page_title: 2012 in science
section_title: November
hierarchical_section_title: 2012 in science / Events, discoveries and inventions / November
caption_attribution_description: Description&#160;: Le LNG RIVERS arrive à Brest pour son premier carénage Lieu&#160;: goulet de Brest (Bretagne) Date&#160;: Aout 2005 Auteur&#160;: Pline Photo personnelle
context_page_description: The year 2012 involved many significant scientific events and discoveries, including the first orbital rendezvous by a commercial spacecraft, the discovery of a particle highly similar to the long-sought Higgs boson, and the near-eradication of guinea worm disease. A total of 72 successful orbital spaceflights occurred in 2012, and the year also saw numerous developments in fields such as robotics, 3D printing, stem cell research and genetics. Over 540,000 technological patent applications were made in the United States alone in 2012.
  2012 was declared the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All by the United Nations. 2012 also marked Alan Turing Year, a celebration of the life and work of the English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and computer scientist Alan Turing.
context_section_description: 1 November
  Climate scientists are biased not toward "alarmism" (as the media often claims), but rather the reverse: toward cautious and conservative estimates, according to a new study. (Glob. Environ. Change)
  A gene that is associated with regeneration of injured nerve cells has been identified by scientists at Penn State University and Duke University. (Science Daily) (Cell Rep.)
  China announces plans to construct the world's first 100-petaflop supercomputer by 2015. (TechEye)
  Sea levels are rising faster than expected from global warming, due to critical feedbacks missing from earlier models, according to the University of Colorado. (Science Daily) (GSA)
  China reveals its second prototype stealth fighter, the J-13, which is a smaller and faster version of the existing Chengdu J-20. (The Guardian)
  2 November – Glybera becomes the first gene therapy approved by regulatory authorities in the Western world. Commercial roll-out is expected in late 2013. (BBC) (uniQure)
  5 November
  New research suggests that just one or two individual herpes virus particles attack a skin cell in the first stage of an outbreak, resulting in a bottleneck in which the infection may be vulnerable to medical treatment. (Princeton) (PNAS)
  A 15-year research project has succeeded in curbing the growth of polycystic kidney disease, one of the most common life-threatening genetic diseases, which affects 12.5 million people worldwide. Previously, only the symptoms of the disease could be treated. (University of Zurich) (NEJM)
  A report in the November 6 issue of Current Biology offers the first complete description of the spade-toothed whale (Mesoplodon traversii), a species previously known only from a few bones. The description is based on two individuals – an adult female and her male calf – who became stranded and died on a New Zealand beach in 2010. (Science Daily) (Curr. Biol.)
  6 November
  University of Bonn scientists develop a soccer-playing robot called NimbRo-OP, intended to develop new capabilities for humanoid bipedal robots, such as using tools, climbing stairs, and using human facial expressions, gestures and body language for communication. (Wired) (Humanoids 2012)
  Targeting a single chemical inside cancerous cells could one day lead to a single test for a broad range of cancers, researchers say. The same system could then be used to deliver precision radiotherapy treatments. (BBC) (NCRI)
  In the largest ever study of its kind, an international team of astronomers establishes that the rate of star formation in the universe is now only 1/30th of its peak, and that this decline is set to continue. (Science Daily) (Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.)
  Leisure-time physical activity extends life expectancy by as much as 4.5 years, according to a study by the National Cancer Institute. Even half of the recommended weekly exercise can add 1.8 years. (Science Daily) (PLoS Med.)
  7 November
  Canadian researchers working to develop the world's first HIV vaccine have cleared a major hurdle. Initial results from a Phase I trial have shown no adverse effects, while significantly boosting immunity. The vaccine could be commercially available in five years. (io9)
  Human diseases could soon be modeled in an electronic "organ-on-a-chip", with a new generation of research to replace animal testing. (Science Daily) (Sci. Transl. Med.)
  Astronomers report that HD 40307 g, a super-Earth exoplanet 42 light-years away from Earth, is within the habitable zone of its host star HD 40307 and may be "just right to support life". (Space.com) (Astron. Astrophys.)
  Rising temperatures due to climate change could mean wild arabica coffee becomes extinct within 70 years, posing a risk to the genetic sustainability of one of the world's basic commodities, according to new research. (The Guardian) (PLOS One)
  8 November
  Due to insufficient rates of decarbonisation, the world is on track for 6 °C (11 °F) of climatic warming by the year 2100, according to a new report. (PWC) (UCAR) (Science)
  Scientists debate the scientific basis and claims to novelty of a proposal to use the orbital angula
caption: 26 November 2012: a liquid natural gas tanker (example pictured) becomes the first large cargo vessel to attempt a winter crossing of the Arctic. As the Arctic sea ice melts in coming years, the sea route may become increasingly viable for large ships.
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