every year in late December, the TV channel “Science” and the Institute of modern media (MOMRI) conduct a survey of Russian scientists and ordinary Russians about the key scientific events of the year.
2019: how was it for science?
“the Lack of revolutionary discoveries at the intensive and accelerating development”. Perhaps, this characteristic can be given to the scientific end of 2019.
the Passing year was marked by swarnakumari events, comparable with the fundamental discoveries of the last years (for example, fixation of gravitational waves or the development of techniques for genome editing), but it is a revolutionary breakthrough 2015-2018 in biology, medicine, astronomy, physics, information technologies gave a powerful incentive to many applied works this year.
you Can identify several directions in which the development in 2019 were particularly active.
This is a: medicine, biology and, in particular, Biomedicine, biotechnology, genetics (in fact, reached a new stage in the development of genetic engineering; active improvement of technologies for genome editing, the introduction of mRNA therapy, the creation of new drugs); astronomy, astrophysics (getting the first ever image of a black hole, the fixation of interstellar comets Crimean astronomer Gennady Borisov, completing a unique 7-year project observations in deep space “Radioastron”, the launch of the German-Russian astrophysical Observatory “Spektr-REntgen-Gamma”, the discovery of extrasolar planets).
Also it is artificial intelligence, neural networks (new technologies of artificial intelligence and expansion of spheres of its implementation, including – for the solution of scientific problems); quantum computing (presentation by Google, the world’s most powerful quantum computer, the presentation by IBM of the first quantum processor for commercial use); materials science, nanotechnology, biomaterials (prediction and synthesis toacetone of new materials, particularly superconductors).
What scientific event 2019 remembered the Russians, and what do you consider the most important?
In a telephone interview with 1,600 respondents throughout Russia asked if they had heard about the most important, according to scientists, scientific discoveries 2019 and how those who heard about these events to assess their significance.
The best known are the news concerning the acceleration of global warming: 62% of respondents know or at least heard something about the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Nearly half (45 percent) of residents of large and medium Russian cities heard about new methods of treatment of severe genetic diseases by direct delivery to the diseased cells with healthy cells RNA.
As before, the most significant for the Russians the opening associated with the sphere of medicine.
the Maximum score in the final assessment (4.77 points on a scale where 1 is “not important” and 5 means “extremely important”) I got the news of the new methods of treating genetic diseases by direct delivery of RNA into cells.
Recall that in the previous 2 years in the tops of the most important discoveries was also the lead events associated with medicine: most Russians highly appreciated the importance of technology development for genome editing.
In the second place in importance in 2019 was the news of global warming is 4.37 points out of 5.
respondents appreciated the significance of the launch of the astrophysical Observatory “Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma” (4.11 points), but also of the gravitational wave detector in Japan (3.83 points).
Less visible (3.68 3.66 points), according to the respondents, are news about quantum computer Google and obtaining the image of a black hole.
Traditionally, the importance of scientific events at the different evaluations of men and women.
So, women could appreciate the importance of accelerating global warming, and the news about getting the in-vitro culture lakearea. Higher also appreciated receiving a picture of a black hole, and the opening of new geoglyphs in the Nazca desert.
Men of great importance gave the news about a brand new quantum processor Google.
the Awareness on the science, as before, is significantly higher in people older than 55 years – among them the maximum number of those who have heard about scientific events.
there is also a gender division: men somewhat more familiar with the achievements in the sphere of high technologies and astronomy, women are more aware of the events associated with medicine.
the poll was conducted by TV channel “Science” in the period 12-20 December 2019. Interviews were conducted with 30 scientists representing various scientific sectors.
a nationwide survey conducted by the Institute of modern media (MOMRI) in the period from 23 to 24 December 2019. Survey method — telephone interviews (CATI). The total number of respondents 1,600 people.
the survey involved residents of urban settlements Russia with a population of 100 thousand and above aged 18 years and older. Sampling quota: you set quotas on gender, age, type of settlements and Federal districts.
the Survey was conducted by mobile and fixed phone numbers.
