FASCINATING SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES OF LAST YEAR

FACEDIRECTOR SOFTWARE GENERATED DESIRED

PERFORMANCES IN POST-PRODUCTION,

AVOIDING RESHOOTS

Disney Research unveiled FaceDirector, a new method of

synthesizing an actor’s facial performances in post-production

to get just the right emotion instead of reshooting the scene

multiple times. In other words, better acting without the

actors having to try too hard.

STEM CELL SCIENTISTS REDEFINED HOW BLOOD

IS MADE, TOPPLING CONVENTIONAL “TEXTBOOK”

VIEW FROM THE 1960’S

Stem cell scientists at the University Health Network identified

an entirely new “two tier” process of how blood is made,

overturning decades of established science. The researchers

claim their finding could lead to radically improved and

personalized treatments for blood disorders.

DESTRUCTIVE DISEASE SHOWED POTENTIAL

AS A CANCER TREATMENT

Scientists achieved a breakthrough in finding a general cure for

cancer by attaching malaria proteins to cancer cells, which

appears effective on ninety percent of cancers. Human trials

are expected to begin within four years.

NEW HUMANLIKE SPECIES DISCOVERED IN

SOUTH AFRICA

Last September palaeontologists reported a new humanlike

species, Homo naledi, based on the discovery of fifteen

partial skeletons, the largest single find of its type in Africa.

It is believed that H. naledi could have lived in Africa up

to three million years ago and were capable of ritualistic

behaviour. Although the discoverers claim the bones represent

a new species of early humans, other experts contend

that more evidence is needed before such a claim can be justified.

STUDY SHOWS THAT WORKING LONGER HOURS

INCREASES STROKE RISK

According to a study published in The Lancet, people working a

fifty-five-hour week have a thirty-three percent increased risk

of stroke than those working a thirty-five- to forty-hour week,

along with a thirteen percent increased risk of

coronary heart disease.

FIRST COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE

WOOLLY MAMMOTH GENOME COMPLETED

The first comprehensive analysis of the mammoth genome was

completed, revealing a number of traits that enabled the

animals to survive in the Arctic.

WISE SPACECRAFT DISCOVERED THE MOST LUMINOUS

GALAXY IN THE UNIVERSE

Last May NASA reported that the most luminous galaxy yet

discovered is WISE J224607.57-052635.0. Smaller than the

Milky Way, this dusty galaxy releases ten thousand times more

energy. Nearly one hundred percent of the light emitted from

the galaxy is infrared radiation.

SCIENTISTS ACHIEVED CRITICAL STEPS TO BUILDING

FIRST PRACTICAL QUANTUM COMPUTER

Two critical steps toward a practical quantum computer were

achieved by IBM scientists. They demonstrated the ability

to detect and measure both kinds of quantum errors

simultaneously, as well as built a new, square quantum bit

circuit design that is the only physical architecture that

could successfully scale to larger dimensions.

SMALL JURASSIC DINOSAURS MAY HAVE

FLOWN WITHOUT FEATHERS

Over the past two decades Chinese scientists have amazed the

global scientific community with their discoveries on dinosaurs

but with this one they have put in thoughts even the most sceptical

palaeontologists. Last April they reported finding a

Scansoriopterygid dinosaur named Yi qi (“strange wing”)

that may have flown without feathers.