Exploring 2024: A Deep Dive into Climate, Health, and Tech Narratives

Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, audience! For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman.

It’s been a hectic and thrilling year at Science Quickly. After several months of working behind the scenes, I officially began hosting the show back in May. I’ve had immense enjoyment conversing with all of you three times a week since then, and I’m eager for the discussions we will engage in during 2025.

Before we at SQ take a brief recess for the holidays, I thought it would be intriguing to ask a few Scientific American editors about the most significant science stories of the year. Let’s dive in.

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Andrea Thompson: I’m Andrea Thompson. I’m the Earth and environment news editor at Scientific American.

This year, the most significant weather and climate stories largely mirror what we’ve witnessed in past years: hurricanes, floods, and unprecedented heat.

Hurricanes have been a major topic, particularly in the U.S. this year. We experienced several truly devastating and unexpectedly severe ones, beginning with Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, which extremely rapidly intensified, leaving meteorologists in awe as they observed this storm develop.

We also faced two immensely destructive hurricanes.

[CLIP: NBC 6 meteorologist John Morales discusses Hurricane Milton in October: “ An extraordinary hurricane. It has dropped [chokes up]—it has dropped 50 millibars in 10 hours. I apologize. This is just devastating.”]

Thompson: Hurricane Milton and notably Hurricane Helene, which unleashed an immense amount of rain on western North Carolina and caused complete devastation there.

But the U.S. wasn’t the only country affected by these storms. The Philippines encountered five typhoons, which are the same type of storm as a hurricane; they just bear a different name in the Pacific compared to the Atlantic. They faced five typhoons and a tropical storm, all within a month, which signifies a considerable number of storms. This inflected significant devastation and resulted in numerous fatalities.

In addition to those major storms, we experienced numerous heat waves, which are deeply tied to climate change and represent one of the most evident weather events showcasing the imprint of climate change. Each year, we observe them becoming more frequent, enduring longer, and becoming more intense than in previous years. A notably severe heat wave this year occurred in the Southwest U.S. …

[CLIP: CBS Morning News anchor Anne-Marie Green talks about the heat wave in June:  “A perilous heat wave is endangering more than 30 million individuals across the Southwest this morning.”]

Thompson: This has become a focal point year after year. However, Phoenix notably endured 113 consecutive days with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit [nearly 38 degrees Celsius]. The former record stood at 76 days in 1993. This marks a significant increase. Consequently, this heat led to hundreds of fatalities in Phoenix alone. When considering that these heat waves affected a wider area, the numbers become even more alarming.

Of course, that wasn’t the only region to experience heat. There were also extremely harsh spring heat waves across a vast area of Asia, stretching from the Palestinian territories to India, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Additionally, there were enormous floods.

[CLIP: PBS News Hour co-anchor Amna Nawaz discusses flooding in October:  “In Spain, where emergency crews are searching for bodies in submerged vehicles and flooded buildings following catastrophic flash floods.”

Thompson: Spain stood out as one of the hallmark events this year because it came as a surprise to the residents; they weren’t prepared for it. This resulted in immense devastation and loss of life. There were also significant floods in various African regions—Sudan, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad—and all of these events display some indicators of climate change.

Therefore, likely the most significant climate story of this year is that it will be recorded as the hottest year yet, a fact we acknowledge before the year is officially concluded. We were genuinely aware of this by the end of October, based merely on the high temperatures observed throughout the year. It will surpass the previous record set just last year, which itself was severely high by a widely significant margin.

Hence, 2024 is anticipated to be hotter than 2023, and this trend aligns with one of climate change’s signatures: the increasing frequency of record-hot years. In fact, all of the ten hottest years recorded have occurred in the 21st century, and it’s unlikely to be long before the 2024 record is broken.

If I were to select a few words or phrases to encapsulate 2024, I would choose “record-hot” and “extreme.” I believe those words are likely [laughs] the same ones I would have chosen in many other years, but this realization clearly indicates that climate change is real and it’s happening now. It is not a concern for the future, as many perceived a couple of decades ago; we are experiencing its effects now, and each year reinforces this reality.

Looking forward to 2025, we obviously cannot predict whether it might be the year to break the record set in 2024. Currently, climate scientists would likely suggest it’s less probable, partly due to the expected weak La Niña.

Many are familiar with El Niño. La Niña represents the opposite phenomenon; it’s essentially the counterbalance to an El Niño. An El Niño occurs when the water temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean exceed normal levels, releasing heat into the atmosphere and triggering a series of weather changes globally. Conversely, La Niña takes place when those temperatures are below normal. This aspect also alters weather patterns and generally leads to a slight cooling of global temperatures, while El Niño tends to increase them. Moreover, one reason why 2023 and 2024 were …record-breaking heat is somewhat attributable to El Niño, though [the] overwhelming majority of that warmth results from prolonged climate change.

However, with a weak La Niña potentially forming in 2025, global temperatures could be slightly lower, suggesting that 2025 might turn out to be cooler than both 2024 and 2023. Nonetheless, even with a La Niña, it is likely that it will still be among the hottest years on record. The years exhibiting La Niñas today are, in fact, warm than some El Niño years from three to four decades ago. This truly highlights the extent to which climate change has influenced global temperatures.

In terms of meteorological phenomena we might anticipate—broadly speaking—we will witness heatwaves in certain areas. They will set new records. There will be hurricanes and typhoons occurring globally. The specific locations they will affect and their intensity remains uncertain. Flooding will inevitably occur in various regions. These events are likely to continue annually, and climate change is influencing all of them: increasing their probability, intensifying their severity, and causing them to occur with greater frequency.

Feltman: Climate was undeniably a significant topic in the news this year, but we also dealt with numerous health stories—including a few that aren’t profoundly alarming. Let’s reflect on some remarkable health progress made in 2024.

Tanya Lewis: I’m Tanya Lewis, senior editor for health and medicine at Scientific American.

We uncovered a multitude of fascinating insights regarding the human body this year. One revelation, which you may recall from an earlier podcast episode, is that researchers found a novel pain medication that functions by obstructing nerve channels before the pain reaches the brain, and it is non-addictive unlike opioids.

Additionally, we discovered that vitamin D deficiency may not be as significant an issue as previously assumed. In the early 2000s, studies indicated that a deficiency in vitamin D was linked to cancer, heart disease, and several other health conditions, suggesting that vitamin D supplements could offer benefits. However, recent research has not demonstrated as much of a positive impact as once believed, and most individuals actually have sufficient levels of vitamin D.

Scientists have also unearthed ancient brains that have remarkably remained intact thousands of years post-mortem. They believe these brains may be undergoing a process of protein “misfolding,” which is similar to what occurs in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s or even mad cow disease.

Lastly, there’s a groundbreaking development that assists individuals born without a uterus. Scientists have discovered a method to successfully transplant uteruses from healthy donors into these individuals, enabling them to become pregnant and give birth to healthy infants.

If I were to characterize 2024 in three words, I would opt for “unexpected” because we consistently observe and learn new things about the body and about unfamiliar diseases that took us by surprise. I would categorize it as “political” because regrettably, health—like every facet of science—has become subject to political influences. Lastly, not to conclude on a bleak note, I would say “ominous” due to the presence of some serious public health dangers on the horizon, including the potential for a bird flu outbreak.

In 2025, I will be closely monitoring bird flu, or H5N1, the virus that has been spreading among wild birds, dairy cows, and poultry within the U.S. I will keep track of the ongoing politicization of science under the new presidential administration, hoping for areas of agreement between opposing parties to ensure the health of Americans.

While numerous public health threats loom ahead, there remain many reasons to be optimistic, as we are just beginning to witness the outcomes of years of research in fields like mRNA vaccines, weight-loss medications, and several other advancements. I believe we are well-positioned to confront some of the significant public health challenges that may arise in the upcoming year.

Feltman: Personally, I appreciate that bit of optimism. Also, I’d like to seize this chance to reiterate one of my favorite reminders one last time this year: now is not the moment to venture into the realm of raw dairy, regardless of what individuals on TikTok might advocate. At the very least, put that idea on hold.

Speaking of the digital world: Here’s associate technology editor Ben Guarino to share how the discussion around artificial intelligence evolved in 2024.

Guarino: The emphasis on AI in 2024 has certainly centered around generative AI because the most significant advancements this year involved new creations it could produce. When ChatGPT was launched in 2022, it was capable of generating text, but now generative AI is creating impressively realistic audio. I witnessed a demonstration of a ChatGPT-based voice where the user requested it to rapidly count to 30 and then it paused to take a breath midway through. Thus, those developing these generative systems are keen on: how they can sound human-like and how to make them feel genuine. There have been notable enhancements in audio quality.

Generative AI has also begun to delve into video, exemplified by OpenAI’s remarkable video creator, Sora, which they demonstrated earlier this year and then made available to paying customers at the beginning of December. I attempted to access it immediately, but the website was overwhelmed, preventing my entry; thus, there’s clearly a keen interest in employing generative AI for video creation.

This sparked some backlash as well. For instance, in November, Coca-Cola transformed some of its classic advertisements into videos using generative AI, leading to a considerable online backlash. While we can observe improvements in generative AI capabilities, there has also been a noticeable awareness and perhaps a stronger backlash this year compared to prior years, with growing understanding regarding how generative AI was trained using artists’ works and writers’ content, alongside concerns over job displacement.

Pew Research has conducted annual surveys over the past few years, gauging public feelings about AI—whether excitement or concern—and over the last three years, an increasing number of respondents have indicated feeling more apprehensive than enthusiastic about AI, a trend I suspect may persist into next year.

One significant domain affected by AI in 2024 is undoubtedly search. At the beginning of this year, Google didn’t integrate AI responses into its search outcomes, which is almost astonishing to reflect upon; I’ve become so accustomed to seeing them already, don’t you agree? If you’re a frequent Google Search user, I must assume you’ve encountered those generative AI responses at the forefront, and they’re likely here to stay—Google’s recent statistics suggested that one billion people have utilized Google’s large language model, known as Gemini, in Search. Recently, Google CEO Sundar Pichai mentioned in a conversation with the New York Times that we should anticipate further evolution of Google Search in 2025, and I believe that’sgonna be more layering of artificial intelligence into search outcomes.

Additionally, there’s been a growing consciousness regarding the energy consumption of generative AI. Some estimates, while not precise, suggest that integrating generative AI into search results is substantially raising the energy consumption every time you perform a search on Google.

If I were to describe 2024 in three terms, I would say “boom.” We’re undeniably in an AI boom. This year has truly marked the point when AI began appearing on our smartphones, started making its way to our computers, and became more visible in our workplaces than we might have known previously. There have been significant investments in AI and ongoing funding for generative AI. We observed OpenAI planning to transition from being a nonprofit to a profit-making entity. We witnessed Elon Musk sever ties with OpenAI and launch his competitor, Grok, on X, previously known as Twitter.

The next term I would select, as a result of that boom, is “slop.” “Slop” was a contender for Oxford’s word of the year; it fell short against “brain rot.” This term signifies the AI equivalent of spam. For instance, if you were on Facebook at any point earlier this year, you might have come across something like “Shrimp Jesus,” wherein individuals utilized chatbots to craft strange hybrids of religious figures and crustaceans, or these evidently AI-generated images of constructions made from Coca-Cola bottles, which were merely—engagement bait.

I’ll strike a slightly more hopeful note with the third term and I’ll choose “promise.” We observed some innovative and what I would deem beneficial applications of AI, such as in pattern recognition, using AI to help decipher a scroll that was charred by the eruption of the Pompeii volcano centuries ago, as well as AI aiding in drug development aimed at discovering novel antibiotics. There is indeed potential within AI. I don’t want to adopt a fully cynical perspective; I believe it’s essential to maintain a critical stance, but this certainly is a technology with promise.

In 2025, I believe we will witness further investigation into the need for water, energy, and resources that generative AI requires, particularly concerning the large data centers necessary for its operation. We are aware that Microsoft is considering revitalizing, for example, one of the decommissioned reactors at Three Mile Island, the nuclear power plant, to energize its data centers. There’s been increased scrutiny regarding what is referred to as “Data Center Alley” in the mid-Atlantic region. To maintain these data centers, fossil-fuel plants are essential.

I also think we’re about to see more variations of generative AI—specifically, AI based on LLM-type models—that differ from the chatbots we are accustomed to. I’m particularly considering what are known as AI agents. These are systems you would interact with via your phone or computer similar to a chatbot, but with greater autonomy to perform tasks.

For example, a typical use case of an AI agent could be assisting you in booking a flight. You might inform it—or it may know from analyzing your personal data—that you favor aisle seats, so it will search specifically for aisle options and secure one for you. These agents, in theory, possess enhanced autonomy to engage with other applications, eliminating the need for the continuous guidance or prompting that platforms like ChatGPT currently require. If you’ve used ChatGPT often, you might recognize that it might necessitate numerous prompts to get the desired outcome. With an AI agent, the concept is that you instruct it on what to do, and it autonomously engages with other apps, alleviating the need for constant prodding.

Feltman: I’m pleased we concluded with AI, as it gives me an opportunity to promote some additional Science Quickly before we wrap up. One of my favorite SQ episodes is also one of our most recent: our comprehensive exploration of Google’s AI podcast tool. If you haven’t tuned in yet, you should absolutely check it out while we take a break for the holidays.

I also thoroughly enjoyed our episode on folk music and the evolution of songs. I won’t say it’ll certainly be the only occasion you’ll hear me sing on Science Quickly, but it’s not precisely going to become a regular feature.

And I can’t overlook the episode where I had the privilege to interview an astronaut from actual space. In fact, we made history by conducting the first-ever live video interview from the cupola observatory! That’s undoubtedly the most impressive backdrop I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying on a video call.

We tackled the science of fear, the struggle to eradicate implicit bias in healthcare, and the perils of weight stigma in medical settings. We delved into extreme archaeology, Antarctic exploration, and the allure and enigma of mathematics. From exploring animal conservation to preparing for a zombie apocalypse, we’ve endeavored to nurture your curiosity. Here’s to a lot more of that in 2025. We are taking a few weeks off from new episodes so our team can revel in the holidays, but we’ll return bright and early in the new year.

Science Quickly is produced by me, Rachel Feltman, together with Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg, and Jeff DelViscio. Today’s episode was reported and co-hosted by Andrea Thompson, Tanya Lewis, and Ben Guarino. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck verify our show’s facts. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Subscribe to Scientific American for more timely and in-depth science updates.

For Scientific American, this is Rachel Feltman. Wishing you a delightful holiday season. See you next year!