2020s in science and technology

{{See also|Timeline of biotechnology#2020s}}

• DeepMind used artificial intelligence for the first time to predict protein folding.{{Cite web|date=2020-11-30|title=DeepMind AI cracks 50-year-old problem of protein folding|url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/nov/30/deepmind-ai-cracks-50-year-old-problem-of-biology-research|access-date=2020-12-09|website=the Guardian|language=en}}
• Singapore became the first jurisdiction to approve the sale of cultured meat.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-02|title=No-kill, lab-grown meat to go on sale for first time|url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/02/no-kill-lab-grown-meat-to-go-on-sale-for-first-time|access-date=2020-12-09|website=the Guardian|language=en}}
• The vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna against Coronavirus disease 2019 became the first vaccines developed using messenger RNA{{Cite web|date=2020-11-21|title=Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showing potential success of mRNA platform – a first|url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/11/20/pfizer-and-moderna-vaccines-showing-potential-success-of-mrna-platform-a-first/|access-date=2020-12-09|website=Boston Herald|language=en-US}} and mark the fastest vaccine development and approval, taking only 10 months.{{cite news|url=https://www.newsweek.com/pfizer-covid-west-mrna-1551754|title=Pfizer COVID Shot Is Fastest Ever Vaccine to Be Approved in the West, First Licensed mRNA Jab in History|date=2 December 2020}}
• Oregon became the first jurisdiction to legalize the medicinal use of psilocybin for mental health treatment.{{Cite web|last=Feuer|first=Will|date=2020-11-04|title=Oregon becomes first state to legalize magic mushrooms as more states ease drug laws in 'psychedelic renaissance'|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/04/oregon-becomes-first-state-to-legalize-magic-mushrooms-as-more-states-ease-drug-laws.html|access-date=2020-12-09|website=CNBC|language=en}}

{{See also|Timeline of solar cells#2020}}

• QuantumScape revealed that it had created the first functioning prototype of a solid-state battery, promising to massively increase battery capacity.{{Cite magazine|title=Did QuantumScape Just Solve a 40-Year-Old Battery Problem?|language=en-us|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/story/quantumscape-solid-state-battery/|access-date=2020-12-09|issn=1059-1028}}
• The Chinese Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak was turned on for the first time.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-07|title=China turns on nuclear-powered 'artificial sun' for first time|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-nuclear-fusion-reactor-artificial-sun-chengdu-b1767393.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201207163844/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-nuclear-fusion-reactor-artificial-sun-chengdu-b1767393.html |archive-date=2020-12-07 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|access-date=2020-12-09|website=The Independent|language=en}} The China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor is being planned for commissioning later in the decade.
• Group14 Technologies has patented SCC55, a silicon-carbon composite, leading to 50% more in fully lithiated volumetric energy density than graphite used in conventional lithium-ion battery anodes.{{cite web |url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/ev-battery-cathodes-are-getting-better-dont-forget-about-the-anodes-51603105205|title=Another Way Tesla Can Reduce Battery Costs|last1=Root|first1=Al|date=2020-10-19}}{{cite web |url=https://uspto.report/TM/90093634|title=SCC55}}

{{Further|{{CURRENTYEAR}} in the environment and environmental sciences}}

{{Further|Meteorology in the 21st century}}

• The United Nations has designated the 2020s as the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.{{Cite web|date=2017-02-09|title=United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)|url=https://en.unesco.org/ocean-decade|access-date=2020-12-09|website=UNESCO|language=en}}

{{main|2020s in spaceflight}}

• In 2021, United Airlines revealed plans to purchase 15 supersonic Boom Overture aircraft by the end of the decade.{{Cite news|date=2021-06-04|title=United plans supersonic passenger flights by 2029|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57361193|access-date=2021-07-11}}

• Waymo became the first company to offer self-driving car services to the general public without a human supervisor in Chandler, Arizona.{{Cite web|last=Lee|first=Timothy B.|date=2020-10-08|title=Waymo finally launches an actual public, driverless taxi service|url=https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/10/waymo-finally-launches-an-actual-public-driverless-taxi-service/|access-date=2020-12-09|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us}}
• Autonomous delivery vehicles began transporting food to customers in Texas in 2021.{{Cite web|last=Wood|first=Charlie|date=2021-07-10|title=The future of self-driving? Maybe less like Elon Musk and more like Domino's pizza robots|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/10/self-driving-looking-less-like-elon-musk-more-dominos-pizza-robots.html|access-date=2021-07-11|website=CNBC|language=en}}

{{Main|Timeline of computing 2020–present}}{{See also|AI Spring}}

• Artificial intelligence-assisted coding began to emerge in the early 2020s.{{Cite news|date=2021-07-07|title=AI is transforming the coding of computer programs|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/07/07/ai-is-transforming-the-coding-of-computer-programs|access-date=2021-07-11|issn=0013-0613}}
• El Salvador passed Bitcoin law to become the first country to give cryptocurrency and bitcoin the status of legal tender.

{{Empty section|date=January 2020}}

{{category tree all|2020s in robotics|mode=all|depth=1}}

• In January 2020, Physicists discovered a unique metal with billions of quantum entangled electrons.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200116144105.htm|title=Billions of quantum entangled electrons found in 'strange metal'|website=ScienceDaily|language=en|access-date=2020-01-19}}
• The Large Hadron Collider will once again begin operation in early 2021;{{cite web |last1=Hays |first1=Brooks |title=CERN reveals plans for new experiment to search for dark matter particles |url=https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2019/03/06/CERN-reveals-plans-for-new-experiment-to-search-for-dark-matter-particles/8011551887451/ |publisher=United Press International |accessdate=10 September 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Tech2 News Staff |title=Cern's Large Hadron Collider Gets Major Upgrade, Experiments Resumed in 2021 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/tech/science/cerns-large-hadron-collider-gets-major-upgrade-experiments-to-resume-in-2021-7273541.html |website=Tech2 |date=3 September 2019 |accessdate=10 September 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Wetzel |first1=James |title=USCMS completes phase 1 upgrade program for CMS detector at CERN |url=https://news.fnal.gov/2019/08/uscms-completes-phase-1-upgrade-program-for-cms-detector-at-cern/ |website=Fermilab |date=26 August 2019 |accessdate=10 September 2019}} the collider was shut down in December 2018 "to enable major upgrade and renovation works."{{cite web |last1=CERN |title=LHC prepares for new achievements |url=https://home.cern/news/press-release/accelerators/lhc-prepares-new-achievements |accessdate=10 September 2019}}

{{Further|{{CURRENTYEAR}} in paleontology}}

{{category tree all|2020s in paleontology|mode=all|depth=1}}

{{Further|{{CURRENTYEAR}} in archaeology}}

{{category tree all|2020s archaeological discoveries|mode=all|depth=1}}

{{portal|Science|Technology}}

• History of science and technology
• List of science and technology articles by continent
• List of years in science
• {{CURRENTYEAR}} in science
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on science and technology
• History of technology by type
• List of science timelines

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{{2020s|state=expanded}}

Category:Science and technology by decade

Category:2020s-related lists

Category:2020s