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name="description" content="From oceans found on distant planets to a detailed map of a fly’s brain, these findings deepened our understanding of the world."/><meta data-react-helmet="true" name="medium" content="website"/><meta data-react-helmet="true" name="guid" content="drn:src:natgeo:unison::prod:8ca02798-69c1-420a-a019-2a031468f418"/><meta data-react-helmet="true" property="og:site_name" content="Science"/><meta data-react-helmet="true" property="og:title" content="6 watershed moments in science from 2024 that will shape the future"/><meta data-react-helmet="true" property="og:description" content="From oceans found on distant planets to a detailed map of a fly’s brain, these findings deepened our understanding of the world."/><meta data-react-helmet="true" property="og:url" content="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/scientific-discoveries-2024"/><meta data-react-helmet="true" property="og:image" 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bpBbX GpQCA tuAKv xTell wdAqb ZqGqs LVAIE TnrRA uECag DcwSV XnBOJ cELRj SUAFz XzYk zkmjG aSyef pFen hoNVj TQOOL Haltu NafGB KpEhF jyjDy kZHqU FZKIw QddLR SKDYB UmcQM giepU cTjQC aRMla MMxXy fFMcX PbMFf hJRbU MRTyf iFJTR koyYF TkdYt DZNRX MALjb VUFMN " data-testid="prism-Tag" href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science" data-pos="0"><span class="QXDKT rGjeC tuAKv iMbiE ">SCIENCE</span></a></li><li class=" "><a class="theme-iPcRv theme-DulXW mLASH egFzk qXWHA ScoIf zYXIH jIRH wNxoc OJpwZ eqFg wSPfd ofvJb bMrzT LaUnX EgONj ibBnq kyjTO lvyBv aANqO aNnIu GDslh LjPJo RpDvg YYtC rTpcz EDgo SIwmX oIWqB mzm MbcTC sXtkB yayQB vXSTR ENhiS dQa-Du SVBll bpBbX GpQCA tuAKv xTell wdAqb ZqGqs LVAIE TnrRA uECag DcwSV XnBOJ cELRj SUAFz XzYk zkmjG aSyef pFen hoNVj TQOOL Haltu NafGB KpEhF jyjDy kZHqU FZKIw QddLR SKDYB UmcQM giepU cTjQC aRMla MMxXy fFMcX PbMFf hJRbU MRTyf iFJTR koyYF TkdYt DZNRX MALjb VUFMN " data-testid="prism-Tag" href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/topic/2024-in-review" data-pos="1"><span class="QXDKT rGjeC tuAKv iMbiE ">2024 IN REVIEW</span></a></li></ul></div></div></div></div><div class="kCTVx PPjDx pOKAh glxIO HfYhe vUYNV VGOqD nDkuk uCVfO eQSuB " data-testid="prism-headline"><h1 class="vMjAx nHBAb jzGdy QVPOi mTgUP qvleh psJCR kPFVD hqIuL "><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ ">6 watershed moments in science from 2024 that will shape the future</span></h1><p class="FRnbR Poyse uieav lqtkC glxIO HfYhe vUYNV kjxhK pUhmG hDCuW "><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ ">From oceans found on distant planets to a detailed map of a fly’s brain, these findings deepened our understanding of the world.</span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="pFYvw GpQCA pWDoc NAOo tRYWy vzGeY Zuecj ilnrB HZlx SHYeL "><div class="KwyL lZur ymbLA qTfbe "><div class="lZur TmzDJ bmjsw " data-testid="prism-copyright-wrapper"><picture data-testid="prism-picture"><source media="(max-width: 374px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg?w=374&h=293, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg?w=748&h=586 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 375px) and (max-width: 413px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg?w=413&h=323, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg?w=826&h=646 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 414px) and (max-width: 767px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg?w=767&h=600, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg?w=1534&h=1200 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg?w=1024&h=801, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg?w=2048&h=1602 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 1025px) and (max-width: 1440px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg?w=1260&h=986, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg?w=2520&h=1972 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 1441px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg?w=1440&h=1126, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg?w=2880&h=2252 2x"/><img alt="A colorized microscopic view of a fruit fly." class="hsDdd DXqUA bmjsw TmzDJ " data-testid="prism-image" draggable="false" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager" src="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM.jpg" style="object-position:"/></picture></div></div></div><div class="nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU eEzcu lZur WNdIy TIUFF muhVV Xeksr xpas rvnTO LmJXV jDBqB JKtQY MjpIc FSYrT XDDX fbYSs YsEBg ppVJr pQPqS XZhpq IYEIp ErMbF PslZr tdGQ TKjnq JZkow DqtYD HKcyL YrHlS QPfVG cidaA " data-testid="prism-caption"><div class="HXPPJ barbu yKsXL IzgMt VcHIt uhSzI YGNMU cRAsZ xqMcl QtRul "><span class="hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz " data-testid="prism-truncate"><span><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ ">In October, a study comprehensively mapped out the brains of fruit flies, <i>Drosophila melanogaster, </i>for the first time. That was only one of the many major scientific discoveries in 2024.</span></span></span></div><div class="qinlA IpWvx oqZz tylGM lyWxS nWcVF UhTug PPcLh "><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh ">Micrograph by Dennis Kunkel Microscopy/Science Photo Library</span></div></div><div class="GEuLh zbpuP xsxwB fJdcs pfFen lfEIF CdGew BPRMK XXMsk vnNgJ a-dSUk kdOz ghiUR JKtQY RONPx pQPqS klBqD LvuSi pVIYM "><div class="VZTD UeCOM jIRH oimqG DjbQm UwdmX Xmrlz ReShI KaJdY lqtkC ssImf HfYhe RTHNs DqtYD nfZnv wgEBU " data-testid="prism-GridContainer"><div class="Kiog kNVGM nvpSA qwdi bmjsw " data-testid="prism-GridRow"><div class="theme-e oBTii mrzah " data-testid="prism-GridColumn" style="--grid-column-span-xxs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-sm:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-md:20;--grid-column-span-lg:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xl:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xxl:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-start-xxs:1;--grid-column-start-xs:1;--grid-column-start-sm:1;--grid-column-start-md:3;--grid-column-start-lg:1;--grid-column-start-xl:1;--grid-column-start-xxl:1"><div class="QHblV nkdHX mHUQ kvZxL hTosT whbOj eBWOP oNdtD gexi tdcBn iruwX kInuP BWFmj qIZQX xvuSz RSdFn vjrKj YnDa aOdPl " data-testid="prism-byline"><div class="VZTD mLASH BQWr OcxMG oJce "><div class="kKfXc ubAkB VZTD rEPuv "><div class="TQPvQ fVlAg HUcap kxY REjk UamUc WxHIR HhZOB yaUf VOJBn KMpjV XSbaH Umfib ukdDD "><span class="tChGB zbFav ">By</span><span>Robin George Andrews</span></div><div class="VZTD mLASH gpiba "><div class="jTKbV zIIsP ZdbeE xAPpq QtiLO JQYD ">December 3, 2024</div></div></div></div><div class="RwkLV 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5.968 0 001.757 4.029c.6.6 1.244 1.029 1.971 1.329s1.5.429 2.271.429c.685 0 1.414-.129 2.056-.386a6.063 6.063 0 001.886-1.114l5.486-5.485a5.955 5.955 0 001.715-3.471 6.156 6.156 0 00-.729-3.644z"/></svg></span></button><div class="xdNAs rMQsN cELo NoeP BtinW YHmbu hWtE "></div></div></li></ul></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="FITT_Article_main "><div style="--spacing-top:40px;--spacing-bottom:32px;--spacing-child-top:initial;--spacing-child-bottom:24px;--spacing-firstChild-top:initial;--spacing-firstChild-bottom:initial;--spacing-lastChild-top:initial;--spacing-lastChild-bottom:initial;--spacing-compact-top:24px;--spacing-compact-bottom:32px;--spacing-firstChild-compact-top:initial;--spacing-firstChild-compact-bottom:initial;--spacing-child-compact-top:initial;--spacing-child-compact-bottom:24px;--spacing-lastChild-compact-top:initial;--spacing-lastChild-compact-bottom:initial" class="dHdHP jLREf zXXje aGO eCClZ nTLv jLsYA gmuro TOSFd VmeZt sCkVm hkQai wGrlE MUuGM fciaN qQjt DhNVo Tgcqk IGLAf tWjkv "><div class="PrismArticleBody SingleColumn xvlfx ZRifP TKoO eaKKC EcdEg bOdfO qXhdi NFNeu UyHES " data-testid="prism-article-body"><div class="FITT_Article_main_group_wrapper VZTD UeCOM jIRH oimqG DjbQm UwdmX Xmrlz ReShI KaJdY lqtkC ssImf HfYhe RTHNs iJVrZ " data-testid="prism-GridContainer"><div class="Kiog kNVGM nvpSA qwdi bmjsw " data-testid="prism-GridRow"><div class="theme-e oBTii mrzah " data-testid="prism-GridColumn" style="--grid-column-span-xxs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-sm:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-md:20;--grid-column-span-lg:16;--grid-column-span-xl:16;--grid-column-span-xxl:14;--grid-column-start-xxs:auto;--grid-column-start-xs:auto;--grid-column-start-sm:auto;--grid-column-start-md:3;--grid-column-start-lg:5;--grid-column-start-xl:5;--grid-column-start-xxl:6"><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC ">It’s easy to reflect on 2024 as a tumultuous year, but there is some comfort in knowing that  humanity can now claim to know more about the universe than ever before. As a species, we have never been more enlightened, because scientists are always learning more, and because science is always unfinished.</p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">But which scientific discoveries of 2024 proved to be the most thrilling and revelatory? </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Making this determination is a somewhat difficult task. Sometimes, there is an obvious eureka moment, one whose paradigm-shifting implications for humanity, the wider world, or the cosmos itself, are immediately evident. But often, what may seem like a small step forward in our scientific understanding of something in the present is just another domino falling on the way to something unimaginably epic and game-changing. </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Whether it’s expanding our knowledge of the microscopic world, or transforming the way we perceive our galactic neighborhood, every advance is noteworthy. </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">But, for our money, these are the most astonishing scientific discoveries of 2024.</p></div></div></div><div class="NYwzQ vUYNV glxIO ilAoG HPkGR "><div class="natgeo-ad" data-testid="prism-ad-wrapper" style="min-width:728px;min-height:90px;transition:min-height 0.3s linear 0s" data-ad-placeholder="true"><div data-box-type="fitt-adbox-fitt-article-inline-outstream" data-testid="prism-ad"><div class="Ad fitt-article-inline-outstream ad-slot " data-slot-type="fitt-article-inline-outstream" data-slot-kvps="pos=fitt-article-inline-outstream-1"></div></div></div></div><div class="FITT_Article_main_group_wrapper VZTD UeCOM jIRH oimqG DjbQm UwdmX Xmrlz ReShI KaJdY lqtkC ssImf HfYhe RTHNs iJVrZ " data-testid="prism-GridContainer"><div class="Kiog kNVGM nvpSA qwdi bmjsw " data-testid="prism-GridRow"><div class="theme-e oBTii mrzah " data-testid="prism-GridColumn" style="--grid-column-span-xxs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-sm:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-md:20;--grid-column-span-lg:16;--grid-column-span-xl:16;--grid-column-span-xxl:14;--grid-column-start-xxs:auto;--grid-column-start-xs:auto;--grid-column-start-sm:auto;--grid-column-start-md:3;--grid-column-start-lg:5;--grid-column-start-xl:5;--grid-column-start-xxl:6"><h2 class="RxNCg ykkUm PvZ nIjPJ PMXYp LmsHF SfAHY mNgye lNbol LBPRq rBLIK ">Astronomers discover hidden oceans in the outer solar system</h2><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Earth’s oceans were long thought to be unique. As far as scientists could tell, Mars was a radioactive desert, Venus was an arid volcanic hellscape, and the myriad icy moons of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune were frozen balls of ice. But in the 1980s, strange electrical signals coming from Jupiter’s moon Europa strongly suggested that an ancient, warm, salty liquid-water ocean was hiding beneath its ice shell. </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">This revelation precipitated the <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/europa-jupiter-moon-nasa-clipper-ocean">launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission</a>, a spacecraft that left Earth this October with the hope of remotely studying that ocean and determining if it’s amenable to life.</p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Nowadays, scientists cannot stop finding compelling evidence for oceans in the outer solar system.</p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Saturn’s <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.quantamagazine.org/icy-oceans-exist-on-far-off-moons-why-arent-they-frozen-solid-20231102/#:~:text=planetary%20science-,These%20Moons%20Are%20Dark%20and%20Frozen,How%20Can%20They%20Have%20Oceans%3F&text=The%20moons%20orbiting%20Jupiter%20and,these%20seas%20exist%20at%20all.">Enceladus</a> is certain to contain another watery ocean, but several others are extremely promising candidates—and this year, we got several more. In February, astronomers announced that they had found evidence of an ocean hidden on <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/subsurface-ocean-saturn-death-star-moon-mimas">Saturn’s moon Mimas</a>. Then, in October, convincing data pointed to yet another ocean <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.jhuapl.edu/news/news-releases/241028-uranus-moon-miranda-with-ocean-beneath-surface-new-study">buried within Miranda</a>, a Uranian moon.</p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Finding evidence that oceans are common in the solar system matters.</p></div></div></div><div class="NYwzQ vUYNV glxIO ilAoG HPkGR "><div class="natgeo-ad" data-testid="prism-ad-wrapper" style="min-width:300px;min-height:250px;transition:min-height 0.3s linear 0s" data-ad-placeholder="true"><div data-box-type="fitt-adbox-fitt-article-inline-box" data-testid="prism-ad"><div class="Ad fitt-article-inline-box ad-slot " data-slot-type="fitt-article-inline-box" data-slot-kvps="pos=fitt-article-inline-box"></div></div></div></div><div class="FITT_Article_main_group_wrapper VZTD UeCOM jIRH oimqG DjbQm UwdmX Xmrlz ReShI KaJdY lqtkC ssImf HfYhe RTHNs iJVrZ " data-testid="prism-GridContainer"><div class="Kiog kNVGM nvpSA qwdi bmjsw " data-testid="prism-GridRow"><div class="theme-e oBTii mrzah " data-testid="prism-GridColumn" style="--grid-column-span-xxs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-sm:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-md:20;--grid-column-span-lg:16;--grid-column-span-xl:16;--grid-column-span-xxl:14;--grid-column-start-xxs:auto;--grid-column-start-xs:auto;--grid-column-start-sm:auto;--grid-column-start-md:3;--grid-column-start-lg:5;--grid-column-start-xl:5;--grid-column-start-xxl:6"><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Life as we know it loves water and, although we do not know if these aquatic moons contain life (whether that’s microbial of something fishier), we now have so many more places to search for it in our own cosmic backyard than scientists could have ever dreamt of. </p></div></div></div><div class="NYwzQ vUYNV glxIO ilAoG HPkGR "><div><div class="InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW " data-testid="prism-inline-image"><figure class="kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO " data-testid="prism-figure"><div class="GpQCA lZur gIjeL " data-testid="prism-ratio-frame"><div class="FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV "><div class="lZur TmzDJ bmjsw " data-testid="prism-copyright-wrapper"><picture data-testid="prism-picture"><source media="(max-width: 374px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg?w=374&h=249, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg?w=748&h=498 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 375px) and (max-width: 413px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg?w=413&h=275, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg?w=826&h=550 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 414px) and (max-width: 767px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg?w=767&h=511, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg?w=1534&h=1022 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg?w=1024&h=683, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg?w=2048&h=1366 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 1025px) and (max-width: 1440px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg?w=1260&h=840, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg?w=2520&h=1680 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 1441px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg?w=1440&h=960, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg?w=2880&h=1920 2x"/><img alt="TK" class="hsDdd vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI UbGlr " data-testid="prism-image" draggable="false" src="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/8343004d-e7a5-485a-9494-e46c0f31f6a4/50-larges-neurons-1920.jpg" id="50-larges-neurons-1920"/></picture></div></div></div><button aria-label="Open Fullscreen" class="mLASH egFzk qXWHA ScoIf XbEWk jIRH nkbp OJpwZ hUQGO wSPfd ofvJb lIDy YIauu gGlNh ARCOA kyjTO xqlN gWRci aNnIu GDslh LjPJo RpDvg YYtC rTpcz EDgo UVTAB hswTp sXtkB AAqU fctVp ENhiS xjUSk NatTH NqeUA dZTKY QMxMQ LpcJi wardV kcRqD fhCRd MYLFX RkJsE iEOQC yaNWn ZUpvj HoXXr " data-testid="prism-ImageViewer_ExpandButton" type="button"><span class="CSJky pdAzW JSFPu "><svg aria-hidden="true" class=" " data-testid="prism-iconography" height="1em" role="presentation" viewBox="0 0 48 48" width="1em" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" data-icon="view-fullscreenEnter"><path fill="currentColor" d="M6.48 11.24V16h3.04V9.52H16V6.48H6.48v4.76M32 8v1.52h6.48V16h3.04V6.48H32V8M6.48 36.76v4.76H16v-3.04H9.52V32H6.48v4.76m32-1.52v3.24H32v3.04h9.52V32h-3.04v3.24"/></svg></span></button><figcaption><div class="VZTD UeCOM jIRH oimqG DjbQm UwdmX Xmrlz ReShI KaJdY lqtkC ssImf HfYhe RTHNs " data-testid="prism-GridContainer"><div class="Kiog kNVGM nvpSA qwdi bmjsw " data-testid="prism-GridRow"><div class="theme-e oBTii mrzah " data-testid="prism-GridColumn" style="--grid-column-span-xxs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-sm:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-md:20;--grid-column-span-lg:16;--grid-column-span-xl:16;--grid-column-span-xxl:14;--grid-column-start-xxs:auto;--grid-column-start-xs:auto;--grid-column-start-sm:auto;--grid-column-start-md:3;--grid-column-start-lg:5;--grid-column-start-xl:5;--grid-column-start-xxl:6"><div class="nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW lZur " data-testid="prism-caption"><div class="HXPPJ barbu yKsXL IzgMt VcHIt uhSzI YGNMU cRAsZ xqMcl QtRul "><span class="hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz " data-testid="prism-truncate"><span><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ ">The 50 largest neurons of the fly brain, including the APL, which is the largest cell in the brain and has over 120,000 synapses.</span></span></span></div><div class="qinlA IpWvx oqZz tylGM lyWxS nWcVF UhTug PPcLh "><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh ">Illustration by Illustration by Tyler Sloan and Amy Sterling for FlyWire, Princeton University, (Dorkenwald et al/Nature, 2024)</span></div></div></div></div></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><div class="FITT_Article_main_group_wrapper VZTD UeCOM jIRH oimqG DjbQm UwdmX Xmrlz ReShI KaJdY lqtkC ssImf HfYhe RTHNs iJVrZ " data-testid="prism-GridContainer"><div class="Kiog kNVGM nvpSA qwdi bmjsw " data-testid="prism-GridRow"><div class="theme-e oBTii mrzah " data-testid="prism-GridColumn" style="--grid-column-span-xxs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-sm:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-md:20;--grid-column-span-lg:16;--grid-column-span-xl:16;--grid-column-span-xxl:14;--grid-column-start-xxs:auto;--grid-column-start-xs:auto;--grid-column-start-sm:auto;--grid-column-start-md:3;--grid-column-start-lg:5;--grid-column-start-xl:5;--grid-column-start-xxl:6"><h2 class="RxNCg ykkUm PvZ nIjPJ PMXYp LmsHF SfAHY mNgye lNbol LBPRq rBLIK ">Fruit fly brain mapped out</h2><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">You probably haven’t given much thought to the humble, sometimes irritatingly persistent, fruit fly. But to many scientists, this little critter—<i class=" ">Drosophila melanogaster</i>—is one of the most important species on the planet. It may have a tiny brain, but it performs many of the same basic neurological processes as a human’s, whether that’s when the fly is searching for food or when it’s “socializing” with another member of its species. That means its minuscule brain can tell us about every type of brain, including our own.</p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">In October, the brain of an adult fruit fly was <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.reuters.com/science/scientists-map-fruit-fly-brain-neurobiological-milestone-2024-10-02/">comprehensively mapped out</a>, with 50 million connections between around 140,000 individual neurons placed upon a special sort of map.</p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Cerebral cartography of any organism is as difficult as it is promising.</p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">What does a healthy or an unhealthy connection between brain cells looks like? How is 3D navigation wired into the brain? Where does behavior come from? What exactly is a thought, or a memory? </p></div></div></div><div class="NYwzQ vUYNV glxIO ilAoG HPkGR "><div class="natgeo-ad" data-testid="prism-ad-wrapper" style="min-width:728px;min-height:90px;transition:min-height 0.3s linear 0s" data-ad-placeholder="true"><div data-box-type="fitt-adbox-fitt-article-inline-outstream" data-testid="prism-ad"><div class="Ad fitt-article-inline-outstream ad-slot " data-slot-type="fitt-article-inline-outstream" data-slot-kvps="pos=fitt-article-inline-outstream-2"></div></div></div></div><div class="FITT_Article_main_group_wrapper VZTD UeCOM jIRH oimqG DjbQm UwdmX Xmrlz ReShI KaJdY lqtkC ssImf HfYhe RTHNs iJVrZ " data-testid="prism-GridContainer"><div class="Kiog kNVGM nvpSA qwdi bmjsw " data-testid="prism-GridRow"><div class="theme-e oBTii mrzah " data-testid="prism-GridColumn" style="--grid-column-span-xxs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-sm:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-md:20;--grid-column-span-lg:16;--grid-column-span-xl:16;--grid-column-span-xxl:14;--grid-column-start-xxs:auto;--grid-column-start-xs:auto;--grid-column-start-sm:auto;--grid-column-start-md:3;--grid-column-start-lg:5;--grid-column-start-xl:5;--grid-column-start-xxl:6"><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">A fruit fly’s brain is considerably less complex than a human’s, but this map will provide clues that can help neuroscientists understand what makes you, well, you.</p><h2 class="RxNCg ykkUm PvZ nIjPJ PMXYp LmsHF SfAHY mNgye lNbol LBPRq rBLIK ">The 1.5°C global warming limit will (almost certainly) be breached</h2><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">In some ways, this isn’t surprising at all: the world’s most prolific greenhouse gas emitters have comprehensively failed to stem their output, and the planet has continued to warm at a breakneck pace, bringing with it all sorts of climatic chaos. But this year, for the first time, global average temperatures were extremely likely <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1dpnxnvv2go">to jump to more than 1.5<b class="cXscX ">°</b>C</a> above pre-industrial levels. </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">The oft-cited 1.5<b class="cXscX ">°</b>C boundary is somewhat arbitrary; nothing dramatic (other than the extreme weather and climatic convulsions we are already witnessing today) is <i class=" ">suddenly</i> going to happen the moment we cross this Rubicon. But that boundary still matters.</p><div class="oLzSq QrHMO GbsKS pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW AMhAA daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc ebfE nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY VvTxJ iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM hbvnu OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD iShaE ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV kRoBe oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX "><div class="XQpSH zzkIM UtCfs sXthe lyRMG " data-testid="prism-divider"></div><div><section class="Kiog iKqXF CHWlW ZgZTu FlDNH hQfuy feniZ wBpop uAyYK yJYJo OGgqj tQHio PCVZs " data-testid="prism-collection"><header class="mLASH VZTD bhaVx "><div><h2 class="KuBvM RTkZF lFzlq GbVC HkWF exKgG kGyAC SwCrv ">You May Also Like</h2></div></header><div class="liAe uMOq zYIfP pYgZk Mxrkk VZTD lZur TPpRg NoUSU igcMP DtJWr QgBvn DFdlJ QGHKv VuOFc rRTs EwJTR UpiKB sKbok RsAxh msYPt zKjNI SXHxp OaElp halTF KzevM LFuuA xTOeQ jLoop " data-testid="prism-card"><a class="iVcn UbGlr ibBnq qdXbA avodi DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE QGHKv HNQqj ICwhc Bkgbl ZLXw kSqqG rEBmF " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cats-pets-communication-app-technology" aria-label="What is your cat telling you? New technology deciphers meows" aria-describedby="Whatisyourcattellingtags"><div class="hsDdd GpQCA lZur BOsoU YMZw dihEb srtah LmIPo JzlZQ qrShQ iRFVw ZZxEf zHngH jCA-DP TucPs XifJd MWLZF PEVz VbrfA zZsl kjmkg OwbFk QuuaM cBQOR "><div class="GpQCA lZur oVsVV nFtJ GHKp awJgN EuJtJ " data-testid="prism-ratio-frame"><div class="FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV "><picture data-testid="prism-picture"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/fa48a59d-202e-4f47-9a22-6672c2b025d7/GettyImages-83454800-CROP_square.jpg?w=195&h=195, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/fa48a59d-202e-4f47-9a22-6672c2b025d7/GettyImages-83454800-CROP_square.jpg?w=390&h=390 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 768px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/fa48a59d-202e-4f47-9a22-6672c2b025d7/GettyImages-83454800-CROP_square.jpg?w=220&h=220, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/fa48a59d-202e-4f47-9a22-6672c2b025d7/GettyImages-83454800-CROP_square.jpg?w=440&h=440 2x"/><img alt="" class="hsDdd " data-testid="prism-image" draggable="false" src="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/fa48a59d-202e-4f47-9a22-6672c2b025d7/GettyImages-83454800-CROP_square.jpg"/></picture></div></div></div><div class="QGHKv iVcn avodi rEPuv ICwhc ibBnq Bkgbl ZLXw kSqqG rEBmF "><div class="VZTD rEPuv QXDKT pJYTK " data-testid="prism-meta"><div class="CJAFL gDeX "><div class="mLASH VZTD UeCOM wSnmx ltDkr MjHGf rmiAn vvBSK " id="Whatisyourcattellingtags"><div class="wXbPV YAJid wPGsL ">ANIMALS</div></div><h2 class="PFoxV eBpQD rcQBv bQtjQ lQUdN GpQCA mAkiF FvMyr WvoqU nPLLM tuAKv " id="Whatisyourcattellingheadline">What is your cat telling you? New technology deciphers meows</h2></div></div></div></a></div><div class="liAe uMOq zYIfP pYgZk Mxrkk VZTD lZur TPpRg NoUSU igcMP DtJWr QgBvn DFdlJ QGHKv VuOFc rRTs EwJTR UpiKB sKbok RsAxh msYPt zKjNI SXHxp OaElp halTF KzevM LFuuA xTOeQ jLoop " data-testid="prism-card"><a class="iVcn UbGlr ibBnq qdXbA avodi DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE QGHKv HNQqj ICwhc Bkgbl ZLXw kSqqG rEBmF " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/ai-chatbots-treatment-mental-health" aria-label="More people are turning to mental health AI chatbots. What could go wrong?" aria-describedby="Morepeopleareturningtags"><div class="hsDdd GpQCA lZur BOsoU YMZw dihEb srtah LmIPo JzlZQ qrShQ iRFVw ZZxEf zHngH jCA-DP TucPs XifJd MWLZF PEVz VbrfA zZsl kjmkg OwbFk QuuaM cBQOR "><div class="GpQCA lZur oVsVV nFtJ GHKp awJgN EuJtJ " data-testid="prism-ratio-frame"><div class="FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV "><picture data-testid="prism-picture"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/21bdeb00-ec2e-4d77-aef9-b20f41e5f97d/GettyImages-1492980103_square.jpg?w=195&h=195, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/21bdeb00-ec2e-4d77-aef9-b20f41e5f97d/GettyImages-1492980103_square.jpg?w=390&h=390 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 768px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/21bdeb00-ec2e-4d77-aef9-b20f41e5f97d/GettyImages-1492980103_square.jpg?w=220&h=220, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/21bdeb00-ec2e-4d77-aef9-b20f41e5f97d/GettyImages-1492980103_square.jpg?w=440&h=440 2x"/><img alt="" class="hsDdd " data-testid="prism-image" draggable="false" src="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/21bdeb00-ec2e-4d77-aef9-b20f41e5f97d/GettyImages-1492980103_square.jpg"/></picture></div></div></div><div class="QGHKv iVcn avodi rEPuv ICwhc ibBnq Bkgbl ZLXw kSqqG rEBmF "><div class="VZTD rEPuv QXDKT pJYTK " data-testid="prism-meta"><div class="CJAFL gDeX "><div class="mLASH VZTD UeCOM wSnmx ltDkr MjHGf rmiAn vvBSK " id="Morepeopleareturningtags"><div class="wXbPV YAJid wPGsL ">SCIENCE</div></div><h2 class="PFoxV eBpQD rcQBv bQtjQ lQUdN GpQCA mAkiF FvMyr WvoqU nPLLM tuAKv " id="Morepeopleareturningheadline">More people are turning to mental health AI chatbots. What could go wrong?</h2></div></div></div></a></div><div class="liAe uMOq zYIfP pYgZk Mxrkk VZTD lZur TPpRg NoUSU igcMP DtJWr QgBvn DFdlJ QGHKv VuOFc EwJTR UpiKB sKbok RsAxh msYPt zKjNI SXHxp OaElp halTF KzevM LFuuA xTOeQ jLoop " data-testid="prism-card"><a class="iVcn UbGlr ibBnq qdXbA avodi DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE QGHKv HNQqj ICwhc Bkgbl ZLXw kSqqG rEBmF " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/asteroid-2024-yr4-earth-impact-chance-2032" aria-label="This asteroid may hit Earth in 2032. Don't panic—scientists have a plan." aria-describedby="ThisasteroidmayhitEatags"><div class="hsDdd GpQCA lZur BOsoU YMZw dihEb srtah LmIPo JzlZQ qrShQ iRFVw ZZxEf zHngH jCA-DP TucPs XifJd MWLZF PEVz VbrfA zZsl kjmkg OwbFk QuuaM cBQOR "><div class="GpQCA lZur oVsVV nFtJ GHKp awJgN EuJtJ " data-testid="prism-ratio-frame"><div class="FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV "><picture data-testid="prism-picture"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d051e2ad-646f-4540-81c3-a9c2d0b06582/PIA17254_square.jpg?w=195&h=195, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d051e2ad-646f-4540-81c3-a9c2d0b06582/PIA17254_square.jpg?w=390&h=390 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 768px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d051e2ad-646f-4540-81c3-a9c2d0b06582/PIA17254_square.jpg?w=220&h=220, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d051e2ad-646f-4540-81c3-a9c2d0b06582/PIA17254_square.jpg?w=440&h=440 2x"/><img alt="" class="hsDdd " data-testid="prism-image" draggable="false" src="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d051e2ad-646f-4540-81c3-a9c2d0b06582/PIA17254_square.jpg"/></picture></div></div></div><div class="QGHKv iVcn avodi rEPuv ICwhc ibBnq Bkgbl ZLXw kSqqG rEBmF "><div class="VZTD rEPuv QXDKT pJYTK " data-testid="prism-meta"><div class="CJAFL gDeX "><div class="mLASH VZTD UeCOM wSnmx ltDkr MjHGf rmiAn vvBSK " id="ThisasteroidmayhitEatags"><div class="wXbPV YAJid wPGsL ">SCIENCE</div></div><h2 class="PFoxV eBpQD rcQBv bQtjQ lQUdN GpQCA mAkiF FvMyr WvoqU nPLLM tuAKv " id="ThisasteroidmayhitEaheadline">This asteroid may hit Earth in 2032. Don't panic—scientists have a plan.</h2></div></div></div></a></div></section></div><div class="XQpSH zzkIM UtCfs Ufjyt " data-testid="prism-divider"></div></div><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Under the Paris Agreement, nearly 200 countries agreed to prevent Earth’s temperature from rising above 2<b class="cXscX ">°</b>C above pre-industrial levels, but ideally, they <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://news.mit.edu/2023/explained-climate-benchmark-rising-temperatures-0827">wanted to keep it below 1.5<b class="cXscX ">°</b>C</a>. The warmer the planet gets, the more deleterious effects of climate change we will experience; every 0.1<b class="cXscX ">°</b>C increase in the average global temperature <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35073297">raises the risk</a> of more potent storms, lengthier heatwaves, catastrophic flooding, and so on. </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">1.5<b class="cXscX ">°</b>C was an aspirational target. Crossing it marks this as a grim discovery, but an important one. Alarm bells are ringing louder than ever before: if this temperature rise isn’t reversed, or at the very least stopped, all our futures will be increasingly troubled by the wrath of climate change. </p></div></div></div><div class="NYwzQ vUYNV glxIO ilAoG HPkGR "><div class="natgeo-ad" data-testid="prism-ad-wrapper" style="min-width:728px;min-height:90px;transition:min-height 0.3s linear 0s" data-ad-placeholder="true"><div data-box-type="fitt-adbox-fitt-article-inline-outstream" data-testid="prism-ad"><div class="Ad fitt-article-inline-outstream ad-slot " data-slot-type="fitt-article-inline-outstream" data-slot-kvps="pos=fitt-article-inline-outstream-3"></div></div></div></div><div class="FITT_Article_main_group_wrapper VZTD UeCOM jIRH oimqG DjbQm UwdmX Xmrlz ReShI KaJdY lqtkC ssImf HfYhe RTHNs iJVrZ " data-testid="prism-GridContainer"><div class="Kiog kNVGM nvpSA qwdi bmjsw " data-testid="prism-GridRow"><div class="theme-e oBTii mrzah " data-testid="prism-GridColumn" style="--grid-column-span-xxs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-sm:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-md:20;--grid-column-span-lg:16;--grid-column-span-xl:16;--grid-column-span-xxl:14;--grid-column-start-xxs:auto;--grid-column-start-xs:auto;--grid-column-start-sm:auto;--grid-column-start-md:3;--grid-column-start-lg:5;--grid-column-start-xl:5;--grid-column-start-xxl:6"><h2 class="RxNCg ykkUm PvZ nIjPJ PMXYp LmsHF SfAHY mNgye lNbol LBPRq rBLIK ">Humans age in bursts<b class="cXscX "> </b></h2><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">It’s not uncommon to wake up one day, try to tie a shoelace, painfully pull something in our lower backs, and suddenly feel much older than you were yesterday. </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Weirdly, although we do indeed age on a daily basis, scientists discovered in August that the human body appears to go through <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/aug/14/scientists-find-humans-age-dramatically-in-two-bursts-at-44-then-60-aging-not-slow-and-steady">two rapid aging bursts</a>: once around the age of 44, and again when we reach 60.</p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Using 108 volunteers, who handed researchers all sorts of biological samples, scientists tracked the changing inventory of various biochemicals and microbes across different ages. For reasons unclear to scientists, both men and women seem to <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/08/massive-biomolecular-shifts-occur-in-our-40s-and-60s--stanford-m.html">undergo a major shift in their mid-40s</a>: the way our bodies handle cardiovascular disease, and how we break down things like alcohol, fats, and caffeine, changes. Then, when we enter our 60s, our bodies undergo shifts in (among other things) immune regulation and carbohydrate metabolism. </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Although it’s not yet clear how many of these shifts are influenced by lifestyle changes (people tend to drink a lot more during their oft-stressful 40s, for example), as opposed to being purely biological, the fact that we age in spurts is still fascinating and downright unexpected.</p></div></div></div><div class="NYwzQ vUYNV glxIO ilAoG HPkGR "><div><figure class="kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO " data-testid="prism-figure"><div class="Kiog gTIDq DtvAy ZcEtc IRwwZ "><div class="lZur asrEW "><figure class="kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO " data-testid="prism-figure"><div class="GpQCA lZur " style="padding-bottom:75%" data-testid="prism-ratio-frame"><div class="FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV "><div class="lZur TmzDJ bmjsw " data-testid="prism-copyright-wrapper"><picture data-testid="prism-picture"><source media="(max-width: 374px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg?w=374&h=281, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg?w=748&h=562 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 375px) and (max-width: 413px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg?w=413&h=310, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg?w=826&h=620 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 414px) and (max-width: 767px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg?w=767&h=575, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg?w=1534&h=1150 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg?w=1024&h=768, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg?w=2048&h=1536 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 1025px) and (max-width: 1440px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg?w=1260&h=945, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg?w=2520&h=1890 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 1441px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg?w=1440&h=1080, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg?w=2880&h=2160 2x"/><img alt="A round metallic tray container black asteroid samples" class="hsDdd bmjsw TmzDJ DXqUA UMBA UbGlr " data-testid="prism-image" draggable="false" src="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/93704c79-90e1-4f30-9e12-c3832c99f8bd/jsc2024e006057.jpg"/></picture></div></div></div><button aria-label="Open Fullscreen" class="mLASH egFzk qXWHA ScoIf XbEWk jIRH nkbp OJpwZ hUQGO wSPfd ofvJb lIDy YIauu gGlNh ARCOA kyjTO xqlN gWRci aNnIu GDslh LjPJo RpDvg YYtC rTpcz EDgo UVTAB hswTp sXtkB AAqU fctVp ENhiS xjUSk NatTH NqeUA dZTKY QMxMQ LpcJi wardV kcRqD fhCRd MYLFX RkJsE iEOQC yaNWn ZUpvj HoXXr " data-testid="prism-ImageViewer_ExpandButton" type="button"><span class="CSJky pdAzW JSFPu "><svg aria-hidden="true" class=" " data-testid="prism-iconography" height="1em" role="presentation" viewBox="0 0 48 48" width="1em" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" data-icon="view-fullscreenEnter"><path fill="currentColor" d="M6.48 11.24V16h3.04V9.52H16V6.48H6.48v4.76M32 8v1.52h6.48V16h3.04V6.48H32V8M6.48 36.76v4.76H16v-3.04H9.52V32H6.48v4.76m32-1.52v3.24H32v3.04h9.52V32h-3.04v3.24"/></svg></span></button><figcaption><div class="nhMGc uZRln CebRs "><div class="nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW lZur tSkSq " data-testid="prism-caption"><div class="HXPPJ barbu yKsXL IzgMt VcHIt uhSzI YGNMU cRAsZ xqMcl QtRul "><span class="hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz " data-testid="prism-truncate"><span><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ ">In 2020, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission retrieved 12.6 grams of asteroid dust. This year, insights from that sample were finally revealed. </span></span></span></div><div class="qinlA IpWvx oqZz tylGM lyWxS nWcVF UhTug PPcLh "><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh ">Photograph by Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold, NASA</span></div></div></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="lZur asrEW "><figure class="kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO " data-testid="prism-figure"><div class="GpQCA lZur " style="padding-bottom:75%" data-testid="prism-ratio-frame"><div class="FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV "><div class="lZur TmzDJ bmjsw " data-testid="prism-copyright-wrapper"><picture data-testid="prism-picture"><source media="(max-width: 374px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg?w=374&h=281, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg?w=748&h=562 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 375px) and (max-width: 413px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg?w=413&h=310, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg?w=826&h=620 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 414px) and (max-width: 767px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg?w=767&h=575, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg?w=1534&h=1150 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg?w=1024&h=768, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg?w=2048&h=1536 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 1025px) and (max-width: 1440px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg?w=1260&h=945, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg?w=2520&h=1890 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 1441px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg?w=1440&h=1080, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg?w=2880&h=2160 2x"/><img alt="A top down view of a round metal container divided into 8 sections, each of which contains some black sediment and rocks from asteroid Bennu." class="hsDdd bmjsw TmzDJ DXqUA UMBA UbGlr " data-testid="prism-image" draggable="false" src="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg"/></picture></div></div></div><button aria-label="Open Fullscreen" class="mLASH egFzk qXWHA ScoIf XbEWk jIRH nkbp OJpwZ hUQGO wSPfd ofvJb lIDy YIauu gGlNh ARCOA kyjTO xqlN gWRci aNnIu GDslh LjPJo RpDvg YYtC rTpcz EDgo UVTAB hswTp sXtkB AAqU fctVp ENhiS xjUSk NatTH NqeUA dZTKY QMxMQ LpcJi wardV kcRqD fhCRd MYLFX RkJsE iEOQC yaNWn ZUpvj HoXXr " data-testid="prism-ImageViewer_ExpandButton" type="button"><span class="CSJky pdAzW JSFPu "><svg aria-hidden="true" class=" " data-testid="prism-iconography" height="1em" role="presentation" viewBox="0 0 48 48" width="1em" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" data-icon="view-fullscreenEnter"><path fill="currentColor" d="M6.48 11.24V16h3.04V9.52H16V6.48H6.48v4.76M32 8v1.52h6.48V16h3.04V6.48H32V8M6.48 36.76v4.76H16v-3.04H9.52V32H6.48v4.76m32-1.52v3.24H32v3.04h9.52V32h-3.04v3.24"/></svg></span></button><figcaption><div class="nhMGc uZRln ppewn "><div class="nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW lZur tSkSq " data-testid="prism-caption"><div class="HXPPJ barbu yKsXL IzgMt VcHIt uhSzI YGNMU cRAsZ xqMcl QtRul "><span class="hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz " data-testid="prism-truncate"><span><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ ">In this sample, scientists have found prebiotics and molecules that suggest the asteroid came from a geologically active world. </span></span></span></div><div class="qinlA IpWvx oqZz tylGM lyWxS nWcVF UhTug PPcLh "><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh ">Photograph by Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold, NASA</span></div></div></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></figure></div></div><div class="FITT_Article_main_group_wrapper VZTD UeCOM jIRH oimqG DjbQm UwdmX Xmrlz ReShI KaJdY lqtkC ssImf HfYhe RTHNs iJVrZ " data-testid="prism-GridContainer"><div class="Kiog kNVGM nvpSA qwdi bmjsw " data-testid="prism-GridRow"><div class="theme-e oBTii mrzah " data-testid="prism-GridColumn" style="--grid-column-span-xxs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-sm:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-md:20;--grid-column-span-lg:16;--grid-column-span-xl:16;--grid-column-span-xxl:14;--grid-column-start-xxs:auto;--grid-column-start-xs:auto;--grid-column-start-sm:auto;--grid-column-start-md:3;--grid-column-start-lg:5;--grid-column-start-xl:5;--grid-column-start-xxl:6"><h2 class="RxNCg ykkUm PvZ nIjPJ PMXYp LmsHF SfAHY mNgye lNbol LBPRq rBLIK ">Scientists open a cosmic treasure chest</h2><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">The late, great Carl Sagan once said: “We are made of star-stuff.” That is quite literally true, as all the elements that make us, and the planets, and everything in-between, came from the deaths of countless ancient stars. Now, we are on the verge of finding out exactly where all this star stuff came from, thanks to NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission.</p></div></div></div><div class="NYwzQ vUYNV glxIO ilAoG HPkGR "><div class="natgeo-ad" data-testid="prism-ad-wrapper" style="min-width:300px;min-height:250px;transition:min-height 0.3s linear 0s" data-ad-placeholder="true"><div data-box-type="fitt-adbox-fitt-article-inline-box" data-testid="prism-ad"><div class="Ad fitt-article-inline-box ad-slot " data-slot-type="fitt-article-inline-box" data-slot-kvps="pos=fitt-article-inline-box"></div></div></div></div><div class="FITT_Article_main_group_wrapper VZTD UeCOM jIRH oimqG DjbQm UwdmX Xmrlz ReShI KaJdY lqtkC ssImf HfYhe RTHNs iJVrZ " data-testid="prism-GridContainer"><div class="Kiog kNVGM nvpSA qwdi bmjsw " data-testid="prism-GridRow"><div class="theme-e oBTii mrzah " data-testid="prism-GridColumn" style="--grid-column-span-xxs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-sm:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-md:20;--grid-column-span-lg:16;--grid-column-span-xl:16;--grid-column-span-xxl:14;--grid-column-start-xxs:auto;--grid-column-start-xs:auto;--grid-column-start-sm:auto;--grid-column-start-md:3;--grid-column-start-lg:5;--grid-column-start-xl:5;--grid-column-start-xxl:6"><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">In 2020, the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer spacecraft managed to briefly touchdown on the asteroid Bennu, steal some of its pristine material, then drop it off back on Earth in September 2023. This isn’t the first time a spacecraft has stolen matter from an asteroid (Japan has accomplished this twice), but OSIRIS-REx’s 121.6 grams of asteroidal grains is by far the largest sample of pristine matter ever retrieved.</p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Asteroids are the debris left over from the violent formation of the solar system. These building blocks not only contain the minerals that went into making the planets<sub class=" ">—</sub>including Earth—but also the chemistry that created our seas and oceans, and perhaps even the compounds that seeded the very first lifeforms.</p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">This year, scientists got their very first look at OSIRIS-REx’s sample, and they are in awe at <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasas-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-is-already-rewriting-solar-system-history/">what it’s telling them</a>: the Sun was forged via the deaths of multiple stars, from low-mass ones to those big enough to detonate as powerful supernovae; strange molecules in the sample suggest it came from a destroyed geologically active world; and an array of prebiotic compounds, including all sorts of amino acids, were found within that primeval asteroid. </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">In short, this sample is already rewriting what we know about the solar system’s origins—and scientists have only studied one percent of it. Who knows what else it has in store? </p><h2 class="RxNCg ykkUm PvZ nIjPJ PMXYp LmsHF SfAHY mNgye lNbol LBPRq rBLIK ">Artificial Intelligence unravels the secrets of proteins</h2><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">As AI becomes more visibly part of our lives, it’s regarded with more suspicion, but this year, it became clear that it was going to help reveal how life itself works.</p></div></div></div><div class="NYwzQ vUYNV glxIO ilAoG HPkGR "><div class="natgeo-ad" data-testid="prism-ad-wrapper" style="min-width:300px;min-height:250px;transition:min-height 0.3s linear 0s" data-ad-placeholder="true"><div data-box-type="fitt-adbox-fitt-article-inline-box" data-testid="prism-ad"><div class="Ad fitt-article-inline-box ad-slot " data-slot-type="fitt-article-inline-box" data-slot-kvps="pos=fitt-article-inline-box"></div></div></div></div><div class="FITT_Article_main_group_wrapper VZTD UeCOM jIRH oimqG DjbQm UwdmX Xmrlz ReShI KaJdY lqtkC ssImf HfYhe RTHNs iJVrZ " data-testid="prism-GridContainer"><div class="Kiog kNVGM nvpSA qwdi bmjsw " data-testid="prism-GridRow"><div class="theme-e oBTii mrzah " data-testid="prism-GridColumn" style="--grid-column-span-xxs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-xs:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-sm:var(--grid-columns);--grid-column-span-md:20;--grid-column-span-lg:16;--grid-column-span-xl:16;--grid-column-span-xxl:14;--grid-column-start-xxs:auto;--grid-column-start-xs:auto;--grid-column-start-sm:auto;--grid-column-start-md:3;--grid-column-start-lg:5;--grid-column-start-xl:5;--grid-column-start-xxl:6"><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">In October, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to several researchers involved in studying proteins, the squiggle-like machines that underpin much of biochemistry. </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Understanding how proteins work means (among other things) knowing how diseases—from Malaria to Parkinson’s—proliferate, then identifying ways to stop them. </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Notably, two of the three recipients of the prize—Demis Hassabis and John Jumper, both at Google DeepMind—owe their revelations <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2024/press-release/"> to their AI model</a>, named <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://deepmind.google/technologies/alphafold/">AlphaFold2</a>. </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">With ruthless efficiency, this AI was able predict the structure of pretty much all the 200 million proteins that scientists have found to exist—meaning that scientists now have a tool that can quickly and accurately work out what sorts of proteins will be involved in, or result from, all sorts of chemical reactions or sets of starting conditions. </p><p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">The ability of scientists to decode so many puzzling aspects of biochemistry, from antibiotic resistance to neurological illnesses, has never been more acute.</p></div></div></div><div class="eTIW vUYNV glxIO ilAoG sUzSN "><div class="natgeo-ad" data-testid="prism-ad-wrapper" style="min-width:728px;min-height:90px;transition:min-height 0.3s linear 0s" data-ad-placeholder="true"><div data-box-type="fitt-adbox-fitt-article-inline-outstream" data-testid="prism-ad"><div class="Ad fitt-article-inline-outstream ad-slot " data-slot-type="fitt-article-inline-outstream" data-slot-kvps="pos=fitt-article-inline-outstream-4"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="FITT_Article_end "><div class="VZTD UeCOM jIRH oimqG DjbQm UwdmX Xmrlz ReShI KaJdY lqtkC ssImf HfYhe RTHNs " data-testid="prism-GridContainer"><div class="Kiog kNVGM nvpSA qwdi bmjsw " data-testid="prism-GridRow"><div class="theme-e oBTii mrzah " 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jLREf zXXje aGO eCClZ nTLv jLsYA gmuro TOSFd VmeZt sCkVm hkQai wGrlE MUuGM fciaN qQjt DhNVo Tgcqk IGLAf tWjkv "><div><div data-testid="prism-tags"><h2 class="QOIir HJolv pZjYK JKlkC RZhHM ">Related Topics</h2><ul class="VZTD UeCOM dAmzA ltDkr qBPOY uoPjL "><li class=" "><a class="theme-iPcRv theme-HReFq mLASH egFzk qXWHA ScoIf zYXIH jIRH wNxoc OJpwZ eqFg wSPfd ofvJb bMrzT LaUnX EgONj ibBnq kyjTO lvyBv aANqO aNnIu GDslh LjPJo RpDvg YYtC rTpcz EDgo SIwmX oIWqB mzm MbcTC sXtkB yayQB vXSTR ENhiS dQa-Du SVBll bpBbX GpQCA tuAKv xTell wdAqb ZqGqs LVAIE TnrRA uECag DcwSV XnBOJ cELRj SUAFz XzYk zkmjG aSyef pFen hoNVj TQOOL Haltu NafGB KpEhF jyjDy kZHqU FZKIw QddLR SKDYB UmcQM giepU cTjQC aRMla MMxXy fFMcX PbMFf hJRbU MRTyf iFJTR koyYF TkdYt DZNRX MALjb VUFMN " data-testid="prism-Tag" href="/related/24a1ecb0-018a-38a8-86af-fab6586b18d6/astronomy" data-pos="0"><span class="QXDKT rGjeC tuAKv iMbiE ">ASTRONOMY</span></a></li><li class=" "><a class="theme-iPcRv theme-HReFq mLASH egFzk qXWHA ScoIf 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Now technology is decoding them" aria-describedby="Theseancienttextswertags"><div class="hsDdd GpQCA lZur BOsoU YMZw dihEb srtah LmIPo JzlZQ VbrfA zZsl kjmkg OwbFk QuuaM cBQOR "><div class="GpQCA lZur lIngG nFtJ GHKp awJgN EuJtJ " data-testid="prism-ratio-frame"><div class="FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV "><picture data-testid="prism-picture"><source media="(max-width: 413px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6d3dd05b-8dbe-4ab2-8290-379e7c726ad7/GettyImages-953756080_4x3.jpg?w=300&h=225, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6d3dd05b-8dbe-4ab2-8290-379e7c726ad7/GettyImages-953756080_4x3.jpg?w=600&h=450 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 414px) and (max-width: 767px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6d3dd05b-8dbe-4ab2-8290-379e7c726ad7/GettyImages-953756080_4x3.jpg?w=612&h=459, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6d3dd05b-8dbe-4ab2-8290-379e7c726ad7/GettyImages-953756080_4x3.jpg?w=1224&h=918 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6d3dd05b-8dbe-4ab2-8290-379e7c726ad7/GettyImages-953756080_4x3.jpg?w=350&h=262, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6d3dd05b-8dbe-4ab2-8290-379e7c726ad7/GettyImages-953756080_4x3.jpg?w=700&h=524 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 1025px) and (max-width: 1260px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6d3dd05b-8dbe-4ab2-8290-379e7c726ad7/GettyImages-953756080_4x3.jpg?w=195&h=146, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6d3dd05b-8dbe-4ab2-8290-379e7c726ad7/GettyImages-953756080_4x3.jpg?w=390&h=292 2x"/><source media="(min-width: 1261px)" srcSet="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6d3dd05b-8dbe-4ab2-8290-379e7c726ad7/GettyImages-953756080_4x3.jpg?w=400&h=300, https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6d3dd05b-8dbe-4ab2-8290-379e7c726ad7/GettyImages-953756080_4x3.jpg?w=800&h=600 2x"/><img alt="" class="hsDdd " data-testid="prism-image" draggable="false" src="https://i.natgeofe.com/n/6d3dd05b-8dbe-4ab2-8290-379e7c726ad7/GettyImages-953756080_4x3.jpg"/></picture></div></div></div><div class="QGHKv iVcn avodi rEPuv ICwhc ibBnq seFhp WtEci "><div class="VZTD rEPuv QXDKT sAjcO " data-testid="prism-meta"><div class="CJAFL gDeX "><div class="mLASH VZTD UeCOM wSnmx ltDkr MjHGf rmiAn vvBSK " id="Theseancienttextswertags"><div class="wXbPV YAJid wPGsL ">HISTORY & CULTURE</div></div><h2 class="PFoxV eBpQD rcQBv bQtjQ lQUdN GpQCA mAkiF FvMyr WvoqU " id="Theseancienttextswerheadline">These ancient texts were once unreadable. 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What exactly is a thought, or a memory? "},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html17","cntnt":{"mrkup":"A fruit fly’s brain is considerably less complex than a human’s, but this map will provide clues that can help neuroscientists understand what makes you, well, you."},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html18","cntnt":{"mrkup":"The 1.5°C global warming limit will (almost certainly) be breached"},"type":"h2","style":{}},{"id":"html19","cntnt":{"mrkup":"In some ways, this isn’t surprising at all: the world’s most prolific greenhouse gas emitters have comprehensively failed to stem their output, and the planet has continued to warm at a breakneck pace, bringing with it all sorts of climatic chaos. But this year, for the first time, global average temperatures were extremely likely <a href=\"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1dpnxnvv2go\">to jump to more than 1.5<b>°</b>C</a> above pre-industrial levels. "},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html20","cntnt":{"mrkup":"The oft-cited 1.5<b>°</b>C boundary is somewhat arbitrary; nothing dramatic (other than the extreme weather and climatic convulsions we are already witnessing today) is <i>suddenly</i> going to happen the moment we cross this Rubicon. But that boundary still matters."},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html21","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Under the Paris Agreement, nearly 200 countries agreed to prevent Earth’s temperature from rising above 2<b>°</b>C above pre-industrial levels, but ideally, they <a href=\"https://news.mit.edu/2023/explained-climate-benchmark-rising-temperatures-0827\">wanted to keep it below 1.5<b>°</b>C</a>. The warmer the planet gets, the more deleterious effects of climate change we will experience; every 0.1<b>°</b>C increase in the average global temperature <a href=\"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35073297\">raises the risk</a> of more potent storms, lengthier heatwaves, catastrophic flooding, and so on. "},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html22","cntnt":{"mrkup":"1.5<b>°</b>C was an aspirational target. Crossing it marks this as a grim discovery, but an important one. Alarm bells are ringing louder than ever before: if this temperature rise isn’t reversed, or at the very least stopped, all our futures will be increasingly troubled by the wrath of climate change. "},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html23","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Humans age in bursts<b> </b>"},"type":"h2","style":{}},{"id":"html24","cntnt":{"mrkup":"It’s not uncommon to wake up one day, try to tie a shoelace, painfully pull something in our lower backs, and suddenly feel much older than you were yesterday. "},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html25","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Weirdly, although we do indeed age on a daily basis, scientists discovered in August that the human body appears to go through <a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/aug/14/scientists-find-humans-age-dramatically-in-two-bursts-at-44-then-60-aging-not-slow-and-steady\">two rapid aging bursts</a>: once around the age of 44, and again when we reach 60."},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html26","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Using 108 volunteers, who handed researchers all sorts of biological samples, scientists tracked the changing inventory of various biochemicals and microbes across different ages. For reasons unclear to scientists, both men and women seem to <a href=\"https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/08/massive-biomolecular-shifts-occur-in-our-40s-and-60s--stanford-m.html\">undergo a major shift in their mid-40s</a>: the way our bodies handle cardiovascular disease, and how we break down things like alcohol, fats, and caffeine, changes. Then, when we enter our 60s, our bodies undergo shifts in (among other things) immune regulation and carbohydrate metabolism. "},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html27","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Although it’s not yet clear how many of these shifts are influenced by lifestyle changes (people tend to drink a lot more during their oft-stressful 40s, for example), as opposed to being purely biological, the fact that we age in spurts is still fascinating and downright unexpected."},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"7a1afcfb-f799-410e-bb52-334d2c692aad","cntnt":{"cmsType":"imagegroup","hasCopyright":true,"id":"7a1afcfb-f799-410e-bb52-334d2c692aad","align":"browserWidth","groupCredit":"Photographs by Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold, NASA","images":[{"aspectRatio":1.3333333333333333,"alt":"A round metallic tray container black asteroid samples","caption":"In 2020, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission retrieved 12.6 grams of asteroid dust. This year, insights from that sample were finally revealed. 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The dust and rocks were poured into the trays from the top plate of the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) head. 51.2 grams were collected from this pour, bringing the final mass of asteroid sample to 121.6 grams."},"rchTtl":{"markup":"jsc2024e011609"}},"src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f38b3f0f-b208-4b36-a5c7-d38ae2209a9b/jsc2024e011609.jpg"}],"size":"large"},"type":"inline","style":{}},{"id":"html28","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Scientists open a cosmic treasure chest"},"type":"h2","style":{}},{"id":"html29","cntnt":{"mrkup":"The late, great Carl Sagan once said: “We are made of star-stuff.” That is quite literally true, as all the elements that make us, and the planets, and everything in-between, came from the deaths of countless ancient stars. Now, we are on the verge of finding out exactly where all this star stuff came from, thanks to NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission."},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html30","cntnt":{"mrkup":"In 2020, the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer spacecraft managed to briefly touchdown on the asteroid Bennu, steal some of its pristine material, then drop it off back on Earth in September 2023. This isn’t the first time a spacecraft has stolen matter from an asteroid (Japan has accomplished this twice), but OSIRIS-REx’s 121.6 grams of asteroidal grains is by far the largest sample of pristine matter ever retrieved."},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html31","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Asteroids are the debris left over from the violent formation of the solar system. These building blocks not only contain the minerals that went into making the planets<sub>—</sub>including Earth—but also the chemistry that created our seas and oceans, and perhaps even the compounds that seeded the very first lifeforms."},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html32","cntnt":{"mrkup":"This year, scientists got their very first look at OSIRIS-REx’s sample, and they are in awe at <a href=\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasas-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-is-already-rewriting-solar-system-history/\">what it’s telling them</a>: the Sun was forged via the deaths of multiple stars, from low-mass ones to those big enough to detonate as powerful supernovae; strange molecules in the sample suggest it came from a destroyed geologically active world; and an array of prebiotic compounds, including all sorts of amino acids, were found within that primeval asteroid. "},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html33","cntnt":{"mrkup":"In short, this sample is already rewriting what we know about the solar system’s origins—and scientists have only studied one percent of it. Who knows what else it has in store? "},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html34","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Artificial Intelligence unravels the secrets of proteins"},"type":"h2","style":{}},{"id":"html35","cntnt":{"mrkup":"As AI becomes more visibly part of our lives, it’s regarded with more suspicion, but this year, it became clear that it was going to help reveal how life itself works."},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html36","cntnt":{"mrkup":"In October, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to several researchers involved in studying proteins, the squiggle-like machines that underpin much of biochemistry. "},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html37","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Understanding how proteins work means (among other things) knowing how diseases—from Malaria to Parkinson’s—proliferate, then identifying ways to stop them. "},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html38","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Notably, two of the three recipients of the prize—Demis Hassabis and John Jumper, both at Google DeepMind—owe their revelations <a href=\"https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2024/press-release/\"> to their AI model</a>, named <a href=\"https://deepmind.google/technologies/alphafold/\">AlphaFold2</a>. "},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html39","cntnt":{"mrkup":"With ruthless efficiency, this AI was able predict the structure of pretty much all the 200 million proteins that scientists have found to exist—meaning that scientists now have a tool that can quickly and accurately work out what sorts of proteins will be involved in, or result from, all sorts of chemical reactions or sets of starting conditions. "},"type":"p","style":{}},{"id":"html40","cntnt":{"mrkup":"The ability of scientists to decode so many puzzling aspects of biochemistry, from antibiotic resistance to neurological illnesses, has never been more acute."},"type":"p","style":{}}],"cid":"drn:src:natgeo:unison::prod:8ca02798-69c1-420a-a019-2a031468f418","cntrbGrp":[{"contributors":[{"displayName":"Robin George Andrews"}],"title":"By","rl":"Writer"}],"mode":"richtext","enableAds":true,"endbug":true,"hsImmrsvLd":true,"isMetered":false,"isUserAuthed":false,"isTruncated":false,"isEntitled":false,"freemiumContentGatingEnabled":true,"premiumContentGatingEnabled":false,"mdDt":"2024-12-03T18:20:05.962Z","schma":{"athrs":[{"name":"Robin George Andrews"}],"cnnicl":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/scientific-discoveries-2024","lg":"https://assets-cdn.nationalgeographic.com/natgeo/static/default.NG.logo.dark.jpg","pblshr":"National Geographic","abt":"Astronomy","sclDsc":"From oceans found on distant planets to a detailed map of a fly’s brain, these findings deepened our understanding of the world.","sclImg":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/62ecea48-9a77-470b-8c62-0658048a224f/C0323786-Fruit_fly_SEM_16x9.jpg?w=1200","sclTtl":"6 watershed moments in science from 2024 that will shape the future"},"sctn":"Science","wrdcnt":1769,"dt":"2024-12-03T14:26:00.687Z","prismData":{"mainComponents":[{"name":"Body","props":{"body":[[{"type":"p","content":["It’s easy to reflect on 2024 as a tumultuous year, but there is some comfort in knowing that "," ","humanity can now claim to know more about the universe than ever before. As a species, we have never been more enlightened, because scientists are always learning more, and because science is always unfinished."]},{"type":"p","content":["But which scientific discoveries of 2024 proved to be the most thrilling and revelatory?"," "]},{"type":"p","content":["Making this determination is a somewhat difficult task. Sometimes, there is an obvious eureka moment, one whose paradigm-shifting implications for humanity, the wider world, or the cosmos itself, are immediately evident. But often, what may seem like a small step forward in our scientific understanding of something in the present is just another domino falling on the way to something unimaginably epic and game-changing."," "]},{"type":"p","content":["Whether it’s expanding our knowledge of the microscopic world, or transforming the way we perceive our galactic neighborhood, every advance is noteworthy."," "]},{"type":"p","content":["But, for our money, these are the most astonishing scientific discoveries of 2024."]}],{"type":"inline","content":{"name":"Ad","props":{"ad":{"kvps":{"pos":"fitt-article-inline-outstream-1"},"type":"fitt-article-inline-outstream","className":"fitt-article-inline-outstream"},"className":"natgeo-ad","placeholders":{"compact":{"size":[320,50]},"regular":{"size":[728,90]}},"initSelf":true},"context":{},"config":{"gridDisplayMode":"none"}}},[{"type":"h2","content":["Astronomers discover hidden oceans in the outer solar system"]},{"type":"p","content":["Earth’s oceans were long thought to be unique. As far as scientists could tell, Mars was a radioactive desert, Venus was an arid volcanic hellscape, and the myriad icy moons of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune were frozen balls of ice. But in the 1980s, strange electrical signals coming from Jupiter’s moon Europa strongly suggested that an ancient, warm, salty liquid-water ocean was hiding beneath its ice shell."," "]},{"type":"p","content":["This revelation precipitated the ",{"type":"a","content":["launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission"],"attrs":{"href":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/europa-jupiter-moon-nasa-clipper-ocean"}},", a spacecraft that left Earth this October with the hope of remotely studying that ocean and determining if it’s amenable to life."]},{"type":"p","content":["Nowadays, scientists cannot stop finding compelling evidence for oceans in the outer solar system."]},{"type":"p","content":["Saturn’s ",{"type":"a","content":["Enceladus"],"attrs":{"href":"https://www.quantamagazine.org/icy-oceans-exist-on-far-off-moons-why-arent-they-frozen-solid-20231102/#:~:text=planetary%20science-,These%20Moons%20Are%20Dark%20and%20Frozen,How%20Can%20They%20Have%20Oceans%3F&text=The%20moons%20orbiting%20Jupiter%20and,these%20seas%20exist%20at%20all."}}," is certain to contain another watery ocean, but several others are extremely promising candidates—and this year, we got several more. In February, astronomers announced that they had found evidence of an ocean hidden on ",{"type":"a","content":["Saturn’s moon Mimas"],"attrs":{"href":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/subsurface-ocean-saturn-death-star-moon-mimas"}},". Then, in October, convincing data pointed to yet another ocean ",{"type":"a","content":["buried within Miranda"],"attrs":{"href":"https://www.jhuapl.edu/news/news-releases/241028-uranus-moon-miranda-with-ocean-beneath-surface-new-study"}},", a Uranian moon."]},{"type":"p","content":["Finding evidence that oceans are common in the solar system matters."]}],{"type":"inline","content":{"name":"Ad","props":{"ad":{"type":"fitt-article-inline-box","className":"fitt-article-inline-box"},"className":"natgeo-ad","placeholders":{"compact":{"size":[300,250]},"regular":{"size":[300,250]}},"initSelf":true},"context":{},"config":{"gridDisplayMode":"none"}}},[{"type":"p","content":["Life as we know it loves water and, although we do not know if these aquatic moons contain life (whether that’s microbial of something fishier), we now have so many more places to search for it in our own cosmic backyard than scientists could have ever dreamt of."," "]}],{"type":"inline","content":{"name":"Image","props":{"link":{},"caption":{"title":"","credit":"Illustration by Illustration by Tyler Sloan and Amy Sterling for FlyWire, Princeton University, (Dorkenwald et al/Nature, 2024)","source":"","text":"The 50 largest neurons of the fly brain, including the APL, which is the largest cell in the brain and has over 120,000 synapses.","lines":3,"showMoreText":"Read More","showLess":false,"wrapperProps":{"columnConfig":{"span":{"base":100,"md":20,"lg":16,"xxl":14},"start":{"md":3,"lg":5,"xxl":6}}}},"image":{"id":"50-larges-neurons-1920","showCopyright":"Please be respectful of copyright. 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But to many scientists, this little critter—",{"type":"i","content":["Drosophila melanogaster"]},"—is one of the most important species on the planet. It may have a tiny brain, but it performs many of the same basic neurological processes as a human’s, whether that’s when the fly is searching for food or when it’s “socializing” with another member of its species. That means its minuscule brain can tell us about every type of brain, including our own."]},{"type":"p","content":["In October, the brain of an adult fruit fly was ",{"type":"a","content":["comprehensively mapped out"],"attrs":{"href":"https://www.reuters.com/science/scientists-map-fruit-fly-brain-neurobiological-milestone-2024-10-02/"}},", with 50 million connections between around 140,000 individual neurons placed upon a special sort of map."]},{"type":"p","content":["Cerebral cartography of any organism is as difficult as it is promising."]},{"type":"p","content":["What does a healthy or an unhealthy connection between brain cells looks like? How is 3D navigation wired into the brain? Where does behavior come from? What exactly is a thought, or a memory?"," "]}],{"type":"inline","content":{"name":"Ad","props":{"ad":{"kvps":{"pos":"fitt-article-inline-outstream-2"},"type":"fitt-article-inline-outstream","className":"fitt-article-inline-outstream"},"className":"natgeo-ad","placeholders":{"compact":{"size":[320,50]},"regular":{"size":[728,90]}},"initSelf":true},"context":{},"config":{"gridDisplayMode":"none"}}},[{"type":"p","content":["A fruit fly’s brain is considerably less complex than a human’s, but this map will provide clues that can help neuroscientists understand what makes you, well, you."]},{"type":"h2","content":["The 1.5°C global warming limit will (almost certainly) be breached"]},{"type":"p","content":["In some ways, this isn’t surprising at all: the world’s most prolific greenhouse gas emitters have comprehensively failed to stem their output, and the planet has continued to warm at a breakneck pace, bringing with it all sorts of climatic chaos. 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Unauthorized use is prohibited.","caption":{"title":"","credit":"Photograph by Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold, NASA","source":"","text":"In this sample, scientists have found prebiotics and molecules that suggest the asteroid came from a geologically active world. ","lines":3,"showMoreText":"Read More","showLess":false,"wrapper":"div","wrapperProps":{"className":"nhMGc uZRln ppewn "}}}],"ratio":{"height":1536,"width":2048},"disableFullscreen":false},"context":{},"config":{"align":"full","alignXxs":"full","gridDisplayMode":"none"}}},[{"type":"h2","content":["Scientists open a cosmic treasure chest"]},{"type":"p","content":["The late, great Carl Sagan once said: “We are made of star-stuff.” That is quite literally true, as all the elements that make us, and the planets, and everything in-between, came from the deaths of countless ancient stars. 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