A year of high science

The year 2024 started with the customary warning: the previous year was the hottest ever. The bad news did not stop through the year. Research published in Nature in August warned that the Earth could reach at least one tipping point by 2300. Some systems, like the circulation in the Atlantic that carries warm water to the north and cold water to the south, can collapse even within this century. Amazon forests are also in danger of collapse, also in this century.

However, while climate change news continued to be bleak through the year, there was plenty to cheer in other realms of scientific research. The year 2024 saw big discoveries in several areas of science and engineering. Japan and China landed spacecraft on the Moon; China's craft returned to Earth with soil samples. Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk's company Neuralink put a chip in the brain of a human being. Induced pluripotent stems cells were created for the woolly mammoth's closest living relative, the Asian Elephant. Physics and chemistry continued to produce significant research, many with likely applications for human health, energy, and many forms of technology. Artificial intelligence produced many breakthroughs. Astronomy and biology were two fields that stood out, with implications for human health and knowledge.

During such a productive year in research, it was hard to select a few discoveries or developments that seemed more important than others. However, by way of revisiting and celebrating these high points of science, we recall six research topics that made the year memorable, if we look past the bad news on the climate front. Two of these stories are dealt with in detail.