Science & Society
Here are Science News’ favorite science books of 2019
Books about multiple universes, Apollo 11, animal emotions and the origins of popular foods made the list.
Featured Articles in this Issue
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Cover Story
2019 brought us the first image of a black hole. A movie may be next
The Event Horizon Telescope team is gearing up for more black hole discoveries.
Reviews & Previews
Science Visualized
Chemistry
American whiskeys leave unique ‘webs’ when evaporated
If you don’t have a sophisticated palate, it turns out you can distinguish among bourbons with a microscope.
Notebook
Animals
Silver-backed chevrotains have been ‘rediscovered’ by science after 29 years
With help from Vietnamese villagers, researchers captured photos of a species of deerlike ungulate thought lost to science nearly three decades ago.
Features
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Top 10 stories of 2019: A black hole picture, measles outbreaks, climate protests and more
Science News' top stories for 2019 include the first picture of a black hole, a quantum computing milestone and CRISPR's first U.S. clinical trials.
More Stories from the December 21, 2019 issue
- Health & Medicine
Measles got a foothold in the United States this year and almost didn’t let go
Areas of low vaccination are blamed for the United States' largest number of measles cases in more than 25 years.
- Climate
Record-breaking heat amplified waves of student climate protests in 2019
While the world experienced record-breaking heat, Greta Thunberg and other activists pushed decision makers to take climate change seriously.
- Health & Medicine
Vaping’s dangers loom large amid more than 50 U.S. deaths this year
Lung injuries and deaths linked to vaping in 2019 are a sobering indication of the dangers of e-cigarettes as teen use continues to rise.
- Humans
Mysterious Denisovans emerged from the shadows in 2019
Denisovan fossil and DNA finds this year highlighted the enigmatic hominid’s complexity and our own hybrid roots.
- Genetics
The first U.S. trials in people put CRISPR to the test in 2019
Trials of the gene editor in people began in the United States this year, a first step toward fulfilling the technology’s medical promise.
- Quantum Physics
Google claimed quantum supremacy in 2019 — and sparked controversy
Google’s quantum computer outperformed the most powerful supercomputer on a task, the company reported. But some scientists aren’t fully convinced.
- Animals
A year of big numbers startled the world into talking about nature
One million species are at risk. Three billion birds have been lost. Plus surges in Amazon burning.
- Space
China stuck its moon landing this year. Others weren’t as lucky
Fifty years after Apollo 11 landed on the moon, Earth’s sidekick is getting renewed attention from space agencies around the world.
- Health & Medicine
In 2019, a ketamine-based antidepressant raised hopes and concerns
Ketamine and related molecules might ease severe depression, but the drugs come with baggage.
- Humans
Why screening DNA for ‘designer babies’ probably won’t work
While simulations suggest it’s possible to predict a child’s height from looking at an embryo’s DNA, real-world examples say otherwise.
- Space
NASA’s Parker probe reveals the sun’s rogue plasma waves and magnetic islands
Scientists have analyzed the Parker probe’s first data, giving a peek at what’s to come as the craft moves closer to the sun over the next few years.
- Archaeology
Infrared images reveal hidden tattoos on Egyptian mummies
Infrared images show a range of markings on seven female mummies, raising questions about ancient Egyptian tattoo traditions.
- Archaeology
A carved rock found in Jordan may be the oldest known chess piece
The 1,300-year-old game piece, which resembles a rook, or castle, was found at an Early Islamic trading outpost.
- Health & Medicine
Medications alone work as well as surgery for some heart disease patients
Patients with stable ischemic heart disease may be able to avoid stents or bypass surgery with medications alone.
- Physics
Mounting evidence suggests neutrinos are key to why antimatter is rare
The source of matter’s dominance over antimatter might be revealed by the tiny subatomic particles.
- Tech
A tiny switch could redirect light between computer chips in mere nanoseconds
Microscopic switches that ferry information using light, not electric current, could help create better, faster electronics.
- Animals
Flipping a molecular switch can turn warrior ants into foragers
Toggling one protein soon after hatching makes Florida carpenter ants turn from fighting to hunting for food.
- Astronomy
19 more galaxies mysteriously missing dark matter have been found
The finding reveals a population of dwarf galaxies that defy common wisdom about how these star systems form and evolve.
- Climate
The loss of ‘eternal ice’ threatens Mongolian reindeer herders’ way of life
Mongolian reindeer herders help scientists piece together the loss of the region’s vital “eternal ice” patches.
- Space
How two gamma-ray bursts created record-breaking high-energy photons
Light packing up to 1 trillion electron volts of energy bolsters a theory for how these cosmic explosions produce such high-energy radiation.
- Space
NASA gave Ultima Thule a new official name
The distant world briefly visited by New Horizons is now called Arrokoth, a Powhatan word that means “sky.”
- Neuroscience
Some people with half a brain have extra strong neural connections
Brain scans of six people who had half their brains removed as epileptic children show signs of compensation.
- Archaeology
An AI found a hidden Nazca Line in Peru showing a humanoid figure
An artificial intelligence program designed to go through massive datasets for hints of ancient geoglyphs called Nazca Lines has discovered a new one.
- Space
50 years ago, scientists didn’t know where heavy elements came from
Five decades ago, scientists suspected ordinary supernovas created heavy elements. Now we know they don’t, but merging neutron stars do.
- Paleontology
Science News’ favorite fossils of 2019
Fossil discoveries reported this year included Cambrian creatures, ancient bone cancer and a peek at life’s recovery after the dinosaur die-off.
- Space
How 2019’s space missions explored distant worlds
Planets and asteroids and Arrokoth, oh my. Space probes had a busy year.
- Science & Society
These science claims from 2019 could be big deals — if true
Some of this year’s most tantalizing scientific finds aren’t yet ready for a “best of” list.
