Tech & Science · 2011
Artificial Intelligence Emerges and Space Flight Shifts
In 2011, artificial intelligence stepped into the public spotlight while humanity reshaped its journey into space. As NASA retired the Space Shuttle, new planetary probes set sail and smart devices began transforming daily home life.
- February 2011 | Artificial Intelligence
IBM Watson Wins Jeopardy!
IBM's Watson supercomputer made history by defeating all-time champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter on the quiz show Jeopardy!.
- March 18, 2011 | Space Exploration
MESSENGER Enters Orbit Around Mercury
NASA's MESSENGER probe became the first spacecraft to successfully enter orbit around Mercury, revealing unprecedented details of the innermost planet.
- July 8, 2011 | NASA Spaceflight
Final Flight of the Space Shuttle Program
Space Shuttle Atlantis launched on mission STS-135, bringing thirty years of NASA's iconic Space Shuttle program to an emotional close.
- October 4, 2011 | Mobile Technology
Apple Introduces Siri
Debuting on the iPhone 4S, Siri brought conversational voice control and virtual assistant technology into millions of pockets worldwide.
- October 25, 2011 | Smart Home
Nest Learning Thermostat Released
Designed by iPod co-creator Tony Fadell, this sleek device revolutionized home energy management through machine learning.
- November 26, 2011 | Planetary Science
Launch of the Curiosity Mars Rover
NASA's Mars Science Laboratory lifted off from Cape Canaveral carrying the car-sized Curiosity rover to search for signs of past habitability.
- December 5, 2011 | Astronomy
Kepler-22b Discovery Announced
NASA's Kepler space telescope confirmed its first Earth-like planet orbiting comfortably within the habitable zone of a Sun-like star.
- December 13, 2011 | Particle Physics
LHC Reveals First Glimpses of the Higgs Boson
Physicists at CERN's Large Hadron Collider presented tantalizing initial evidence pointing to the existence of the elusive Higgs boson particle.
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