January–March 2021 in science#March

This article lists a number of significant events in science that occurred in the first quarter of 2021.

Events

=January=

File:Science Summary for January 2021.webm

1 January – Beginning of the implementation of Plan S, an initiative for open-access science publishing launched in 2018{{cite news |title=Coalition of European Funders Announces 'Plan S' to Require Full OA, Cap APCs, & Disallow Publication in Hybrid Journals |url=https://sparcopen.org/news/2018/coalition-european-funders-announces-plan-s/ |work=SPARC |date=4 September 2018}}{{cite web |title=Plan S: Accelerating the transition to full and immediate Open Access to scientific publications |url=https://www.scienceeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Plan_S.pdf |website=Science Europe |access-date=13 September 2018 |date=4 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904122211/https://www.scienceeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Plan_S.pdf |archive-date=4 September 2018 |url-status=dead }} that requires papers from 2021 onwards from over 10 European countries that resulted from research funded by public grants to be published under an open licence in compliant journals or platforms, available to all.{{cite news |title=European countries demand that publicly funded research should be free to all |url=https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2018/09/15/european-countries-demand-that-publicly-funded-research-should-be-free-to-all |newspaper=The Economist |date=15 September 2018 |access-date=13 September 2018}}{{cite web |title='Plan S' and 'cOAlition S' – Accelerating the transition to full and immediate Open Access to scientific publications |url=https://www.coalition-s.org/ |website=coalition-s.org |access-date=27 September 2020}}
4 January
Media reports that engineers worldwide discuss a negative leap second and other possible measures as Earth spun faster in 2020.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Knapton |first1=Sarah |title=The Earth is spinning faster now than at any time in the past half century |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/01/04/earth-spinning-faster-now-time-past-half-century/ |access-date=11 February 2021 |work=The Telegraph |date=4 January 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|news|title=The Earth has been spinning faster lately |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-01-earth-faster.html |access-date=11 February 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}
Researchers describe how the damage to nerve cells caused by motor neurone disease could be repaired by improving the energy levels in mitochondria.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=19 January 2021|title=Motor neurone disease: Edinburgh scientists reveal breakthrough| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-55718363|work=BBC News|access-date=19 January 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|news|date=6 January 2021|title=MND study provides exciting new focus for potential drug treatments| url=http://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/about/news/mnd-study-provides-exciting-new-focus-for-potential-drug-treatments|work=University of Edinburgh|access-date=19 January 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Mehta |first1=Arpan R. |last2=Gregory |first2=Jenna M. |last3=Dando |first3=Owen |last4=Carter |first4=Roderick N. |last5=Burr |first5=Karen |last6=Nanda |first6=Jyoti |last7=Story |first7=David |last8=McDade |first8=Karina |last9=Smith |first9=Colin |last10=Morton |first10=Nicholas M. |last11=Mahad |first11=Don J. |last12=Hardingham |first12=Giles E. |last13=Chandran |first13=Siddharthan |last14=Selvaraj |first14=Bhuvaneish T. |title=Mitochondrial bioenergetic deficits in C9orf72 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis motor neurons cause dysfunctional axonal homeostasis |journal=Acta Neuropathologica |date=1 February 2021 |volume=141 |issue=2 |pages=257–279 |doi=10.1007/s00401-020-02252-5 |pmid=33398403 |pmc=7847443 |language=en |issn=1432-0533|doi-access=free }}
Scientists describe a CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing approach which could be used to treat wet age-related macular degeneration caused by VEGFA and Herpes simplex type 1: injection of engineered lentiviruses into the affected anatomical regions for transient editing without inducing off-target edits.{{#invoke:cite|journal|title=Transient editing catches the eye |journal=Nature Biomedical Engineering |pages=127 |language=en |doi=10.1038/s41551-021-00695-z |date=February 2021|volume=5 |issue=2 |pmid=33580230 |doi-access=free }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Yin |first1=Di |last2=Ling |first2=Sikai |last3=Wang |first3=Dawei |last4=Dai |first4=Yao |last5=Jiang |first5=Hao |last6=Zhou |first6=Xujiao |last7=Paludan |first7=Soren R. |last8=Hong |first8=Jiaxu |last9=Cai |first9=Yujia |title=Targeting herpes simplex virus with CRISPR–Cas9 cures herpetic stromal keratitis in mice |journal=Nature Biotechnology |date=11 January 2021 |volume=39 |issue=5 |pages=567–577 |doi=10.1038/s41587-020-00781-8 |pmid=33432198 |language=en |issn=1546-1696|pmc=7611178 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Ling |first1=Sikai |last2=Yang |first2=Shiqi |last3=Hu |first3=Xinde |last4=Yin |first4=Di |last5=Dai |first5=Yao |last6=Qian |first6=Xiaoqing |last7=Wang |first7=Dawei |last8=Pan |first8=Xiaoyong |last9=Hong |first9=Jiaxu |last10=Sun |first10=Xiaodong |last11=Yang |first11=Hui |last12=Paludan |first12=Soren Riis |last13=Cai |first13=Yujia |title=Lentiviral delivery of co-packaged Cas9 mRNA and a Vegfa -targeting guide RNA prevents wet age-related macular degeneration in mice |journal=Nature Biomedical Engineering |date=February 2021 |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=144–156 |doi=10.1038/s41551-020-00656-y |pmid=33398131 |s2cid=230508724 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-020-00656-y |access-date=7 March 2021 |language=en |issn=2157-846X}}
5 January – Using theoretical calculations, researchers suggest that humans would be unable to control a superintelligent AI.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=11 January 2021|title=Computer scientists: We wouldn't be able to control super intelligent machines | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210111112218.htm |work=Science Daily|access-date=13 January 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Alfonseca |first1=Manuel |last2=Cebrian |first2=Manuel |last3=Anta |first3=Antonio Fernandez |last4=Coviello |first4=Lorenzo |last5=Abeliuk |first5=Andrés |last6=Rahwan |first6=Iyad |title=Superintelligence Cannot be Contained: Lessons from Computability Theory |journal=Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research |date=5 January 2021 |volume=70 |pages=65–76 |doi=10.1613/jair.1.12202 |url=https://jair.org/index.php/jair/article/view/12202 |access-date=13 February 2021 |language=en |issn=1076-9757|doi-access=free }}

File:Pandharpur landfill (2731725010).jpg of the scientific evidence around global waste, its management and its impact on human health and life is published.]]

6 January
Scientists report the successful use of gene editing in mice with progeria, a premature aging disease.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=6 January 2021|title='Incredible' gene-editing result in mice inspires plans to treat premature-aging syndrome in children| url=https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/01/incredible-gene-editing-result-mice-inspires-plans-treat-premature-aging-syndrome|work=Science|access-date=7 January 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|news|date=6 January 2021|title=DNA-editing method shows promise to treat mouse model of progeria| url=https://www.genome.gov/news/news-release/DNA-editing-method-shows-promise-to-treat-mouse-model-of-progeria|work=National Human Genome Research Institute|access-date=7 January 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Koblan |first1=Luke W. |last2=Erdos |first2=Michael R. |last3=Wilson |first3=Christopher |last4=Cabral |first4=Wayne A. |last5=Levy |first5=Jonathan M. |last6=Xiong |first6=Zheng-Mei |last7=Tavarez |first7=Urraca L. |last8=Davison |first8=Lindsay M. |last9=Gete |first9=Yantenew G. |last10=Mao |first10=Xiaojing |last11=Newby |first11=Gregory A. |last12=Doherty |first12=Sean P. |last13=Narisu |first13=Narisu |last14=Sheng |first14=Quanhu |last15=Krilow |first15=Chad |last16=Lin |first16=Charles Y. |last17=Gordon |first17=Leslie B. |last18=Cao |first18=Kan |last19=Collins |first19=Francis S. |last20=Brown |first20=Jonathan D. |last21=Liu |first21=David R. |title=In vivo base editing rescues Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome in mice |journal=Nature |date=January 2021 |volume=589 |issue=7843 |pages=608–614 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-03086-7 |pmid=33408413 |pmc=7872200 |bibcode=2021Natur.589..608K |url=|language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
Chinese researchers report that they have built the world's largest integrated quantum communication network, combining over 700 optical fibers with two QKD-ground-to-satellite links for a total distance between nodes of the network of networks of up to ~4,600 km.{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Chen |first1=Yu-Ao |last2=Zhang |first2=Qiang |last3=Chen |first3=Teng-Yun |last4=Cai |first4=Wen-Qi |last5=Liao |first5=Sheng-Kai |last6=Zhang |first6=Jun |last7=Chen |first7=Kai |last8=Yin |first8=Juan |last9=Ren |first9=Ji-Gang |last10=Chen |first10=Zhu |last11=Han |first11=Sheng-Long |last12=Yu |first12=Qing |last13=Liang |first13=Ken |last14=Zhou |first14=Fei |last15=Yuan |first15=Xiao |last16=Zhao |first16=Mei-Sheng |last17=Wang |first17=Tian-Yin |last18=Jiang |first18=Xiao |last19=Zhang |first19=Liang |last20=Liu |first20=Wei-Yue |last21=Li |first21=Yang |last22=Shen |first22=Qi |last23=Cao |first23=Yuan |last24=Lu |first24=Chao-Yang |last25=Shu |first25=Rong |last26=Wang |first26=Jian-Yu |last27=Li |first27=Li |last28=Liu |first28=Nai-Le |last29=Xu |first29=Feihu |last30=Wang |first30=Xiang-Bin |last31=Peng |first31=Cheng-Zhi |last32=Pan |first32=Jian-Wei |title=An integrated space-to-ground quantum communication network over 4,600 kilometres |journal=Nature |date=January 2021 |volume=589 |issue=7841 |pages=214–219 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-03093-8 |pmid=33408416 |bibcode=2021Natur.589..214C |s2cid=230812317 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03093-8 |access-date=11 February 2021 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
The first systematic review of the scientific evidence around global waste, its management and its impact on human health and life is published, providing assessments, suggestions for corrective action, engineering solutions and requests for further research. It finds that about half of all the municipal solid terrestrial waste – or close to one billion tons per year – is either not collected or mismanaged after collection, often being burned in open and uncontrolled fires. Authors conclude that "massive risk mitigation can be delivered" while noting that broad priority areas each lack a "high-quality research base", partly due to the absence of "substantial research funding", which scientists often require.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Health crisis: Up to a billion tons of waste potentially burned in the open every year |url=https://theconversation.com/health-crisis-up-to-a-billion-tonnes-of-waste-potentially-burned-in-the-open-every-year-152778 |access-date=7 January 2021 |work=The Conversation |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Cook |first1=E. |last2=Velis |first2=C. A. |title=Global Review on Safer End of Engineered Life |journal=Global Review on Safer End of Engineered Life |date=6 January 2021 |url=http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/169766/ |access-date=13 February 2021 |language=en}}
7 January
A potential mRNA vaccine for multiple sclerosis is presented by a collaboration including BioNTech, with a study in mice showing great promise for improving symptoms and stopping disease progression.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=7 January 2021|title=BioNTech Publishes Data on Novel mRNA Vaccine Approach to Treat Autoimmune Diseases in Science| url=https://investors.biontech.de/news-releases/news-release-details/biontech-publishes-data-novel-mrna-vaccine-approach-treat|work=BioNTech|access-date=12 January 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|news|date=7 January 2021|title= Treating an autoimmune disease in mice with an mRNA vaccine | url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-01/aaft-taa010421.php|work=EurekAlert!|access-date=12 January 2021}}
File:The Distribution and Frequency of P681H and D614G Mutations Among All SARS-CoV-2 Sequences by Month Reported in the GISAID Database in Year 2020.png
File:Time-series representations of mean relative body size.webpScientists conclude that environmental factors played a major role in the evolution of the slowly-evolving, currently low-diverse Crocodilia (and their ancestor-relatives), with warmer climate being associated with high evolutionary rates and large body sizes.{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Stockdale |first1=Maximilian T. |last2=Benton |first2=Michael J. |title=Environmental drivers of body size evolution in crocodile-line archosaurs |journal=Communications Biology |date=7 January 2021 |volume=4 |issue=1 |page=38 |doi=10.1038/s42003-020-01561-5 |pmid=33414557 |pmc=7790829 |language=en |issn=2399-3642|doi-access=free }}
8 January
News outlets report that scientists, with the Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter, detected an FM radio signal from the moon Ganymede which is reportedly caused by cyclotron maser instability and similar to both WiFi-signals and Jupiter's radio emissions.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=NASA reportedly detects signal coming from one of Jupiter's moons |url=https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-signal-jupiters-moon |access-date=11 February 2021 |work=Futurism}}{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Discovery in space: FM radio signal coming from Jupiter's moon Ganymede |url=https://www.abc4.com/news/discovery-in-space-fm-radio-signal-coming-from-jupiters-moon-ganymede/ |access-date=11 February 2021 |work=ABC4 Utah |date=9 January 2021}} A study about the radio emissions was published in September 2020{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Louis |first1=C. K. |last2=Louarn |first2=P. |last3=Allegrini |first3=F. |last4=Kurth |first4=W. S. |last5=Szalay |first5=J. R. |title=Ganymede-Induced Decametric Radio Emission: In Situ Observations and Measurements by Juno |journal=Geophysical Research Letters |date=2020 |volume=47 |issue=20 |pages=e2020GL090021 |doi=10.1029/2020GL090021 |bibcode=2020GeoRL..4790021L |s2cid=224963913 |url=https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020GL090021 |access-date=28 February 2021 |language=en |issn=1944-8007}} but did not describe them to be of FM nature or similar to WiFi signals.{{Additional citation needed|date=February 2021}}
File:Artist's conception of the quasar J0313–1806, seen as it was only 670 million years after the Big Bang. (Version with labels.).jpgScientists report the discovery of the most distant, and therefore oldest, quasar, J0313–1806. It is located 13 bn light-years away, does not yet have an accepted non-identifier name and significantly challenges theoretical models of early SMBH growth, apparently existing just ~670 million years after the Big Bang despite its large size.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Astronomers discover oldest, most distant quasar and supermassive black hole 13 billion light years away |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/astronomers-discover-oldest-most-distant-quasar-supermassive-black-hole-13-billion-light-years-away/ |access-date=11 February 2021 |work=www.cbsnews.com}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Wang |first1=Feige |last2=Yang |first2=Jinyi |last3=Fan |first3=Xiaohui |last4=Hennawi |first4=Joseph F. |last5=Barth |first5=Aaron J. |last6=Banados |first6=Eduardo |last7=Bian |first7=Fuyan |last8=Boutsia |first8=Konstantina |last9=Connor |first9=Thomas |last10=Davies |first10=Frederick B. |last11=Decarli |first11=Roberto |last12=Eilers |first12=Anna-Christina |last13=Farina |first13=Emanuele Paolo |last14=Green |first14=Richard |last15=Jiang |first15=Linhua |last16=Li |first16=Jiang-Tao |last17=Mazzucchelli |first17=Chiara |last18=Nanni |first18=Riccardo |last19=Schindler |first19=Jan-Torge |last20=Venemans |first20=Bram |last21=Walter |first21=Fabian |last22=Wu |first22=Xue-Bing |last23=Yue |first23=Minghao |title=A Luminous Quasar at Redshift 7.642 |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |date=14 January 2021 |volume=907 |issue=1 |pages=L1 |doi=10.3847/2041-8213/abd8c6 |language=en |issn=2041-8213|arxiv=2101.03179|bibcode=2021ApJ...907L...1W |s2cid=231572944 |doi-access=free}}
Archaeologists report that the African cultural phase, called Middle Stone Age, thought to have lasted from ~300–30 ka, lasted to ~11 ka in some places, highlighting significant spatial and temporal cultural variability.{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Scerri |first1=Eleanor M. L. |last2=Niang |first2=Khady |last3=Candy |first3=Ian |last4=Blinkhorn |first4=James |last5=Mills |first5=William |last6=Cerasoni |first6=Jacopo N. |last7=Bateman |first7=Mark D. |last8=Crowther |first8=Alison |last9=Groucutt |first9=Huw S. |title=Continuity of the Middle Stone Age into the Holocene |journal=Scientific Reports |date=11 January 2021 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=70 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-79418-4 |pmid=33431997 |pmc=7801626 |language=en |issn=2045-2322|doi-access=free }}
WASP-62b is confirmed to be the first hot Jupiter exoplanet without clouds or haze in its observable atmosphere.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=22 January 2021|title=Astronomers discover first cloudless, Jupiter-like planet | url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121185411.htm|work=Science Daily|access-date=25 January 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Alam |first1=Munazza K. |last2=López-Morales |first2=Mercedes |last3=MacDonald |first3=Ryan J. |last4=Nikolov |first4=Nikolay |last5=Kirk |first5=James |last6=Goyal |first6=Jayesh M. |last7=Sing |first7=David K. |last8=Wakeford |first8=Hannah R. |last9=Rathcke |first9=Alexander D. |last10=Deming |first10=Drake L. |last11=Sanz-Forcada |first11=Jorge |last12=Lewis |first12=Nikole K. |last13=Barstow |first13=Joanna K. |last14=Mikal-Evans |first14=Thomas |last15=Buchhave |first15=Lars A. |title=Evidence of a Clear Atmosphere for WASP-62b: The Only Known Transiting Gas Giant in the JWST Continuous Viewing Zone |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |date=11 January 2021 |volume=906 |issue=2 |pages=L10 |doi=10.3847/2041-8213/abd18e |language=en |issn=2041-8213|arxiv=2011.06424 |bibcode=2021ApJ...906L..10A |s2cid=226306572 |doi-access=free}}
12 January
Scientists report the use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to produce a tenfold increase in super-bug targeting formicamycin antibiotics.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=12 January 2021|title=Gene-editing produces tenfold increase in superbug slaying antibiotics | url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-01/jic-gpt011221.php|work=EurekAlert!|access-date=13 January 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Devine |first1=Rebecca |last2=McDonald |first2=Hannah P. |last3=Qin |first3=Zhiwei |last4=Arnold |first4=Corinne J. |last5=Noble |first5=Katie |last6=Chandra |first6=Govind |last7=Wilkinson |first7=Barrie |last8=Hutchings |first8=Matthew I. |title=Re-wiring the regulation of the formicamycin biosynthetic gene cluster to enable the development of promising antibacterial compounds |journal=Cell Chemical Biology |date=12 January 2021 |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=515–523.e5 |doi=10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.12.011 |pmid=33440167 |pmc=8062789 |language=English |issn=2451-9456|doi-access=free }}
COVID-19 pandemic: The National Institute of Infectious Diseases of Japan reports the detection of significant variant of SARS-CoV-2 Lineage P.1 via testing of travelers from Brazil, which was later reported to originate from widespread circulation in Brazil.{{cite press release |author= |title=Brief report: New Variant Strain of SARS-CoV-2 Identified in Travelers from Brazil |url=https://www.niid.go.jp/niid/images/epi/corona/covid19-33-en-210112.pdf |location=Japan |publisher=NIID (National Institute of Infectious Diseases) |date=12 January 2021 |access-date=14 January 2021}}
File:Larger populations promote category convergence across populations.webpResearchers report that large populations consistently converge on highly similar category systems, relevant to lexical aspects of large communication networks and cultures.{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Guilbeault |first1=Douglas |last2=Baronchelli |first2=Andrea |last3=Centola |first3=Damon |title=Experimental evidence for scale-induced category convergence across populations |journal=Nature Communications |date=12 January 2021 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=327 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-20037-y |pmid=33436581 |pmc=7804416 |bibcode=2021NatCo..12..327G |language=en |issn=2041-1723|doi-access=free }}

File:Summary of major environmental-change categories expressed as a percentage change (red) relative to baseline - fcosc-01-615419-g001.jpg

13 January
A new record high temperature of the world's oceans is reported, measured from the surface level down to a depth of 2,000 metres.{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Cheng |first1=Lijing |last2=Abraham |first2=John |last3=Trenberth |first3=Kevin E. |last4=Fasullo |first4=John |last5=Boyer |first5=Tim |last6=Locarnini |first6=Ricardo |last7=Zhang |first7=Bin |last8=Yu |first8=Fujiang |last9=Wan |first9=Liying |last10=Chen |first10=Xingrong |last11=Song |first11=Xiangzhou |last12=Liu |first12=Yulong |last13=Mann |first13=Michael E. |last14=Reseghetti |first14=Franco |last15=Simoncelli |first15=Simona |last16=Gouretski |first16=Viktor |last17=Chen |first17=Gengxin |last18=Mishonov |first18=Alexey |last19=Reagan |first19=Jim |last20=Zhu |first20=Jiang |title=Upper Ocean Temperatures Hit Record High in 2020 |journal=Advances in Atmospheric Sciences |date=13 January 2021 |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=523–530 |doi=10.1007/s00376-021-0447-x |bibcode=2021AdAtS..38..523C |language=en |issn=1861-9533|doi-access=free }}
In Lyon, France, the first transplant of both arms and shoulders is performed on an Icelandic patient.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Icelandic man receives world's first double-arm-and-shoulder transplant |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/23/icelandic-man-receives-worlds-first-double-arm-and-shoulder-transplant |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=The Guardian |agency=AFP |date=23 January 2021}}{{Cite web|title=Double greffe des bras et des épaules à Lyon, une première mondiale|url=https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/sante/os-et-muscles/double-greffe-du-bras-et-des-epaules-a-lyon-une-premiere-mondiale_150843|access-date=25 January 2021|website=Sciences et Avenir|date=15 January 2021 |language=fr}}
Astrophysicists report that energy extraction – with high efficiency – from rotating black holes with a high spin via reconnection of magnetic field lines of an externally supplied magnetic field that accelerates escaping plasma particles is possible. Advanced civilizations may be capable of doing so.{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Comisso |first1=Luca |last2=Asenjo |first2=Felipe A. |title=Magnetic reconnection as a mechanism for energy extraction from rotating black holes |journal=Physical Review D |date=13 January 2021 |volume=103 |issue=2 |pages=023014 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevD.103.023014 |issn=2470-0010 |url=https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.103.023014 |access-date=11 February 2021|arxiv=2012.00879 |bibcode=2021PhRvD.103b3014C |s2cid=227247741 }}
Scientists report that all glacial periods of ice ages over the last 1.5 M years were associated with northward shifts of melting Antarctic icebergs which changed ocean circulation patterns, leading to more CO₂ being pulled out of the atmosphere. Authors note that this process may be disrupted as the Southern Ocean may be too warm for the icebergs to travel far enough to trigger these changes or effects.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Terrawatch: the adventurous icebergs that trigger ice ages |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/03/terrawatch-the-adventurous-icebergs-that-trigger-ice-ages |access-date=12 February 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=3 February 2021 |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Starr |first1=Aidan |last2=Hall |first2=Ian R. |last3=Barker |first3=Stephen |last4=Rackow |first4=Thomas |last5=Zhang |first5=Xu |last6=Hemming |first6=Sidney R. |last7=van der Lubbe |first7=H. J. L. |last8=Knorr |first8=Gregor |last9=Berke |first9=Melissa A. |last10=Bigg |first10=Grant R. |last11=Cartagena-Sierra |first11=Alejandra |last12=Jiménez-Espejo |first12=Francisco J. |last13=Gong |first13=Xun |last14=Gruetzner |first14=Jens |last15=Lathika |first15=Nambiyathodi |last16=LeVay |first16=Leah J. |last17=Robinson |first17=Rebecca S. |last18=Ziegler |first18=Martin |title=Antarctic icebergs reorganize ocean circulation during Pleistocene glacials |journal=Nature |date=January 2021 |volume=589 |issue=7841 |pages=236–241 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-03094-7 |pmid=33442043 |bibcode=2021Natur.589..236S |hdl=10261/258181 |s2cid=231598435 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03094-7 |access-date=12 February 2021 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
A group of 17 high-ranking ecologists publish a perspective piece that reviews a number of studies that, based on current trends, indicate that future environmental conditions will be far more dangerous than currently believed, concluding that current challenges – themselves in specific – that humanity faces are large and underestimated. The small group cautions that such an "optimism bias" is prevalent and that fundamental changes are required, listing a few of such they consider adequate in the form of broad descriptions in their largely static document, published by a scientific journal.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Top scientists warn of 'ghastly future of mass extinction' and climate disruption |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/13/top-scientists-warn-of-ghastly-future-of-mass-extinction-and-climate-disruption-aoe |access-date=12 February 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=13 January 2021 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Avoiding a 'Ghastly Future': Hard Truths on the State of the Planet |url=https://e360.yale.edu/features/avoiding-a-ghastly-future-hard-truths-on-the-state-of-the-planet |website=Yale E360 |access-date=12 February 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Bradshaw |first1=Corey J. A. |last2=Ehrlich |first2=Paul R. |last3=Beattie |first3=Andrew |last4=Ceballos |first4=Gerardo |last5=Crist |first5=Eileen |last6=Diamond |first6=Joan |last7=Dirzo |first7=Rodolfo |last8=Ehrlich |first8=Anne H. |last9=Harte |first9=John |last10=Harte |first10=Mary Ellen |last11=Pyke |first11=Graham |last12=Raven |first12=Peter H. |last13=Ripple |first13=William J. |last14=Saltré |first14=Frédérik |last15=Turnbull |first15=Christine |last16=Wackernagel |first16=Mathis |last17=Blumstein |first17=Daniel T. |title=Underestimating the Challenges of Avoiding a Ghastly Future |journal=Frontiers in Conservation Science |date=2021 |volume=1 |doi=10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419 |language=English |issn=2673-611X|doi-access=free }}
15 January
Researchers in China report the successful transmission of entangled photons between drones, used as nodes for the development of mobile quantum networks or flexible network extensions, marking the first work in which entangled particles were sent between two moving devices.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Using drones to create local quantum networks |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-01-drones-local-quantum-networks.html |access-date=12 February 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Liu |first1=Hua-Ying |last2=Tian |first2=Xiao-Hui |last3=Gu |first3=Changsheng |last4=Fan |first4=Pengfei |last5=Ni |first5=Xin |last6=Yang |first6=Ran |last7=Zhang |first7=Ji-Ning |last8=Hu |first8=Mingzhe |last9=Guo |first9=Jian |last10=Cao |first10=Xun |last11=Hu |first11=Xiaopeng |last12=Zhao |first12=Gang |last13=Lu |first13=Yan-Qing |last14=Gong |first14=Yan-Xiao |last15=Xie |first15=Zhenda |last16=Zhu |first16=Shi-Ning |title=Optical-Relayed Entanglement Distribution Using Drones as Mobile Nodes |journal=Physical Review Letters |date=15 January 2021 |volume=126 |issue=2 |pages=020503 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.020503 |pmid=33512193 |bibcode=2021PhRvL.126b0503L |s2cid=231761406 |url=https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.020503 |access-date=12 February 2021}}
Scientists from U.S. federal medical agencies report that gut infections increase its microbiota's resistance to subsequent infections and that this is associated with taurine, whose exogenous supply can induce this microbiota alteration.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=NIH scientists identify nutrient that helps prevent bacterial infection |url=https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-scientists-identify-nutrient-helps-prevent-bacterial-infection |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=National Institutes of Health (NIH) |date=15 January 2021 |language=EN}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Stacy |first1=Apollo |last2=Andrade-Oliveira |first2=Vinicius |last3=McCulloch |first3=John A. |last4=Hild |first4=Benedikt |last5=Oh |first5=Ji Hoon |last6=Perez-Chaparro |first6=P. Juliana |last7=Sim |first7=Choon K. |last8=Lim |first8=Ai Ing |last9=Link |first9=Verena M. |last10=Enamorado |first10=Michel |last11=Trinchieri |first11=Giorgio |last12=Segre |first12=Julia A. |last13=Rehermann |first13=Barbara |last14=Belkaid |first14=Yasmine |title=Infection trains the host for microbiota-enhanced resistance to pathogens |journal=Cell |date=4 February 2021 |volume=184 |issue=3 |pages=615–627.e17 |doi=10.1016/j.cell.2020.12.011 |pmid=33453153 |pmc=8786454 |language=English |issn=0092-8674|doi-access=free }}
17 January – LauncherOne becomes the first successful all-liquid-fuelled air-launched rocket to reach orbit.{{cite news|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/01/launcherone-second-attempt-nasa-cubesats/|title=LauncherOne reaches orbit on second attempt with NASA CubeSats|first=Thomas|last=Burghardt|publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com|date=17 January 2021|access-date=18 January 2021}}
20 January
Archaeologists report the discovery of what may be earliest evidence of human use of symbols – a ~120-ky-old bone engraved with six lines.{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Prévost |first1=Marion |last2=Groman-Yaroslavski |first2=Iris |last3=Crater Gershtein |first3=Kathryn M. |last4=Tejero |first4=José-Miguel |last5=Zaidner |first5=Yossi |title=Early evidence for symbolic behavior in the Levantine Middle Paleolithic: A 120 ka old engraved aurochs bone shaft from the open-air site of Nesher Ramla, Israel |journal=Quaternary International |date=20 January 2021 |volume=624 |pages=80–93 |doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2021.01.002 |s2cid=234236699 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1040618221000021 |access-date=12 February 2021 |language=en |issn=1040-6182}}
Researchers report that myeloid cells are drivers of a maladaptive inflammation element of brain-ageing in mice and that this can be reversed or prevented via inhibition of their EP2 signalling.{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Minhas |first1=Paras S. |last2=Latif-Hernandez |first2=Amira |last3=McReynolds |first3=Melanie R. |last4=Durairaj |first4=Aarooran S. |last5=Wang |first5=Qian |last6=Rubin |first6=Amanda |last7=Joshi |first7=Amit U. |last8=He |first8=Joy Q. |last9=Gauba |first9=Esha |last10=Liu |first10=Ling |last11=Wang |first11=Congcong |last12=Linde |first12=Miles |last13=Sugiura |first13=Yuki |last14=Moon |first14=Peter K. |last15=Majeti |first15=Ravi |last16=Suematsu |first16=Makoto |last17=Mochly-Rosen |first17=Daria |last18=Weissman |first18=Irving L. |last19=Longo |first19=Frank M. |last20=Rabinowitz |first20=Joshua D. |last21=Andreasson |first21=Katrin I. |title=Restoring metabolism of myeloid cells reverses cognitive decline in ageing |journal=Nature |date=February 2021 |volume=590 |issue=7844 |pages=122–128 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-03160-0 |pmid=33473210 |pmc=8274816 |bibcode=2021Natur.590..122M |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
Scientists report that the MOTS-c peptide in the mitochondrial genome is an AMPK-related regulator of age-dependent physical decline in mice and that its exogenous supply initiated in late-life can substantially increase their physical performance and healthspans.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Researchers Find Powerful Protein Doubles Running Capacity, Improves Physical Performance |url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/health-wellness/researchers-find-powerful-protein-doubles-running-capacity-improves-physical-performance/2509992/ |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=NBC Los Angeles}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Reynolds |first1=Joseph C. |last2=Lai |first2=Rochelle W. |last3=Woodhead |first3=Jonathan S. T. |last4=Joly |first4=James H. |last5=Mitchell |first5=Cameron J. |last6=Cameron-Smith |first6=David |last7=Lu |first7=Ryan |last8=Cohen |first8=Pinchas |last9=Graham |first9=Nicholas A. |last10=Benayoun |first10=Bérénice A. |last11=Merry |first11=Troy L. |last12=Lee |first12=Changhan |title=MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline and muscle homeostasis |journal=Nature Communications |date=20 January 2021 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=470 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-20790-0 |pmid=33473109 |pmc=7817689 |bibcode=2021NatCo..12..470R |language=en |issn=2041-1723|doi-access=free }}
22 January
A study described as the "first long-term assessment of global bee decline", which analyzed GBIF-data of over a century, finds that the number of bee species declined steeply after the 1990s, shrinking by a quarter in 2006–2015 compared to before 1990.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Shah |first1=Karina |title=A quarter of all known bee species haven't been seen since the 1990s |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2265680-a-quarter-of-all-known-bee-species-havent-been-seen-since-the-1990s/ |access-date=11 February 2021 |work=New Scientist}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Zattara |first1=Eduardo E. |last2=Aizen |first2=Marcelo A. |title=Worldwide occurrence records suggest a global decline in bee species richness |journal=One Earth |date=22 January 2021 |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=114–123 |doi=10.1016/j.oneear.2020.12.005 |bibcode=2021OEart...4..114Z |language=English |issn=2590-3330|doi-access=free }}
COVID-19 pandemic: Preliminary analyses indicate that the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern detected in the U.K. is associated with an increased severity of disease.{{cite web |title=NERVTAG paper on COVID-19 variant of concern B.1.1.7 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nervtag-paper-on-covid-19-variant-of-concern-b117 |website=GOV.UK |access-date=11 February 2021 |language=en}}

File:20210125 The Cryosphere - Floating and grounded ice - imbalance - climate change.png is found to be accelerating at a record rate in a scientific review, matching the worst-case scenarios of the IPCC.]]

25 January
Global ice loss is found to be accelerating at a record rate in a scientific review, matching the worst-case scenarios of the IPCC.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=25 January 2021|title=Global ice loss accelerating at record rate, study finds | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/25/global-ice-loss-accelerating-at-record-rate-study-finds|work=The Guardian|access-date=25 January 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Slater |first1=Thomas |last2=Lawrence |first2=Isobel R. |last3=Otosaka |first3=Inès N. |last4=Shepherd |first4=Andrew |last5=Gourmelen |first5=Noel |last6=Jakob |first6=Livia |last7=Tepes |first7=Paul |last8=Gilbert |first8=Lin |last9=Nienow |first9=Peter |title=Review article: Earth's ice imbalance |journal=The Cryosphere |date=25 January 2021 |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=233–246 |doi=10.5194/tc-15-233-2021 |bibcode=2021TCry...15..233S |url=https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/233/2021/ |access-date=12 February 2021 |language=English |issn=1994-0416|doi-access=free }}
Astronomers report the discovery of TOI-178, a rare system of six exoplanets locked in a complex chain of Laplace orbital resonances and variations in the densities that are hard to explain.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=25 January 2021|title=Puzzling six-exoplanet system with rhythmic movement challenges theories of how planets form | url=https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2102/|work=ESO|access-date=26 January 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|news|date=25 January 2021|title=ESA's exoplanet watcher Cheops reveals unique planetary system | url=https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Cheops/ESA_s_exoplanet_watcher_Cheops_reveals_unique_planetary_system|work=ESA|access-date=26 January 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Leleu |first1=A. |last2=Alibert |first2=Y. |last3=Hara |first3=N. C. |last4=Hooton |first4=M. J. |last5=Wilson |first5=T. G. |last6=Robutel |first6=P. |last7=Delisle |first7=J.-B. |last8=Laskar |first8=J. |last9=Hoyer |first9=S. |last10=Lovis |first10=C. |last11=Bryant |first11=E. M. |last12=Ducrot |first12=E. |last13=Cabrera |first13=J. |last14=Acton |first14=J. |last15=Adibekyan |first15=V. |last16=Allart |first16=R. |last17=Prieto |first17=C. Allende |last18=Alonso |first18=R. |last19=Alves |first19=D. |last20=Anderson |first20=D. R. |title=Six transiting planets and a chain of Laplace resonances in TOI-178 |journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics |date=20 January 2021 |volume=649 |pages=A26 |doi=10.1051/0004-6361/202039767 |url=https://www.aanda.org/component/article?access=doi&doi=10.1051/0004-6361/202039767 |access-date=26 February 2021 |language=en |issn=0004-6361|arxiv=2101.09260|bibcode=2021A&A...649A..26L |s2cid=231693292 }}
Australian scientists develop a new cryogenic computer system called Gooseberry, which has potential for scaling up quantum computers from dozens to thousands of qubits.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=2 February 2021|title=Scientists Achieve 'Transformational' Breakthrough in Scaling Quantum Computers | url=https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-achieve-transformational-breakthrough-in-scaling-up-quantum-computers |work=Science Alert|access-date=3 February 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|news|date=1 February 2021|title=Beyond qubits: next big step to scale up quantum computing | url=https://equs.org/news/beyond-qubits-scale-q-computing |work=EQUS|access-date=3 February 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Pauka |first1=S. J. |last2=Das |first2=K. |last3=Kalra |first3=R. |last4=Moini |first4=A. |last5=Yang |first5=Y. |last6=Trainer |first6=M. |last7=Bousquet |first7=A. |last8=Cantaloube |first8=C. |last9=Dick |first9=N. |last10=Gardner |first10=G. C. |last11=Manfra |first11=M. J. |last12=Reilly |first12=D. J. |title=A cryogenic CMOS chip for generating control signals for multiple qubits |journal=Nature Electronics |date=January 2021 |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=64–70 |doi=10.1038/s41928-020-00528-y |s2cid=231715555 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41928-020-00528-y |access-date=5 March 2021 |language=en |issn=2520-1131}}
26 January – A study suggests that operating air purifiers or air ventilation systems in confined spaces during their occupancy by multiple people leads to increased airborne virus transmission due to air circulation effects.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Air purifiers may do more harm than good in confined spaces with airborne viruses |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-01-air-purifiers-good-confined-spaces.html |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Dbouk |first1=Talib |last2=Drikakis |first2=Dimitris |title=On airborne virus transmission in elevators and confined spaces |journal=Physics of Fluids |date=1 January 2021 |volume=33 |issue=1 |pages=011905 |doi=10.1063/5.0038180 |pmid=33790526 |pmc=7984422 |bibcode=2021PhFl...33a1905D |issn=1070-6631|doi-access=free }}
27 January
Researchers report a way to manufacture transparent wood, whose qualities exceed those made with the main process used earlier, that requires substantially less amounts of chemicals and energy – solar-assisted chemical brushing.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Crane |first1=Leah |title=Wood can easily be turned transparent to make energy-saving windows |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2265874-wood-can-easily-be-turned-transparent-to-make-energy-saving-windows/ |access-date=12 February 2021 |work=New Scientist}}{{#invoke:cite|news|title=A new way to make wood transparent, stronger and lighter than glass |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-02-wood-transparent-stronger-lighter-glass.html |access-date=12 February 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Xia |first1=Qinqin |last2=Chen |first2=Chaoji |last3=Li |first3=Tian |last4=He |first4=Shuaiming |last5=Gao |first5=Jinlong |last6=Wang |first6=Xizheng |last7=Hu |first7=Liangbing |title=Solar-assisted fabrication of large-scale, patternable transparent wood |journal=Science Advances |date=1 January 2021 |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=eabd7342 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abd7342 |pmid=33571122 |pmc=7840122 |bibcode=2021SciA....7.7342X |language=en |issn=2375-2548|doi-access=free }}
Scientists report that shark and ray populations have fallen by 71% since 1970 as a result of human actions, primarily overfishing.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Einhorn |first=Catrin |date=27 January 2021 |title=Shark Populations Are Crashing, With a 'Very Small Window' to Avert Disaster |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/climate/sharks-population-study.html |work=The New York Times |location= |access-date=16 February 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|doi = 10.1038/s41586-020-03173-9|title = Half a century of global decline in oceanic sharks and rays|year = 2021|last1 = Pacoureau|first1 = Nathan|last2 = Rigby|first2 = Cassandra L.|last3 = Kyne|first3 = Peter M.|last4 = Sherley|first4 = Richard B.|last5 = Winker|first5 = Henning|last6 = Carlson|first6 = John K.|last7 = Fordham|first7 = Sonja V.|last8 = Barreto|first8 = Rodrigo|last9 = Fernando|first9 = Daniel|last10 = Francis|first10 = Malcolm P.|last11 = Jabado|first11 = Rima W.|last12 = Herman|first12 = Katelyn B.|last13 = Liu|first13 = Kwang-Ming|last14 = Marshall|first14 = Andrea D.|last15 = Pollom|first15 = Riley A.|last16 = Romanov|first16 = Evgeny V.|last17 = Simpfendorfer|first17 = Colin A.|last18 = Yin|first18 = Jamie S.|last19 = Kindsvater|first19 = Holly K.|last20 = Dulvy|first20 = Nicholas K.|journal = Nature|volume = 589|issue = 7843|pages = 567–571|pmid = 33505035|bibcode = 2021Natur.589..567P| hdl=10871/124531 |s2cid = 231723355}}
28 January
COVID-19 pandemic: Medical scientists report the first detection of the SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Chappell |first=Bill |title=South Carolina Reports 1st Known U.S. Cases Of Variant From South Africa |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/01/28/961609976/south-carolina-reports-1st-known-u-s-cases-of-variant-from-south-africa |date=28 January 2021 |work=NPR News |access-date=28 January 2021 }}{{additional citation needed|date=February 2021|reason=Citation that medical scientists reported this / the studies needed (quote from used citation: 'Discussing the variants in a briefing Wednesday, White House officials noted that in cases involving the strain, early studies suggest 'neutralization by vaccine-induced antibodies may be moderately diminished.')}}
Researchers report the development of a highly efficient single-photon source for quantum IT with a system of gated quantum dots in a tunable microcavity which captures photons released from these excited "artificial atoms".{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Tomm |first1=Natasha |last2=Javadi |first2=Alisa |last3=Antoniadis |first3=Nadia Olympia |last4=Najer |first4=Daniel |last5=Löbl |first5=Matthias Christian |last6=Korsch |first6=Alexander Rolf |last7=Schott |first7=Rüdiger |last8=Valentin |first8=Sascha René |last9=Wieck |first9=Andreas Dirk |last10=Ludwig |first10=Arne |last11=Warburton |first11=Richard John |title=A bright and fast source of coherent single photons |journal=Nature Nanotechnology |date=28 January 2021 |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=399–403 |doi=10.1038/s41565-020-00831-x |pmid=33510454 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-020-00831-x |access-date=12 February 2021 |language=en |issn=1748-3395|arxiv=2007.12654 |bibcode=2021NatNa..16..399T |s2cid=220769410 }}

=February=

File:Science Summary for February 2021.webm

2 February
File:Вакцина Спутник V.jpg COVID-19 pandemic: Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is shown to be 92% effective against COVID-19, according to late stage trial results published in The Lancet.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=2 February 2021|title=Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has 92% efficacy in trial | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55900622 |work=BBC News|access-date=2 February 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Logunov |first1=Denis Y. |last2=Dolzhikova |first2=Inna V. |last3=Shcheblyakov |first3=Dmitry V. |last4=Tukhvatulin |first4=Amir I. |last5=Zubkova |first5=Olga V. |last6=Dzharullaeva |first6=Alina S. |last7=Kovyrshina |first7=Anna V. |last8=Lubenets |first8=Nadezhda L. |last9=Grousova |first9=Daria M. |last10=Erokhova |first10=Alina S. |last11=Botikov |first11=Andrei G. |last12=Izhaeva |first12=Fatima M. |last13=Popova |first13=Olga |last14=Ozharovskaya |first14=Tatiana A. |last15=Esmagambetov |first15=Ilias B. |last16=Favorskaya |first16=Irina A. |last17=Zrelkin |first17=Denis I. |last18=Voronina |first18=Daria V. |last19=Shcherbinin |first19=Dmitry N. |last20=Semikhin |first20=Alexander S. |last21=Simakova |first21=Yana V. |last22=Tokarskaya |first22=Elizaveta A. |last23=Egorova |first23=Daria A. |last24=Shmarov |first24=Maksim M. |last25=Nikitenko |first25=Natalia A. |last26=Gushchin |first26=Vladimir A. |last27=Smolyarchuk |first27=Elena A. |last28=Zyryanov |first28=Sergey K. |last29=Borisevich |first29=Sergei V. |last30=Naroditsky |first30=Boris S. |last31=Gintsburg |first31=Alexander L. |title=Safety and efficacy of an rAd26 and rAd5 vector-based heterologous prime-boost COVID-19 vaccine: an interim analysis of a randomised controlled phase 3 trial in Russia |journal=The Lancet |date=20 February 2021 |volume=397 |issue=10275 |pages=671–681 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00234-8 |pmid=33545094 |pmc=7852454 |language=English |issn=0140-6736|doi-access=free }}
COVID-19 pandemic: Medical scientists in the United Kingdom report the detection of E484K (in 11 out of 214,000 samples), a mutation of the U.K. coronavirus variant that may compromise current vaccine effectiveness.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Rettner |first=Rachael |title=UK coronavirus variant develops vaccine-evading mutation – In a handful of instances, the U.K. coronavirus variant has developed a mutation called E484K, which may impact vaccine effectiveness. |url=https://www.livescience.com/uk-coronavirus-variant-mutation-e484k.html |date=2 February 2021 |work=Live Science |access-date=2 February 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Achenbach |first1=Joel |last2=Booth |first2=William |title=Worrisome coronavirus mutation seen in U.K. variant and in some U.S. samples |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/new-covid-mutation-uk-variant/2021/02/02/a164f17a-6577-11eb-886d-5264d4ceb46d_story.html |date=2 February 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2 February 2021 }}
Astronomers report that Tabby's Star, observed to dim in very unusual ways, has been found to be a binary stellar system.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Prostak |first=Sergio |title=Milky Way's 'Most Mysterious Star' Has a Companion – KIC 8462852, a mysteriously dimming star located about 1,480 light-years away in the constellation of Cygnus, is, in fact, a binary stellar system, made up of a main-sequence F-type star and a smaller red dwarf star. |url=http://www.sci-news.com/astronomy/kic-8462852-binary-system-09311.html |date=2 February 2021 |work=Sci-News.com |access-date=3 February 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=A. |first1=Pearce, Logan |last2=L. |first2=Kraus, Adam |last3=J. |first3=Dupuy, Trent |last4=W. |first4=Mann, Andrew |last5=Daniel |first5=Huber |title=Boyajian's Star B: The Co-moving Companion to KIC 8462852 A |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |arxiv=2101.06313 |language=en |date=15 January 2021|volume=909 |issue=2 |page=216 |doi=10.3847/1538-4357/abdd33 |bibcode=2021ApJ...909..216P |s2cid=234354291 |doi-access=free}}
5 February
COVID-19 pandemic: A study suggests that climate change may have driven the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, by increasing the growth of forest habitats favoured by bats carrying the virus.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=5 February 2021|title=Climate Change May Have Driven Emergence of Covid | url=https://www.courthousenews.com/climate-change-may-have-driven-emergence-of-covid/ |work=Courthouse News Service|access-date=8 February 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|news|date=5 February 2021|title=Climate change may have driven the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 | url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-02/uoc-ccm020221.php |work=EurekAlert!|access-date=8 February 2021}}
A new theory aims to explain ʻOumuamua's peculiarities naturally and estimates, if true, ~4% of astronomical bodies in the interstellar medium to be N₂ ice fragments.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Siegel |first1=Ethan |title=New Theory Perfectly Explains 'Oumuamua Naturally: It's A Nitrogen Iceberg |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2021/02/10/new-theory-perfectly-explains-oumuamua-naturally-from-exo-pluto-collisions/ |access-date=5 March 2021 |work=Forbes |language=en}}{{cite web |title=TO SEE A WORLD IN A SHARD OF ICE: 'OUMUAMUA AS A FRAGMENT OF N2ICE FROM AN EXO-PLUTO |url=https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2021/pdf/1718.pdf |access-date=5 March 2021}}
A study identifies genes for face shape and, for the first time, finds that a version of a gene – which was possibly selected for due to adaption to cold climate via fat distribution – is associated with a facial feature, lip thickness, and introgressed from ancient humans – Denisovans – into modern humans, Native Americans.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Genes for face shape identified |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-02-genes.html |access-date=6 March 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Genes for face shape identified {{!}} Scienmag: Latest Science and Health News |url=https://scienmag.com/genes-for-face-shape-identified/ |access-date=6 March 2021 |work=ScienceMag}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Bonfante |first1=Betty |last2=Faux |first2=Pierre |last3=Navarro |first3=Nicolas |last4=Mendoza-Revilla |first4=Javier |last5=Dubied |first5=Morgane |last6=Montillot |first6=Charlotte |last7=Wentworth |first7=Emma |last8=Poloni |first8=Lauriane |last9=Varón-González |first9=Ceferino |last10=Jones |first10=Philip |last11=Xiong |first11=Ziyi |last12=Fuentes-Guajardo |first12=Macarena |last13=Palmal |first13=Sagnik |last14=Chacón-Duque |first14=Juan Camilo |last15=Hurtado |first15=Malena |last16=Villegas |first16=Valeria |last17=Granja |first17=Vanessa |last18=Jaramillo |first18=Claudia |last19=Arias |first19=William |last20=Barquera |first20=Rodrigo |last21=Everardo-Martínez |first21=Paola |last22=Sánchez-Quinto |first22=Mirsha |last23=Gómez-Valdés |first23=Jorge |last24=Villamil-Ramírez |first24=Hugo |last25=Cerqueira |first25=Caio C. Silva de |last26=Hünemeier |first26=Tábita |last27=Ramallo |first27=Virginia |last28=Liu |first28=Fan |last29=Weinberg |first29=Seth M. |last30=Shaffer |first30=John R. |last31=Stergiakouli |first31=Evie |last32=Howe |first32=Laurence J. |last33=Hysi |first33=Pirro G. |last34=Spector |first34=Timothy D. |last35=Gonzalez-José |first35=Rolando |last36=Schüler-Faccini |first36=Lavinia |last37=Bortolini |first37=Maria-Cátira |last38=Acuña-Alonzo |first38=Victor |last39=Canizales-Quinteros |first39=Samuel |last40=Gallo |first40=Carla |last41=Poletti |first41=Giovanni |last42=Bedoya |first42=Gabriel |last43=Rothhammer |first43=Francisco |last44=Thauvin-Robinet |first44=Christel |last45=Faivre |first45=Laurence |last46=Costedoat |first46=Caroline |last47=Balding |first47=David |last48=Cox |first48=Timothy |last49=Kayser |first49=Manfred |last50=Duplomb |first50=Laurence |last51=Yalcin |first51=Binnaz |last52=Cotney |first52=Justin |last53=Adhikari |first53=Kaustubh |last54=Ruiz-Linares |first54=Andrés |title=A GWAS in Latin Americans identifies novel face shape loci, implicating VPS13B and a Denisovan introgressed region in facial variation |journal=Science Advances |date=1 February 2021 |volume=7 |issue=6 |pages=eabc6160 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abc6160 |pmid=33547071 |pmc=7864580 |bibcode=2021SciA....7.6160B |language=en |issn=2375-2548|doi-access=free }}
Researchers demonstrate a first prototype of quantum-logic gates for distributed quantum computers.{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Daiss |first1=Severin |last2=Langenfeld |first2=Stefan |last3=Welte |first3=Stephan |last4=Distante |first4=Emanuele |last5=Thomas |first5=Philip |last6=Hartung |first6=Lukas |last7=Morin |first7=Olivier |last8=Rempe |first8=Gerhard |title=A quantum-logic gate between distant quantum-network modules |journal=Science |date=5 February 2021 |volume=371 |issue=6529 |pages=614–617 |doi=10.1126/science.abe3150 |pmid=33542133 |url=https://science.sciencemag.org/content/371/6529/614 |access-date=7 March 2021 |language=en |issn=0036-8075|arxiv=2103.13095 |bibcode=2021Sci...371..614D |s2cid=231808141 }}
8 February – Scientists report an updated status of studies considering the possible detection of lifeforms on Venus (via of phosphine) and Mars (via methane).{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Chang |first1=Kenneth |last2=Stirone |first2=Shannon |title=Life on Venus? The Picture Gets Cloudier – Despite doubts from many scientists, a team of researchers who said they had detected an unusual gas in the planet's atmosphere were still confident of their findings. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/08/science/venus-life-phosphine.html |date=8 February 2021 |work=The New York Times |access-date=8 February 2021 }}
9 February
The UAE's Hope spacecraft becomes the first Arabian mission to successfully enter orbit around Mars.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=9 February 2021|title=Emirates Mars Mission: Hope spacecraft enters orbit | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55998848 |work=BBC News|access-date=9 February 2021}}
A study using a high spatial resolution model and an updated concentration-response function finds that 10.2 million global excess deaths in 2012 and 8.7 million in 2018 – or {{tooltip|2=A review of this and a more nuanced assessment of mortality impacts in terms of contribution to death, rather than number of deceased, may be needed|a fifth}}{{dubious|date=March 2021|reason=A review of this and a more nuanced assessment of mortality impacts in terms of contribution to death, rather than number of deceased, may be needed}} – were due to air pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion, significantly higher than earlier estimates and with spatially subdivided mortality impacts.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Green |first1=Matthew |title=Fossil fuel pollution causes one in five premature deaths globally: study |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-pollution-fossil-idUSKBN2A90UB |access-date=5 March 2021 |work=Reuters |date=9 February 2021 |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Vohra |first1=Karn |last2=Vodonos |first2=Alina |last3=Schwartz |first3=Joel |last4=Marais |first4=Eloise A.|author4-link=Eloise Marais |last5=Sulprizio |first5=Melissa P. |last6=Mickley |first6=Loretta J. |title=Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion: Results from GEOS-Chem |journal=Environmental Research |date=1 April 2021 |volume=195 |pages=110754 |doi=10.1016/j.envres.2021.110754 |pmid=33577774 |bibcode=2021EnvRe.19510754V |s2cid=231909881 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935121000487 |access-date=5 March 2021 |language=en |issn=0013-9351}}
File:Updated probabilistic forecast of CO2 Emissions, based on data to 2015 and the method of Raftery et al.webpA study concludes that the rates of emissions reductions need to increase by 80% beyond NDCs to meet the 2{{nbsp}}°C upper target range of the Paris Agreement, that the probabilities of major emitters meeting their NDCs without such an increase is very low, estimating that with current trends the probability of staying below 2 °C of warming is 5% and if NDCs were met and continued post-2030 by all signatory systems 26%.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Limiting warming to 2 C requires emissions reductions 80% above Paris Agreement targets |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-02-limiting-requires-emissions-reductions-paris.html |access-date=6 March 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Liu |first1=Peiran R. |last2=Raftery |first2=Adrian E. |title=Country-based rate of emissions reductions should increase by 80% beyond nationally determined contributions to meet the 2 °C target |journal=Communications Earth & Environment |date=9 February 2021 |volume=2 |issue=1 |page=29 |doi=10.1038/s43247-021-00097-8 |pmid=33899003 |pmc=8064561 |bibcode=2021ComEE...2...29L |language=en |issn=2662-4435|doi-access=free }}
A study finds that air pollution by nitrogen dioxide could be a technosignature by which one could detect extraterrestrial civilizations via "atmospheric SETI".{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Pollution on other planets could help us find aliens, Nasa says |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/alien-pollution-planets-nasa-b1801543.html |access-date=6 March 2021 |work=The Independent |date=12 February 2021 |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|magazine|title=Can Alien Smog Lead Us to Extraterrestrial Civilizations? |url=https://www.wired.com/story/can-alien-smog-lead-us-to-extraterrestrial-civilizations/ |access-date=6 March 2021 |magazine=Wired |language=en-us}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Kopparapu |first1=Ravi |last2=Arney |first2=Giada |last3=Haqq-Misra |first3=Jacob |last4=Lustig-Yaeger |first4=Jacob |last5=Villanueva |first5=Geronimo |title=Nitrogen Dioxide Pollution as a Signature of Extraterrestrial Technology |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |date=22 February 2021 |volume=908 |issue=2 |pages=164 |doi=10.3847/1538-4357/abd7f7 |language=en |issn=1538-4357|arxiv=2102.05027|bibcode=2021ApJ...908..164K |s2cid=231855390 |doi-access=free}}
10 February
The Chinese Tianwen-1 spacecraft successfully enters orbit around Mars.{{Cite web|last=Wall|first=Mike|date=11 February 2021|title=China's first Mars mission, Tianwen-1, successfully enters orbit around Red Planet|url=https://www.livescience.com/china-first-mars-mission-tianwen-1-enters-orbit.html|access-date=12 February 2021|website=livescience.com|language=en}}
A journal-accepted preprint suggests observational data for a planet-mass object "Planet 9" at the outer Solar system is not significant and could be selection bias.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=The solar system's mysterious 'ninth planet' may never have existed |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/planet-nine-nasa-solar-system-b1803059.html |access-date=5 March 2021 |work=The Independent |date=17 February 2021 |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Signs of a hidden Planet Nine in the solar system may not hold up |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/hidden-planet-nine-solar-system-evidence-may-not-hold-up |access-date=5 March 2021 |work=Science News |date=22 February 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Napier |first1=K. J. |last2=Gerdes |first2=D. W. |last3=Lin |first3=Hsing Wen |last4=Hamilton |first4=S. J. |last5=Bernstein |first5=G. M. |last6=Bernardinelli |first6=P. H. |last7=Abbott |first7=T. M. C. |last8=Aguena |first8=M. |last9=Annis |first9=J. |last10=Avila |first10=S. |last11=Bacon |first11=D. |last12=Bertin |first12=E. |last13=Brooks |first13=D. |last14=Burke |first14=D. L. |last15=Rosell |first15=A. Carnero |last16=Kind |first16=M. Carrasco |last17=Carretero |first17=J. |last18=Costanzi |first18=M. |last19=da Costa |first19=L. N. |last20=De Vicente |first20=J. |last21=Diehl |first21=H. T. |last22=Doel |first22=P. |last23=Everett |first23=S. |last24=Ferrero |first24=I. |last25=Fosalba |first25=P. |last26=Bellido |first26=J. García |last27=Gruen |first27=D. |last28=Gruendl |first28=R. A. |last29=Gutierrez |first29=G. |last30=Hollowood |first30=D. L. |last31=Honscheid |first31=K. |last32=Hoyle |first32=B. |last33=James |first33=D. J. |last34=Kent |first34=S. |last35=Kuehn |first35=K. |last36=Kuropatkin |first36=N. |last37=Maia |first37=M. A. G. |last38=Menanteau |first38=F. |last39=Miquel |first39=R. |last40=Morgan |first40=R. |last41=Palmese |first41=A. |last42=Paz-Chinchón |first42=F. |last43=Plazas |first43=A. A. |last44=Sanchez |first44=E. |last45=Scarpine |first45=V. |last46=Serrano |first46=S. |last47=Sevilla-Noarbe |first47=I. |last48=Smith |first48=M. |last49=Suchyta |first49=E. |last50=Swanson |first50=M. E. C. |last51=To |first51=C. |last52=Walker |first52=A. R. |last53=Wilkinson |first53=R. D. |title=No Evidence for Orbital Clustering in the Extreme Trans-Neptunian Objects |journal=The Planetary Science Journal |arxiv=2102.05601 |date=18 February 2021|volume=2 |issue=2 |page=59 |doi=10.3847/PSJ/abe53e |bibcode=2021PSJ.....2...59N |s2cid=231861808 |doi-access=free}}
Scientists deduce in a review that Homo sapiens does not have a single origin in terms of ancestor birthplaces being limited to a small geographic region and that current knowledge about long, continuous and complex – e.g. often non-singular, parallel, nonsimultaneous and/or gradual – emergences of characteristics is consistent with a range of evolutionary histories.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Starr |first1=Michelle |title=The Origin of Modern Humans Cannot Be Traced to Any One Single Point in Time or Space |url=https://www.sciencealert.com/the-origin-of-modern-humans-cannot-be-traced-to-any-one-single-point |access-date=7 March 2021 |work=ScienceAlert |language=en-gb}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Bergström |first1=Anders |last2=Stringer |first2=Chris |last3=Hajdinjak |first3=Mateja |last4=Scerri |first4=Eleanor M. L. |last5=Skoglund |first5=Pontus |title=Origins of modern human ancestry |journal=Nature |date=February 2021 |volume=590 |issue=7845 |pages=229–237 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03244-5 |pmid=33568824 |bibcode=2021Natur.590..229B |s2cid=231883210 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03244-5 |access-date=7 March 2021 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
Researchers report the development of a wearable thermoelectric generator with characteristics that make it a candidate for devices continuously harvesting body-heat energy and solar energy with applications such as powering wearable electronics.{{#invoke:cite|news|title='Matrix'-style wearable device turns body heat into energy |url=https://news.trust.org/item/20210210180003-t83ne/ |access-date=7 March 2021 |work=news.trust.org |publisher=Thomson Reuters Foundation}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Ren |first1=Wei |last2=Sun |first2=Yan |last3=Zhao |first3=Dongliang |last4=Aili |first4=Ablimit |last5=Zhang |first5=Shun |last6=Shi |first6=Chuanqian |last7=Zhang |first7=Jialun |last8=Geng |first8=Huiyuan |last9=Zhang |first9=Jie |last10=Zhang |first10=Lixia |last11=Xiao |first11=Jianliang |last12=Yang |first12=Ronggui |title=High-performance wearable thermoelectric generator with self-healing, recycling, and Lego-like reconfiguring capabilities |journal=Science Advances |date=1 February 2021 |volume=7 |issue=7 |pages=eabe0586 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abe0586 |pmid=33568483 |pmc=7875524 |bibcode=2021SciA....7..586R |language=en |issn=2375-2548|doi-access=free }}

File:PIA23962-Mars2020-Rover%26Helicopter-20200714.jpg

11 February
The core of globular cluster NGC 6397 is found to contain a dense concentration of compact remnants (white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes), based on new data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Gaia astrometric mission.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=11 February 2021|title=Hubble Uncovers Concentration of Small Black Holes | url=https://esahubble.org/news/heic2103/ |work=ESA|access-date=21 February 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Vitral |first1=Eduardo |last2=Mamon |first2=Gary A. |title=Does NGC 6397 contain an intermediate-mass black hole or a more diffuse inner subcluster? |journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics |date=1 February 2021 |volume=646 |pages=A63 |doi=10.1051/0004-6361/202039650 |arxiv=2010.05532 |bibcode=2021A&A...646A..63V |url=https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2021/02/aa39650-20/aa39650-20.html |access-date=5 March 2021 |language=en |issn=0004-6361|doi-access=free }}
12 February
Researchers report that brain organoids created with stem cells into which they reintroduced the archaic gene variant NOVA1 present in Neanderthals and Denisovans via CRISPR-Cas9 shows that it has a major impact on neurodevelopment and that such genetic mutations during the evolution of the human brain underlie traits that separate modern humans from extinct Homo species.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Sawal |first1=Ibrahim |title=Mini brains genetically altered with CRISPR to be Neanderthal-like |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2267610-mini-brains-genetically-altered-with-crispr-to-be-neanderthal-like/ |access-date=7 March 2021 |work=New Scientist}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Trujillo |first1=Cleber A. |last2=Rice |first2=Edward S. |last3=Schaefer |first3=Nathan K. |last4=Chaim |first4=Isaac A. |last5=Wheeler |first5=Emily C. |last6=Madrigal |first6=Assael A. |last7=Buchanan |first7=Justin |last8=Preissl |first8=Sebastian |last9=Wang |first9=Allen |last10=Negraes |first10=Priscilla D. |last11=Szeto |first11=Ryan A. |last12=Herai |first12=Roberto H. |last13=Huseynov |first13=Alik |last14=Ferraz |first14=Mariana S. A. |last15=Borges |first15=Fernando S. |last16=Kihara |first16=Alexandre H. |last17=Byrne |first17=Ashley |last18=Marin |first18=Maximillian |last19=Vollmers |first19=Christopher |last20=Brooks |first20=Angela N. |last21=Lautz |first21=Jonathan D. |last22=Semendeferi |first22=Katerina |last23=Shapiro |first23=Beth |last24=Yeo |first24=Gene W. |last25=Smith |first25=Stephen E. P. |last26=Green |first26=Richard E. |last27=Muotri |first27=Alysson R. |title=Reintroduction of the archaic variant of NOVA1 in cortical organoids alters neurodevelopment |journal=Science |date=12 February 2021 |volume=371 |issue=6530 |pages=eaax2537 |doi=10.1126/science.aax2537 |pmid=33574182 |language=en |issn=0036-8075|pmc=8006534 }} A subsequent study failed to replicate the differences in organoid morphology between the modern human and the archaic NOVA1 variant,{{Cite journal |last1=Riesenberg |first1=Stephan |last2=Kanis |first2=Philipp |last3=Macak |first3=Dominik |last4=Wollny |first4=Damian |last5=Düsterhöft |first5=Dorothee |last6=Kowalewski |first6=Johannes |last7=Helmbrecht |first7=Nelly |last8=Maricic |first8=Tomislav |last9=Pääbo |first9=Svante |date=2023-07-20 |title=Efficient high-precision homology-directed repair-dependent genome editing by HDRobust |journal=Nature Methods |volume=20 |issue=9 |language=en |pages=1388–1399 |doi=10.1038/s41592-023-01949-1 |pmid=37474806 |pmc=10482697 |issn=1548-7105|doi-access=free }} consistent with suspected unwanted side effects of CRISPR editing in the original study.{{Cite journal |last1=Maricic |first1=Tomislav |last2=Helmbrecht |first2=Nelly |last3=Riesenberg |first3=Stephan |last4=Macak |first4=Dominik |last5=Kanis |first5=Philipp |last6=Lackner |first6=Martin |last7=Pugach-Matveeva |first7=Agrafena Daria |last8=Pääbo |first8=Svante |date=2021-10-15 |title=Comment on "Reintroduction of the archaic variant of NOVA1 in cortical organoids alters neurodevelopment" |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abi6060 |journal=Science |language=en |volume=374 |issue=6565 |pages=eabi6060 |doi=10.1126/science.abi6060 |pmid=34648345 |s2cid=238990790 |issn=0036-8075|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite journal |last1=Herai |first1=Roberto H. |last2=Szeto |first2=Ryan A. |last3=Trujillo |first3=Cleber A. |last4=Muotri |first4=Alysson R. |date=2021-10-15 |title=Response to Comment on "Reintroduction of the archaic variant of NOVA1 in cortical organoids alters neurodevelopment" |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abi9881 |journal=Science |language=en |volume=374 |issue=6565 |pages=eabi9881 |doi=10.1126/science.abi9881 |pmid=34648331 |s2cid=238990560 |issn=0036-8075|url-access=subscription }}
15 February
Scientists report that the impactor that led to the demise of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago was a fragment from a disrupted comet, rather than an asteroid which has long been the leading candidate among scientists.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Ferreira |first=Becky |title=Where Did the Dinosaur-Killing Impactor Come From? – A new study blames a comet fragment for the death of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. But most experts maintain that an asteroid caused this cataclysmic event. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/15/science/dinosaur-extinction-kt-comet-asteroid.html |date=15 February 2021 |work=The New York Times |access-date=15 February 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Siraj |first1=Amir |title=Breakup of a long-period comet as the origin of the dinosaur extinction |date=15 February 2021 |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=11 |number=3803 |page=3803 |doi=10.1038/s41598-021-82320-2 |pmid=33589634 |pmc=7884440 |arxiv=2102.06785 |bibcode=2021NatSR..11.3803S }}
Researchers report, for the first time, the detection of lifeforms 872 m below the ice of Antarctica, at a depth of 1,233 m and 260 km from the open water at the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf's calving margin.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Guenot |first=Marianne |title=Scientists accidentally found life under 3,000 feet of ice in Antarctica. 'Never in a million years' would they have expected it, the lead scientist said. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/scientist-discover-life-3000-ft-under-ice-in-antarctica-2021-2 |date=15 February 2021 |work=Business Insider |access-date=15 February 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|magazine|last=Simon |first=Matt |title=Scientists Accidentally Discover Strange Creatures Under a Half Mile of Ice – Researchers only drilled through an Antarctic ice shelf to sample sediment. Instead, they found animals that weren't supposed to be there. |url=https://www.wired.com/story/scientists-discover-strange-creatures-under-a-half-mile-of-ice/ |date=15 February 2021 |magazine=Wired |access-date=15 February 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|author=Griffiths, Huw J. |display-authors=et al. |title=Breaking All the Rules: The First Recorded Hard Substrate Sessile Benthic Community Far Beneath an Antarctic Ice Shelf |date=15 February 2021 |journal=Frontiers in Marine Science |volume=8 |doi=10.3389/fmars.2021.642040 |s2cid=231920652 |doi-access=free }}
16 February – Global warming is found to cause increases of pollen season lengths and concentrations.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Schwartz |first1=John |title=Achoo! Climate Change Lengthening Pollen Season in U.S., Study Shows |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/08/climate/climate-change-pollen-season.html |access-date=7 March 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=8 February 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Anderegg |first1=William R. L. |last2=Abatzoglou |first2=John T. |last3=Anderegg |first3=Leander D. L. |last4=Bielory |first4=Leonard |last5=Kinney |first5=Patrick L. |last6=Ziska |first6=Lewis |title=Anthropogenic climate change is worsening North American pollen seasons |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=16 February 2021 |volume=118 |issue=7 |pages=e2013284118 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2013284118 |pmid=33558232 |pmc=7896283 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11813284A |language=en |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }}
17 February – Scientists report the first sequencing of DNA from animal remains more than a million years old – in this case of a mammoth.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Hunt |first=Katie |title=World's oldest DNA sequenced from a mammoth that lived more than a million years ago |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/world/mammoth-oldest-dna-million-years-ago-scn/index.html |date=17 February 2021 |work=CNN News |access-date=17 February 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last=Callaway |first=Ewen |title=Million-year-old mammoth genomes shatter record for oldest ancient DNA – Permafrost-preserved teeth, up to 1.6 million years old, identify a new kind of mammoth in Siberia. |date=17 February 2021 |journal=Nature |volume=590 |issue=7847 |pages=537–538 |doi=10.1038/d41586-021-00436-x |pmid=33597786 |doi-access=free }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=van der Valk |first1=Tom |last2=Pečnerová |first2=Patrícia |last3=Díez-del-Molino |first3=David |last4=Bergström |first4=Anders |last5=Oppenheimer |first5=Jonas |last6=Hartmann |first6=Stefanie |last7=Xenikoudakis |first7=Georgios |last8=Thomas |first8=Jessica A. |last9=Dehasque |first9=Marianne |last10=Sağlıcan |first10=Ekin |last11=Fidan |first11=Fatma Rabia |last12=Barnes |first12=Ian |last13=Liu |first13=Shanlin |last14=Somel |first14=Mehmet |last15=Heintzman |first15=Peter D. |last16=Nikolskiy |first16=Pavel |last17=Shapiro |first17=Beth |last18=Skoglund |first18=Pontus |last19=Hofreiter |first19=Michael |last20=Lister |first20=Adrian M. |last21=Götherström |first21=Anders |last22=Dalén |first22=Love |title=Million-year-old DNA sheds light on the genomic history of mammoths |journal=Nature |date=17 February 2021 |volume=591 |issue=7849 |pages=265–269 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03224-9 |pmid=33597750 |pmc=7116897 |bibcode=2021Natur.591..265V |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
18 February
NASA's Mars 2020 mission (containing the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter drone) lands on Mars at Jezero Crater, after seven months of travel.{{Cite web|last=mars.nasa.gov|title=Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover|url=https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/|access-date=18 February 2021|website=mars.nasa.gov|language=en}}
Astronomers report that Cygnus X-1, one of the first known black holes in the Milky Way galaxy, is substantially more massive than first thought. This finding challenges the way the evolution of massive stars is understood.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Overbye |first=Dennis |author-link=Dennis Overbye |title=A Famous Black Hole Gets a Massive Update – Cygnus X-1, one of the first identified black holes, is much weightier than expected, raising new questions about how such objects form. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/18/science/cygnus-black-hole-astronomy.html |date=18 February 2021 |work=The New York Times |access-date=21 February 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|author=Miller-Jones, James C. A. |display-authors=et al. |title=Cygnus X-1 contains a 21–solar mass black hole—Implications for massive star winds |url=https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2021/02/17/science.abb3363 |date=18 February 2021 |journal=Science |volume=371 |issue=6533 |pages=1046–1049 |doi=10.1126/science.abb3363 |pmid=33602863 |s2cid=231951746 |access-date=21 February 2021 |arxiv=2102.09091 |bibcode=2021Sci...371.1046M }}
Teams of cognitive scientists report having established real-time communication with people undergoing a lucid dream and show that they were able to comprehend questions and use working memory.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Study finds real-time dialogue with a dreaming person is possible |url=https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-real-time-dialogue-person.html |access-date=7 March 2021 |work=medicalxpress.com |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Konkoly |first1=Karen R. |last2=Appel |first2=Kristoffer |last3=Chabani |first3=Emma |last4=Mangiaruga |first4=Anastasia |last5=Gott |first5=Jarrod |last6=Mallett |first6=Remington |last7=Caughran |first7=Bruce |last8=Witkowski |first8=Sarah |last9=Whitmore |first9=Nathan W. |last10=Mazurek |first10=Christopher Y. |last11=Berent |first11=Jonathan B. |last12=Weber |first12=Frederik D. |last13=Türker |first13=Başak |last14=Leu-Semenescu |first14=Smaranda |last15=Maranci |first15=Jean-Baptiste |last16=Pipa |first16=Gordon |last17=Arnulf |first17=Isabelle |last18=Oudiette |first18=Delphine |last19=Dresler |first19=Martin |last20=Paller |first20=Ken A. |title=Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep |journal=Current Biology |date=18 February 2021 |volume=31 |issue=7 |pages=1417–1427.e6 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.026 |pmid=33607035 |pmc=8162929 |language=English |issn=0960-9822|doi-access=free }}
19 February
Scientists report that the short global geomagnetic reversal – a geomagnetic excursion – of Earth's magnetic field ~42,000 years ago – the Laschamp event – in combination with grand solar minima, caused major extinctions and environmental changes and may have contributed to the extinction of the Neanderthals and appearances of cave art. It altered the geographical extension of auroras and levels of harmful radiation worldwide. They term the event which they find to constitute a major enviro-archaeological boundary "Adams Transitional Geomagnetic Event".{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Mitchell |first1=Alanna |title=A Hitchhiker's Guide to an Ancient Geomagnetic Disruption |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/18/science/laschamp-earth-magnetic-climate.html |access-date=5 March 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=18 February 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Cooper |first1=Alan |last2=Turney |first2=Chris S. M. |last3=Palmer |first3=Jonathan |last4=Hogg |first4=Alan |last5=McGlone |first5=Matt |last6=Wilmshurst |first6=Janet |last7=Lorrey |first7=Andrew M. |last8=Heaton |first8=Timothy J. |last9=Russell |first9=James M. |last10=McCracken |first10=Ken |last11=Anet |first11=Julien G. |last12=Rozanov |first12=Eugene |last13=Friedel |first13=Marina |last14=Suter |first14=Ivo |last15=Peter |first15=Thomas |last16=Muscheler |first16=Raimund |last17=Adolphi |first17=Florian |last18=Dosseto |first18=Anthony |last19=Faith |first19=J. Tyler |last20=Fenwick |first20=Pavla |last21=Fogwill |first21=Christopher J. |last22=Hughen |first22=Konrad |last23=Lipson |first23=Mathew |last24=Liu |first24=Jiabo |last25=Nowaczyk |first25=Norbert |last26=Rainsley |first26=Eleanor |last27=Ramsey |first27=Christopher Bronk |last28=Sebastianelli |first28=Paolo |last29=Souilmi |first29=Yassine |last30=Stevenson |first30=Janelle |last31=Thomas |first31=Zoë |last32=Tobler |first32=Raymond |last33=Zech |first33=Roland |title=A global environmental crisis 42,000 years ago |journal=Science |date=19 February 2021 |volume=371 |issue=6531 |pages=811–818 |doi=10.1126/science.abb8677 |pmid=33602851 |s2cid=231955607 |url=https://science.sciencemag.org/content/371/6531/811 |access-date=5 March 2021 |language=en |issn=0036-8075}}
Thomas Metzinger, a German philosopher of cognitive science and applied ethics, calls for a "global moratorium on synthetic phenomenology" which, "until 2050", precautionarily bans "all research that directly aims at or knowingly risks the emergence of artificial consciousness on post-biotic carrier systems" – and could be gradually refined. The paper does not describe mechanisms of global enforcement of proposed regulations which do not consider biotic or semi-biotic systems and aims to limit suffering risks.{{cite web |title=Why we should worry about computer suffering |url=https://iai.tv/articles/why-we-should-worry-about-computer-suffering-auid-1761?_auid=2020 |website=IAI TV – Changing how the world thinks |access-date=8 March 2021 |date=2 March 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|author=Thomas Metzinger |title=Artificial Suffering: An Argument for a Global Moratorium on Synthetic Phenomenology |journal=Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness |date=19 February 2021 |volume=08 |pages=43–66 |doi=10.1142/S270507852150003X |issn=2705-0785|doi-access=free }}
22 February – Astronomers release, for the first time, a very high-resolution map of 25,000 active supermassive black holes, covering four percent of the Northern celestial hemisphere, based on ultra-low radio wavelengths, as detected by the LOFAR in Europe.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Starr |first=Michelle |title=The White Dots in This Image Are Not Stars or Galaxies. They're Black Holes |url=https://www.sciencealert.com/every-white-dot-in-this-image-is-a-black-hole-at-the-heart-of-a-distant-galaxy |date=22 February 2021 |work=ScienceAlert |access-date=22 February 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Gasperin |first1=F. De |last2=Williams |first2=W. L. |last3=Best |first3=P. |last4=Brüggen |first4=M. |last5=Brunetti |first5=G. |last6=Cuciti |first6=V. |last7=Dijkema |first7=T. J. |last8=Hardcastle |first8=M. J. |last9=Norden |first9=M. J. |last10=Offringa |first10=A. |last11=Shimwell |first11=T. |last12=Weeren |first12=R. van |title=The LOFAR LBA Sky Survey. I. Survey description and preliminary data release |journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics |date=18 February 2021 |volume=648 |pages=A104 |doi=10.1051/0004-6361/202140316 |url=https://www.aanda.org/component/article?access=doi&doi=10.1051/0004-6361/202140316 |access-date=5 March 2021 |language=en |issn=0004-6361|arxiv=2102.09238|bibcode=2021A&A...648A.104D |s2cid=231951262 }}
25 February – Researchers confirm that the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, which includes the Gulf Stream, is at its weakest since about 1,000 years ago, experiencing unprecedented weakening – likely due to global warming – which could result in more extreme weather events – including heatwaves and intense winters – and is moving towards a "tipping point".{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Harvey|first1=Fiona |author-link=Fiona Harvey |title=Atlantic Ocean circulation at weakest in a millennium, say scientists |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/25/atlantic-ocean-circulation-at-weakest-in-a-millennium-say-scientists |access-date=7 March 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=26 February 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Gulf Stream System at its weakest in over a millennium |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-02-gulf-stream-weakest-millennium.html |access-date=7 March 2021 |work=phys.org |publisher=Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Caesar |first1=L. |last2=McCarthy |first2=G. D. |last3=Thornalley |first3=D. J. R. |last4=Cahill |first4=N. |last5=Rahmstorf |first5=S. |title=Current Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation weakest in last millennium |journal=Nature Geoscience |date=25 February 2021 |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=118–120 |doi=10.1038/s41561-021-00699-z |bibcode=2021NatGe..14..118C |s2cid=232052381 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00699-z |access-date=7 March 2021 |language=en |issn=1752-0908}}
26 February – COVID-19 pandemic: The Wall Street Journal reports that a purported patient zero of COVID-19 may have been infected by parents who visited a different food market than the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market that has been thought to be the primary source of the infection earlier.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Page |first1=Jeremy |last2=Hinshaw |first2=Drew |last3=McKay |first3=Betsy |title=In Hunt for Covid-19 Origin, Patient Zero Points to Second Wuhan Market – The man with the first confirmed infection of the new coronavirus told the WHO team that his parents had shopped there |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-hunt-for-covid-19-origin-patient-zero-points-to-second-wuhan-market-11614335404 |date=26 February 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=27 February 2021 }}
28 February – Winchcombe meteorite: Fragments of a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite, the first known in Britain, fall at Winchcombe in the English Cotswolds.{{cite web|title= Fireball meteorite that blazed across the UK recovered from a driveway|first=Josh|last=Davis|date=9 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021|url=https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2021/march/uk-fireball-meteorite-has-been-recovered-driveway-gloucestershire.html|publisher=Natural History Museum, London}}

=March=

File:Science Summary for March 2021.webm

File:Technosignatures chart (labelled).png technosignatures.]]

1 March
A scientific review produced by the i.a. NASA-sponsored online workshop TechnoClimes 2020 about mission concepts for the search of technosignatures is published. They classify signatures based on a metric about the distance of humanity to the capacity of developing the signature's required technology, associated methods of detection and ancillary benefits of their search. The study's conclusions include robust rationales for searching artifacts within the Solar System.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Carter |first1=Jamie |title=Revealed: Why We Should Look For Ancient Alien Spacecraft On The Moon, Mars And Mercury According To NASA Scientists |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2021/03/22/nasa-should-look-for-crashed-alien-spacecraft-on-mars-and-lurkers-on-asteroids-say-scientists/ |access-date=17 April 2021 |work=Forbes |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|title=Concepts for future missions to search for technosignatures |journal=Acta Astronautica |date=1 May 2021 |volume=182 |pages=446–453 |doi=10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.02.029 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S009457652100103X |access-date=17 April 2021 |arxiv=2103.01536 |language=en |issn=0094-5765|last1=Socas-Navarro |first1=Hector |last2=Haqq-Misra |first2=Jacob |last3=Wright |first3=Jason T. |last4=Kopparapu |first4=Ravi |last5=Benford |first5=James |last6=Davis |first6=Ross |author7=TechnoClimes 2020 workshop participants |bibcode=2021AcAau.182..446S |s2cid=232092198 }}
2 March
Scientists report substantially more precise and regionally subdivided end times of the Acheulean, finding that it persisted long after the diffusion of Middle Palaeolithic technologies in multiple continental regions and ended over 100,000 years apart.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Neanderthal and early modern human stone tool culture co-existed for over 100,000 years |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-03-neanderthal-early-modern-human-stone.html |access-date=18 April 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Key |first1=Alastair J. M. |last2=Jarić |first2=Ivan |last3=Roberts |first3=David L. |title=Modelling the end of the Acheulean at global and continental levels suggests widespread persistence into the Middle Palaeolithic |journal=Humanities and Social Sciences Communications |date=2 March 2021 |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=1–12 |doi=10.1057/s41599-021-00735-8 |language=en |issn=2662-9992|doi-access=free }}
A study of data on half a million U.K. citizens shows associations between meat intake with risks of some of 25 common conditions, including ischaemic heart disease and diabetes, as well as a lower risk of iron deficiency anaemia.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Regular meat consumption linked with a wide range of common diseases |url=https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-03-regular-meat-consumption-linked-wide.html |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=medicalxpress.com |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Papier |first1=Keren |last2=Fensom |first2=Georgina K. |last3=Knuppel |first3=Anika |last4=Appleby |first4=Paul N. |last5=Tong |first5=Tammy Y. N. |last6=Schmidt |first6=Julie A. |last7=Travis |first7=Ruth C. |last8=Key |first8=Timothy J. |last9=Perez-Cornago |first9=Aurora |title=Meat consumption and risk of 25 common conditions: outcome-wide analyses in 475,000 men and women in the UK Biobank study |journal=BMC Medicine |date=2 March 2021 |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=53 |doi=10.1186/s12916-021-01922-9 |pmid=33648505 |pmc=7923515 |issn=1741-7015|doi-access=free }} A study published on 31 March finds higher intake of processed meat was associated with "a higher risk of mortality and major CVD".{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Processed meat linked to higher risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease |url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/asfn-pml032521.php |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=EurekAlert! |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Iqbal |first1=Romaina |last2=Dehghan |first2=Mahshid |last3=Mente |first3=Andrew |last4=Rangarajan |first4=Sumathy |last5=Wielgosz |first5=Andreas |last6=Avezum |first6=Alvaro |last7=Seron |first7=Pamela |last8=AlHabib |first8=Khalid F |last9=Lopez-Jaramillo |first9=Patricio |last10=Swaminathan |first10=Sumathi |last11=Mohammadifard |first11=Noushin |last12=Zatońska |first12=Katarzyna |last13=Bo |first13=Hu |last14=Varma |first14=Ravi Prasad |last15=Rahman |first15=Omar |last16=Yusufali |first16=AfzalHussein |last17=Lu |first17=Yin |last18=Ismail |first18=Noorhassim |last19=Rosengren |first19=Annika |last20=Imeryuz |first20=Neşe |last21=Yeates |first21=Karen |last22=Chifamba |first22=Jephat |last23=Dans |first23=Antonio |last24=Kumar |first24=Rajesh |last25=Xiaoyun |first25=Liu |last26=Tsolekile |first26=Lungi |last27=Khatib |first27=Rasha |last28=Diaz |first28=Rafael |last29=Teo |first29=Koon |last30=Yusuf |first30=Salim |title=Associations of unprocessed and processed meat intake with mortality and cardiovascular disease in 21 countries [Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study]: a prospective cohort study |journal=The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition |date=31 March 2021 |volume=114 |issue=nqaa448 |pages=1049–1058 |doi=10.1093/ajcn/nqaa448 |pmid=33787869 |url=https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa448/6195530 |access-date=22 April 2021 |issn=0002-9165}}
3 March
COVID-19 pandemic: Scientists report that a much more contagious SARS-CoV-2 variant, Lineage P.1, first detected in Japan, and more recently found in Brazil, as well as in several places in the United States, may be associated with COVID-19 disease reinfection after recovery from an earlier COVID-19 infection.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Andreoni |first1=Manuela |last2=Londoño |first2=Ernesto |last3=Casado |first3=Leticia |title=Brazil's Covid Crisis Is a Warning to the Whole World, Scientists Say – Brazil is seeing a record number of deaths, and the spread of a more contagious coronavirus variant that may cause reinfection. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/03/world/americas/Brazil-covid-variant.html |date=3 March 2021 |work=The New York Times |access-date=3 March 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Zimmer |first=Carl |author-link=Carl Zimmer |title=Virus Variant in Brazil Infected Many Who Had Already Recovered From Covid-19 – The first detailed studies of the so-called P.1 variant show how it devastated a Brazilian city. Now scientists want to know what it will do elsewhere. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/01/health/covid-19-coronavirus-brazil-variant.html |date=1 March 2021 |work=The New York Times |access-date=3 March 2021 }}
Scientists demonstrate a bioinspired self-powered soft robot for deep-sea operation at the deepest part of the ocean at the Mariana Trench. The robot features artificial muscles and wings out of pliable materials and electronics distributed within its silicone body and could be used for exploration and environmental monitoring.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Soft robot dives 10 km under the ocean |url=https://physicsworld.com/a/soft-robot-dives-10-km-under-the-ocean/ |access-date=17 April 2021 |work=Physics World |date=23 March 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Laschi |first1=Cecilia|author1-link=Cecilia Laschi |last2=Calisti |first2=Marcello |title=Soft robot reaches the deepest part of the ocean |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00489-y |access-date=17 April 2021 |journal=Nature |date=March 2021 |volume=591 |issue=7848 |pages=35–36 |language=en |doi=10.1038/d41586-021-00489-y|pmid=33658698 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Li |first1=Guorui |last2=Chen |first2=Xiangping |last3=Zhou |first3=Fanghao |last4=Liang |first4=Yiming |last5=Xiao |first5=Youhua |last6=Cao |first6=Xunuo |last7=Zhang |first7=Zhen |last8=Zhang |first8=Mingqi |last9=Wu |first9=Baosheng |last10=Yin |first10=Shunyu |last11=Xu |first11=Yi |last12=Fan |first12=Hongbo |last13=Chen |first13=Zheng |last14=Song |first14=Wei |last15=Yang |first15=Wenjing |last16=Pan |first16=Binbin |last17=Hou |first17=Jiaoyi |last18=Zou |first18=Weifeng |last19=He |first19=Shunping |last20=Yang |first20=Xuxu |last21=Mao |first21=Guoyong |last22=Jia |first22=Zheng |last23=Zhou |first23=Haofei |last24=Li |first24=Tiefeng |last25=Qu |first25=Shaoxing |last26=Xu |first26=Zhongbin |last27=Huang |first27=Zhilong |last28=Luo |first28=Yingwu |last29=Xie |first29=Tao |last30=Gu |first30=Jason |last31=Zhu |first31=Shiqiang |last32=Yang |first32=Wei |title=Self-powered soft robot in the Mariana Trench |journal=Nature |date=March 2021 |volume=591 |issue=7848 |pages=66–71 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-03153-z |pmid=33658693 |bibcode=2021Natur.591...66L |s2cid=232114871 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03153-z |access-date=17 April 2021 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
Scientists report the discovery of an endosymbiont, bacteria Azoamicus ciliaticola, of an anaerobic ciliate to which it provides energy in the stored form of ATP. Unlike mitochondria, which play the same role in eukaryotes, it enables its host to breathe nitrate instead of oxygen.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Strange microbe "breathes" nitrates using a mitochondria-like symbiont |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/03/nitrate-breathing-microorganism-offers-glimpse-into-evolutions-past/ |access-date=18 April 2021 |work=Ars Technica |date=17 March 2021 |language=en-us}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Graf |first1=Jon S. |last2=Schorn |first2=Sina |last3=Kitzinger |first3=Katharina |last4=Ahmerkamp |first4=Soeren |last5=Woehle |first5=Christian |last6=Huettel |first6=Bruno |last7=Schubert |first7=Carsten J. |last8=Kuypers |first8=Marcel M. M. |last9=Milucka |first9=Jana |title=Anaerobic endosymbiont generates energy for ciliate host by denitrification |journal=Nature |date=March 2021 |volume=591 |issue=7850 |pages=445–450 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03297-6 |pmid=33658719 |pmc=7969357 |bibcode=2021Natur.591..445G |language=en |issn=1476-4687|doi-access=free }}
4 March – COVID-19 pandemic: Scientists report a problematic COVID-19 variant, less susceptible to vaccines, a combination of British B.1.1.7 and South African E484K (Eeek) mutations, in the state of Oregon.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Mandavilli |first=Apoorva |title=In Oregon, Scientists Find a Virus Variant With a Worrying Mutation – In a single sample, geneticists discovered a version of the coronavirus first identified in Britain with a mutation originally reported in South Africa. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/05/health/virus-oregon-variant.html |date=5 March 2021 |work=The New York Times |access-date=6 March 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|author=Chen, Rita E. |display-authors=et al. |title=Resistance of SARS-CoV-2 variants to neutralization by monoclonal and serum-derived polyclonal antibodies |date=4 March 2021 |journal=Nature Medicine |volume=27 |issue=4 |pages=717–726 |doi=10.1038/s41591-021-01294-w |pmid=33664494 |pmc=8058618 |doi-access=free }}
5 March – NASA names the landing site of the Perseverance rover in Jezero crater as "Octavia E. Butler Landing".{{#invoke:cite|news|author= |title=Welcome to 'Octavia E. Butler Landing' |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/25701/welcome-to-octavia-e-butler-landing/ |date=5 March 2021 |work=NASA |access-date=5 March 2021 }}
8 March
Astronomers report the discovery of a quasar known as P172+18, the most distant source of radio emissions known to date, some 13 billion light years away.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=8 March 2021|title=Most distant quasar with powerful radio jets discovered | url=https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2103/ |work=ESO |access-date=8 March 2021}}
Scientists propose storing DNA and other biological reproductive structures in a "lunar ark" on the Moon of all 6.7 million species of plants, animals and fungi known on Earth – to help assure their survivability over the years.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Baker |first=Harry |title=Scientists want to store DNA of 6.7 million species on the moon, just in case – The 'lunar ark' would be hidden in lava tubes.|url=https://www.livescience.com/proposed-lunar-ark-for-biodiversity.html |date=14 March 2021 |work=Live Science |access-date=14 March 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|news|author= |title=Engineers Propose Solar-Powered Lunar Ark as 'Modern Global Insurance Policy' |url=https://news.engineering.arizona.edu/news/engineers-propose-solar-powered-lunar-ark-modern-global-insurance-policy |date=8 March 2021 |work=University of Arizona |access-date=14 March 2021 }}
Study results indicate that limiting global warming to 1.5 °C would prevent most of the tropics from reaching the wet-bulb temperature of the human physiological limit.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Global heating pushes tropical regions towards limits of human livability |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/mar/08/global-heating-tropical-regions-human-livability |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=8 March 2021 |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Zhang |first1=Yi |last2=Held |first2=Isaac |last3=Fueglistaler |first3=Stephan |title=Projections of tropical heat stress constrained by atmospheric dynamics |journal=Nature Geoscience |date=March 2021 |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=133–137 |doi=10.1038/s41561-021-00695-3 |bibcode=2021NatGe..14..133Z |s2cid=232146008 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00695-3 |access-date=19 April 2021 |language=en |issn=1752-0908}}
A new global food emissions database indicates that food systems are responsible for one third of the global anthropogenic GHG emissions.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=FAO – News Article: Food systems account for more than one third of global greenhouse gas emissions |url=http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1379373/icode/ |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=www.fao.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Crippa |first1=M. |last2=Solazzo |first2=E. |last3=Guizzardi |first3=D. |last4=Monforti-Ferrario |first4=F. |last5=Tubiello |first5=F. N. |last6=Leip |first6=A. |title=Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions |journal=Nature Food |date=March 2021 |volume=2 |issue=3 |pages=198–209 |doi=10.1038/s43016-021-00225-9 |pmid=37117443 |language=en |issn=2662-1355|doi-access=free }}
Scientists report that some of Elysia marginata sea slugs can shed and regenerate their parasitised whole body from their head which is capable of photosynthesis.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Self-decapitating sea slugs drop their heads and regrow whole bodies |url=https://newatlas.com/biology/sea-slugs-drop-heads-regrow-whole-bodies/ |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=New Atlas |date=9 March 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Mitoh |first1=Sayaka |last2=Yusa |first2=Yoichi |title=Extreme autotomy and whole-body regeneration in photosynthetic sea slugs |journal=Current Biology |date=8 March 2021 |volume=31 |issue=5 |pages=R233–R234 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.014 |pmid=33689716 |language=English |issn=0960-9822|doi-access=free }}

File:Alcubierre.pngs sourced from known and familiar purely positive energy could exist.]]

9 March
Physicists report that according to their theoretical model traversable microscopic wormholes may be possible and not require any exotic matter.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Microscopic wormholes possible in theory |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-03-microscopic-wormholes-theory.html |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Blázquez-Salcedo |first1=Jose Luis |last2=Knoll |first2=Christian |last3=Radu |first3=Eugen |title=Traversable Wormholes in Einstein-Dirac-Maxwell Theory |journal=Physical Review Letters |date=9 March 2021 |volume=126 |issue=10 |pages=101102 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.101102 |pmid=33784127 |url=https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.101102 |access-date=22 April 2021|arxiv=2010.07317 |bibcode=2021PhRvL.126j1102B |hdl=10773/32560 |s2cid=222378921 }} Another study published on the same day finds that humanly traversable wormholes may be possible if reality can broadly be described by the Randall–Sundrum model 2, which is a brane-based theory consistent with string theory.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Schirber |first1=Michael |title=Wormholes Open for Transport |url=https://physics.aps.org/articles/v14/s28 |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=Physics |date=9 March 2021 |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Maldacena |first1=Juan |last2=Milekhin |first2=Alexey |title=Humanly traversable wormholes |journal=Physical Review D |date=9 March 2021 |volume=103 |issue=6 |pages=066007 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevD.103.066007| arxiv=2008.06618 |bibcode=2021PhRvD.103f6007M |doi-access=free }}
{{anchor|10.1088/1361-6382/abe692}}A physicist describes a way warp drives sourced from known and familiar purely positive energy could exist – warp bubbles based on superluminal self-reinforcing "soliton" waves. It may allow for up to Faster-than-light speed travel, transfers and communication with the large energy requirements possibly being reducible.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Spacecraft in a 'warp bubble' could travel faster than light, claims physicist |url=https://physicsworld.com/a/spacecraft-in-a-warp-bubble-could-travel-faster-than-light-claims-physicist/ |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=Physics World |date=19 March 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Dunham |first1=Will |title=There's light-speed travel in 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek.' Is it possible? |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-exploration-lightspeed-idCAKBN2B32NA |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=Reuters |date=11 March 2021 |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Breaking the warp barrier for faster-than-light travel |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-03-warp-barrier-faster-than-light.html |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Lentz |first1=Erik W |title=Breaking the warp barrier: hyper-fast solitons in Einstein–Maxwell-plasma theory |journal=Classical and Quantum Gravity |date=9 March 2021 |volume=38 |issue=7 |pages=075015 |doi=10.1088/1361-6382/abe692 |url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6382/abe692 |access-date=22 April 2021 |language=en |issn=0264-9381|arxiv=2006.07125 |bibcode=2021CQGra..38g5015L |s2cid=219635854 }}
Scientists use novel lipid nanoparticles to deliver CRISPR genome editing into the livers of mice, resulting in a 57% reduction of LDL cholesterol levels.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=1 March 2021|title=Scientists use lipid nanoparticles to precisely target gene editing to the liver | url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/tu-sul022421.php |work=EurekAlert!|access-date=2 March 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Qiu |first1=Min |last2=Glass |first2=Zachary |last3=Chen |first3=Jinjin |last4=Haas |first4=Mary |last5=Jin |first5=Xin |last6=Zhao |first6=Xuewei |last7=Rui |first7=Xuehui |last8=Ye |first8=Zhongfeng |last9=Li |first9=Yamin |last10=Zhang |first10=Feng |last11=Xu |first11=Qiaobing |title=Lipid nanoparticle-mediated codelivery of Cas9 mRNA and single-guide RNA achieves liver-specific in vivo genome editing of Angptl3 |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=9 March 2021 |volume=118 |issue=10 |pages=e2020401118 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2020401118 |pmid=33649229 |pmc=7958351 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11820401Q |language=en |issn=0027-8424 |doi-access=free }}
10 March
Researchers describe a CRISPR-dCas9 epigenome editing method for a potential treatment of chronic pain, an analgesia that represses Na_v1.7 and showed therapeutic potential in three mouse models of pain.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Unique CRISPR gene therapy offers opioid-free chronic pain treatment |url=https://newatlas.com/science/crispr-gene-therapy-opioid-free-chronic-pain-relief/ |access-date=18 April 2021 |work=New Atlas |date=11 March 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Moreno |first1=Ana M. |last2=Alemán |first2=Fernando |last3=Catroli |first3=Glaucilene F. |last4=Hunt |first4=Matthew |last5=Hu |first5=Michael |last6=Dailamy |first6=Amir |last7=Pla |first7=Andrew |last8=Woller |first8=Sarah A. |last9=Palmer |first9=Nathan |last10=Parekh |first10=Udit |last11=McDonald |first11=Daniella |last12=Roberts |first12=Amanda J. |last13=Goodwill |first13=Vanessa |last14=Dryden |first14=Ian |last15=Hevner |first15=Robert F. |last16=Delay |first16=Lauriane |last17=Santos |first17=Gilson Gonçalves dos |last18=Yaksh |first18=Tony L. |last19=Mali |first19=Prashant |title=Long-lasting analgesia via targeted in situ repression of NaV1.7 in mice |journal=Science Translational Medicine |date=10 March 2021 |volume=13 |issue=584 |pages=eaay9056 |doi=10.1126/scitranslmed.aay9056 |pmid=33692134 |pmc=8830379 |s2cid=232170826 |language=en |issn=1946-6234}}
COVID-19 pandemic: A cohort study of patients matched by similarity finds that the probability of increased mortality from VOC-202012/01 is high, increasing from 0.25 to 0.41% in the low-risk group of the database without controlling for U.K. vaccination campaign effects.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant significantly more dangerous |url=https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210322/B117-SARS-CoV-2-variant-significantly-more-dangerous.aspx |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=News-Medical.net |date=22 March 2021 |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Challen |first1=Robert |last2=Brooks-Pollock |first2=Ellen |last3=Read |first3=Jonathan M. |last4=Dyson |first4=Louise |last5=Tsaneva-Atanasova |first5=Krasimira |last6=Danon |first6=Leon |title=Risk of mortality in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern 202012/1: matched cohort study |journal=BMJ |date=10 March 2021 |volume=372 |pages=n579 |doi=10.1136/bmj.n579 |pmid=33687922 |pmc=7941603 |language=en |issn=1756-1833|doi-access=free }} A study published on 15 March estimates the strain's mortality-risk to be ~61% (42–82%) higher than that of pre-existing variants.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Forster |first1=Victoria |title=U.K. Coronavirus Variant Is Significantly More Deadly, Says New Study |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2021/03/15/uk-coronavirus-variant-significantly-more-deadly-says-new-study/ |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=Forbes |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Davies |first1=Nicholas G. |last2=Jarvis |first2=Christopher I. |last3=Edmunds |first3=W. John |last4=Jewell |first4=Nicholas P. |last5=Diaz-Ordaz |first5=Karla |last6=Keogh |first6=Ruth H. |title=Increased mortality in community-tested cases of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 |journal=Nature |date=15 March 2021 |volume=593 |issue=7858 |pages=270–274 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03426-1 |pmid=33723411 |pmc=9170116 |bibcode=2021Natur.593..270D |language=en |issn=1476-4687|doi-access=free }}
An analysis of the leaked and allegedly manipulated data about COVID-19 vaccines indicates concerns over percentage of intact mRNA in early commercial batches of mRNA vaccines, possibly reflecting a lack of certainty that relates to their efficacy at the time.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Leaked Documents Raise Concerns Over Integrity of mRNA Molecules in Some COVID-19 Vaccines |url=https://scitechdaily.com/leaked-documents-raise-concerns-over-integrity-of-mrna-molecules-in-some-covid-19-vaccines/ |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=SciTechDaily |date=10 March 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Tinari |first1=Serena |title=The EMA covid-19 data leak, and what it tells us about mRNA instability |journal=BMJ |date=10 March 2021 |volume=372 |pages=n627 |doi=10.1136/bmj.n627 |pmid=33692030 |url=https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n627 |access-date=19 April 2021 |language=en |issn=1756-1833|doi-access=free }}
A new microscopy technique using a hyperbolic metamaterial is shown to boost imaging resolutions, from 200 nanometres down to 40 nanometres.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Light-shrinking material lets ordinary microscope see in super resolution |url=https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3287 |date=June 1, 2021 |work=UC San Diego|access-date=June 1, 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Lee |first1=Yeon Ui |last2=Zhao |first2=Junxiang |last3=Ma |first3=Qian |last4=Khorashad |first4=Larousse Khosravi |last5=Posner |first5=Clara |last6=Li |first6=Guangru |last7=Wisna |first7=G. Bimananda M. |last8=Burns |first8=Zachary |last9=Zhang |first9=Jin |last10=Liu |first10=Zhaowei |title=Metamaterial assisted illumination nanoscopy via random super-resolution speckles |journal=Nature Communications |date=10 March 2021 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=1559 |doi=10.1038/s41467-021-21835-8 |pmid=33692354 |language=en |issn=2041-1723|pmc=7946936 |bibcode=2021NatCo..12.1559L }}

File:Terra Indígena Porquinhos, Maranhão (25758143568).jpg currently emits more greenhouse gases than it absorbs overall.]]

11 March – Results of a scientific synthesis indicate that, in terms of global warming, the Amazon basin with the Amazon rainforest now emits more greenhouse gases than it absorbs overall due to climate change impacts and human activities in the area – mainly deforestation.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Fox |first1=Alex |title=The Amazon Rainforest Now Emits More Greenhouse Gases Than It Absorbs |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/amazon-rainforest-now-emits-more-greenhouse-gases-it-absorbs-180977347/ |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Covey |first1=Kristofer |last2=Soper |first2=Fiona |last3=Pangala |first3=Sunitha |last4=Bernardino |first4=Angelo |last5=Pagliaro |first5=Zoe |last6=Basso |first6=Luana |last7=Cassol |first7=Henrique |last8=Fearnside |first8=Philip |last9=Navarrete |first9=Diego |last10=Novoa |first10=Sidney |last11=Sawakuchi |first11=Henrique |last12=Lovejoy |first12=Thomas |last13=Marengo |first13=Jose |last14=Peres |first14=Carlos A. |last15=Baillie |first15=Jonathan |last16=Bernasconi |first16=Paula |last17=Camargo |first17=Jose |last18=Freitas |first18=Carolina |last19=Hoffman |first19=Bruce |last20=Nardoto |first20=Gabriela B. |last21=Nobre |first21=Ismael |last22=Mayorga |first22=Juan |last23=Mesquita |first23=Rita |last24=Pavan |first24=Silvia |last25=Pinto |first25=Flavia |last26=Rocha |first26=Flavia |last27=de Assis Mello |first27=Ricardo |last28=Thuault |first28=Alice |last29=Bahl |first29=Alexis Anne |last30=Elmore |first30=Aurora |title=Carbon and Beyond: The Biogeochemistry of Climate in a Rapidly Changing Amazon |journal=Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |date=2021 |volume=4 |doi=10.3389/ffgc.2021.618401 |bibcode=2021FrFGC...4.8401C |language=English |issn=2624-893X|doi-access=free }}
15 March – Scientists report the discovery of a new unknown bacteria species, for the first time, of Methylobacterium, tentatively named Methylobacterium ajmalii, associated with three new strains, designated IF7SW-B2T, IIF1SW-B5, and IIF4SW-B5, on the International Space Station.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Bowler |first=Jacinta |title=Microbes Unknown to Science Discovered on The International Space Station |url=https://www.sciencealert.com/four-bacterial-strains-discovered-on-the-iss-may-help-grow-better-space-plants |date=16 March 2021 |work=ScienceAlert |access-date=16 March 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Bijlani |first1=Swati |last2=Singh |first2=Nitin K. |last3=Eedara |first3=V. V. Ramprasad |last4=Podile |first4=Appa Rao |last5=Mason |first5=Christopher E. |last6=Wang |first6=Clay C. C. |last7=Venkateswaran |first7=Kasthuri |title=Methylobacterium ajmalii sp. nov., Isolated From the International Space Station |journal=Frontiers in Microbiology |date=2021 |volume=12 |page=639396 |doi=10.3389/fmicb.2021.639396 |pmid=33790880 |pmc=8005752 |language=English |issn=1664-302X|doi-access=free }}
16 March – Scientists present evidence that the interstellar object ‘Oumuamua may likely be a piece of a planet similar to Pluto from beyond the Solar System, ejected ~0,5 bn years ago.{{#invoke:cite|news|author= |title=Scientists determine the origin of extra-solar object 'Oumuamua |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-03-scientists-extra-solar-oumuamua.html |date=17 March 2021 |work=Phys.org |access-date=17 March 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|author=Jackson, Alan P. |display-authors=et al |title=1I/'Oumuamua as an N2 ice fragment of an exo-Pluto surface: I. Size and Compositional Constraints |date=16 March 2021 |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets |volume=126 |issue=5 |pages=e06706 |doi=10.1029/2020JE006706 |arxiv=2103.08788 |bibcode=2021JGRE..12606706J |doi-access=free }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|author=Desch, S.J. |display-authors=et al. |title=1I/'Oumuamua as an N2 ice fragment of an exo-pluto surface II: Generation of N2 ice fragments and the origin of 'Oumuamua |date=16 March 2021 |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets |volume=126 |issue=5 |pages=e06807 |doi=10.1029/2020JE006807 |arxiv=2103.08812 |bibcode=2021JGRE..12606807D |doi-access=free }}
17 March – A study finds that an optimized globally coordinated marine conservation could be "nearly twice as efficient as uncoordinated, national-level" planning and estimates that bottom trawling releases as much CO₂-emissions as pre-COVID-19 aviation.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Having it all: Protecting biodiversity, carbon capture, and fish stocks |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/03/how-to-optimize-protecting-the-ocean/ |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=Ars Technica |date=24 March 2021 |language=en-us}}{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Targeted ocean protection could offer 3X the benefits |url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/03/targeted-ocean-protection-benefits-climate-change-environment-biodiversity/ |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=World Economic Forum |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Sala |first1=Enric |last2=Mayorga |first2=Juan |last3=Bradley |first3=Darcy |last4=Cabral |first4=Reniel B. |last5=Atwood |first5=Trisha B. |last6=Auber |first6=Arnaud |last7=Cheung |first7=William |last8=Costello |first8=Christopher |last9=Ferretti |first9=Francesco |last10=Friedlander |first10=Alan M. |last11=Gaines |first11=Steven D. |last12=Garilao |first12=Cristina |last13=Goodell |first13=Whitney |last14=Halpern |first14=Benjamin S. |last15=Hinson |first15=Audra |last16=Kaschner |first16=Kristin |last17=Kesner-Reyes |first17=Kathleen |last18=Leprieur |first18=Fabien |last19=McGowan |first19=Jennifer |last20=Morgan |first20=Lance E. |last21=Mouillot |first21=David |last22=Palacios-Abrantes |first22=Juliano |last23=Possingham |first23=Hugh P. |last24=Rechberger |first24=Kristin D. |last25=Worm |first25=Boris |last26=Lubchenco |first26=Jane |title=Protecting the global ocean for biodiversity, food and climate |journal=Nature |date=April 2021 |volume=592 |issue=7854 |pages=397–402 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03371-z |pmid=33731930 |bibcode=2021Natur.592..397S |s2cid=232301777 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03371-z |access-date=19 April 2021 |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}
18 March – A study finds that the severity of heatwave and drought impacts on crop production roughly tripled over the last 50 years in Europe.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Europe's heat and drought crop losses tripled in 50 years: study |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-04-europe-drought-crop-losses-tripled.html |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Brás |first1=Teresa Armada |last2=Seixas |first2=Júlia |last3=Carvalhais |first3=Nuno |last4=Jägermeyr |first4=Jonas |title=Severity of drought and heatwave crop losses tripled over the last five decades in Europe |journal=Environmental Research Letters |date=18 March 2021 |volume=16 |issue=6 |page=065012 |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/abf004 |bibcode=2021ERL....16f5012B |language=en |issn=1748-9326|doi-access=free }}

File:A view of the M87 supermassive black hole in polarised light.tif supermassive black hole in polarised light]]

19 March
NASA reports, based on measurements of over 500 Marsquakes by the InSight lander on the planet Mars, that the core of Mars is between {{convert|1810 and 1860|km|mi|abbr=on}}, about half the size of the core of Earth, and significantly smaller – suggesting a core of lighter elements – than thought earlier.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Yirka |first=Bob |title=Data from Insight reveals size of Mars's core |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-03-insight-reveals-size-mars-core.html |date=19 March 2021 |work=Phys.org |access-date=19 March 2021 }}{{cite web |title=Seismic detection of the martian core by insight |url=https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2021/pdf/1545.pdf |access-date=29 April 2021}}
Physicists confirm the first detection of an odderon, based on data collected from CERN{{'s}} Large Hadron Collider.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Pastore |first=Rose |title=Physicists Discover the Elusive Odderon, First Predicted 50 Years Ago |url=https://gizmodo.com/physicists-discover-the-elusive-odderon-first-predicte-1846513075 |date=19 March 2021 |work=Gizmodo |access-date=19 March 2021 }}
22 March – Astronomers report, for the first time, that the area producing pulses of a repeating fast radio burst (FRB), particularly FRB 180916, is about {{convert|1|km|mi|abbr=off}} in scale, based on studies at extremely short timescales.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Ferreira |first=Becky |title=Scientists Have Discovered a New Pattern In a Repeating Signal from Space – What astronomers found in the most precise time measurement of a fast radio burst ever captured. |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5b4gq/scientists-have-discovered-a-new-pattern-in-a-repeating-signal-from-space |date=22 March 2021 |work=Vice |access-date=23 March 2021 }}{{#invoke:cite|journal|author=Nimmo, K. |display-authors=et al. |title=Highly polarized microstructure from the repeating FRB 20180916B |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-021-01321-3 |date=22 March 2021 |journal=Nature Astronomy |volume=5 |issue=6 |page=594 |doi=10.1038/s41550-021-01321-3 |arxiv=2010.05800 |bibcode=2021NatAs...5..594N |s2cid=230524168 |access-date=23 March 2021 }}
23 March
News media announces the public release, for the first time, of a comprehensive report of UFO events accumulated by the United States over the years.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Thebault |first=Reis |title=Thanks to Trump-era covid relief bill, a UFO report may soon be public — and it'll be big, ex-official says |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2021/03/23/ufo-report-covid-bill/ |date=23 March 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=23 March 2021 }}
COVID-19 pandemic: A study finds that the snapshot mass-testing for COVID-19 of ~80% of Slovakia's population during a weekend at the end of October 2020 was highly efficacious, decreasing observed prevalence by 58% within one week and 70% compared to a hypothetical scenario of no snapshot-mass-testing.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Lewis |first1=Tanya |title=Slovakia Offers a Lesson in How Rapid Testing Can Fight COVID |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/slovakia-offers-a-lesson-in-how-rapid-testing-can-fight-covid/ |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=Scientific American |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Pavelka |first1=Martin |last2=Van-Zandvoort |first2=Kevin |last3=Abbott |first3=Sam |last4=Sherratt |first4=Katharine |last5=Majdan |first5=Marek |last6=Group5 |first6=CMMID COVID-19 working |last7=Analýz |first7=Inštitút Zdravotných |last8=Jarčuška |first8=Pavol |last9=Krajčí |first9=Marek |last10=Flasche |first10=Stefan |last11=Funk |first11=Sebastian |title=The impact of population-wide rapid antigen testing on SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in Slovakia |journal=Science |date=23 March 2021 |volume=372 |issue=6542 |pages=635–641 |doi=10.1126/science.abf9648 |pmid=33758017 |pmc=8139426 |bibcode=2021Sci...372..635P |language=en |issn=0036-8075|doi-access=free }}
24 March
A collaboration of scientists using the Event Horizon Telescope present the first polarized-based image of a black hole, at the center of Messier 87, revealing the forces giving rise to quasars.{{#invoke:cite|news|last=Overbye |first=Dennis |author-link=Dennis Overbye |title=The Most Intimate Portrait Yet of a Black Hole – Two years of analyzing the polarized light from a galaxy's giant black hole has given scientists a glimpse at how quasars might arise. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/science/astronomy-messier-87-black-hole.html |date=24 March 2021 |work=The New York Times |access-date=25 March 2021 }}
Scientists report that a delayed change in the shape of early brain cells causes the distinctly large human forebrain compared to other apes and identify a genetic regulator of it, ZEB2.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Scientists discover how humans develop larger brains than other apes |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-03-scientists-humans-larger-brains-apes.html |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Benito-Kwiecinski |first1=Silvia |last2=Giandomenico |first2=Stefano L. |last3=Sutcliffe |first3=Magdalena |last4=Riis |first4=Erlend S. |last5=Freire-Pritchett |first5=Paula |last6=Kelava |first6=Iva |last7=Wunderlich |first7=Stephanie |last8=Martin |first8=Ulrich |last9=Wray |first9=Gregory A. |last10=McDole |first10=Kate |last11=Lancaster |first11=Madeline A. |title=An early cell shape transition drives evolutionary expansion of the human forebrain |journal=Cell |date=15 April 2021 |volume=184 |issue=8 |pages=2084–2102.e19 |doi=10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.050 |pmid=33765444 |pmc=8054913 |language=English |issn=0092-8674|doi-access=free }}
26 March – A collision between the asteroid 99942 Apophis and Earth is ruled out, for at least the next hundred years, based on new observations by NASA.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=26 March 2021|title=NASA Analysis: Earth Is Safe From Asteroid Apophis for 100-Plus Years | url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-analysis-earth-is-safe-from-asteroid-apophis-for-100-plus-years |work=NASA|access-date=26 March 2021}}
29 March
Tokamak Energy announces "first plasma" with its newly-upgraded prototype fusion reactor, the ST40.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=29 March 2021|title=Tokamak Energy on track to be the first private company to achieve 100 million degree plasma temperature, paving the way to commercial fusion energy | url=https://www.tokamakenergy.co.uk/tokamak-energy-on-track-to-be-the-first-private-company-to-achieve-100-million-degree-plasma-temperature-paving-the-way-to-commercial-fusion-energy/ |work=Tokamak Energy|access-date=30 March 2021}}
A study estimates that the national trade-, production- and consumption-patterns of the G7 drive an average annual loss of 3.9 trees per capita.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Average westerner's eating habits lead to loss of four trees every year |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/29/average-westerners-eating-habits-lead-to-loss-of-four-trees-every-year |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=29 March 2021 |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Hoang |first1=Nguyen Tien |last2=Kanemoto |first2=Keiichiro |title=Mapping the deforestation footprint of nations reveals growing threat to tropical forests |journal=Nature Ecology & Evolution |date=29 March 2021 |volume=5 |issue=6 |pages=845–853 |doi=10.1038/s41559-021-01417-z |pmid=33782576 |bibcode=2021NatEE...5..845H |s2cid=232420306 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01417-z |access-date=19 April 2021 |language=en |issn=2397-334X}}
A case-control study of cities finds that redistributing street space for cycling infrastructure – for so-called "pop-up bike lanes" – during the COVID-19 pandemic lead to large additional increases in cycling.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Penney |first1=Veronica |title=If You Build It, They Will Bike: Pop-Up Lanes Increased Cycling During Pandemic |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/climate/bikes-climate-change.html |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=1 April 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Kraus |first1=Sebastian |last2=Koch |first2=Nicolas |title=Provisional COVID-19 infrastructure induces large, rapid increases in cycling |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=13 April 2021 |volume=118 |issue=15 |pages=e2024399118 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2024399118 |pmid=33782111 |pmc=8053938 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11824399K |language=en |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free }}
The extensive pesticide pollution risks worldwide are estimated with a new environmental model.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=A third of global farmland at 'high' pesticide pollution risk |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-03-global-farmland-high-pesticide-pollution.html |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Tang |first1=Fiona H. M. |last2=Lenzen |first2=Manfred |last3=McBratney |first3=Alexander |last4=Maggi |first4=Federico |title=Risk of pesticide pollution at the global scale |journal=Nature Geoscience |date=April 2021 |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=206–210 |doi=10.1038/s41561-021-00712-5 |bibcode=2021NatGe..14..206T |language=en |issn=1752-0908|doi-access=free }}
30 March – Scientists report evidence of subglacial sediment stored since 1966 that indicates that Greenland was ice-free and vegetated at least once within the last million years.{{#invoke:cite|news|title=Scientists stunned to discover plants beneath mile-deep Greenland ice |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-03-scientists-stunned-beneath-mile-deep-greenland.html |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Christ |first1=Andrew J. |last2=Bierman |first2=Paul R. |last3=Schaefer |first3=Joerg M. |last4=Dahl-Jensen |first4=Dorthe |last5=Steffensen |first5=Jørgen P. |last6=Corbett |first6=Lee B. |last7=Peteet |first7=Dorothy M. |last8=Thomas |first8=Elizabeth K. |last9=Steig |first9=Eric J. |last10=Rittenour |first10=Tammy M. |last11=Tison |first11=Jean-Louis |last12=Blard |first12=Pierre-Henri |last13=Perdrial |first13=Nicolas |last14=Dethier |first14=David P. |last15=Lini |first15=Andrea |last16=Hidy |first16=Alan J. |last17=Caffee |first17=Marc W. |last18=Southon |first18=John |title=A multimillion-year-old record of Greenland vegetation and glacial history preserved in sediment beneath 1.4 km of ice at Camp Century |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=30 March 2021 |volume=118 |issue=13 |pages=e2021442118 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2021442118 |pmid=33723012 |pmc=8020747 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11821442C |language=en |issn=0027-8424 |doi-access=free }}
31 March
The first high-bandwidth, wireless brain-computer interface is demonstrated, with 200 electrodes providing 48 megabits per second (Mbit/s) of neural signals.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=31 March 2021|title=Researchers demonstrate first human use of high-bandwidth wireless brain-computer interface | url=https://www.brown.edu/news/2021-03-31/braingate-wireless |work=Brown University|access-date=1 April 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Simeral |first1=John D |last2=Hosman |first2=Thomas |last3=Saab |first3=Jad |last4=Flesher |first4=Sharlene N |last5=Vilela |first5=Marco |last6=Franco |first6=Brian |last7=Kelemen |first7=Jessica |last8=Brandman |first8=David M |last9=Ciancibello |first9=John G |last10=Rezaii |first10=Paymon G |last11=Eskandar |first11=Emad N. |last12=Rosler |first12=David M |last13=Shenoy |first13=Krishna V |last14=Henderson |first14=Jaimie M. |last15=Nurmikko |first15=Arto V |last16=Hochberg |first16=Leigh R. |title=Home Use of a Percutaneous Wireless Intracortical Brain-Computer Interface by Individuals With Tetraplegia |journal=IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering |date=2021 |volume=68 |issue=7 |pages=2313–2325 |doi=10.1109/TBME.2021.3069119 |pmid=33784612 |pmc=8218873 |issn=1558-2531|doi-access=free }}
The first 3D atomic imaging of an amorphous solid is presented, showing the 18,000 atoms in a particle of metallic glass.{{#invoke:cite|news|date=31 March 2021|title=Century-old problem solved with first-ever 3D atomic imaging of an amorphous solid | url=https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/first-ever-3d-atomic-imaging-amorphous-solid |work=University of California|access-date=9 April 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Yang |first1=Yao |last2=Zhou |first2=Jihan |last3=Zhu |first3=Fan |last4=Yuan |first4=Yakun |last5=Chang |first5=Dillan J. |last6=Kim |first6=Dennis S. |last7=Pham |first7=Minh |last8=Rana |first8=Arjun |last9=Tian |first9=Xuezeng |last10=Yao |first10=Yonggang |last11=Osher |first11=Stanley J. |last12=Schmid |first12=Andreas K. |last13=Hu |first13=Liangbing |last14=Ercius |first14=Peter |last15=Miao |first15=Jianwei |title=Determining the three-dimensional atomic structure of an amorphous solid |journal=Nature |date=April 2021 |volume=592 |issue=7852 |pages=60–64 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03354-0 |pmid=33790443 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03354-0 |access-date=29 April 2021 |language=en |issn=1476-4687|arxiv=2004.02266 |bibcode=2021Natur.592...60Y |s2cid=214802235 }}
A report about the leading causes of death in the U.S. for 2020 is published.{{#invoke:cite|news|last1=Rabin |first1=Roni Caryn |title=Covid-19 was the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020, federal health researchers report. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/us/covid-death-rates.html |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=31 March 2021}}{{#invoke:cite|journal|last1=Ahmad |first1=Farida B. |last2=Anderson |first2=Robert N. |title=The Leading Causes of Death in the US for 2020 |journal=JAMA |date=31 March 2021 |volume=325 |issue=18 |pages=1829–1830 |doi=10.1001/jama.2021.5469 |pmid=33787821 |pmc=8145781 |language=en |issn=0098-7484|doi-access=free}}

Deaths

4 January – Martinus J. G. Veltman, Dutch theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1931)
28 January – Paul J. Crutzen, Dutch meteorologist and atmospheric chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1933)
16 February – Bernard Lown, Lithuanian-born American inventor and cardiologist (b. 1921){{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/16/health/bernard-lown-dead.html|title=Bernard Lown, Inventive Heart Doctor and Antiwar Activist, Dies at 99|first=Robert D.|last=McFadden|newspaper=The New York Times|date=16 February 2021}}

References

Category:2021-related lists

Category:Science timelines by year