We look at three noteworthy stories from the year in science news: acceptance of climate change, medical therapies to come from a new gene editing tool, and the first image of a black hole.
Aluminum is the most abundant metal on Earth and used in everything from cars and airplanes to the foil used to wrap Thanksgiving leftovers. But there was a time when it was more valuable than gold.
NPR tells the exclusive, behind-the-scenes story of the first person with a genetic disorder to be treated in the United States with the revolutionary gene-editing technique CRISPR.
The Fraser fir is found in a lot of homes around Christmas. But its wild cousins have been in decline for almost a century because of a small invasive pest.
The Pentagon is advising members of the military to refrain from using home DNA kits. NPR's Air Shapiro talks with Science Magazine's Jennifer Couzin-Frankel about questions on privacy laws surrounding genetic data.
In some historical Nativity scenes, the shepherds have grossly enlarged thyroid glands — also known today as goiter. It's an apparent symbol of their poverty and iodine-deficient diet.