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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- 			 Earth EarthScientists predict an undersea volcano eruption near Oregon in 2025Real-time data from Axial Seamount off the Oregon coast is providing researchers with a good eruption forecasting test. 
- 			 Science & Society Science & SocietyThese are the 5 most popular Science News stories of 2024Science News drew millions of visitors to our website this year. Here’s a recap of the most-read and most-watched news stories of 2024. 
- 			 Life LifeThese scientific feats set new records in 2024Noteworthy findings include jumbo black hole jets, an ultrapetite frog, ancient asteroid remnants and more. 
- 			 Earth EarthEarth’s inner core may be changing shapeEarthquake data suggest that all or small patches of the inner core's surface may be swelling and contracting. By Nikk Ogasa
- 			 Earth EarthThe 2004 tsunami killed hundreds of thousands. Are we better prepared now?Twenty years after the deadliest wave in recorded history, most oceans have warning systems and communities have learned how best to escape the danger. 
- 			 Artificial Intelligence Artificial IntelligenceGenerative AI is an energy hog. Is the tech worth the environmental cost?Generative AI and the hype around it has rung in excitement and alarm bells this year. Here’s how to consider climate, energy and AI's intersection. 
- 			 Climate ClimateClimate change made 2024 the hottest year on record. The heat was deadlyHeat waves fueled by climate change killed scores of people and upended daily life. Here are some of those stories. By Carolyn Gramling and Nikk Ogasa
- 			 Plants PlantsMeet a scientist tracking cactus poaching in the Atacama DesertBotanist Pablo Guerrero has been visiting Atacama cacti all his life. They’re not adapting well to a drier climate, booming mining and plant collection. 
- 			 Animals AnimalsClimate stress may undermine male spiders’ romantic gift givingEven spider love lives show an effect of climate uncertainty: Stressed males may offer a bit of silk-wrapped junk rather than a tasty insect treat. By Susan Milius
- 			 Ecosystems EcosystemsNew videos reveal the hidden lives of Andean bearsThe footage give clues to the range of plants the bears eat and how they mate, information important for conservation. 
- 			 Climate ClimateAn unexpected ice collapse hints at worrying changes on the Antarctic coastThe Conger Ice Shelf disintegrated in 2022. Satellite data leading up to the collapse hint at worrying changes in a supposedly stable ice sheet. By Douglas Fox
- 			 Climate ClimateFrom electric cars to wildfires, how Trump may affect climate actionsTrump’s first term, campaign pledges and nominees point to how efforts to address climate change and environmental issues may fare. By Carolyn Gramling and Nikk Ogasa