Remember The Ice Bucket Challenge? Well, It has Just Helped To Make A Huge Scientific Breakthrough

Featured image credit: YouTube/Ice Bucket Challenge

Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? The internet craze that blew up in 2014? At the time, there was loads of bores moaning about how people were just using it for attention and, of course, there was a bit of that. But it also raised a shit load of cash for a really good cause, which has led to a massive scientific breakthrough.

People who took part by dumping a bucket of ice water over themselves donated money to ALS Association, to fund research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or motor neurone disease as it's known in the UK. Those who did it filmed the experience, uploaded it to Facebook and nominated people to do it next.

Loads of celebrities got involved, including Mark Zuckerberg, Selma Gomez, Chris Pratt and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

Even Henry Canvill took part while dressed as Superman.

The public got involved, too, and created masterpieces like these:

Credit: Newsflare

One million dollars was donated from the Ice Bucket Challenge and scientists working on Project MinE at the University of Massachusetts Medical School used this money to discover the gene responsible for the disease - which they did, it's called NEK1.

Bernard Muller, founder of Project MinE told The New York Daily News: "The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge enabled us to secure funding from new sources in new parts of the world. This transatlantic collaboration supports our global gene hunt to identify the genetic drivers of ALS."

Amazing.

Words Claire Reid

Featured Image Credit:

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19