page_title: 2019 in science
section_title: October
hierarchical_section_title: 2019 in science / Events / October
context_page_description: A number of significant scientific events occurred in 2019.
context_section_description: 1 October
  Scientists at the Deep Carbon Observatory quantify the amount of carbon held by the Earth, finding that 1.85∗10¹⁸ tonnes is present, the vast majority below ground.
  Scientists at the University of California, San Diego describe how a protein named Dsup (Damage suppression protein) binds to chromatin, which protects the cells of tardigrades and may explain the animals' tremendous resilience.
  Physicists report a way of determining the state of Schrödinger's cat before observing it.
  2 October – Scientists reveal the photo carrier dynamics in heterojunction phototransistors and show how molecular packing can impact on photoresponse. The study could lead to new schemes to engineer efficient photo carrier transport in general.
  4 October – Scientists use a new parallelised technique, known as femtosecond projection TPL (FP-TPL), to 3D print nanoscale structures up to 1,000 times faster than conventional two-photon lithography (TPL).
  7 October
  NASA reports evidence, uncovered by the Curiosity rover on Mount Sharp, of a 150 km (93 mi) wide ancient basin in Gale crater that once may have contained a salty lake.
  20 new moons of Saturn are discovered by Scott S. Sheppard and his team at the Carnegie Institution for Science, taking the planet's total known number to 82, surpassing Jupiter.
  Researchers genetically engineer Escherichia coli that can manufacture large amounts of psilocybin, which is in clinical trials for treating depression and other brain diseases.
  8 October – Researchers at Duke University Health System identify a mechanism for cartilage repair in humans, which could allow joints and possibly entire limbs to regenerate.
  15 October – OpenAI demonstrates a pair of neural networks trained to solve a Rubik's Cube with a highly dexterous, human-like robotic hand.
  16 October – Researchers at Harvard Medical School identify a link between neural activity and human longevity. Neural excitation is linked to shorter life, while suppression of overactivity appears to extend lifespan.
  17 October – Northwestern University researchers unveil a new 3D printer known as HARP (high-area rapid printing), which can produce an object the size of an adult human within two hours, without sacrificing quality or resolution.
  18 October
  Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, describe the use of nanoscale optical probes to monitor neural activity, with potential to greatly increase the scale and bandwidth available compared to microelectrode arrays.
  A new stable form of plutonium, which may be a transient phase in radioactive waste repositories, is discovered by scientists using the European Synchrotron in Grenoble, France.
  21 October
  In a study, published in the journal Nature, researchers at the Broad Institute describe a new method of genetic engineering superior to previous methods like CRISPR they call "prime editing."
  Researchers report that the Cretaceous Chicxulub asteroid impact that resulted in the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago, also rapidly acidified the oceans producing ecological collapse and long-lasting effects on the climate, and was a key reason for end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
  22 October – Scientists report further evidence supporting the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis that the extinction of ice-age animals may have been caused by a disintegrating asteroid or comet impact and/or airburst about 12,800 years ago.
  23 October – Google announces that its 53-qubit 'Sycamore' processor has achieved quantum supremacy, performing a specific task in 200 seconds that would take the world's best supercomputers 10,000 years to complete. However, the claim is disputed by some IBM researchers.
  25 October – A new carbon capture system is described by MIT, which can work on the gas at almost any concentration, using electrodes combined with carbon nanotubes.
  28 October
  A study published in Nature identifies Botswana as the birthplace of anatomically modern humans, based on genetic studies, around 200,000 BCE.
  Astronomers observe the large asteroid Hygiea in higher resolution than ever be
caption: 23 October: Google notes its 53-qubit 'Sycamore' processor has achieved quantum supremacy.[399]