27 Science Fictions That Became Science Facts In 2012

We may never have our flying cars, but the future is here. From creating fully functioning artificial leaves to hacking the human brain, science made a lot of breakthroughs this year.

1. Quadriplegic Uses Her Mind to Control Her Robotic Arm

2. DARPA Robot Can Traverse an Obstacle Course

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Once the robot figures out how to do that without all the wires, humanity is doomed.

DARPA was also hard at work this year making robots to track humans and run as fast as a cheetah, which seems like a great combination with no possibility of horrible side effects.

3. Genetically Modified Silk Is Stronger Than Steel

4. DNA Was Photographed for the First Time

5. Invisibility Cloak Technology Took a Huge Leap Forward

6. Spray-On Skin

7. James Cameron Reached the Deepest Known Point in the Ocean

8. Stem Cells Could Extend Human Life by Over 100 Years

9. 3-D Printer Creates Full-Size Houses in One Session

10. Self-Driving Cars Are Legal in Nevada, Florida, and California

11. Voyager I Leaves the Solar System

12. Custom Jaw Transplant Created With 3-D Printer

13. Rogue Planet Floating Through Space

14. Chimera Monkeys Created from Multiple Embryos

15. Artificial Leaves Generate Electricity

16. Google Goggles Bring the Internet Everywhere

17. The Higgs-Boson Particle Was Discovered

18. Flexible, Inexpensive Solar Panels Challenge Fossil Fuel

19. Diamond Planet Discovered

20. Eye Implants Give Sight to the Blind

21. Wales Barcodes DNA of Every Flowering Plant Species in the Country

22. First Unmanned Commercial Space Flight Docks with the ISS

23. Ultra-Flexible "Willow" Glass Will Allow for Curved Electronic Devices

24. NASA Begins Using Robotic Exoskeletons

25. Human Brain Is Hacked

26. First Planet with FOUR Suns Discovered

27. Microsoft Patented the "Holodeck"

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