“Hidden Breakthroughs: 69 Scientific Marvels That Shocked Experts but Were Ignored by the World”
Growing up during the AIDS crisis was no walk in the park—imagine a sick game of tag where the invisible monster tagged us all, and yet, somehow, we emerged from the chaos with scientific breakthroughs that would make even the most seasoned science fiction writers raise an eyebrow! Can you believe that what was once a death sentence is now largely manageable? It’s incredible and, at the same time, overwhelming to think about how life-saving treatments have turned what seemed like an insurmountable crisis into something we hardly talk about—because who wouldn’t prefer a conversation about the weather to discussing HIV? This article explores the jaw-dropping strides in science and medicine, spotlighting how we’ve gone from fear to hope, and how the narratives around these advancements are often overshadowed in our daily lives. Buckle up—you’re in for a ride through some of the most stunning scientific achievements. Ready to dive in? LEARN MORE.
I grew up in the midst of the AIDS crisis. It was twice as scary as covid and ten times as devastating. The fact that they essentially found a cure and AIDS/HIV is no longer a physical or social death sentence is overwhelming in the best way and the fact that it’s rarely talked about is overwhelming in the worst way.
cpersin24:
I’m a microbiologist and every time I taught the HIV/AIDS section i was still amazed at how fast we went from knowing nothing about this disease to today where we are testing vaccines and have treatments that keep infected pregnant patients from passing HIV to their babies or keep infected people from passing it to their partners. And we can allow infected people to live out their natural life. I agree it’s amazing how this went from devastating to almost a non-issue in less than two generations.
I worked on the HPV vaccine. I helped prove you can give it to children and just eliminate that entire disease. Never gotta worry about that s**t again.
Nobody gives a s**t. Half the country apparently hates us for even doing it.
Espieglerie:
The HPV vaccine is a god damn miracle. I work in public health and it’s wonderful to see study after study showing plummeting rates of cervical, anal, head and neck, etc cancers everywhere it’s been rolled out. I also did a grad school case study on the vaccine and it was cool seeing it start with, iirc, three of the worst strains of HPV and then scale up to the 9 valent.
Honestly, mapping the human genome was assumed to be impossible for decades until it was done in a few short years without the fanfare it deserved. An absolutely mind-blowing accomplishment.
Pabu85:
I’m alive because of genetic testing we were only able to do because of that discovery. I’m thankful every day.
The invention of the blue LED. That s**t changed absolutely everything in electronics. The Blue LED allowed us the final piece needed to produce true “white” light. Paved the way for everything with a screen.
Jet packs. We spent 200 years fantasising about them as an idea, and now that they exist in working form and you can buy them online, it’s barely registered.
I’m no scientist but I feel like the micro plastics in all our testicles and beyond the brain barrier was a shockingly non reaction.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Historically stem cell research used cells derived from embryonic sources. That raises tons of ethical debates. In addition, I believe it can cause issues with the body rejecting cells if they come from someone other than the transplant recipient.
Scientists then discovered that you could take ordinary skin cells from a person and expose the cells to certain transcription factors which effectively reprogram them into stem cells. From there the cells can be differentiated into specific cell types like cardiac cells, neurons, etc. An example usage would be to take a Parkinson’s patient who has lost 95% of the cells of the neuronal pathway involved in motor activity and other things, harvest their skin cells, convert them to stems cells, differentiate them into neurons and transplant them into the brain thereby recovering some of the deficits. It’s unbelievably fascinating stuff and blew my mind when I first learned about it. I don’t think they’ve even scratched the surface of its potential. Especially when you combine it with CRISPR to modify the genetics so you can potentially cure/treat all sorts of diseases.
We basically “cured” most people of cystic fibrosis in the last five years. It is the most miraculous medical breakthrough I can think of, comparable only to insulin treatment for diabetics or the triple cocktail for HIV patients in the 90s. In the span of five years, thousands of cystic fibrosis patients saw their projected lifespans go up to normal. The treatments don’t work on every CF mutation, but they are incredible. The Atlantic published an article last year that made me sob.
Not as crazy as other ones, but… as a type 1 diabetic I find it crazy that they can just make insulin hahaha. You’re telling me my organs can’t but somebody in a lab can just find the formula? Hahahaha.
I read recently where South Koreas scientists found a way to revert a colon cancer cell to an almost normal cell which would eliminate the need for chemo. Early stages but wow, why aren’t we all over the moon and helping research?
I’m not a scientist, but I saw where scientists in Japan have found a way to grow teeth, which would eliminate the need for implants. In the not to distant future, you might see adults walking around with baby teeth.
My girlfriend has hashimoto and her thyroid is basically non-existent anymore. She only has to take one small pill in the morning to live a normal life instead of being dead by now. Millions of people in this world take one small pill each day and are able to live with a disease that would have been deadly back in the day.
Edit: I just wanted to clarify that there is no cure for Hashimoto and my partner is simply taking Levothyroxine to compensate for the thyroid. I am very sorry if I gave some people false hopes with my original comment.
