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January (Earth’s Oldest Material Discovered)
On January 13, scientists discovered Earth’s oldest material after analyzing a meteorite. The rock fell to Earth in the 1960s, and the dust is thought to be 7.5 billion years old. (BBC) -
February (New Dinosaur Found in Canada)
On February 11, the bones of a new Tyrannosaurus named “Reaper of Death” were found in Canada. The dinosaur is suspected to have lived over 80 million years ago, making it the oldest tyrannosaurus to live in North America. (BBC) -
March (US Space Force Launches)
On March 27, after a short delay, the US Space Force launched its first satellite. The Space Force was established by President Trump in December for space warfare. (BBC) -
April (Underwater Forest Discovered)
On April 8, scientists discovered an underwater forest that could be 60,000 years old. Scientists believe explorers planted trees near the Gulf of Mexico, which later fell and were buried under sediments and rising sea levels. Scientists believe this new discovery will open possibilities for discovering new medicines and saving lives. (CNN) -
May (Progress in Fight Against Malaria)
On May 4, scientists discovered a microbe that completely protects mosquitoes from contracting malaria. This discovery could be of immense help to the fight against Malaria. (BBC) -
June (Hope for the Hainan Gibbon)
On June 6, scientists announced that there was hope for the survival of Hainan Gibbons, the world’s rarest primate. Scientists have discovered a new breeding pair, which is wonderful news as the animal has been extinct since the 1970s. In the 1950s, it was believed that there were 2,000 left in the wild; however, poaching and deforestation quickly led to a decline. By the 1970s, it was estimated that there were only 10 left in the wild. (BBC) -
July (China Goes to Mars)
On July 23, China’s Tianwen-1 Mars rover left Earth to begin its first mission around the planet. Three days prior, the United Arab Emirates launched its first rover to orbit Mars, and the US hopes to have a rover launched in the near future. (BBC) -
August (Potential TikTok Ban)
On August 2, President Trump announced plans to ban TikTok, which has been accused of being Chinese spyware. After the statement, Microsoft announced that it was considering purchasing TikTok after a full security review is conducted. Talks between Microsoft and TikTok parent company ByteDance should conclude by mid-September. On August 5, it was reported that Tik Tok plans to build a $500 million data center in Ireland. This new center will store data from European users. (BBC) -
September (TikTok and WeChat Officially Banned)
On September 18, the US announced that in 48 hours, residents will no longer be allowed to download either TikTok or WeChat. WeChat will be shut down immediately, while those who already have TikTok will be able to use the app until November 12. The ban may be reversed if President Trump agrees to a trade deal, but for now, he claims the app (and its parent company) steal data to sell to China. (BBC) -
October (Driverless Taxis to Debut)
On October 8, Google announced plans to extend its Waymo program to Phoenix. The app will allow people to hire driverless cars. The cars are monitored, and vehicle operators will intervene in extreme circumstances, according to Google. (BBC) -
November (Apple to Pay $113 Million)
On November 18, Apple was ordered to pay $113 million to settle what users are calling “batterygate.” Thirty-three US states accused Apple of slowing down battery ability to sway people to buy new devices. Apple refused to comment on the situation. (BBC) -
December (Ticketmaster Fined $10 Million)
On December 31, Ticketmaster was ordered to pay $10 million after losing a lawsuit. The US Department of Justice confirmed that the company unlawfully used passwords and intruded a competing company’s computers. The DOJ stated the intrusion was an attempt to “choke out” the opposing businesses. The misconduct actually occurred in 2017 and the employees involved have also been fired. (BBC)
