2013 Scientific Discoveries Events — Verified Historical Highlights
2013 Scientific Discoveries Events — Verified Historical Highlights | TakeMeBack.to
- 11 Jan Huge-LQG: Largest known universe structure: On January 11, 2013, astronomers announced the discovery of the Huge Large Quasar Group (Huge-LQG), the largest known structure in the universe at that time. This quasar group spanned over 4 billion light-years, challenging existing cosmological models. source: bbc.com
- 21 Jan NASA Kepler Telescope Safe Mode: NASA placed the Kepler space telescope in a 10-day precautionary safe mode after engineers discovered an issue with the telescope's orientation mechanism.
- 05 Feb Largest Prime Number Discovered: Curtis Cooper, a computer scientist and mathematician at the University of Central Missouri, discovered the largest known prime number—a Mersenne prime with over 17.4 million digits, advancing mathematical knowledge.
- 20 Feb Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Launched: Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin, and Yuri Milner co-founded the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, offering 11 prizes totaling $3 million to recognize excellence in life sciences research.
- 21 Feb Bumblebees' Electrical Sensing Ability Discovered: A scientific study revealed that bumblebees possess the remarkable ability to sense electric fields surrounding flowers, providing new insights into insect perception and plant-pollinator interactions.
- 23 Feb F-35 Fleet Grounded Due to Technical Issue: The United States Air Force temporarily grounded its entire fleet of 51 F-35 jets, valued at $400 billion, after maintenance personnel discovered a cracked engine blade during routine inspections.
- 28 Feb NASA Discovers Third Radiation Belt: NASA's Van Allen Probes make a groundbreaking scientific discovery by identifying a temporary third radiation belt surrounding planet Earth, expanding our understanding of the planet's magnetic environment.
- 06 Mar Scientific Discovery in Human Genetics: A newly discovered haplogroup pushes back the estimated time of Y-chromosome Adam's origin, providing new insights into human genetic evolution.
- 08 Mar New bacteria discovered in Antarctic Lake Vostok: Scientists announced the discovery of new bacteria in Antarctica's Lake Vostok, a subglacial lake isolated for millions of years. This finding has implications for understanding life in extreme environments and the potential for extraterrestrial life. source: bbc.com
- 12 Mar NASA Mars life potential discovery: On March 12, 2013, NASA announced findings from the Curiosity rover indicating that Mars once had conditions suitable for microbial life, including evidence of ancient water flows. source: nasa.gov
- 14 Mar CERN confirms discovery of Higgs boson particle: On March 14, 2013, CERN announced that new data from the Large Hadron Collider provided strong evidence for the Higgs boson, a particle linked to the mechanism that gives mass to elementary particles. source: home.cern
- 03 May New Theropod Dinosaur Discovery in China: An international team of scientists discovered a new meat-eating Theropod dinosaur in China, named Aorun zhaoi, dating back 161 million years and representing the oldest known Coelurosaur.
- 29 May New Oldest Bird Species Discovery: Aurornis xui has been described as the most basal Avialae species, potentially replacing Archaeopteryx as the oldest known bird in scientific classification.
- 30 May Woolly Mammoth Carcass Discovery: Russian scientists discovered a remarkably preserved woolly mammoth carcass containing liquid blood, offering unprecedented opportunities for paleontological research.
- 05 Jun Oldest Known Primate Fossil Discovered: Archicebus achilles, a newly discovered fossil species, has been described as the oldest primate known to science, providing significant insights into early primate evolution.
- 04 Jul New Lizard Species Discovered in Brazil: A previously unknown species of lizard was discovered in Sergipe, Brazil, contributing to the scientific understanding of local biodiversity.
- 22 Jul Scientific Discovery: Dolphins' Unique Names: American scientists discovered that dolphins share unique names and respond to them similarly to humans, providing fascinating insights into marine mammal communication and intelligence.
- 02 Aug New Primate Discovery in Madagascar: Scientists discovered a new primate species, the Lavasoa dwarf lemur, in the unique biodiversity hotspot of Madagascar, expanding our understanding of primate evolution and endemic wildlife.
- 15 Aug Scientific Discovery of Olinguito: The Smithsonian announced the groundbreaking discovery of the olinguito, a new carnivorous mammal species found in the Americas. This was the first such discovery in 35 years, representing a significant moment in zoological research and biodiversity understanding. source: Wikipedia (day-month pages)
- 30 Aug Massive Canyon Discovered Under Greenland Ice: Scientists discovered a remarkable 800 km long canyon beneath Greenland's ice sheet, providing new insights into the region's geological structure.
- 06 Sep Rare Rock Rat Rediscovered: Scientists in Central Australia rediscovered the elusive Australian Central Rock Rat, a species not seen since 1960, offering hope for conservation efforts and biodiversity research.
- 07 Oct Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Awarded: On October 7, 2013, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to James Rothman, Randy Schekman, and Thomas Südhof for their discoveries concerning the molecular principles of vesicle trafficking. Their work provided profound insights into the mechanisms governing the transport of molecules within cells, with significant implications for understanding various diseases.
- 08 Oct Francois Englert and Peter Higgs awarded Nobel Prize in Physics 2013: On October 8, 2013, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to François Englert and Peter Higgs for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism explaining the origin of mass of subatomic particles, and predicting the existence of a new particle, the Higgs boson. Their work was fundamental to the understanding of particle physics. source: nobelprize.org
- 28 Oct New Animal Species Discovery in Queensland: Three new animal species were discovered in Queensland, Australia: a leaf-tailed gecko and a golden-colored skink, contributing to biodiversity knowledge.
- 01 Nov New Marsupial Species Discovery in Australia: Scientists in Queensland, Australia, have discovered three new species of Antechinus, a small carnivorous marsupial known for its unique reproductive strategies.
- 13 Nov Oldest Big Cat Fossil Discovery: Scientists discover the oldest known big cat fossil, Panthera blytheae, in Tibet, providing crucial insights into the evolutionary history of feline species.
- 22 Nov Discovery of Siats Meekerorum Dinosaur: Scientists announced the discovery of a massive dinosaur skeleton of the Siats meekerorum species, measuring over 30 feet long, providing new insights into prehistoric fauna.
- 03 Dec Chasmosaurus Fossil Discovery: A fossilized baby Chasmosaurus dinosaur was discovered in Alberta, Canada, providing valuable insights into prehistoric life and paleontological research.
- 09 Dec NASA's Curiosity Rover Mars discovery: On December 9, 2013, NASA's Curiosity Rover made significant discoveries on Mars, including evidence of ancient water. These findings contribute to our understanding of the planet's past and its potential to support life. source: nasa.gov
What happened in 2013?
Discover what the world looked like in 2013: