Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms comprising the biological kingdom Animalia (/ˌænɪˈmeɪliə/[4]). With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, have myocytes and are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and grow from a hollow sphere of cells, the blastula, during embryonic development. Animals form a clade, meaning that they arose from a single common ancestor. Over 1.5 million living animal species have been described, of which around 1.05 million are insects, over 85,000 are molluscs, and around 65,000 are vertebrates. It has been estimated there are as many as 7.77 million animal species on Earth. Animal body lengths range from 8.5 μm (0.00033 in) to 33.6 m (110 ft). They have complex ecologies and interactions with each other and their environments, forming intricate food webs. The scientific study of animals is known as zoology, and the study of animal behaviour is known as ethology.

The animal kingdom is divided into five major clades, namely Porifera, Ctenophora, Placozoa, Cnidaria and Bilateria. Most living animal species belong to the clade Bilateria, a highly proliferative clade whose members have a bilaterally symmetric and significantly cephalised body plan, and the vast majority of bilaterians belong to two large clades: the protostomes, which includes organisms such as arthropods, molluscs, flatworms, annelids and nematodes; and the deuterostomes, which include echinoderms, hemichordates and chordates, the latter of which contains the vertebrates. The much smaller basal phylum Xenacoelomorpha have an uncertain position within Bilateria.

Animals first appeared in the fossil record in the late Cryogenian period and diversified in the subsequent Ediacaran period in what is known as the Avalon explosion. Earlier evidence of animals is still controversial; the sponge-like organism Otavia has been dated back to the Tonian period at the start of the Neoproterozoic, but its identity as an animal is heavily contested.[5] Nearly all modern animal phyla first appeared in the fossil record as marine species during the Cambrian explosion, which began around 539 million years ago (Mya), and most classes during the Ordovician radiation 485.4 Mya. Common to all living animals, 6,331 groups of genes have been identified that may have arisen from a single common ancestor that lived about 650 Mya during the Cryogenian period.

Historically, Aristotle divided animals into those with blood and those without. Carl Linnaeus created the first hierarchical biological classification for animals in 1758 with his Systema Naturae, which Jean-Baptiste Lamarck expanded into 14 phyla by 1809. In 1874, Ernst Haeckel divided the animal kingdom into the multicellular Metazoa (now synonymous with Animalia) and the Protozoa, single-celled organisms no longer considered animals. In modern times, the biological classification of animals relies on advanced techniques, such as molecular phylogenetics, which are effective at demonstrating the evolutionary relationships between taxa.

Humans make use of many other animal species for food (including meat, eggs, and dairy products), for materials (such as leather, fur, and wool), as pets and as working animals for transportation, and services. Dogs, the first domesticated animal, have been used in hunting, in security and in warfare, as have horses, pigeons and birds of prey; while other terrestrial and aquatic animals are hunted for sports, trophies or profits. Non-human animals are also an important cultural element of human evolution, having appeared in cave arts and totems since the earliest times, and are frequently featured in mythology, religion, arts, literature, heraldry, politics, and sports.

COVID-19 is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever,[7] fatigue, cough, breathing difficulties, loss of smell, and loss of taste.[8][9][10] Symptoms may begin one to fourteen days after exposure to the virus. At least a third of people who are infected do not develop noticeable symptoms.[11][12] Of those who develop symptoms noticeable enough to be classified as patients, most (81%) develop mild to moderate symptoms (up to mild pneumonia), while 14% develop severe symptoms (dyspnea, hypoxia, or more than 50% lung involvement on imaging), and 5% develop critical symptoms (respiratory failure, shock, or multiorgan dysfunction).[13] Older people have a higher risk of developing severe symptoms. Some complications result in death. Some people continue to experience a range of effects (long COVID) for months or years after infection, and damage to organs has been observed.[14] Multi-year studies on the long-term effects are ongoing.[15]

COVID‑19 transmission occurs when infectious particles are breathed in or come into contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth. The risk is highest when people are in close proximity, but small airborne particles containing the virus can remain suspended in the air and travel over longer distances, particularly indoors. Transmission can also occur when people touch their eyes, nose, or mouth after touching surfaces or objects that have been contaminated by the virus. People remain contagious for up to 20 days and can spread the virus even if they do not develop symptoms.[16]

Testing methods for COVID-19 to detect the virus’s nucleic acid include real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‑PCR),[17][18] transcription-mediated amplification,[17][18][19] and reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT‑LAMP)[17][18] from a nasopharyngeal swab.[20]

Several COVID-19 vaccines have been approved and distributed in various countries, many of which have initiated mass vaccination campaigns. Other preventive measures include physical or social distancing, quarantining, ventilation of indoor spaces, use of face masks or coverings in public, covering coughs and sneezes, hand washing, and keeping unwashed hands away from the face. While drugs have been developed to inhibit the virus, the primary treatment is still symptomatic, managing the disease through supportive care, isolation, and experimental measures.

Science has always been a frontier of human curiosity and progress. From Newton’s laws to the discovery of DNA, from the first vaccines to the Large Hadron Collider — breakthroughs in science have shaped the modern world. But the 21st century has brought with it not only faster computers and smarter phones but also a revolution in how science itself is conducted. Emerging technologies are transforming research in ways we could only imagine a few decades ago.

Let’s explore how artificial intelligence, quantum computing, gene editing, and other cutting-edge tools are reshaping the scientific landscape and accelerating discovery.

Artificial Intelligence: A New Scientific Partner

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer limited to chatbots or recommendation engines. In science, AI has become a powerful tool for solving complex problems.

Data analysis: Modern research often involves massive datasets — from climate models to genetic sequences. AI can scan, sort, and interpret this data far faster than any human could.

Drug discovery: Machine learning algorithms can predict how molecules will interact, helping scientists develop new medicines in weeks instead of years.

Scientific modelling: AI can simulate everything from protein folding to particle collisions, saving both time and resources.

AI doesn’t replace scientists — it augments their abilities, allowing them to ask better questions and test more hypotheses.

CRISPR and the Genetic Frontier

The discovery of CRISPR-Cas9 — a gene-editing tool — has opened a new era in biology. For the first time, we can edit DNA with high precision. This could lead to:

Curing genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia

Improving crop yields and food security

Eradicating viruses by targeting and disabling their genetic material

While the ethical debates continue (e.g., should we edit embryos?), the scientific potential is enormous. Researchers are already exploring CRISPR not just to fix genes, but to rewrite the code of life.

Quantum Computing: Beyond Classical Limits

Quantum computers operate using qubits — particles that can exist in multiple states at once, unlike traditional binary bits (0 or 1). This gives them tremendous power for specific types of calculations.

In science, quantum computing could revolutionise:

Material science: Simulating molecules and discovering new materials

Cryptography: Solving or securing complex encryption systems

Fundamental physics: Modelling quantum systems that classical computers can’t handle

Though still in early development, quantum computing promises to unlock questions that today’s supercomputers can’t touch.

The Rise of Citizen Science

Technology isn’t just empowering professional scientists — it’s also enabling everyday people to contribute to research.

Smartphone sensors can collect environmental data

Platforms like Zooniverse allow volunteers to classify galaxies or identify animal species

Apps now track disease spread, pollution levels, and even stars

This rise in citizen science has opened the door to faster data collection and greater public engagement with science. It brings science out of the lab and into the hands of millions.

Automation and Robotics in the Lab

Scientific research can involve repetitive tasks: pipetting liquids, growing cultures, running tests. Increasingly, robots are taking over this work.

Lab automation systems can run 24/7, improving efficiency and precision

Robotic arms and AI tools can conduct entire experiments with minimal human input

This frees up researchers to focus on design, analysis, and interpretation

In some cases, fully autonomous labs — operated entirely by machines — are already in use. The lab of the future may be mostly robotic, monitored remotely by humans.

Open Science and Global Collaboration

The internet has made it easier than ever for scientists to collaborate across borders.

Open-access journals make research freely available

Preprint servers like arXiv and bioRxiv allow fast sharing of findings

Cloud computing enables shared analysis and modelling

During the COVID-19 pandemic, these tools allowed scientists worldwide to share data in real time, accelerating the development of vaccines and treatments.

The scientific community is increasingly adopting a “team science” approach — one that favours transparency, speed, and collective effort.

The Challenges Ahead

Despite the promise, these technologies raise new challenges:

Ethics: Who decides how gene editing is used? What risks do autonomous labs pose?

Bias: AI systems can reproduce human biases if trained on flawed data.

Accessibility: Cutting-edge tools can be expensive and unequally distributed.

Balancing progress with responsibility and equity will be critical as we move forward.

Conclusion: A New Era of Discovery

We are entering an era where science is no longer bound by the limitations of human speed or memory. With AI analysing data, robots running labs, and quantum machines solving problems beyond our grasp, the pace of discovery is accelerating.

Yet, the heart of science remains the same: curiosity, experimentation, and a desire to understand. The tools may change, but the spirit does not.

As we look to the future, one thing is clear: the scientists of tomorrow will have superpowers — not just in the lab, but in the questions they dare to ask.