Tech & Science · 2016
Gravitational Waves, AI Breakthroughs, and Virtual Reality
In 2016, humanity unlocked new senses to observe the universe and reshape digital interaction. From detecting spacetime ripples to witnessing artificial intelligence conquer ancient board games, science and technology pushed beyond long-standing boundaries.
- February 11, 2016 | Astrophysics
LIGO Detects Gravitational Waves
Scientists at LIGO confirmed Einstein's century-old prediction by detecting ripples in spacetime caused by two colliding black holes.
- March 15, 2016 | AI
DeepMind's AlphaGo Defeats Lee Sedol
Google DeepMind's AI program made history by winning four out of five games against legendary 9-dan Go champion Lee Sedol in Seoul.
- March 28, 2016 | Virtual Reality
Consumer Release of Oculus Rift CV1
The commercial release of Oculus Rift kicked off a new era of immersive consumer virtual reality technology.
- April 8, 2016 | Space Exploration
SpaceX Lands Falcon 9 Stage on a Ship
SpaceX achieved its first successful orbital-class rocket booster landing on an autonomous spaceport drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
- July 4, 2016 | Planetary Science
NASA's Juno Arrives at Jupiter
After a five-year journey, NASA's solar-powered Juno spacecraft successfully executed its orbit insertion maneuver around the gas giant Jupiter.
- July 6, 2016 | Augmented Reality
Pokémon GO Launch
Niantic released an augmented reality mobile game that became a global phenomenon, sending millions onto the streets to capture virtual creatures.
- August 24, 2016 | Astronomy
Discovery of Proxima Centauri b
Astronomers announced the discovery of an Earth-mass exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun.
- September 27, 2016 | Biotech
First Baby Born via 'Three-Parent' IVF
Surgeons announced the birth of the first infant conceived using a controversial spindle nuclear transfer technique to prevent mitochondrial disease.
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