In 2023, we have a series of breakthroughs and intriguing events under the scientific vision. Let's take a look back at these glorious moments and challenges that are hard to ignore, all of which bode well for a magnificent future.
In January of this year, OpenAI's ChatGPT lit up a new star in the AI field with a breakthrough user growth record. This one is based on GPT-3The number of chatbots exceeded 100 million in two months, and attracted widespread attention and discussion in the following months. In March, ChatGPT, an upgraded version based on GPT-4, was released, which sparked people's infinite reverie about artificial intelligence with its more powerful memory and processing capabilities, as well as image recognition capabilities. It not only showcases the cutting-edge achievements of deep learning, but also makes AGI, the threshold of artificial general intelligence, feel close at hand. At the same time, there are growing concerns about the potential misuse of AI technology, and there is a consensus in the industry calling for an effective regulatory system to ensure the safe development of AI.
Not only that, but the controversy over room-temperature superconducting materials has been with us for almost a whole year. From the University of Rochester's groundbreaking statement to a cautious academic attitude to the end of the retraction, the twists and turns of room-temperature superconductivity technology demonstrate the twists and turns on the road to science. The study of room-temperature superconductors, if established, will certainly bring revolutionary changes in fields such as energy transmission and magnetic levitation. However, by the end of the year, none of the results of these reported room-temperature superconductivity studies had been validated, demonstrating the validation process and challenges that scientific exploration must endure.
2023 has also been marked as the hottest year on record for humanity, a reality we don't want to but have to face. Record-breaking global temperatures, from the frequency of extreme weather events to rising sea levels, are a reminder that the threat of climate change is everywhere and that there is an urgent need to find sustainable solutions.
And in the field of medicine, new breakthroughs are also happening. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, which were originally used for diabetes, have achieved remarkable results. The marketing of these drugs, although expensive, has brought new hope for obesity in medicine, as well as new questions about long-term sustainability and sustainability.
In addition, advances in neural implant technology have created new bridges between the brain and spinal cord. Over the course of the year, several studies have shown that a variety of nerve implants can help patients regain some mobility, which is not only a big step forward in medicine, but also brings new hope to millions of patients with neurological disorders. These include implantable neuroprostheses, devices that stimulate the dura mater of the spine, etc., which have shown great potential to improve the quality of life of patients.
In astronomy, six international organizations have provided key evidence for the existence of nanohertz gravitational waves. They observed pulsar timing arrays for a long time and finally captured a faint gravitational wave background signal. This provides new clues to our understanding of the universe, especially when it comes to the details of supermassive black holes. This will be the focus of cosmological research in the coming years.
In terms of global health, differences in the immune system and the impact of various diseases have become issues that cannot be ignored in 2023. Frequent outbreaks of various infectious diseases have exposed the challenges faced by countries in maintaining immune protection. In China, the implementation of a series of response measures and the acceleration of vaccination to protect children from respiratory viruses are important ways to address this immunization gap.
On the way to explore outer space, 2023, especially with the moon as the focus, in the efforts of many countries to try to land on the moon, there have been successes and failures, but what is rushing in is the infinite vision of future deep space exploration. In particular, the successful landing of the Indian probe on the south pole of the moon has made it yet another country to touch the mysteries of space.
Another exciting development in the field of science is the publication of high-resolution maps of the whole mammalian brain. The most comprehensive atlas of human brain cells and the whole brain atlas of mice published by the National Institutes of Health have deepened our understanding of the mechanism of brain operation at the scale of millions of cells, bringing new clues to neurological diseases.
Finally, a subversive study in the field of astronomy has revealed from the hands of Chinese scientists that the initial mass distribution of stars is not fixed, but changes with the metallicity and age of the star family, challenging the basic assumptions of half a century.
The scientific and technological progress of 2023 not only poses a challenge to humanity, but also provides us with countless hopes. Between these challenges and progress, we see humanity's determination to explore the unknown and its relentless pursuit of improving human life. In the new years ahead, let us continue to look at the starry sky of science and look forward to the future of infinite possibilities.