The art of fieldwork on the Moon. This fresh look at the idea of fieldwork takes readers to the Moon and back as a new generation of planetary scientists and astronauts learn to do fieldwork vicariously.
—Jennifer Schmidteditor-in-chief
The uncertain future of the Arctic. What will the Arctic look like in the future? It will certainly be different, but we still don’t know exactly what will change. In this phenomenally reported and visually stunning story, EosGrace van Deelen guides readers through the different trajectories Earth’s polar region could take and what it will take to help the Arctic retain “its soul.”
—Kimberly MS Cartiersenior science journalist
Our senior science reporter, Kim, wrote this thought-provoking article about Deaf geoscientists create new signs to communicate their science. Because who wants to spell “chromatography” dozens of times during a lesson?
—Emily Dieckmanassociate editor
It was “the year of democracy”, as many called it, and I really appreciated that Eos reported on how the candidates addressed science issues in its coverage…and this continues, as science policy continues to gain importance all over the world.
—Heather Gosspublisher and senior director of strategic communications and marketing
The past, present and future of extraterrestrial sample return. There is much debate in space policy over the future of a sample return mission from Mars. One of the fundamental questions about this is: why do we need sample returns? If you’re wondering if a sample return mission is really just that and a bag of asteroid dust, this article is for you.
—Kimberly MS Cartiersenior science journalist
Remote observations from telescopes, spacecraft and landers provide a wealth of information about other planets and bodies in the solar system. But there’s not much to learn from afar. This article makes a compelling case “for continuing to collect, return and preserve material from beyond our own planet” and strikes a hopeful note that future missions should “continue the legacy of efforts past sample returns in the future.
—Timothy Olesonsenior scientific editor
Tatooine, Trisolaris, Thessia: science fiction exoplanets reflect real discoveries. I appreciated my friend Eos writer Kim’s story of how advances in exoplanet science pushed the boundaries of science fiction. It’s fascinating to think that what we know about our real world might determine how creative we are in our fictional worlds. (And did you know Arrakis is this a real place?)
—Grace van Deeleneditor
As someone who enjoys cooking over an open flame, I never really thought about how harmful my culinary preferences could be to myself and the environment. As part of our Cover #AGU24I read about the ways gas stoves contribute to pollutionthe potential health effects caused by methane leaks and how mitigate some of these risks.
—Anaïse AristideSenior Production and Analysis Specialist
Can the Belt and Road become green? China’s monumental Belt and Road Initiative has the potential to shift global conversations and policies around sustainable development. I like that this article focuses on Chinese infrastructure in a uniquely South American landscape; this shows the scale of the project, as well as its practical ambitions.
—Caryl-Sue Micalizioeditor-in-chief
I appreciated The pudding this year, a website producing some very interesting and interactive data essays examining, for example, the gap between people whose work requires mostly sitting or mostly standing, how science fiction worlds evolved over the past decades, and how specific cities could be affected by climate change.
—Emily Dieckmanassociate editor
I loved the whole thing The sounds of science problem, in particular The “Music of the Spheres” of the 21st century. The idea of translating the light of the universe into sound is incredible – and with over 2 billion people having already listened to the deep, “eerie” sounds of a black hole, I’m clearly not alone. think. I thought so.
—Heather Gosspublisher and senior director of strategic communications and marketing
The conversation published an eye-opening article on how the safety of incarcerated people is often threatened during natural disasters.
As one of the most vulnerable populations in society, incarcerated people rely heavily on others to consider their well-being and make decisions in their best interests during a health emergency. The article explores the unique effects of Hurricane Helen on incarcerated people and why they are often overlooked.
—Anaïse AristideSenior Production and Analysis Specialist
The end of the eclipse. This year, millions of people across the Americas had the privilege of witnessing a total solar eclipse. This impressive natural event is a geometric coincidence, and as the Moon slowly moves away from Earth, this coincidence will end. Find out what other changes the slow retreat of the Moon will create.
—Kimberly MS Cartiersenior science journalist
Point Nemo, the most remote place on the planet. This close-to-science story is a careful dive into the oceanic pole of accessibility: its search, nearby events, and the quests to reach it.
—Jennifer Schmidteditor-in-chief
How big was the “great oxidation event”? Writing a compelling story about sediment isotope studies is challenging, even for seasoned science writers. This first-person account of recent research ably accomplishes the feat, taking readers from the ancient past of the early Proterozoic to the modern, acidic waters of the Rio Tinto in Spain (and back) to explain how a study of chromium isotopes helped to reconcile conflicts. ideas about the early oxygenation of the Earth’s atmosphere.
—Timothy Olesonsenior scientific editor
Elephants do something deeply human. I love a good animal story, and 2024 has been full of them, including this report on the findings that African elephants use name-like calls and recognize other elephants as individuals. Thanks to research like this, more than 500 scientists and philosophers declared this year that there is a “realistic possibility” that all vertebrates and many invertebrates experience consciousness – wow!
—Grace van Deeleneditor
There is a club edit of this year Dance your doctorate winner. Kangariffic.
—Caryl-Sue Micalizioeditor-in-chief