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In February 2024, a team of researchers collected 580,000 records on domestic dogs in the United Kingdom. On average, dogs live roughly 10 to 14 years. Overall, dogs from pure breeds that are small and have a long nose seemed to have longer life spans. But some flat-faced dogs, such as Tibetan mastiffs, had an average life span of 13 years.

Since temperature record-keeping began 150 years ago, the 12-month period from November 2022 through October 2023 was the hottest on record until temperatures in 2024 exceeded those in 2023. The heat raised sea surface temperatures, melted sea ice and endangered human health.

In 2023, the expanse of floating ice encircling Antarctica hit record lows throughout the year. Scientists expect dramatic declines in sea ice at Earth’s other pole but hadn’t observed major changes in the Antarctic until the last few years.

Cases of sleeping sickness, a disease that can cause brain damage and death, are at an all-time low. An experimental drug called acoziborole could help to eliminate the nightmarish parasitic illness. Use the graph “Sleeping sickness efforts pay off” to have students analyze the reported cases of both forms of sleeping sickness from 1990 to 2021.

Scientists agree that the Amazon is in grave trouble because of human activities, such as deforestation, and climate change. Past studies have suggested certain rates of deforestation would trigger the Amazon to transform into a savanna, but many scientists now say the forest probably doesn’t have a single, clear tipping point. Still, researchers are working to understand what needs to be done — and how soon — to save the forest. Use the map and graph titled “Rate of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon” to have students analyze the area and rate of deforestation in the Amazon.

The success of vaccines has sometimes obscured the power of infectious diseases to sicken, kill and upend lives. Still, the epidemics of the last century contain stories to listen to and learn from. Use the data table “Big Impact” to have students analyze how vaccines have impacted the number of disease cases.

Smartphone use is changing human behavior and likely influencing our brains. New research is turning up clues as to how our interaction with devices is shaping our memory, navigation and even our happiness. Use the data visualization “Screentime” and graph “What am I missing” to have students analyze data on phone use and behavior.

To tackle our warming climate, we’ll need to rein in emissions of carbon dioxide, but there’s another greenhouse gas at play: methane. Decreasing methane concentrations may be the best bet for stopping rising temperatures in the short term.