熱門話題:


【杜蘭說AI】2024十大影響人類命運的科學發展:兩項“不死癌癥”被攻克、還有一項中國科學家研究

2025年01月03日 11:48

2024年已經接近尾聲,
今天來為大家盤點一下這一年的十大科學突破。
其中第7個是來自中國科學家的發現,
第9個是我們的老熟人馬斯克帶來的。

首先我們要介紹的是科技突破的冠軍獎項,
來自人類向艾滋病的正式宣戰——
一種長效艾滋病預防針劑。
一年兩針,
就幾乎能100%阻斷HIV感染。

長久以來,
艾滋病都是一種不可治愈的嚴重傳染病,
一經感染就要終生服藥,
而且仍然可能會因為
藥物的副作用或並發癥
導致死亡。
這是由於艾滋病毒是一種單鏈RNA病毒,
在人體內平均2天就會變異為新生病毒,
這種極高的變異率
也導致艾滋病治療藥物的研發難度極大。
當前最有效的阻斷藥,
需要在高危行為後的2小時內服用,
時間越長
阻斷成功率越低,
還要連吃28天,
對人體肝臟和腎臟產生不小的副作用。

而現在,
美國生物制藥公司吉利德研發出了一種
名為lenacapavir的抗HIV長效注射劑。
研究團隊於今年6月在非洲開展了一項
超過5000人的觀察實驗,
結果發現,
這種藥物注射一次後,
就能在半年內將艾滋病毒的感染力降至0。
如果這種藥物推廣開來,
最大的受益人就是那些
有職業暴露風險的一線人員,
比如醫護人員、緝毒警察等等。

第二項突破同樣來自醫學領域,
針對的是號稱“不死癌癥”的紅斑狼瘡。
準確的說,
是以紅斑狼瘡、類風濕性關節炎、
強直性脊柱炎為代表的
自身免疫性疾病。

所謂“自身免疫性疾病”簡單來說就是“自己打自己”,
本來負責保護身體的免疫系統突然造反,
開始毫無理由地攻擊身體其他器官。
現有的治療方法通常是以抑制免疫系統為主,
雖然抑制了免疫系統的攻擊,
但也同時失去了免疫系統的保護,
人體會產生無可避免的虛弱,
也無法完全治愈這類疾病。

但現在
德國科學家采用了一種名為
嵌合抗原受體T細胞(CAR-T)的新療法,
能夠利用免疫細胞治療自身免疫疾病,
在臨床上使患者達到“治愈”或者“有效控制”的目標。

第三項科技突破來自星辰大海,
2021年NASA發射的韋伯望遠鏡,
今年已經走到了足夠遠的地方,
觀察到了很多宇宙誕生之初的星系。
這些星系比天文學理論預估的要多1000倍,
這一發現改寫了人們對於早期宇宙演化的認知,
對於人類探索宇宙起源有極大的意義。

而第四項科學突破就接地氣多了,
美國公司GreenLight Biosciences
研發出了兩種特殊的“殺蟲劑”,
一種是基於RNA幹擾技術的噴霧劑,
針對特定害蟲的基因進行設計,
能做到只精準打擊目標,
幾乎不損傷環境和其他生物。
另一種則是轉基因玉米,
人吃了沒事,
害蟲吃了就死。

現在,很多害蟲已經對殺蟲劑產生了抗性,
每年在全球範圍內造成數十億美元的農作物損失。
而這種新型殺蟲方法
現在已經被美國國家環境保護局(EPA)批準,
預計將對現狀產生極大改善。

第五項科學突破需要我們睜大眼睛,
將視線投入微觀世界。
就在今年,
科學家發現了一種全新的細胞結構,
叫做硝基體(Nitroplast),
它與我們熟悉的線粒體、葉綠體一樣,
都是細胞中具有特定形態結構和功能的微器官,
學名叫“細胞器”。
細胞器就像是細胞內部的一個個小工廠,
不同工廠負責不同的工作。
打個比方,
線粒體是負責生產能量的“能量工廠”,
葉綠體是轉化能量的“太陽能電池板”,
而硝基體就是一座“轉化工廠”,
負責將空氣中的氮固定下來,
然後轉化為植物生長所需的氨。

在當前已知的生命演化史中,
每一種細胞器的出現
都意味著生命的一次進化,
硝基體這一全新的細胞器的出現,
或許也將影響地球生命演化的方向,
還可能使我們的生活發生翻天覆地的變化。
比如,如果將硝基體的這種“固氮機制”推廣到農業領域,
那麽未來的農作物就可以不再依賴外部的氮肥,
自給自足地生長。

第六項科學突破
來自我們生活中相當熟悉的一個概念——磁。
比如我每到世界各地都會購買的冰箱貼,
貼滿了整整一個大冰箱,
它在物理學上屬於“鐵磁體”,
這種磁體內部的電子自旋整齊劃一,
就像一個排列整齊的隊伍,
隊員們全都指向同一個方向,
因此也就產生了強大的磁場,
這就是鐵磁體能吸住金屬的原因。

另一種能長期保持磁性的材料叫做“反鐵磁體”,
它的電子隊伍不斷自旋,
隊員們指向的方向也是一半向上,一半向下,
結果就是彼此抵消,相互對抗,
對外看起來不具有磁性,
但卻擁有內部磁場。
這種特性使得反鐵磁體常常被應用於
數據存儲、微波器件和量子計算等領域,
比如自旋扭矩振蕩器、二極管等等。

百年以來,
鐵磁體和反鐵磁體都被認為是唯二的兩種永磁體,
就是“能長期保持磁性的材料”。
但在今年,
科學家們發現了第三種永磁體,交錯磁體(Altermagnet)。
這種材料的電子隊伍既不整齊劃一,也不互相抵抗,
而像是一群舞者,
每個舞者都按照自己的節奏來跳舞,
這就使得它產生了一種獨特的強自旋現象。
普通狀態下,
交錯磁體看起來和反鐵磁體一樣沒有外部磁場,
但當電流通過時,
它又像鐵磁體那樣擁有強大的磁場。

科學家們認為,這種全新的材料
能幫助我們制造更高效的計算機硬盤,
甚至是全新的“自旋電子計算機”,
這種計算機能利用電子的自旋
而非電流來進行運算,
能讓信息的存儲和處理更加緊湊和高效。

除此之外,
磁性材料本就是電機行業的核心,
涉及汽車、家電、軌道交通、電子信息設備等多個領域,
交錯磁體的發現
不僅將為已有領域帶來革命性的新應用,
還可能催生全新的技術領域。

第七項來自中國科學家的一項發現,
今年年初,
中國科學院的朱茂炎團隊
在距今約16.4億年前的地層中
發現了一種多細胞真核生物化石。

所謂真核生物是包括所有植物、動物和真菌在內的
將DNA封裝在細胞核內的生物。
科學家們通常認為,
真核生物以單個細胞的形式存在了約10億年,
而在距今大概10億年前,
多細胞體的真核生物開始出現,
這意味著更加覆雜的生物體演化的開始,
也是整個地球的生命進化史中
一個相當重要的時間節點。
而現在,
中國科學家的發現將這個節點往前推了5億年,
這既為地球生命的歷史解開了新的一頁,
也將為醫學領域提供新的可能。

比如現在所有的癌癥,
本質上都是一種細胞失控生長的現象,
而理解生命在早期階段
如何從單細胞生物
發展到多細胞生物,
多細胞之間又是如何協作、如何分化,
也將為科學家開發新型的生物療法提供思路。

第八項是一項地質學研究。
長久以來,
科學家認為地球上的大陸
就像一個巨大而緩慢變化的拼圖,
板塊構造的力量不停撕裂和移動它們,
最終形成了現在的七大洲八大洋。
在過去,
科學家們認為地球只會在局部地區進行 “拼圖”,
也就是只有大陸裂開形成的裂谷附近,
才會受到這種局部的劇烈活動的影響。
但今年的一項研究發現,
這種局部的“拼圖行為”會在地球內部引發綿延不絕的“地幔波”,
進而影響到整個大陸的結構。

這種“地幔波”就像一只無限延伸的大手,
能把重的巖石“撕”掉,
留下輕的巖石,
這些輕巖隨後會像氣球一樣浮起來,
形成高原。
還能引發一系列的其他地質現象,
比如促使大量鉆石從地下爆發,
或者引發地震,
甚至可能是導致某些遠古海洋生物滅絕的元兇。

這項發現看似離我們相當遙遠,
但也可能間接影響到我們的生活,
比如,
當我們更深入地理解地球內部“隱藏世界”的波動時,
地震等地質災害的預警就將會更加準確,
也能更好地尋找鉆石或稀有礦石這樣的地下寶藏,
帶動礦業行業和相關經濟領域。

第九項科學突破則來自我們的老熟人馬斯克,
在今年10月的那次史無前例的“筷子夾火箭”。
其中“火箭”是指SpaceX可覆用的多級火箭“星艦飛船”,
它由兩節或更多節的火箭堆疊組合在一起,
星艦飛船升空時,
位於下方,負責提供動力的那一節火箭會逐漸脫落。
而“筷子”指的則是發射塔上的機械臂,
在脫落的火箭部件以超音速墜落時,
這條機械臂成功從空中抓住了部件,
就像是“用筷子夾住了火箭”。
這個動作本身對火箭飛行控制系統的精度
和懸停能力要求就極高,
略有差池,
就可能導致火箭在發射塔上傾倒或爆炸,
因此“筷子夾火箭”的成功,
本就意味著一次史無前例的技術突破,
而被成功回收的火箭部件下次發射還能繼續用,
這就直接節省了數十億美元的成本。

現在,
SpaceX已經通過部分可覆用的火箭
將貨物送入軌道的成本降低了大約10倍,
而如果“筷子夾火箭”技術能夠進一步推廣,
能夠穩定、成功地回收越來越多的火箭部件,
甚至支持一艘完全可重覆使用的星際飛船,
屆時,
馬斯克的火星夢或許就真的離我們不遠了。

最後一項技術突破,
來自對古人類親屬關系的研究。
科學家們通過從古代骨骼和牙齒中提取的DNA,
估測出了幾千年前的人類的遷徙路線、飲食習慣和親緣關系,
甚至為他們建立了長達八代的家譜。
這項技術對歷史考據有著極大意義。
能幫助歷史學家更清晰地了解社會結構文化的演變過程,
同時對古代DNA的研究
也能幫助生物學家更好地理解疾病的起源和演變,
為現代疾病預防的醫學治療策略提供新的線索。

以上就是世界頂刊Science
公布的2024年年度十大科學突破。
我們可以看到,
從醫學到物理學,
從農業殺蟲劑到太空飛船,
從人類起源到宇宙起源,
每一項研究都從不同領域,
以前所未有的創新方法打開了科學之門。
新的一年即將到來,
也期待能有更多的科學突破,
能為我們未來的生活和工作帶來更好的改變。
2025,愛你愛我!
素材
總覽:
長效HIV預防針劑
利用免疫細胞治療自身免
韋伯望遠鏡探測宇宙起源
RNA殺蟲劑
固氮細胞結構的發現
第三種永磁體的發現
多細胞體早在16億年前就已出現
地幔波動塑造了我們生活的大陸
SpaceX“筷子夾火箭”
遠古DNA揭示家族關系

2024 is drawing to a closeLet me take stock for you todayThis year's top ten scientific breakthroughsinThe seventh is a discovery by scientists from China.
The ninth was brought by our old acquaintance MuskSo let's start with this.
We're going to introduce the champions of scientific breakthroughsFrom humanity's official declaration of war on AIDSA long-acting AIDS prevention injectionTwo injections a year can almost 100% block HIV infectionFor a long timeAIDSIs an incurable serious infectious diseaseOnce infected, take medicine for lifeAnd it may still be due to the side effects of the drugOr complicationsCause deathThis is due toHIV is a single-stranded RNA virus.
Two days on average in the human body.
It will mutate into a nascent virusThis extremely high mutation rateAlso lead toThe development of AIDS drugs is extremely difficultThe current most effective blocking drugsIt needs to be taken within two hours of high-risk behaviorThe longer it takesThe lower the success rate of blockade
28 days in a rowIt has significant side effects on the human liver and kidneysNow Gilead, an American biopharmaceutical company.
Developed a method calledLenacapavir long-acting injection against HIVThe research team announced in June this yearIn AfricaWe conducted an observation experiment with more than 5,000 people.
It turned out thatAfter one injection of this drugIn half a yearReduce HIV infection to zeroIf this drug were to spreadThe greatest beneficiaryIt's those frontline personnel who are at risk of occupational exposureLike healthcare workers, drug cops, etcThe second breakthrough also came from the medical fieldFor lupus erythematosus, the so-called immortal cancerPreciselyLupus Erythematosus Rheumatoid ArthritisAnkylosing spondylitisautoimmune diseaseso-called selfimmune diseaseSimply put, it is to beat yourself upIt's supposed to protect the body's immune systemSudden rebellionStart attacking other organs of the body for no reasonExisting treatment methodsUsually suppresses the immune systemAlthough it suppresses the immune system's attackBut also lose the protection of the immune systemThe human body generates inevitable weaknessYou can't cure it.
But now German scientistsAdopted a method calledChimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T)
The new treatmentWe can use immune cells to treat autoimmune diseases.
In clinical practiceEnabling patients to achieve the goal of cure or effective controlThe third scientific breakthrough comes from the sea of starsThe Webb Telescope launched by NASA in 2021
This year has gone far enoughMany galaxies from the beginning of the universe have been observedThese galaxies
1,000 times more than expected by astronomical theoryThis discoveryRewrote our understanding of the evolution of the early universeIt is of great significance for humans to explore the origin of the universeAnd the fourth scientific breakthrough is much more groundedAmerican company GreenLight BiosciencesTwo special pesticides have been developedOne is a spray based on RNA interference technologyGenetic design for specific pestsCan only accurately hit the targetLittle damage to the environment and other organismsThe other is genetically modified corn.
It's okay to eatPests eat and dieNow.
Many pests have developed resistance to pesticidesEvery year on a global scaleCause billions of dollars in crop damageAnd this new insecticidal methodIt's now approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
It is expected to greatly improve the current situationThe fifth scientific breakthroughWe need to keep our eyes open.
Put your eyes on the microscopic worldJust this year.
Scientists have discovered a completely new cellular structureIt's called nitro.
It is similar to the familiar mitochondriaChloroplastHave a specific shape in the cellStructural and functional microorgansOrganelles.
organelleThey're like little factories inside cells.
Different factories are responsible for different tasksFor exampleMitochondria are energy factories that produce energy.
Chloroplasts are solar panels that convert energy.
And nitro is a conversion factory.
Then the nitrogen in the air is fixedThen it is converted into ammonia needed for plant growthIn the current known evolutionary history of lifeThe appearance of each organelleMeans an evolution of lifeEmergence of a new organelle called nitrosomesIt may also affect the direction in which life on Earth evolvesIt may also make our lives betterearth-shaking changesFor example, if this nitrogen fixation mechanism of nitro matter isExtend to agricultureSo future cropsYou can no longer rely on external nitrogen fertilizersSelf-sufficient growthThe sixth scientific breakthroughIt comes from a concept that we're all pretty familiar with.
magneticFor a hundred yearsFerromagnets and AntiferromagnetsBoth are considered to be the only twopermanent magnetIt is a material that can remain magnetic for a long timeBut this yearScientists have discovered a third type of permanent magnetIt's called a staggered magnet.
Scientists believe thatThis brand new materialCan help us make more efficient computer hard drivesEven brand new "spintronic computers"
This kind of computer can use the electron's spinInstead of current to operateAllows for the storage and processing of informationMore compact and efficientIn addition to thatMagnetic materials are the core of the motor industryInvolving automobiles, home appliances, and rail transit electronic communicationsInformation equipment and other fieldsThe Discovery of Jiaozuo MagnetsNot only will it be for existing fieldsBring revolutionary new applicationsIt may also give rise to entirely new technological fieldsItem 7
It is a discovery made by our Chinese scientists.
Early this yearZhu Maoyan Team of Chinese Academy of SciencesAbout 1.64 billion years agoA fossil multicellular eukaryote has been discoveredSo-called eukaryotesIt includes all plants, animals and fungiEncapsulates DNA in the nucleusBiologists generally believe thatEukaryotes take the form of single cellsFor about 1 billion yearsAbout 1 billion years agoMulticellular eukaryotes began to emergeThis means thatThe beginning of the evolution of more complex organismsIn the evolutionary history of life on EarthA rather significant point in timeAnd now Chinese scientists have discoveredPushed the node forward 500 million yearsThis is the history of life on EarthUnlocked a new pageIt will also open up new possibilities for the medical fieldLike all cancers today.
It's essentially an uncontrolled growth of cells.
And understanding life at an early stageHow to develop from a single-celled organism to a multicellular organismHow do they cooperate and how do they differentiate?
New biological therapies will also be developed for scientistsProvide ideasThe eighth item is a geological studyFor a long timeScientists believe thatThe continents of the earthIt's like a big, slowly changing puzzle.
The forces of plate tectonics are constantly tearing and moving themEventually formed what is now the seven continents and eight oceansIn the past, scientists believed thatThe Earth will only be puzzled in local areasThat is, near the rift valley formed by the splitting of the continentsTo be affected by this localized intense activityBut a study this year found thatThis partial "puzzle behavior"
Will cause continuous "mantle waves" inside the earthAnd that in turn affects the structure of entire continentsThis "mantle wave" is like a huge hand that extends infinitelyCan tear off heavy rocksLeaving light rocks behindThese light rocks will then float up like balloonsForm a plateauIt can also trigger a series of other geological phenomenaFor example, causing a large number of diamonds to explode from the groundOr cause an earthquakeMaybe evenIs responsible for the extinction of some ancient marine lifeThis discovery seems rather distantBut it can also affect our lives indirectlyFor example, when we understand more deeplyWhen the fluctuations of the hidden world inside the earthEarthquakes and other geological disastersIt will be more accurateIt can also better search for diamonds or rare mineralsSuch an underground treasureDrive the mining industry and related economic sectorsThe ninth scientific breakthroughFrom our old acquaintanceMusk in October this yearUnprecedented "Chopsticks Clip Rocket"
Among them, rocketsRefers to SpaceX's reusable multi-stage rocket starship spacecraftIt's a stack of rockets with two or more knots.
Put togetherWhen the starship takes offThe section below that provides powerThe rocket will gradually fall offAnd "chopsticks" refers to the robotic arm on the launch towerWhen the falling rocket parts fall at supersonic speedsThis robotic arm?
Successfully grabbed the part from the airIt's like clipping a rocket with "chopsticks"
The action itselfThe accuracy of the rocket flight control systemAnd hover abilityIt's incredibly demanding.
Slight difference poolCould cause the rocket to fall on the launch towerOr explode thereforeThe success of chopsticks clipping rocketsIt would have meant an unprecedented technological breakthroughRocket parts that were successfully recoveredCan continue to be used in the next launchThis has directly saved billions of dollars in costsNow SpaceX has passed through a partially reusable rocketThe cost of putting cargo into orbitReduced by about 10 timesAnd if
"Chopsticks" clip rocket technology can be further promotedCan be stableSuccessfully recovering more and more rocket partsevenSupport for a fully reusable starshipMusk's dream of MarsMaybe it's really not far from usThe last technological breakthroughFrom the study of ancient human kinshipScientistsDNA extracted from ancient bones and teethEstimated human migration routes thousands of years agoEating habits and kinshipThey even have an eight-generation family tree.
This technology has tremendous implications for the study of historyCan help historiansA clearer understanding of social structureThe process of cultural evolutionAnd the study of ancient DNAIt also helps biologists.
To better understand the origin and evolution of diseasesMedical treatment strategies for modern disease preventionProvide new cluesThis is the world's top science magazineThe top 10 scientific breakthroughs announced for 2024
We can seeFrom medicine to physicsFrom agricultural pesticides to spaceshipsFrom the Origin of Man to the Origin of the UniverseEach study is conducted from a different fieldIn an unprecedented and innovative wayOpen the door to scienceThe new year is comingI'm looking forward to more scientific breakthroughs.
For our future life and workBring about better change
2025 Love Me


中文報道
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzI3NDY3NzQ2Mg==&mid=2247521683&idx=1&sn=67d47a82f96c03c94907175bec80d921&scene=21#wechat_redirectscience官網
https://www.science.org/content/article/breakthrough-2024#section_car-t-therapy

硝基體
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/o9oKkdKbY8oBMhT1vcAnow

永磁體
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/19nxHlSdEicos7MpI9Ig7g

相關新聞