Like every year, 2024 has seen its fair share of good and bad stories. But we at DW Science pride ourselves on bringing you constructive ideas about progress, whether it’s in health and medicine, psychology or archeology.
We’ve seen huge leaps in artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
Here are our nine most-read stories, starting at the top:
1. ADHD: Did this condition help our ancestors survive?
Commonly referred to as a disorder, ADHD may have helped our ancestors find food and survive. DW reporter Hannah Fuchs discovered a new study that asked participants to pick berries and concluded that the more ADHD symptoms a person has, the more berries they collect. Read the article to find out how that helped early hunters and today’s understanding of ADHD.
2. Nova explosion without a telescope
The September nova explosion of T Coronae Borealis – 3,000 light-years from Earth – promised to be a once-in-a-lifetime event for the stars. A nova explosion is the dramatic explosion of a star when it collides with another nearby star. If you missed this episode, read Fred Schwaller’s article to learn more. If you’re short on time, watch our physicist Sushmitha Ramakrishnan explain the “Blaze Star” phenomenon on TikTok.
3. The hymn was covered
Is an intact hymen a sign of virginity in women? No – that is a myth that has caused harm to young women around the world. Sexuality and the Body The creator, Lea Albrecht, explained how hymens come in different shapes and why it is impossible to tell if a woman is a virgin by examining it.
4. Seismic change: Yes, India is disappearing!
The idea that one country can adapt to another may seem strange at first, but in the case of India and China, it has actually been happening for the past 50 million years. It all comes down to tectonics, as Julia Vergin wrote in November. And it’s impressive when you consider that the two most populous countries on Earth are in a “war” that nothing can control.
5. How the German cockroach conquered the world
Germany claims to have given the world many things, from X-ray vision to the no-speed-limit-autobahn. But the humble cockroach? Alexander Freund wrote in May that it took a team of scientists in Singapore and the DNA of 281 cockroaches from 17 countries on five continents to find the truth.
6. The eye of the… spider!
Our weekly Science show, Tomorrow Today, likes to answer questions from viewers, and this one was a particular favorite: How did spider eyes come about? As Cornelia Borrmann explained in this wonderful video, the development of the spider’s eyes is controlled by the same genes as in other animals.
7. Continued revival of mpox
In August, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency. A new version of the mpox virus had emerged in Central Africa and was spreading among children and adults in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and neighboring countries. We explained what mpox is, how it spreads and how it can be prevented – there is a vaccine for it, but it is often not available where it is most needed.
8. The ‘promise’ of injecting cocaine?
On the other hand, the idea of using a drug to reduce the effects of another drug is almost as strange as when you read that India is progressing under China (see above) – would you please stop taking the medicine you are trying? reduce? It’s easier said than done, when the drug is highly addictive, like cocaine. Aline Spantig explained why cocaine is so addictive and why Brazilian researchers were investigating how to block the effects of cocaine by injecting it. it was a good way to get people off the drug.
9. New research aims to help people with dyslexia
Dyslexia is not so much about a person’s intelligence or creativity – many famous geniuses and inventors have had dyslexia: Albert Einstein, Ludwig van Beethoven, Agatha Christie, Whoopi Goldberg… the list goes on. That said, scientists are still trying to figure out what exactly causes it. In 2024, Alexander Freund wrote that new research showed for the first time how dyslexia is related to the visual thalamus, a brain area important for emotions, memory and language among other things. Research can help improve treatment and better support.
We hope you enjoy our stories in 2024 and that you will join us again in 2025. Remember you can always send us comments, or ask us to answer your questions about science, health and technology . We look forward to hearing from you!
Edited by: Fred Schwaller
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