Top 10 Most Popular Science Times Stories of 2022

2022 marked a year when the world is slowly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic with lesser restrictions. But it was also an eventful year of discoveries, new technologies, milestones, and even war.

Before the world welcomes 2023, Science Times would like to take one last look at the top stories readers enjoyed the most over the past 12 months. So, here are the top 10 discoveries and events that marked Science Times' 2022:

1. Living in the Metaverse

Russian billionaire Dmitry Itskov said that artificial bodies could become a reality by 2045 that will enable people to live on the metaverse with the aim to extend the human lifespan.

This concept is called mind-uploading, which will make digital copies of people's minds so they could freely live in cyberspace without the constraints of their physical bodies, such as old age. Elon Musk and other companies are exploring metaverse technologies that could be the basis for future mind-uploading technology.

2. Snake With Green Fur

A mystery fury green snake was found in a province in Thailand earlier this year. It has a frilly body that resembles fur and moves underwater, which shocked the man who saw it first. They kept and fed the snake with small fish while waiting for local authorities to identify it.

Reports said that it was a puff-faced water snake that had been waiting for too long in the shallow and rock crevices of the swamp that had moss started growing on its back. These snakes are venomous and inhabit freshwater bodies, like ponds, swamps, and forest streams.

3. The Line: Saudi Arabia's Revolutionary City

MIT Technology Review shared the satellite images taken by Soar Earth of the progress of Saudi Arabia's The Line. Images show some spots already dug out deep where the $500 billion project is taking shape, traversing across deserts and mountains in the northern part of the country.

As of now, the area is teeming with hundreds of construction vehicles with thousands of workers in nearby bases. An analysis of satellite images reveals that they have already excavated 26 million cubic meters of rock and soil or about 78 times the volume of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

4. Little 'Sauropods' Had Viewers Confused

A viral video online shows a group of what seems to be baby sauropods running into the beach. But these animals are not baby dinosaurs. The video featured coatis running in reverse, which made them look like baby dinosaurs frolicking with their tails looking like a sauropod's neck.

5. British Laser-Guided Missile Shoots Down Russian Helicopters

Colonel Graham Taylor said that operators of the British-made Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles were deployed in a secret location in eastern Europe to teach Ukrainian soldiers how to use them as the war between Russia and Ukraine intensifies.

The Starstreak anti-aircraft missile is a laser-guided missile that can be fired from a fixed mount or a shoulder launcher to hit the target up to 4 miles away.

6. Scientists Warn the Earth Has Only 3-5 Years Left

NASA scientist Peter Kalmus demanded the public to listen to scientists' desperate cautions about climate change and said that the world only has three to five years left. "We're going to lose everything," he said in the YouTube video. Kalmus was participating in a protest that the Scientist Rebellion organized as part of the global day action of scientists worldwide.

7. NASA Records Black Cube Coming From the Sun

NASA and ESA's collaboration project Solar and Heliospheric Observatory captured a small cube-shaped object emerging for about two seconds at the bottom right corner of the Sun, which some believe to be an extraterrestrial object that the space agencies are hiding. The video was suddenly stopped due to maintenance during that time, which made people become more suspicious.

8. Man Vs. Lion

A man from Uganda kills a lion with his bare hands after it entered his home. The lion attack caused severe injuries to the man, but many are questioning his act of killing the animal because their population has been declining in the past years. On the other hand, some people say that his action was justifiable at that time.

9. Bees Kill Russian Soldiers

It seems that Russia's opponents are not just humans as some dangerous bees have attacked three soldiers in Chelburds, Oleshkovsky district in Ukraine. It is believed that the bees darted into their camp because they have been pestering the mighty pollinators for days due to a lack of food.

It was the second time that nature has helped Ukraine against Russian forces as previous reports also suggest that a pair of wild geese caused a Russian army plane to crash.

10. Teens Drinking Water From Soaked Flavored Condoms

A bizarre trend had teens in India buying flavored condoms to get high. Health authorities said that condoms contain aromatic compounds that break down to form alcohol compounds that are addictive and can be found in dendrites glue used to get high. Experts have warned against it for its dangerous health effects.