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Here are the craziest, most groundbreaking scientific achievements of 2016

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As we look back at 2016, it’s easy to focus on the negatives — the tumultuous presidential race, troubling race relations across the country  and the end-of-the-year loss of high-profile celebrities. But while it might feel like it from the headline news stories, 2016 was not all doom and gloom. The now-ending year saw the development of some very exciting breakthroughs in science and technology that brought us closer to an effective cancer cure, led to the confirmation a 100-year-old theory, and possibly could even help us find our alien brethren. Read on for our list of the top scientific breakthroughs in 2016.

The discovery of gravitational waves rippled through the world of astronomy

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Scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) set the astronomy world on fire when they announced the discovery of gravitational waves. They not only detected the ripples in space-time, but they also pinpointed the source of the waves. According to their report, the waves were the result of a collision between two black holes that occurred over 1.3 billion years ago. The existence of these gravitational waves was theorized by Albert Einstein in the early 1900, but the world-renowned physicist lacked the technology to test his theory. Some 100 years later, the evidence for his prediction has been discovered.

Genetic engineering became a cancer panacea

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This year, for the first time ever, scientists used the CRISPR-Cas9 genetic engineering tool to create immune cells that target cancer cells in a patient. A group of Chinese researchers used this technique to treat lung cancer. The team harvested white blood cells from patients, genetically engineered them to attack lung cancer cells, and then reintroduced the cells into the patient to treat cancer. If these early trials prove to be successful, oncologists may soon have another tool in their arsenal to treat cancer patients. This advancement is only the beginning of what is possible when technology meets the halls of medicine.

Tesla inched closer to bringing self-driving cars to the masses

Once again, Tesla is pushing the envelope with its cutting-edge electric car technology. It all started in 2008 with the Tesla Roadster, the world’s first electric sports car. The company’s success continued with the Model S luxury sedan, which is the second best-selling plug-in electric vehicles in the world as of November 2016. The company this year announced that its entire fleet of cars, including the $35,000 Model 3, will soon include autopilot. Currently being tested by Tesla, the autopilot system will include autonomous navigation, radar processing, and collision avoidance so the occupants can relax while the car handles all the ins and out of driving on busy local roads and highways.

Reusable rockets became a reality

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Up until now, rockets were typically an expensive, but expendable portion of every space mission. They were used to propel a spacecraft into orbit – at which point they are generally cast aside as a waste product of the mission. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk changed all that with a reusable rocket program that made it possible for a rocket to return to earth safely after completing its mission. Once on solid ground, the rocket can be retrieved and prepped for future missions. The company had its share of high-profile misses in the past, but in 2016, the technology had improved to the point where SpaceX was on target more than it was off. By July 2016, the company had logged an impressive string of successes with five perfect Earth landings in eight months.

A paralyzed man regained the ability to feel with an artificial hand

Nathan Copeland has been paralyzed, unable to move or feel his limbs, for the past ten years because of an accident. However, thanks to a team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, Copeland now can move a robotic arm using only his brain. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, the team of scientists also added touch feedback to the robotic arm that allows Copeland to feel pressure applied to the artificial limb. The system is so sensitive that Copeland can feel pressure on each finger. “I can feel just about every finger — it’s a really weird sensation,” Copeland said following the surgery. “Sometimes it feels electrical and sometimes its pressure, but for the most part, I can tell most of the fingers with definite precision. It feels like my fingers are getting touched or pushed.”

Astronomers found a potentially habitable planet near Proxima Centauri

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Astronomers have long believed that we are not alone in the universe, and many have been searching for extraterrestrial life since the beginning of the discipline. The possibility of other living beings took a big leap forward in 2016 following the discovery of a possibly habitable planet in the Alpha Centauri system. Dubbed Proxima b, the exoplanet is 4.24 light years away from Earth, making it difficult to conduct a thorough study of the planet. Early results suggest the planet is terrestrial and not merely a gas giant. It’s also within thea habitable zone of the red dwarf Proxima Centauri, which is the closest star to our Sun.

Kelly Hodgkins
Kelly's been writing online for ten years, working at Gizmodo, TUAW, and BGR among others. Living near the White Mountains of…
Nissan joins ChargeScape, a way for EV owners to sell watts back to the grid
electrify america home charging station for electric cars

EV owners already enjoy the benefits of knowing their vehicle is charging up quietly while they sleep. Now they can dream about how much money they can make in the process.That’s the bet Nissan is making by joining ChargeScape, a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) venture that is already backed by BMW, Ford, and Honda.ChargeScape’s software wirelessly connects electric vehicles to power grids and utility companies. When connected with ChargeScape's platform, EV drivers can receive financial incentives for temporarily pausing charging during periods of high demand. ChargeScape says they will eventually also be able to sell the energy stored in their vehicle's battery back to the power grid.
A 2021 study by the University of Rochester found that EV owners could save up to $150 a year by using V2G technology. But the technology has evolved in recent years. V2G company Fermata Energy says that in some circumstances, a customer using its bi-directional charger was able to save $187.50 in 15 minutes by drawing energy from a Nissan LEAF to avoid costly demand charges.
Nissan intends to roll out the ChargeScape technology to its EV drivers across the U.S. and Canada. The company says the move is of particular significance given its U.S. sales of 650,000 Leaf models, one of the first EVs with the capability to export power back to the grid.ChargeScape, which launched in September, is equally owned by BMW, Ford, Honda, and now Nissan. But it expects other automakers to join the party.In August, GM announced that V2G technology will become standard in all its model year 2026 models. The project comes at a time when EV sales and infrastructure growth are ramping up quickly, along with challenges for the electric grid. Simply put, more EVs on the road means more demand on utilities to provide the needed power.At the same time, more and more EV makers seek to incorporate automotive software that provide advanced driver aids and other connected features. With vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology quickly spreading, ChargeScape is entering a landscape where competitors such as ChargePoint, Electrify America, Fermata Energy, and BP Pulse are already vying for a piece of the action.
But there is one good reason for ChargeScape to move in now: Tesla, which otherwise dominates the field in the U.S., has so far backed off from embracing V2G technology, focusing instead on its Powerwall home-battery solution to store solar energy and provide backup power. However, CEO Elon Musk has hinted that Tesla could introduce V2G technology for its vehicles in 2025.

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Waymo’s Hyundai robotaxi deal may steal the show from Tesla
A Hyundai Ioniq 5 is equipped as a robotaxi.

Just days ahead of Tesla’s much anticipated robotaxi event on Thursday, Hyundai unveiled a partnership with Waymo that will add Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 to the fleet of the robotaxi operator.In the first phase of the partnership, Waymo will integrate its sixth-generation fully autonomous technology, called the Waymo Driver, into the all-electric Ioniq 5 SUV, which will be added to the Waymo One fleet over time.On-road testing with Waymo-enabled Ioniq 5s is due to start in late 2025 and become available to riders of the Waymo One robotaxi service the following year.Alphabet-owned Waymo currently operates the only functioning robotaxi service in the U.S., with a fleet of about 700 self-driving vehicles already on the road in Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The service is also being tested in Austin, Texas.Last year, General Motors’ competing robotaxi service Cruise had to stop operations after one of its vehicles struck a pedestrian in San Francisco. Cruise’s GM vehicles are nonetheless expected to resume operations next year through a partnership with Uber.Driverless vehicles have stumbled on two main obstacles on the road to commercialization: The complexity of the technology and tight safety regulations.For now, Waymo’s existing footprint gives it a marked advantage over its competitors. Its sixth-generation technology is said to handle a wider array of weather conditions with fewer on-board cameras and sensors. In their joint statement, Waymo and Hyundai emphasized the proven safety of both the Waymo technology and the Ioniq 5. Waymo’s technology relies on pre-mapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar and lidar (a laser-light radar). It's an approach that might be very costly but has met the approval of safety regulators. All this adds pressure on Tesla to deliver the goods with the launch of its robotaxi -- expected to be called the Cybercab.Tesla’s ambition has been to eventually provide full driverless capacity directly to consumers. Tesla owners can already buy software called Full Self-Driving (FSD) that operates like an advanced driver assistance system and requires constant driver supervision.Tesla’s FSD relies on multiple onboard cameras to feed machine-learning models that, in turn, help the car make decisions based on what it sees.The technology, however, has not yet convinced all current and former traffic safety officials.

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Tesla reveals price range for Optimus Gen2, its ‘robot without wheels’
Tesla's 2022 Optimus robot prototype is seen in front of the company logo.

“The future should look like the future”, CEO Elon Musk said at the Tesla "We Robot" special event held in Burbank, California, earlier this week. Sure enough, Tesla’s much-anticipated autonomous robotaxi, the Cybercab, and its large-van counterpart, the Cybervan, seemed straight out of celebrated sci-fi movies. But as the name of the event hinted at, a vision of the future would not be complete without robots: Several of the Optimus Gen 2, Tesla’s latest version of humanoid-like robot, were found serving drinks, holding conversations with guests, and even dancing at the event.Tesla has recently pitched the Optimus as a potential replacement for factory workers in China and elsewhere. Musk previously said he expects the Optimus to start working at Tesla factories in 2025 and to be available to other firms in 2026.
Yet, at the event, the Tesla boss revealed his expanded vision of a household robot that can do “everything you want: Babysit your kid, walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks”.He also gave a closer estimate of the robot’s price tag: Once produced "at scale," Optimus should cost somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000. Musk had previously said the robot’s price would be about half that of a car. 
Staying true to his sci-fi vision, the Tesla CEO referred to Optimus as a cross between R2D2 and C-3PO, the famous droids from the Star Wars film series.
Ever since the first generation of the Optimus was revealed in 2022, Tesla has emphasized the continuity between its cars and the robot. “Everything that we’ve developed for our cars -- the battery power’s electronics, the advanced motor’s gearboxes, the software, the AI inference computer -- it all actually applies to a humanoid robot,” Musk said at the event. “A robot with arms and legs, instead of a robot with wheels.”
Tesla would not be the first to offer a domestic robot on the market. Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics has already commercialized a home service-type robot called Spot with a hefty price tag of $74,500. BMW and Open AI are backing robots made by Figure, a California-based company. Meanwhile, Nvidia is developing Project GR00T to also deliver humanoid robots.Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs forecast that the annual global market for humanoid robots could reach $38 billion by 2035, with robot shipments of 1.4 million units both for industrial and consumer applications. It also said that robots could become more affordable as their manufacturing cost has been decreasing more than expected -- leading to faster commercialization.

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