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2006 in science
open-in-new
<h2 id="astronomy">Astronomy</h2> <ul><li>January 15 – <a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a>'s <i><a href="/facts/Stardust_(spacecraft)/bEcy98J3">Stardust</a></i> mission successfully ends, the first to return dust from a <a href="/facts/Comet/w34utQCd">comet</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a></li> <li>January 25 – The discovery of the planet <a href="/facts/OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb/s0Wj7SaK">OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb</a> through <a href="/facts/Gravitational_microlensing/JL0fXQRC">gravitational microlensing</a> is announced by <a href="/facts/Probing_Lensing_Anomalies_NETwork/8UJBufJS">PLANET</a>/RoboNet, <a href="/facts/Optical_Gravitational_Lensing_Experiment/FkmStM7p">OGLE</a> and <a href="/facts/Microlensing_Observations_in_Astrophysics/dqGxw4QI">MOA</a></li> <li>February 1 – <a href="/facts/Eris_(dwarf_planet)/vuaR65F7">2003 UB313</a> is found to be larger than <a href="/facts/Pluto/egq7MBeR">Pluto</a>.</li> <li>February 13 – The recurrent <a href="/facts/Nova/H1GcmKXT">nova</a> <a href="/facts/RS_Ophiuchi/6DXle64S">RS Ophiuchi</a> erupts. The last outburst occurred in 1985.</li> <li>March 9 – <a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a>'s <i><a href="/facts/Cassini-Huygens/PWknrDeY">Cassini-Huygens</a></i> spacecraft discovers <a href="/facts/Geysers/cjXV4fCP">geysers</a> of a liquid substance shooting from <a href="/facts/Saturn/D54LcGJ9">Saturn</a>'s moon <a href="/facts/Enceladus_(moon)/DyWXz9jl">Enceladus</a>, signaling a possible presence of water.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></li> <li>March 29 – <a href="/facts/Solar_eclipse_of_2006_March_29/pt6FNnfh">Total solar eclipse</a> (Brazil, Greece, Mid Atlantic Ocean, <a href="/facts/Sahara/JVlJd2VC">Sahara</a>, Turkey, <a href="/facts/Georgia_(country)/ccBF8bBE">Georgia</a>, Russia, <a href="/facts/Kazakhstan/Vfs8NI6e">Kazakhstan</a>, <a href="/facts/Mongolia/ogQzUcQb">Mongolia</a>).</li> <li>June 30 – The discovery of nine additional <a href="/facts/Natural_satellite/AE4KQKbq">natural satellites</a> of <a href="/facts/Saturn/D54LcGJ9">Saturn</a> published.</li> <li>August 24 – <a href="/facts/Pluto/egq7MBeR">Pluto</a> is redesignated as a <a href="/facts/Dwarf_planet/IkQoCdwD">dwarf planet</a> by the International Astronomical Union, joining <a href="/facts/Eris_(dwarf_planet)/vuaR65F7">2003 UB313</a> and <a href="/facts/Ceres_(dwarf_planet)/yIVEMYtG">1 Ceres</a>.</li> <li>September 13 – 2003 UB313 is assigned the name <a href="/facts/Eris_(dwarf_planet)/vuaR65F7">Eris</a>.</li> <li>September 14 – The <a href="/facts/Asteroid/g7Ulr1VB">asteroid</a> subsequently designated <a href="/facts/2006_RH120/u20Wu4ej">2006 RH120</a> is identified as it becomes a <a href="/facts/Temporary_satellite/DLEeqjNx">temporary satellite</a> of Earth.</li> <li>September 22 – <a href="/facts/Solar_eclipse_of_September_22%2c_2006/8rjDNoYk">Annular solar eclipse</a> in South America, <a href="/facts/West_Africa/oV8Dk0kp">West Africa</a> and Antarctica.</li></ul> <h2 id="biology">Biology</h2> <ul><li>April 15 – <a href="/facts/Anthony_Atala/yyTpgbRW">Anthony Atala</a> and team at <a href="/facts/Wake_Forest_Baptist_Medical_Center/1Qdjx4pw">Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center</a> in the United States publish their success in transplanting the first laboratory-grown organs, <a href="/facts/Bladder/g8Khaf7A">bladders</a>, into human patients.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a></li> <li>May 15 – The sequence of the last <a href="/facts/Chromosome/FRGf11FC">chromosome</a> in the <a href="/facts/Human_Genome_Project/eQDHgHTP">Human Genome Project</a> is published in the journal <i><a href="/facts/Nature_(journal)/XmlJXkFx">Nature</a></i>.</li> <li>September – The Western Balsam Poplar (<i><a href="/facts/Populus_trichocarpa/ahy3fwJf">Populus trichocarpa</a></i>) is the first tree whose full <a href="/facts/DNA/nB89Iauz">DNA</a> code has been determined by <a href="/facts/DNA_sequencing/hsPsNCQW">DNA sequencing</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></li> <li>December 13 – <a href="/facts/Baiji/KzyEqa8u">Baiji</a> (<a href="/facts/Yangtze/f9A2h4rQ">Yangtze</a> <a href="/facts/River_dolphin/Ke85fzWE">river dolphin</a>) declared "<a href="/facts/Functional_extinction/vQpvCCys">functionally extinct</a>".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Adrian_Owen/b78h5jJI">Adrian Owen</a> demonstrates for the first time that <a href="/facts/Functional_neuroimaging/r0k8tKGR">functional neuroimaging</a> can be used to detect awareness in patients incapable of generating any recognised behavioural response and appearing to be in a <a href="/facts/Persistent_vegetative_state/EkAyEEU3">persistent vegetative state</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Haifan_Lin/vk0S9PJ3">Haifan Lin</a> discovers <a href="/facts/Piwi-interacting_RNA/5JXza7t8">Piwi-interacting RNA</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a></li> <li>Last sightings of the <a href="/facts/Western_black_rhinoceros/qLk6w6df">Western black rhinoceros</a> and of the natural-born <a href="/facts/Northern_white_rhinoceros/rKBg2N06">Northern white rhinoceros</a>.</li> <li>Non<a href="/facts/Theria/bb9tKvHy">therian</a> <a href="/facts/Mammal/phSwTzBo">mammal</a> fossils are identified among the <a href="/facts/St_Bathans_Fauna/WJKoe3sM">St Bathans Fauna</a> of New Zealand's South Island.</li></ul> <h2 id="computer-science">Computer science</h2> <ul><li>July 15 – <a href="/facts/Social_networking_service/qFIh6VT1">Social networking service</a> <a href="/facts/Twitter/VWwDNGUm">Twitter</a> launched publicly.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a></li> <li>November 1 – <a href="/facts/Sony_Reader/TJKJygbN">Sony PRS500</a> <a href="/facts/E-book_reader/D7a76tKm">e-book reader</a> launched in the United States.</li></ul> <h2 id="environment">Environment</h2> <ul><li>January 19 – Australian researchers at the CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research centre in <a href="/facts/Hobart/rcHqwrRt">Hobart</a>, <a href="/facts/Tasmania/q3dubPTt">Tasmania</a>, publish experimental data that matches models of increasing sea level rising.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="mathematics">Mathematics</h2> <ul><li>The great prime search project finds the 44th <a href="/facts/Mersenne_prime/IyF3sBNf">Mersenne prime</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="philosophy">Philosophy</h2> <p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/2006_in_philosophy/xb2Kc1Wc">2006 in philosophy</a></p> <h2 id="physics">Physics</h2> <ul><li>September 19 – <a href="/facts/Lee_Smolin/lMznGCWt">Lee Smolin</a> publishes <i><a href="/facts/The_Trouble_with_Physics/VjErme1T">The Trouble with Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next</a></i> in the United States.</li></ul> <h2 id="space-exploration">Space exploration</h2> <ul><li>January 15 – The <i><a href="/facts/Stardust_(spacecraft)/bEcy98J3">Stardust</a></i> <a href="/facts/Spacecraft/YQqQaUw0">spacecraft</a> successfully completes its primary mission of returning samples of <a href="/facts/Comet/w34utQCd">cometary</a> and <a href="/facts/Interstellar_dust/Uy6hlL29">interstellar dust</a> to Earth. Its sample return capsule touches down safely inside its intended landing area in <a href="/facts/Utah/te7zUyBX">Utah</a>, close to the Army Dugway Proving Ground.</li> <li>January 19 – The <a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a> <a href="/facts/Spacecraft/YQqQaUw0">spacecraft</a> <i><a href="/facts/New_Horizons/G5XTU5DK">New Horizons</a></i> launches successfully from <a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station/dwJ9MCPH">Cape Canaveral Air Force Station</a> and leaves Earth's orbit shortly afterwards on its journey to <a href="/facts/Pluto/egq7MBeR">Pluto</a></li> <li>February 2 – <a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a>'s public affairs office is accused of censoring the comments by James Hansen of the <a href="/facts/Goddard_Institute_for_Space_Studies/sL5yVJIt">Goddard Institute for Space Studies</a> in New York.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a></li> <li>March 24 – The maiden flight of the <a href="/facts/SpaceX/2tKHsVdJ">SpaceX</a> <a href="/facts/Falcon_1/F4DBbpCS">Falcon 1</a> rocket ends in failure.</li> <li>July 12 – The launch of the first private experimental space habitat, <i><a href="/facts/Genesis_I/HlLc8KCr">Genesis I</a></i>.</li> <li>September 12 – The construction of the <a href="/facts/International_Space_Station/VNPUBz9m">International Space Station</a> is continued for the first time after a hiatus of almost four years.</li></ul> <h2 id="technology">Technology</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Groupe_SEB/8LaMsruL">Groupe SEB</a> introduce the world's first air fryer, under the Actifry brand of <a href="/facts/Convection_oven/b2SksHJY">convection oven</a>, in the French consumer market.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="other-events">Other events</h2> <ul><li>January 27 – <a href="/facts/Scientific_misconduct/cyqwj95b">Scientific misconduct</a>: The <a href="/facts/University_of_Tokyo/Td0xnQDF">University of Tokyo</a> announces that Kazunari Taira's experimental results in <a href="/facts/RNA/HxPeNfNj">RNA</a> research are irreproducible.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a></li> <li>March 13 – Six healthy young men taking part in the <a href="/facts/First-in-man_study/o8hEodVu">first-in-man study</a> for an anti-inflammatory drug <a href="/facts/TGN1412/GhyBsHuD">TGN1412</a> in London are placed in intensive care with adverse side-effects, some suffering a life-threatening <a href="/facts/Cytokine_storm/8fMp0yKC">cytokine storm</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="awards">Awards</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Nobel_Prize/3z1Y3oFL">Nobel Prize</a> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Nobel_Prize_in_Physiology_or_Medicine/rlnpJX84">Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine</a>: <a href="/facts/Andrew_Fire/h9VmgRjr">Andrew Fire</a> and <a href="/facts/Craig_Mello/cF4op2Df">Craig Mello</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Nobel_Prize_in_Physics/o6w1nCbr">Nobel Prize in Physics</a>: <a href="/facts/John_C._Mather/v379c8YU">John C. Mather</a> and <a href="/facts/George_Smoot/m92pWIF9">George Smoot</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Nobel_Prize_in_Chemistry/8Nb8Ajjy">Nobel Prize in Chemistry</a>: <a href="/facts/Roger_Kornberg/w9hlR7j1">Roger Kornberg</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/facts/Abel_Prize/j5XVqwKd">Abel Prize in Mathematics</a>: <a href="/facts/Lennart_Carleson/drIokpo0">Lennart Carleson</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Fields_Medal/khFmkEnm">Fields Prize in Mathematics</a>: <a href="/facts/Andrei_Okounkov/ME33ML8t">Andrei Okounkov</a>, <a href="/facts/Grigori_Perelman/SmISWW7x">Grigori Perelman</a> (<i>declined</i>), <a href="/facts/Terence_Tao/Do68JKn6">Terence Tao</a>, and <a href="/facts/Wendelin_Werner/60RvSwxR">Wendelin Werner</a></li></ul> <h2 id="deaths">Deaths</h2> <ul><li>January 24 – Sir <a href="/facts/Nicholas_Shackleton/Scymz7hp">Nicholas Shackleton</a> (b. <a href="/facts/1937_in_science/QeTneV8B">1937</a>), English Quaternary geologist and paleoclimatologist, recipient of the <a href="/facts/Vetlesen_Prize/Ir3LubdM">Vetlesen Prize</a> (2004).</li> <li>February 28 – <a href="/facts/Owen_Chamberlain/cGhJpu6J">Owen Chamberlain</a> (b. <a href="/facts/1920_in_science/FcwHBQPg">1920</a>), American <a href="/facts/Nobel_Prize_in_Physics/o6w1nCbr">Nobel laureate in physics</a> (1959).</li> <li>May 1 – <a href="/facts/Kikuo_Takano/D3Xee3UW">Kikuo Takano</a> (b. <a href="/facts/1927_in_science/zk9YrBCk">1927</a>), Japanese poet and <a href="/facts/Mathematician/eaFSR8Fx">mathematician</a>.</li> <li>May 14 – <a href="/facts/Robert_Bruce_Merrifield/l8AHMz81">Bruce Merrifield</a> (b. <a href="/facts/1921_in_science/jqlgdekP">1921</a>), American <a href="/facts/Nobel_Prize_in_Chemistry/8Nb8Ajjy">Nobel laureate in chemistry</a> (1984) for developing a rapid, automated system for making <a href="/facts/Peptide/C4ltc7UG">peptides</a>.</li> <li>May 31 – <a href="/facts/Raymond_Davis_Jr./kxHgTrQ4">Raymond Davis Jr.</a> (b. <a href="/facts/1914_in_science/syUzlX5D">1914</a>), American Nobel laureate in <a href="/facts/Physics/a7aH2y08">physics</a> (2002) for pioneering the detection of cosmic <a href="/facts/Neutrino/yGWVfSg2">neutrinos</a>.</li> <li>August 9 – <a href="/facts/James_Van_Allen/Irnymako">James Van Allen</a> (b. 1914), American space scientist.</li> <li>August 29 – <a href="/facts/Robert_J._Gorlin/nkDF3LxE">Robert J. Gorlin</a> (b. <a href="/facts/1923_in_science/P8DhUfan">1923</a>), American pathologist.</li> <li>August 10 – <a href="/facts/Genevieve_Grotjan_Feinstein/wLyMXyAd">Genevieve Grotjan Feinstein</a> (b. <a href="/facts/1913_in_science/6nl9Anqy">1913</a>), American mathematician and <a href="/facts/Cryptanalysis/7CPEQlJI">cryptanalyst</a>.</li> <li>November 11 – <a href="/facts/Esther_Lederberg/4PAMeqff">Esther Lederberg</a> (b. <a href="/facts/1922_in_science/VFLMRogY">1922</a>), American <a href="/facts/Microbiologist/cqEyJwNK">microbiologist</a>.</li> <li>November 22 – <a href="/facts/Asima_Chatterjee/yLDrAGa0">Asima Chatterjee</a> (b. <a href="/facts/1917_in_science/2F9GvY8e">1917</a>), <a href="/facts/Indian_people/S30UyveY">Indian</a> <a href="/facts/Organic_chemist/djxhxaNg">organic chemist</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Stardust Container in Almost Perfect Condition". Fox News. Associated Press. 2006-01-17. Archived from the original on 2018-11-06. Retrieved 2009-07-06. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181106160304/https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181763,00.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20181106160304/https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181763,00.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Svoboda, Elizabeth (2006-03-10). "Saturn Moon Has Water Geysers and, Just Maybe, Life". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on May 18, 2006. Retrieved 2009-07-06. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060518152642/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0310_060310_saturn.html?source=rss" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20060518152642/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0310_060310_saturn.html?source=rss</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Atala, Anthony (15–21 April 2006). "Tissue-engineered autologous bladders for patients needing cystoplasty". The Lancet. 367 (9518). London: 1241–1246. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(06)68438-9. PMID 16631879. S2CID 17892321. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fs0140-6736%2806%2968438-9" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fs0140-6736%2806%2968438-9</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Populus trichocarpa". Genome Portal. Joint Genome Institute. Retrieved 2015-11-06. <a href="http://genome.jgi-psf.org/Poptr1_1/Poptr1_1.home.html" target="_blank">http://genome.jgi-psf.org/Poptr1_1/Poptr1_1.home.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"The Chinese river dolphin is functionally extinct". baiji.org. 2006-12-13. Archived from the original on 2007-01-04. 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PMID 17940631. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1994806" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1994806</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Arrington, Michael (2006-07-15). "Odeo Releases Twttr". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved 2014-05-15. <a href="/wiki/Michael_Arrington" target="_blank">/wiki/Michael_Arrington</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Ball, Philip (2006-01-19). "Sea-level rise is quickening pace". Nature. London. doi:10.1038/news060116-11. S2CID 128668212. Retrieved 2012-04-08. <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060116/full/060116-11.html" target="_blank">http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060116/full/060116-11.html</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Crilly, Tony (2007). 50 Mathematical Ideas you really need to know. London: Quercus. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-84724-008-8. <a href="978-1-84724-008-8" target="_blank">978-1-84724-008-8</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Reichhardt, Tony (2006-02-02). "Has NASA's press office gone too far?". Nature. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/news060130-11. ISSN 0028-0836. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fnews060130-11" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fnews060130-11</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"La base innovation produits de LSA". LSA. Retrieved 2024-12-12. <a href="https://www.lsa-conso.fr/produits/friteuse-actifry-seb,133832" target="_blank">https://www.lsa-conso.fr/produits/friteuse-actifry-seb,133832</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"Plus de 8 millions d'Actifry vendues dans le monde". Journaldunet.com. 2015-12-15. <a href="https://www.journaldunet.com/economie/industrie/1169062-actifry-smart-seb/1169706-8-millions-d-actifry-vendues-dans-le-monde" target="_blank">https://www.journaldunet.com/economie/industrie/1169062-actifry-smart-seb/1169706-8-millions-d-actifry-vendues-dans-le-monde</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Fuyuno, Ichiko (2006-01-27). "Scientist faces irreproducible results". Nature. doi:10.1038/news060123-14. S2CID 85108611. Retrieved 2012-04-08. <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060123/full/060123-14.html" target="_blank">http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060123/full/060123-14.html</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Suntharalingam, G.; Perry, M. R.; Ward, S.; Brett, S. J.; Castello-Cortes, A.; Brunner, M. D.; Panoskaltsis, N. (2006-09-07). "Cytokine Storm in a Phase 1 Trial of the Anti-CD28 Monoclonal Antibody TGN1412". New England Journal of Medicine. 355 (10): 1018–28. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa063842. PMID 16908486. <a href="http://rsp.ima-press.net/rsp/article/view/1966" target="_blank">http://rsp.ima-press.net/rsp/article/view/1966</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>