This article lists a number of significant events in science that have occurred in the first quarter of 2012.
Events January
1 January – NASA's GRAIL-B satellite successfully enters lunar orbit, joining its twin spacecraft GRAIL-A. The two satellites will study the Moon's gravitational field, generating a detailed map of its fluctuations to help scientists understand how the Moon formed. 2 January China launches its first commercial 3DTV channel, operated by China Central Television (CCTV). A new study shows that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and effective intervention for treatment-resistant depression in patients with either unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar ll disorder (BP). 3 January – Genetically modified fast-ageing mice exhibited improved health and lived two to three times longer than expected after being injected with stem cells, according to findings published in Nature Communications. 4 January American scientists report that a parasitic species of fly which compels honey bees to abandon their hives may be responsible for a global honey bee die-off that has decimated hives around the world. Honey bees are crucial pollinators, and their rapidly diminishing population may have severe effects on human agriculture. University of Wyoming scientists develop genetically modified silkworms capable of producing large amounts of spidersilk, which has a greater tensile strength than steel. If available in bulk quantities, the silk could be used to produce high-strength medical sutures and lightweight forms of body armor. Scientists at the University of Southern California develop a method for generating accurate 3D models of cellular genomes. Researchers at Oxford University report promising results in human trials of a prototype hepatitis C vaccine. Scientists at Cornell University use a specialised lens to entirely cloak an object from view for 40 trillionths of a second by altering the speed of light. Classified documents are leaked detailing a range of advanced non-lethal weapons proposed or in development by the United States Armed Forces. Among the systems described are a laser-based weapon designed to divert hostile aircraft, an underwater sonic weapon for incapacitating SCUBA divers and a heat-based weapon designed to compel crowds to disperse.
5 January Mae Jemison, the first female African-American astronaut, is selected to head the DARPA- and NASA-sponsored 100-Year Starship project, which aims to conduct research into the technological and human elements needed for crewed interstellar travel. American scientists report that they have bred the first-ever monkeys grown from cells taken from different embryos. A team of international researchers reports that low-resistivity electrical wires can be produced at the nanometer scale by chaining phosphorus atoms together and encasing them in silicon. In future, the development may permit the production of efficient nanometer-scale electronics. A team of American, French and Italian researchers demonstrate working transistors made from cotton fibers, doped with gold nanoparticles and a conductive polymer. The invention could permit the creation of a range of electronic-fabric devices, including clothing capable of measuring pollutants, T-shirts that display dynamic information, and carpets that sense how many people are crossing them. 6 January The human brain's ability to function can start to deteriorate as early as age 45, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. Scientists refute a Greenpeace claim that genetically modified corn has caused a new insect pest.
9 January Human emissions of carbon dioxide will defer the next ice age, according to a new study. Researchers in California develop a cheap plastic capable of removing large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air. The new material could enable the development of "artificial trees" that lower atmospheric concentrations of CO2 in an effort to lessen the effects of climate change. 10 January The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show opens in Las Vegas, Nevada. Among the new products and technologies showcased are large-screen OLED televisions, quad-core tablet computers and consumer-ready 3D printers. Climate change, in the form of reduced snowfall in mountains, is having a major impact on mountainous plant and bird communities, through the increased ability of elk to stay at high elevations over winter and consume plants, according to a study in Nature Climate Change. 11 January An international team of astronomers report that each star in the Milky Way Galaxy may host "on average ... at least 1.6 planets", suggesting that over 160 billion star-bound planets may exist in our galaxy alone. The team used gravitational microlensing to discover the gravitational effects of planets orbiting distant stars. American astronomers discover three rocky exoplanets smaller than Earth, the smallest such worlds yet found, orbiting a red dwarf star 130 light-years from Earth. Researchers report the discovery of a natural hormone that has a similar effect to exercise on muscle tissue – burning calories, improving insulin processing, and perhaps boosting strength. 12 January Scientists formally describe the world's smallest known vertebrate species, Paedophryne amauensis – a frog that measures just 7 millimeters in length. The species was first discovered in Papua New Guinea in 2009. A University of Connecticut researcher who studied the health benefits of resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, has been found to have falsified data on numerous occasions.
13 January IBM researchers successfully store a single bit of data in a group of just 12 supercooled iron atoms; current commercial hard disks require over 1 million atoms to store one bit of data. The breakthrough, which was achieved with the use of a scanning tunnelling microscope, may permit the production of ultra-high-density computer storage media in future. German scientists convert a gold sphere just 60 nanometres in diameter into an ultra-sensitive listening device, potentially allowing the sounds of bacteria and other single-celled organisms to be recorded. 14 January – Researchers at the University of Cambridge repair myelin sheath damage in ageing mice with multiple sclerosis by injecting the blood of younger mice into them, reactivating the older mice's regenerative stem cells. 15 January – Russia's Fobos-Grunt Martian sample return spacecraft, which became stranded in orbit after a post-launch malfunction in November 2011, re-enters Earth's atmosphere. 18 January Astronomers report the discovery of the most distant dwarf galaxy yet found, approximately 10 billion light-years away. A British amateur astronomer discovers a new Neptune-sized exoplanet, just days after the BBC's Stargazing Live program makes a public appeal for volunteers to assist scientists in the search for potential exoplanets. Over 100,000 volunteers are reportedly taking part in the ongoing search. Archaeologists find a novel tulip-shaped fossil, formally named Siphusauctum gregarium, in the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale in the Canadian Rockies. The 20-centimetre-long creature reportedly possessed a unique filter feeding system. A working 9-nanometer transistor is developed by IBM engineers, demonstrating that nanotubes could serve as a viable alternative to silicon in future nanoelectronic devices. 19 January Austrian researchers develop a quantum computer capable of performing calculations without revealing any of the data involved, using encoded strings of photons designed to appear random. This method of "blind quantum cryptography" may permit sensitive data to be processed and transferred without any danger of interception or decryption, leading to ultra-secure cloud computing. NASA data shows that in 2011, temperatures in the Arctic rose beyond the record established in 2010 – setting a new record. 20 January – Virologists agree to a temporarily hiatus on experiments on the H5N1 influenza virus, due to fears that an airborne strain of the lethal virus could be used by bioterrorists. 22 January American researchers report that nanoparticles can be successfully engineered to mimic part of the body's immune system, improving its response to vaccines. An international team of scientists concludes that anthropogenic CO2 emissions over the last 100 to 200 years have already raised ocean acidity far beyond the range of natural variations.
23 January South Korean scientists develop touchscreens that can recognise the existence and concentration of DNA molecules placed on them. The invention could allow the development of smartphones with the ability to diagnose users' medical conditions. The Lancet reports that a human medical trial of embryonic stem cells successfully eased a degenerative form of blindness in two volunteers, and showed no signs of any adverse effects. Brain scans of people under the influence of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, have given scientists the most detailed picture to date of how psychedelic drugs work. 24 January Earth is struck by the largest solar storm since 2005, creating huge aurorae and potentially interfering with satellite communications worldwide. A nest of dinosaur eggs 100 million years older than the previous oldest site is found in South Africa. The fossils are of the prosauropod species Massospondylus, a relative of the long-necked sauropods. 25 January University of Washington scientists report that injecting sulfate particles into the stratosphere will not fully offset climate change. A study in Japan finds that green tea can significantly reduce disability in the elderly, likely due to its antioxidant content. 26 January – American researchers successfully "cloak" a three-dimensional object, making it invisible from all angles, for the first time. However, the demonstration works only for waves in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
27 January An international team of scientists reports that graphene, already widely known for its conductive properties, is also able to selectively filter gases and liquids. The material could thus potentially find use in industrial distillation and water purification. A study published in the journal Carcinogenesis shows that in both cell lines and mouse models, grape seed extract (GSE) kills head and neck cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Using an airborne LIDAR system, scientists produce the most detailed 3D image of the Amazon rainforest yet recorded, allowing the accurate measurement of the rainforest's ecosystem and rate of deforestation. 2012 BX34, an asteroid between across, passes within 60,000 kilometres of the Earth, performing one of the closest asteroid flybys yet recorded. British animators develop a new algorithmic method of creating highly realistic CGI trees, allowing films and video games to easily display realistic 3D foliage. 29 January – Using stem cells generated from patients with schizophrenia, bipolar depression and other mental illnesses, scientists at the University of Edinburgh create neurones with brain tissue genetically identical to the person's brain. The breakthrough could allow new treatments for mental illnesses to be accurately tested without endangering patients. 30 January A United Nations report warns that time is running out to ensure there is enough food, water and energy for a rapidly rising world population. By 2030, the world will need at least 50 percent more food, 45 percent more energy and 30 percent more water, according to estimates. The British Royal Navy begins development of a new anti-missile defence system, the Sea Ceptor, capable of intercepting and destroying supersonic missiles within an area of . The system is likely to enter service by 2017.