for Species Exploration, commemorating unique species discovered during 2012. The ten selected new species were:{{cite web |author=Newswise |title=Scientists Announce Top 10 New Species |date=22 May 2013 |url=http://www.newswise.com/articles/scientists-announce-top-10-new-species |work=Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences |publisher=Newswise, Inc |access-date=23 May 2013}}{{cite web |author=Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences |title=Top 10 new species of 2012 |date=22 May 2013 |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130522163921.htm |work=ScienceDaily |publisher=ScienceDaily, LLC |access-date=23 May 2013}}{{cite web |author=Varma, S. |title=Amazing top 10 new species include glowing cockroach, tiniest vertebrate and new monkey |date=23 May 2013 |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Amazing-top-10-new-species-include-glowing-cockroach-tiniest-vertebrate-and-new-monkey/articleshow/20224922.cms |work=The Times of India |publisher=Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. |access-date=24 May 2013}}

Prizes

=Abel Prize=

2012 Abel Prize: Endre Szemerédi

=Fundamental Physics Prize=

2012 Fundamental Physics Prize: Nima Arkani-Hamed, Alan Guth, Alexei Kitaev, Maxim Kontsevich, Andrei Linde, Juan Maldacena, Nathan Seiberg, Ashoke Sen and Edward Witten
2012 FPP special award: Stephen Hawking, Peter Jenni, Fabiola Gianotti, Michel Della Negra, Tejinder Singh Virdee, Guido Tonelli, Joe Incandela and Lyn Evans

=Kyoto Prize=

2012 Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology: Ivan Sutherland{{cite web|title=The 2012 Kyoto Prize Laureates |url=http://www.inamori-f.or.jp/e_kp_lau_thi.html |publisher=Inamori Foundation |access-date=3 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227194135/http://www.inamori-f.or.jp/e_kp_lau_thi.html |archive-date=27 December 2012 }}
2012 Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences: Yoshinori Ohsumi

=Nobel Prize=

{{main|List of Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine|List of Nobel laureates in Physics|List of Nobel laureates in Chemistry}}

2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka
2012 Nobel Prize in Physics: Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland
2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Robert J. Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka

Deaths

Sources: [https://www.theguardian.com/science/science+tone/obituaries The Guardian] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20090323014912/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/science-obituaries/ The Daily Telegraph]

File:F. Sherwood Rowland.jpg, a Nobel Prize-winning American chemist, dies aged 84.]]

File:Sally Ride, America's first woman astronaut communicates with ground controllers from the flight deck - NARA - 541940.jpg, the first American woman in space, dies aged 61.]]

File:Neil Armstrong pose.jpg, the first man to walk on the Moon, dies aged 82.]]

File:SRO Aug 2005.jpg, a prolific American inventor and physicist, dies aged 89.]]

File:Sir Patrick Moore.jpg, a prominent British astronomer and science popularizer, dies aged 89.]]

File:Rita Levi Montalcini.jpg, a Nobel Prize-winning Italian neurologist, dies aged 103.]]

=January=

3 January – James F. Crow, American geneticist (b. 1916).
6 January – Roger Boisjoly, American rocket engineer (b. 1938).
7 January – Herbert Wilf, American mathematician and academic (b. 1931)
12 January – Bjørn G. Andersen, Norwegian quaternary geologist (b. 1924).
21 January – Roy John Britten, American biologist and geneticist (b. 1919)

=February=

16 February – Donald Henry Colless, Australian entomologist (b. 1922).
19 February – Renato Dulbecco, Italian American virologist, winner of the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1914).
24 February – Oliver Wrong, British nephrologist (b. 1925).

=March=

10 March – Frank Sherwood Rowland, American atmospheric chemist, winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (b. 1927).
24 March – Sir Paul Callaghan, New Zealand physicist (b. 1947).

=April=

8 April – Fang Lizhi, Chinese astrophysicist and political activist (b. 1936).
20 April – George Cowan, American chemist, Manhattan Project scientist and businessman (b. 1920).
29 April – Roland Moreno, Egyptian-born French inventor of the smart card, Légion d'honneur recipient (b. 1945).[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/apr/30/roland-moreno "Roland Moreno obituary"]. The Guardian. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.

=May=

12 May
Fritz Ursell, German-born British mathematician and fluid mechanics expert (b. 1923).
Donald Nicholson, British biochemist (b. 1916).
20 May – Eugene Polley, American engineer, inventor of the wireless television remote control (b. 1915).
21 May – Alan Thorne, Australian anthropologist (b. 1939).
27 May – Friedrich Hirzebruch, German mathematician (b. 1927).
30 May – Sir Andrew Huxley, British physiologist and biophysicist, winner of the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1917).

=June=

7 June
Phillip V. Tobias, South African paleoanthropologist (b. 1925).
F. Herbert Bormann, American plant ecologist, credited with the discovery of acid rain (b. 1922).
13 June – William Standish Knowles, American chemist, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (b. 1917).

=July=

3 July – Sergio Pininfarina, Italian automotive engineer and Senator for life (b. 1926).
8 July – Lord Henry Chilver, British engineer, lecturer and politician (b. 1926).
21 July – Geoffrey Hattersley-Smith, British geologist and glaciologist (b. 1923).
23 July – Sally Ride, American physicist and astronaut, first American woman in space (b. 1951).
26 July – Ralph Slatyer, Australian ecologist and first Chief Scientist of Australia (b. 1929).

=August=

2 August – Sir Gabriel Horn, British biologist (b. 1927).
3 August – Martin Fleischmann, British chemist and cold fusion theorist (b. 1927).
6 August – Sir Bernard Lovell, British physicist and radio astronomer (b. 1913).
14 August – Sergei Kapitsa, Russian physicist and TV host (b. 1928).
21 August – William Thurston, American mathematician, winner of the 1982 Fields Medal (b. 1946).
25 August – Neil Armstrong, American astronaut, first human being to set foot upon the Moon (b. 1930).

=September=

6 September – Jerome Horwitz, American chemist, inventor of the anti-HIV drug azidothymidine (b. 1919).
8 September – Bill Moggridge, British industrial designer who created the original laptop shape (b. 1943).
9 September – Ron Taylor, Australian shark expert, conservationist and filmmaker (b. 1934).
13 September – Dilhan Eryurt, Turkish astrophysicist (b. 1926).
25 September – Dame Louise Johnson, British biochemist (b. 1940).
29 September – Neil Smith, Scottish geographer (b. 1954).

=October=

5 October – Keith Campbell, British biologist who was involved in creating the first cloned mammal (b. 1954)
15 October – Maria Petrou, Greek-born British artificial intelligence researcher (b. 1953).
17 October – Stanford Ovshinsky, American physicist and inventor who designed the battery now used in hybrid cars (b. 1922).
20 October
E. Donnall Thomas, American physician, joint winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1920).
Paul Kurtz, American skeptic, philosopher and secular humanist (b. 1925).
29 October – Wallace L. W. Sargent, Anglo-American astronomer (b. 1935).

=November=

11 November – Farish Jenkins, American paleontologist (b. 1940).
12 November – Daniel Stern, American psychologist (b. 1934).
14 November – Norman Greenwood, Australian chemist (b. 1925).
26 November – Joseph Murray, American surgeon and organ transplant pioneer, joint winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1919).

=December=

9 December
Sir Patrick Moore, English astronomer (b. 1923).
Alex Moulton, English mechanical engineer and inventor (b. 1920).
Norman Joseph Woodland, American engineer, inventor of the barcode (b. 1921).
17 December – Colin Spedding, British agricultural scientist (b. 1925).
24 December – Guy Dodson, New Zealand biochemist (b. 1937).
27 December – Archie Roy, Scottish astronomer (b. 1924).
30 December
Rita Levi-Montalcini, Italian neurologist and Senator for life, joint winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1909).
Carl Woese, American microbiologist (b. 1924).

References

External links

[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20785638 "Medical sciences news highlights of 2012"]. BBC. 29 December 2012.
[http://www.nature.com/news/366-days-nature-s-10-1.11997 "366 days: Nature's 10 – Ten people who mattered this year"]. Nature. 19 December 2012.
[http://www.legacy.com/memorial-sites/science/ Science obituaries at Legacy.com]

Category:21st century in science

Category:2010s in science

2012 in science#August 2

Events, discoveries and inventions

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IISE ''Top 10 New Species''

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See also

References

External links