Science & Society
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Science & Society
Top 10 stories of 2018: Climate change, gene-edited babies, hidden craters and more
2018 was a year all about impact — on the planet, on solving crimes, on mosquito populations, on reversing paralysis, and more.
- Climate
Half a degree stole the climate spotlight in 2018
Climate attribution studies and new data on global warming targets put climate change in the spotlight this year.
- Genetics
News of the first gene-edited babies ignited a firestorm
A researcher in China announced he created two babies using CRISPR. Many scientists questioned the study’s ethics and medical necessity.
- Genetics
Crime solvers embraced genetic genealogy
DNA searches of a public genealogy database are closing cases and opening privacy concerns.
- Health & Medicine
Drinking studies muddied the waters around the safety of alcohol use
Studies claiming that alcohol in even small amounts is dangerous weren’t designed to address risks of moderate drinking.
- Science & Society
To assemble a Top 10 list, Science News starts in June
Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses creating Science News' annual Top 10 science stories of the year.
- Science & Society
These are our favorite science books of 2018
Science News writers and editors pick which science books were this year’s must-reads.
- Health & Medicine
Two new books explore the science and history of the 1918 flu pandemic
One-hundred years after the Spanish flu, ‘Pandemic 1918’ and ‘Influenza’ provide a new look at the global outbreak.
- Climate
Global carbon dioxide emissions will hit a record high in 2018
Carbon dioxide emissions from China, the United States and India all rose this year, a new report finds.
- Science & Society
Seeking a panacea in the gut’s microbiome
Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses the potential role of the gut microbiome in Parkinson's disease and one reporter's connection to the story.
- Genetics
The researcher who created CRISPR twins defends his work but fails to quell controversy
After getting a glimpse of data behind the birth of the first gene-edited babies, many scientists question the study’s ethics and medical necessity.
- Genetics
Chinese scientists raise ethical questions with first gene-edited babies
Scientists say gene editing of human embryos isn’t yet safe, and creating babies was unethical.
