The Year in Science 2009: What Was Important? What Changed Everything?

Explore the important events in science from 2009 that shaped groundbreaking technology and medicine. Share your thoughts on historic moments!

Written byChris Mooney
| 1 min read
Google NewsGoogle News Preferred Source

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news

Sign Up

It is getting to be that time of year again--that time of year when everybody summarizes the year. So this is an open thread to ask for your picks: What happened in science, technology, and medicine in 2009 that was really important, potentially historic or groundbreaking, or simply worth remarking upon? I certainly have my ideas, but I want to hear what others think as well....

Meet the Author

More on Discover
group of early humans dressed in furs sitting around a fire
How Burn Injuries May Have Shaped Human Evolution, and Set Us Apart From Other Primates
Why can't you tickle yourself? 3D diagram of human body with signals flowing up the arm to the brain
Why Can't You Tickle Yourself? Your Brain Actually Prevents It From Happening
Person touching ball of static electricity
Static Electricity Shapes Everyday Life — but Its Origin Remains Shockingly Mysterious
security guard monitors screens
3 Superhuman Traits That Some Are Born With — and Others You Can Learn
an exploding star with debris spreading up, down, and out to the sides
A Supermassive Black Hole Shredded a Star — and Is Still Burping Out Its Bright Remains
Male pronghorn running
Fossils Show Pronghorn Speed Predates the American Cheetah by 5 Million Years
time-lapse photo of a solar eclipse showing the different phases of the moon covering the sun
Catch a 'Ring of Fire' Eclipse and Rare Planetary Parade This February 2026
Researchers examine ancient Egyptian mummy inside a CT scanner.
2,000-Year-Old Mummies Show Ancient Egyptians Had Back and Hip Pain, Too
A small cave opening with light coming in
New Zealand Cave Discovery Reveals Ancient Species — Including a Relative of the Kākāpō
the green river flowing through a canyon
How the Green River Carved Its Mysterious Route Through the Mountains
A reconstruction of Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx — The Earliest Known Bird — Had a Strange Mouth, but Fed Like Modern Birds
Diagram showing the internal workings of earth including the core
Gigantic Hot Rock Blobs Have Impacted Earth's Magnetic Field For Over 200 Million Years

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

Sign up for our weekly science updates

View our Privacy Policy

SubscribeTo The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Subscribe