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- BBC News World
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High fertility rates in some countries have helped increase the world’s population to more than eight billion people.
The year 2022 was marked by several unprecedented events, and not all of them occurred on our planet!
From a “multiplying record” to a deep journey into our past.
Here are some of the milestones that most caught our attention.
1. NASA deflects an asteroid
US space agency managed to change the trajectory of an asteroid after deliberately crashing into it with a spacecraft on September 28.
The purpose of the collision was to verify that space rocks that would become a threat to Earth could be safely deflected. So it was.
2. Microplastics are detected in human blood
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The effects of microplastics on the body are unknown.
A study published in the journal Environment International last march found microplastics in blood samples froml 80% of the people analyzed.
Microplastics are small pieces of plastic less than 5mm in length that are formed when larger pieces break down on the ground or in the sea and pollute the environment.
The effects of microplastics on the body are unknown.but the researchers say the new results are worrisome and that microplastics could harm human cells.
3. A World Cup of Firsts
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French referee Stephanie Frappart made history at Qatar 2022 as the first woman to officiate a World Cup finals match.
The 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup will go down in history for a series of unprecedented milestones.
To begin with, it was the first edition of the tournament organized by an Arab country or Muslim: Qatar.
also assumed the debut of a woman as a refereea party leaderwhen French Stephanie Frappart officiated the group stage match between Germany and Costa Rica.
In fact, Frappart captained an all-female refereeing team, which also included assistant referees Neuza Back, from Brazil, and Karen Medina, from Mexico.
Another scoop was the impressive trajectory of Morocco to the semifinals, the best result in the history of an African (and Arab) nation. And speaking of milestones, Qatar 2022 was the scene that finally saw Lionel Messi lift the World Cup trophy for the first time after five attempts!
4. 8,000 million and counting…
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It took 12 years for humanity to grow from seven billion to eight billion people.
November 15, 2022. That is the date on which the world population exceeded 8,000 million inhabitants for the first time, according to the UN.
“This unprecedented growth is due to the gradual increase in human life expectancy due to improvements in public health, nutrition, personal hygiene and medicine. It is also the result of persistently high birth rates in some countries,” the agency said in a statement.
However, the UN explained that while the world population took 12 years to grow from 7 billion to 8 billion, it will take at least 15 years to reach the next 1 billionas collective birth rates appear to be slowing down.
5. A malaria vaccine that will change the world
image source, Katie Ewer
Trials with the new malaria vaccine were conducted in Burkina Faso.
Scientists at the University of Oxford announced in September that they had developed a malaria vaccine with the potential to ‘change the world’.
The new vaccine, scheduled to be marketed next year, has shown 80% efficacy in trials against this deadly disease, which kills some 400,000 people a year.
The scientists also claimed that your vaccine it is not expensive.
Malaria is one of the leading causes of infant mortality in the world, and developing vaccines against it is difficult, since the parasite that causes it is often complex and elusive.
It is a constantly moving target that changes shape inside the body, making it difficult to immunize.
6. LeDuc makes Olympic and gender history
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LeDuc (right) became the first non-binary person to compete in the Winter Olympics.
American figure skater Timothy LeDuc became the first non-binary person to compete at the Winter Olympics, held in Beijing in February.
LeDuc didn’t medal and finished seventh in the pairs event with Ashley Cain, but he made an impact on the world.
7. We travel further back in time – courtesy of the James Webb Telescope
image source, NASA
JADES-GS-z13-0 is the “most distant galaxy” so far confirmed.
The James Webb Telescope had no qualms about grabbing headlines in 2022: Since it went online in July, it has provided amazing images of the universe.
One of them was the deepest snapshot of our universe yet, including JADES-GS-z13-0, a galaxy over 13 billion years old and dating to the “early days” after the Big Bang.
What appears as a faint stain is the “most distant galaxy” confirmed so far by gold standard measurement.
8. The first left-wing president to govern Colombia
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Gustavo Petro and his running mate Francia Márquez celebrate after winning the second round of the presidential election on June 19, 2022.
Gustavo Petro’s rise to power was a historic milestone in Colombia.
Not only for being the first left-wing president in that country, but also for having come out of the ranks of the M19 guerrilla movement.
His arrival at the Palacio de Nariño came from the hand of Francia Márquez, the first vice presidenta afro and environmental activist.
9. We saw bacteria without microscopes
image source, Jean Marie Volland
The filament of T. magnifica is about the size and shape of a human eyelash.
Scientists announced in June the discovery of the world’s largest bacterium.
And you don’t need a microscope to see the Thiomargarita magnifica: The newly discovered organism is roughly the same size and shape as a human eyelash.
At about 1 cm long, it is 50 times larger than all other known giant bacteria and the first to be visible to the naked eye.
