Editing 1987 in science

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{{Year nav topic5|1987|science}}
{{Science year nav|1987}}

The year '''1987 in science''' and technology involved many significant events, some listed below.

==Astronomy==
* February 23 – [[Supernova 1987a]] is observed, the first "naked-eye" [[supernova]] since [[1604 in science|1604]].
* [[7816 Hanoi|Asteroid 7816 Hanoi]] is discovered by [[Masahiro Koishikawa]].
* [[10500 Nishi-koen]] is discovered.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schmadel |first1=Lutz D. |title=Dictionary of Minor Planet Names |date=10 June 2012 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-3-642-29718-2 |page=740 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aeAg1X7afOoC&pg=PA740 |language=en}}</ref>

==Biochemistry==
* December – [[Yoshizumi Ishino]] discovers the DNA sequence of [[CRISPR]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ishino|first1= Y.|last2= Shinagawa|first2= H.|last3= Makino|first3= K.|last4= Amemura|first4= M.|last5= Nakata|first5= A.|title=Nucleotide sequence of the iap gene, responsible for alkaline phosphatase isozyme conversion in Escherichia coli, and identification of the gene product|journal=[[Journal of Bacteriology]]|volume=169|issue=12|pages=5429–33|year=1987|pmid=3316184|url= |pmc=213968|doi=10.1128/jb.169.12.5429-5433.1987}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.quantamagazine.org/crispr-natural-history-in-bacteria-20150206/|title=CRISPR Natural History in Bacteria|journal=Quanta Magazine|accessdate=2019-04-01}}</ref>
* Piotr Chomczynski and Nicoletta Sacchi publish their [[acid guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction]] protocol.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chomczynski|first1=P.|last2=Sacchi|first2=N.|title=Single-step method of RNA isolation by acid guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction|journal=[[Analytical Biochemistry]]|volume=162|issue=1|pages=156–159|year=1987|doi=10.1016/0003-2697(87)90021-2|pmid=2440339}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chomczynski|first1=P.|last2=Sacchi|first2=N.|title=Single-step method of RNA isolation by acid guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction: Twenty-something years on|doi=10.1038/nprot.2006.83|journal=[[Nature Protocols]]|volume=1|pages=581–585|year=2006|pmid=17406285|issue=2|s2cid=28653075}}</ref>

==Computing==
* [[Larry Wall]] releases the first version of the [[Perl]] [[programming language]] via the comp.sources.misc newsgroup.
* [[HyperCard]] is released by [[Apple Inc.]], an early example of [[hypermedia]] which inspires the [[World Wide Web]].
* [[Thomas Knoll]] and [[John Knoll]] develop the first version of [[Photoshop]].

==Genetics==
* November 6 – Florida [[rape|rapist]] Tommy Lee Andrews is the first person to be convicted as a result of [[DNA fingerprinting]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.txtwriter.com/Backgrounders/Genetech/GEpage14.html|title=Gene Technology|page=14|publisher=Txtwriter.com|date=1987-11-06|accessdate=2010-04-03|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611151239/http://txtwriter.com/Backgrounders/Genetech/GEpage14.html|archivedate=2010-06-11}}</ref>

==History of science==
*[[Robert V. Bruce]] publishes ''[[The Launching of Modern American Science, 1846–1876]]''.

==Mathematics==
* [[Gödel's ontological proof]] of the existence of God is published posthumously.<ref>{{cite book|first=Kurt|last=Gödel|year=1995|chapter=Ontological Proof|title=Collected Works: Unpublished Essays & Lectures|volume=3|pages=388, 403–404|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-514722-7}}</ref>
* The [[Abelian sandpile model]], the first discovered example of a [[dynamical system]] displaying [[self-organized criticality]], is published by [[Per Bak]], [[Chao Tang]] and [[Kurt Wiesenfeld]].<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Bak, P.|author2=Tang, C.|author3=Wiesenfeld, K.|year=1987|title=Self-organized criticality: an explanation of 1/''ƒ'' noise|journal=[[Physical Review Letters]]|volume=59|issue=4|pages=381–4|doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.59.381|pmid=10035754|bibcode=1987PhRvL..59..381B|s2cid=7674321 }}</ref>

==Medicine==
* March 20 – The United States [[Food and Drug Administration]] for the first time approves an [[antiretroviral drug]] for the treatment of [[HIV/AIDS]], [[zidovudine]], also known as AZT (azidothymidine) or Retrovir.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cimons|first=Marlene|title=U.S. Approves Sale of AZT to AIDS Patients|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|page=1|date=21 March 1987}}</ref>
* May – The name ''[[chronic fatigue syndrome]]'' first appears in the medical literature.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Buchwald|first1=Dedra|author-link=Dedra Buchwald|last2=Sullivan|first2=John L.|last3=Komaroff|first3=Anthony L.|date=May 1987|title=Frequency of 'Chronic Active Epstein-Barr Virus Infection' in a General Medical Practice|url=http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/257/17/2303|journal=[[Journal of the American Medical Association]]|volume=257|issue=17|pages=2303–7|doi=10.1001/jama.257.17.2303|pmid=3033338|accessdate=2011-07-29|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
* May 11 – The first [[heart-lung transplant]] takes place.
* August 31 – The FDA for the first time approves a [[statin]], [[lovastatin]].<ref>[http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/docs/obdetail.cfm?Appl_No=019643&TABLE1=OB_Rx FDA Orange Book Detail for application N019643]{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} showing approval for 20 mg tablets on August 31, 1987, and 40 mg tablets on December 14, 1988</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first=Akira|last=Endo|title=The origin of the statins|journal=Atherosclerosis Supplements|date=October 2004|volume=5|issue=3|pages=125–30|pmid=15531285|doi=10.1016/j.atherosclerosissup.2004.08.033|issn=1567-5688}}</ref>
* September 5 - The first successful surgical separation of craniopagus twins is done by Dr. [[Ben Carson]].
* December 29 – [[Prozac]] makes its debut in the U.S.

==Paleoanthropology==
* January 1 – The '[[Mitochondrial Eve]]' hypothesis is proposed.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Mitochondrial DNA and human evolution|author=Cann, Rebecca L.|author2=Stoneking, Mark|author3=Wilson, Allan C.|author3-link=Allan Wilson (biologist)|journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]|volume=325|pages=31–36|date=1 January 1987|doi=10.1038/325031a0|issue=6099|pmid=3025745|bibcode=1987Natur.325...31C|s2cid=4285418}}</ref>

==Paleontology==
* First [[fossil]]s of ''[[Argentinosaurus]]'' found.

==Physics==
* March 18 – [[Woodstock of physics]], the marathon session of the [[American Physical Society]]'s meeting featuring 51 presentations concerning the science of [[high-temperature superconductor]]s.
* [[Harry J. Lipkin]] names the [[pentaquark]].<ref>{{cite journal|first=H. J.|last=Lipkin|year=1987|title=New possibilities for exotic hadrons — anticharmed strange baryons|journal=[[Physics Letters B]]|volume=195|issue=3|pages=484–488|doi=10.1016/0370-2693(87)90055-4|bibcode=1987PhLB..195..484L}}</ref>

==Technology==
* December 1 – [[Channel Tunnel]] digging commences.
* [[Tinker Hatfield]] designs the [[Nike Air Max]].
* [[Maglite]] introduces the 2AAA Mini Maglite flashlight, targeted for medical and industrial applications.

==Zoology==
* June 17 – The last known purebred [[dusky seaside sparrow]], "Orange Band", dies in [[Florida]].<ref>''[[Newsweek]]'' 9 June 2008 p. 45.</ref>
* ''[[Varroa destructor]]'', an invasive parasite of honeybees, is found in the United States.

==Awards==
* [[Nobel Prize]]s
** [[Nobel Prize in Physics|Physics]] – [[J. Georg Bednorz]], [[Karl Alexander Müller]]
** [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry|Chemistry]] – [[Donald J. Cram]], [[Jean-Marie Lehn]], [[Charles J. Pedersen]]
** [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Medicine]] – [[Susumu Tonegawa]]
* [[Turing Award]] – [[John Cocke (computer scientist)|John Cocke]]
* [[Wollaston Medal|Wollaston Medal for Geology]] – [[Claude Allègre|Claude Jean Allègre]]

==Births==
* June 10 – [[James Maynard (mathematician)|James Maynard]], English mathematician<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.quantamagazine.org/number-theorist-james-maynard-wins-the-fields-medal-20220705/|title=A Solver of the Hardest Easy Problems About Prime Numbers: On his way to winning a Fields Medal|first=Erica|last=Klarreich|work=[[Quanta Magazine]]|date=2022-07-05|accessdate=2022-07-05}}</ref>

==Deaths==
* March 19 – [[Louis de Broglie]] (b. [[1892 in science|1892]]), [[French people|French]] [[physicist]] and winner of the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] (1929).
* March 26 – [[Robert Gwyn Macfarlane|Gwyn Macfarlane]] (b. [[1907 in science|1907]]), [[British people|British]] [[hematologist]].
* October 2 – [[Peter Medawar]] (b. [[1915 in science|1915]]), British [[immunologist]] and winner of the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] (1960).
* October 13 – [[Walter Houser Brattain]] (b. [[1902 in science|1902]]), [[United States|American]] physicist.
* October 20 – [[Andrey Kolmogorov]] (b. [[1903 in science|1903]]), [[Russia]]n [[mathematician]].
* December 2 – [[Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich]] (b. [[1914 in science|1914]]), [[Belarus]]ian [[astrophysicist]].
* December 7 – [[Helen Porter]] (b. [[1899 in science|1899]]), [[English people|English]] [[plant physiologist]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1987 In Science}}
[[Category:1987 in science| ]]
[[Category:20th century in science]]
[[Category:1980s in science]]