1986 in science
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| 1986 in science |
|---|
| Fields |
| Technology |
| Social sciences |
| Paleontology |
| Extraterrestrial environment |
| Terrestrial environment |
| Other/related |
The year 1986 in science and technology involved many significant events, some not listed below.
- January 24 – NASA Voyager 2 space probe makes first encounter with Uranus.
- January 28 – NASA Space Shuttle Challenger explodes on launch, killing all seven astronauts aboard. Their bodies are located by United States Navy divers on March 9.
- February 19 – The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station.
- March 8 – Japanese spacecraft Suisei flies by Halley's Comet, studying its UV hydrogen corona and solar wind.
- October 10 – Aten asteroid 3753 Cruithne, in co-orbital configuration with Earth, is identified by Duncan Waldron.
Biology
- May – First reported methods for constructing a monoclonal antibody containing parts from mouse and human antibodies, a required first step toward the development of humanized antibodies used later as medical therapeutics (such as Infliximab).[1][2]
- English epidemiologist David Barker proposes his fetal origins hypothesis.[3]
Computer science
- January 16 – The Internet Engineering Task Force, a standards organization that develops and promotes Internet standards, holds its first meeting, consisting of 21 United States government-funded researchers.
- January 19 – The first MS-DOS-based personal computer virus, Brain, starts to spread.[4]
- April 3 – IBM unveils the PC Convertible, the first laptop computer.
- June 23 – Eric Thomas develops LISTSERV, the first email list management software.[5]
- Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is visualized by Mark Crispin.
- 3D printing is developed by Charles Hull.
- Pixar is founded.
Mathematics
- Summer – Kenneth Alan Ribet demonstrates proof of the ε-conjecture, subsequently known as Ribet's theorem[6] confirming Gerhard Frey's suggestion that the Taniyama–Shimura conjecture implies Fermat's Last Theorem.[7]
- Lawrence Paulson makes the first release of Isabelle (proof assistant).[8]
- Lee Sallows introduces the alphamagic square.[9]
Technology
- January 11 – The Gateway Bridge is opened in Brisbane, Australia, the world's largest prestressed concrete single box bridge.
- April 26 – Chernobyl disaster: An RBMK at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic reaches prompt criticality.
- December 23 – Rutan Voyager becomes the first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling, landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California after a nine-day trip piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager.
