
In 2019, NSF’s support for cutting-edge research led to hundreds of scientific discoveries and moments that gave people a chance to connect with science. From glimpsing our solar system’s second-largest planet to finding out how tiny mantis shrimp see wavelengths of light that are invisible to humans, 2019 was a busy year in science and technology and NSF made sure to share as many stories as possible with you! These 10 NSF-funded scientific discoveries were selected based on social media reach, impressions and engagement rate.
10. How mantis shrimp make sense of the world

Mantis shrimp have the most complex visual system of any living animal. Their eyes, like ours, have stereoscopic vision, allowing them to perceive three dimensions. But while humans can perceive only three wavelengths of light, mantis shrimp distinguish up to 12 different wavelengths, as well as linear and circular polarized light. A team of researchers discovered a region of the mantis shrimp brain called the “reniform body” that seems to play a key role in allowing them to process all those different channels of information.
9. A closer look at Saturn⠀

In July, Saturn reached its closest point to Earth of 2019, allowing people a closer look at this massive gas giant. Saturn is visible to the naked eye as a moderately bright object. But even at its closest and brightest, you’d need a telescope to see its signature, spectacular rings. Luckily, NSF funds powerful tools like the Gemini Observatory and the Very Large Array. So, via Instagram, NSF shared what Saturn looks like with VLA’s 27 huge radio dishes that combine to give the resolution of a 22-mile-wide antenna – no filter required.
8. Found: Huge carnivore fossil

Imagine a lion-like animal that’s larger than a polar bear. This huge carnivore, which goes by the name Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, lived in Kenya 22 million years ago. For decades, the jaw and skull fragments of this animal sat in a drawer in the National Museums of Kenya until they were “rediscovered” by Ohio University researchers Nancy Stevens and Matthew Borths. Stevens and Borths quickly realized it was an undescribed species of large hyaenodont, part of a diverse family of extinct predatory mammals that lived in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa (and wasn’t related to modern lions). They went extinct around 10 million years ago.
7. Developable mechanisms
Ever watched a bunch of complex machinery fold out of one of Iron Man’s gauntlets and thought “that’s impossible?” Well, NSF-funded mechanical engineers at Brigham Young University were bringing science fiction to life in 2019. Their advances in a new technology called “developable mechanisms” allowed them to build complex parts into the exterior of objects like cylinders. Twist, pull or throw a switch and the parts fold out, then back in again seamlessly. The technology could be used in fields ranging from medicine to space exploration.
6. Blue Crayola crayon

Kids heading to school in 2019 might have had a bit of NSF-funded research in their backpack: Crayola’s Bluetiful crayon. The crayon’s color is based on a brilliant blue compound accidentally discovered by NSF-funded scientists in 2009. Chemists at Oregon State University developed the compound while researching materials for electronics. It was the first new blue pigment discovered in over 200 years. Crayola announced that the color would become a crayon in 2017 and it received its name after a year-long contest.
5. Solar panels maximize the efficiency of agricultural lands

The most productive places on Earth for solar power are farmlands, according to an NSF-supported Oregon State University study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The study found that if less than 1% of agricultural land were converted to solar panels, it would meet global electric energy demand.
4. Sticky barnacles
NSF-funded researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, discovered that sticky barnacles hitching a ride on humpback whales record details about the animals’ travels and hold on to that data for a long time. The barnacles not only record details about the whales’ yearly journeys, they also retain this information after they become fossilized, helping scientists reconstruct the migrations of whale populations millions of years in the past.
3. 3D-printed shoes

OESH Shoes, an NSF-funded company, offers 3D-printed footwear made of recycled materials that are customized to people’s feet. OESH is a small business startup funded by NSF’s Small Business Innovation Research program. For 40 years, NSF’s SBIR program has helped startups and small businesses transform their ideas into marketable products and services. Focusing on high-risk, high-impact technologies that show significant promise, the agency awards more than $200 million every year to entrepreneurs across the country.
2. Game-changing technologies
Weather radar, safer car seats, Google
Each day you encounter something made possible by the basic research that NSF supports. As NSF counted down to its 70th anniversary in 2020, we shared many of the innovations that were Brought to you by NSF. This campaign also highlighted NSF’s contributions to childrens’ television, the nation’s national security and our leadership in Antarctica.
. . . and our most popular story
First image of black hole: EHT

In April 2019, NSF-funded researchers brought the world something never before seen in history: the first-ever direct visual evidence of a black hole. The discovery was made possible by the Event Horizon Telescope, an NSF-funded array of telescopes around the world linked to form a planet-scale virtual telescope with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. The picture was the result of years of international collaboration and work by a team of more than 200 researchers. Broadcast across the globe, the image was hailed by astrophysicists. But the EHT collaborators were already looking past 2019 – in the future, they want to complement their still photo with video. Learn more on NSF’s website.