Science News Media Group
It was a year of big news in science, from the rise of generative AI and the approval of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Ozempic to the first CRISPR-based medical treatment, for sickle cell disease. We covered these and more, including the deadly wildfires and heat waves that earned 2023 the title of hottest year on record. We analyzed new technologies to combat climate change and explored the ethical considerations of climate engineering. And we shared our awe at the dazzling images from the James Webb Space Telescope and the discoveries flowing from them, including signs of chemicals crucial for life in the Orion Nebula, a peek into a stellar nursery, and the glowing rings of Uranus.
Electricity Saved My Brain
Treatment-resistant depression is a devastating disease, offering no hope for people crushed by it. Researchers are testing an experimental technology, deep brain stimulation, to treat it. We told the moving stories of people struggling with treatment-resistant depression, explained the complex science, and detailed the ethical questions sparked by permanently re-engineering a person’s brain. The project was honored with two first-place awards from the Online News Association.
How one device could help transform our power grid
The grid-forming inverter is an unsung climate hero. This humble piece of electrical equipment mediates between something that produces power, like a wind turbine, and the electrical grid, making it possible for the growing supply of renewable energy to flow to homes and factories.
Dry farming could help agriculture in the western U.S. amid climate change
Feeding the world requires growing a lot of food, and growing food takes a lot of water. Farmers are reviving ancient dry-land farming techniques to make crops more resilient to drought.
Here’s how 2023 became the hottest year on record
Deadly fires and heat waves ravaged our planet in 2023, breaking records by startling amounts and producing the hottest year on record. Science News provided in-depth coverage of this historic year and the implications for our future.
Science News’ most-read articles of 2023 revealed a rise in serious lung infections caused by fungi spreading to new parts of the United States. We explained the science of why these infections are on the rise and how people can protect themselves and get appropriate medical care. And we connected the science with popular culture, noting that fungi almost certainly can’t turn people into zombies, as they did in the hit series The Last of Us.
SCIENCE NEWS EXPLORES
Science News Explores continued to excel in connecting young people ages 9 and up with science, engineering and more. Some stories focused on new ideas, such as why scientists think the moon should get its own time zone. Some were just fun, like how artificial intelligence might one day help us talk to animals. There also were in-depth features that presented today’s teens with news they (and their families) can use, such as how high blood pressure can affect kids but often goes undiagnosed and why students should think twice before using ChatGPT for help with homework.
The online magazine launched a new climate-solutions series with 35 stories throughout the year, including how kids can make their online lives more planet-friendly. Explores also developed 16 new explainers on topics ranging from atmospheric rivers and chaos theory to decarbonization and how radioactive-dating technologies solve mysteries.
Such reporting continues to win accolades. For instance, the online publication swept the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards in its category with articles on Earth-friendly bricks made of poop and the surprising benefits of parasites. (Explores grabbed first place the year before, too.) And the print magazine garnered a Folio award for best new magazine design.
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