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GENERAL INTEREST
Top Science Stories of 2024
Knowable, December 17, 2024
This record-setting year for heat saw stunning auroras, a map of a brain, a Dengue epidemic, the first look at rocks from the far side of the Moon, an AI energy scramble and more
The Year in Physics
Quanta, December 17, 2024
Physicists discovered strange super-solids, constructed new kinds of superconductors, and continued to make the case that the cosmos is far weirder than anyone suspected.
The Phoenician Spoken & Written Language: What You Need to Know
The Collector, December 31, 2024
While the ancient Phoenicians are one of the more obscure civilizations of the ancient world, they developed the written script that we rely on today.
This Counts: 5 of Cosmos Favorite Math Stories from 2024
Cosmos, December 29, 2024
Maths underpins most science, but how often do we give pure mathematics the attention it deserves?
Scientists: Earth Endangered by New Strain of Fact-Resistant Humans
New Yorker, May 12, 2015
10 years ago and still true! Scientists have discovered a powerful new strain of fact-resistant humans who are threatening the ability of Earth to sustain life, a sobering new study reports.
COSMOS
You’re Almost Certainly Not Being Visited by Aliens
Astronomy, December 20, 2024
Anyone tempted to ascribe the nighttime sightings of aircraft to alien intelligence ought to be dissuaded by the vast scale of the universe.
Parker Solar Probe Survives Closest-Ever Approach to Sun
Sci-News, Dec 30, 2024
On December 24, 2024, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe soared just 6.1 million km (3.8 million miles) above the surface of our home star, racing through the solar atmosphere at 692,000 km per hour (430,000 mph) — the fastest speed ever achieved by a human-made object; a signal received two days later confirmed the spacecraft had made it through the encounter safely and is operating normally.
Coolest Space Missions Coming in 2025
Live Science, December 30, 2024
From a death swirl into Jupiter to "Ghost Riders in the Sky," here are some of the most exciting space missions coming in 2025.
Was 2024 the Year We Finally Started to Understand Dark Energy?
Space, December 31, 2024
"Up to this year, most observations were consistent, with dark energy being the cosmological constant. Nonetheless, 2024 was full of hints pointing out this might not be the case."
Stunning Webb Discovery Forces Rethink of Planet Formation in the Early Universe
Sci-Tech Daily, December 27, 2024
Thanks to its incredible sensitivity and sharp resolution, NASA’s Webb Space Telescope just cracked a cosmic mystery that has puzzled astronomers for over two decades.
INNOVATION
Seven Scientific Discoveries From 2024 That Could Lead to New Inventions
Smithsonian, December 31, 2024
From indestructible tardigrades to body-merging comb jellies, animals can teach humans so much about medicine, robotics, aging and survival
‘Godfather of AI’ Shortens Odds of the Technology Wiping Out Humanity Over Next 30 Years
The Guardian, December 27, 2024
Geoffrey Hinton says there is 10% to 20% chance AI will lead to human extinction in three decades, as change moves fast
The World’s Most Bizarre Secret Weapons: How Pigeons, Cats, Whales and Even Robotic Catfish Have Acted as Spies Through the Ages
The Conversation, December 27, 2024
The death of a spy is rarely newsworthy, due to the secrecy surrounding it. But when a white beluga whale suspected of spying for Moscow was found dead in Norwegian waters in September, the animal soon became a minor celebrity.
Future of Space Travel: Could Robots Really Replace Human Astronauts?
BBC, December 30, 2024
Robotic probes have been sent across the solar system for the last six decades, reaching destinations impossible for humans.
How Gravity Can Be Harnessed to Store Renewable Energy
Impakter, December 12, 2024
Gravity energy storage is emerging as a viable solution to address a major challenge of solar and wind power which is intermittent supply.
HEALTH
Brain Health, Sleep, Diet: 3 Health Resolutions for 2025
Medical News Today, December 24, 2024
What research in 2024 has shown us is that improving our health in these areas comes down to three main factors: sleep, diet, and exercise. But how does one start taking action with this intention?
Switching Off From Work Can Be Difficult But Taking a Proper Break Is Good For Your Health
The Conversation, December 22, 2024
Being away from the workplace, and even in a new location, is often not enough to detach psychologically. We might still be thinking about a demanding project we raced to finish or even feel guilty about leaving others to cover for us.
The Plastic Chemicals Hiding in Your Food
Consumer Reports, February 08, 2024
Consumer Reports tested popular fast foods and supermarket staples for bisphenols and phthalates, which can be harmful to your health. Here's what we found—and how to stay safer.
How to Work Out at Home — In Just a Few Square Feet of Space
Washington Post, January 05, 2023
Fitness experts dish their best advice on creating a compact — but effective — home gym, using only equipment that can be easily hidden away.
Feeding Your Body, Feeding Your Brain
EatRight, June 21, 2024
Scientific evidence has shown that eating patterns such as the Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet may be beneficial to your body as well as your brain, helping to protect against cognitive decline.
NATURE
The Speed of Human Thought Lags Far Behind Your Internet Connection, Study Finds
New York Times, December 26, 2024
A new study is “a bit of a counterweight to the endless hyperbole about how incredibly complex and powerful the human brain is,” one researcher said.
The 5 Creepiest, Crawliest Stories of the Year
Cosmos, December 28, 2024
Of all the animals that crawl, wriggle and ooze across the surface of the Earth, these are by far the creepiest we uncovered in 2024.
Nature-Inspired Energy: Lessons from Leaves and Raindrops
Earth, December 30, 2024
To a leaf, the impact of a raindrop is equivalent to a person being struck by a falling bowling ball. Despite this seemingly catastrophic force, leaves endure, and new research offers insights into the physics that make this possible.
The Elephantine Memories of Food-Caching Birds
New Yorker, December 29, 2024
Some animals can remember where they’ve buried hundreds of thousands of seeds. Why can’t we remember where we’ve put our eyeglasses?
Frosty Business – Digging Deep to Uncover Snow’s Hidden Secrets
Horizon E.U., December 19, 2024
An average temperature of -30°C and up to 24 hours of darkness a day. Those were the working conditions for a team of EU-funded scientists who spent nine months researching snow in the Arctic.
ENVIRONMENT
Jimmy Carter, Environmental Champion, Dies at 100
E&E News, December 29, 2024
Carter, a former peanut farmer and one-term governor of Georgia, was the first presidential candidate to run a winning campaign focused heavily on environmental issues and went on to a slew of environmental accomplishments during his single term in the White House (including establishment of the Dept of Energy).
The Paradox of Salmon Hatcheries
Hakai, 2022 (4-parts)
The golden dream of hatcheries was to make more fish. The reality is much more complicated.
‘They’re Stuck’: Cape Cod Seeing More Whale, Turtle and Dolphin Strandings
The Guardian, December 28, 2024
Changing tides have led to an increase of beached marine life, whom rescuers scramble to save before they die.
In Mobile Bay, the Oysters’ Tale of Woe
Inside Climate News, December 25, 2024
Academics, conservationists, nonprofits, government agencies—and one passionate, retired scientist—are working to rebuild reefs, reduce the carbon imprint and educate the public.
The E.P.A. Promotes Toxic Fertilizer. 3M Told It of Risks Years Ago.
New York Times, December 27, 2024
The agency obtained research from 3M in 2003 revealing that sewage sludge, the raw material for the fertilizer, carried toxic “forever chemicals.”
CLIMATE
Trump Aims to Crush Legal Curbs on His Climate Rollback – But It May Not Be Easy
The Guardian, December 31, 2024
The president-elect said he will ‘stop the wave of frivolous litigation from environmental extremists’ but the ability to block suits will be limited, experts say.
‘Fossil Fuels Are Still Winning’: Global Emissions Head for a Record
New York Times, November 12, 2024
Countries promised to move away from coal, oil and natural gas at last year’s climate summit. New research shows they’re burning more than ever before.
Predicting the Future: the History of Climate Models
Cosmos, December 26, 2024
From modest beginnings, weather and climate models have come to dominate our days.
Repression of Climate and Environmental Protest Is Intensifying Across the World
The Conversation, December 23, 2024
Climate and environmental protest is being criminalized and repressed around the world. The criminalization of such protest has received a lot of attention in certain countries, including the UK and Australia.
New York to Fine Fossil Fuel Companies $75 Billion Under New Climate Law
Reuters, December 26, 2024
The law is intended to shift some of the recovery and adaptation costs of climate change from individual taxpayers to oil, gas and coal companies that the law says are liable. The money raised will be spent on mitigating the impacts of climate change, including adapting roads, transit, water and sewage systems, buildings and other infrastructure.
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