We couldn't present all the discoveries in the sciences for 2024 in our limited space in this newsletter. We will however try and hit the highlights in several fields, focusing our discourse on areas which may impact humans the most.
MEDICINE:
No area of science grew faster than that of medicine and allied biological studies. When you think about medicine what is the first subject which comes to mind? Hint: it is the same #1 discovery as in 2023. Though I argued last year there were other more important 2023 discoveries, now I would answer with out caveat that the introduction of GLP-1 drugs is still a groundbreaking discovery. Two companies, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly initially rolled them out for control and management of diabetes. However, many new benefits are being discovered and some called GLP-1s a miracle drug. One cannot argue the impact on the general human health, potential for increased longevity, and financial impact for insurers are truly impressive. Although costly in the United States (approximately $1300/month), elsewhere, countries have embraced the drugs and recognize the potential for reducing health care costs in the long term. Cost of GLP-1 drugs in the UK is ₤125/month, Germany is $140/month. Gotta love the added costs Americans pay for research and development, and on air advertising.
Xenotransplantation is the second medical advancement which may have huge impact on human health. More than 100,000 people in the US are in need of an organ transplant, 17 of whom die each day while waiting for a donation. In 2024 three genetically-modified pig kidneys were transplanted into humans. Sixty-nine genetic modifications were made to align the pig kidney to a human immune system. The first two recipients died shortly after transplant, though physicians indicate their causes of death are not directly related to their transplanted kidneys. The 3rd recipient is thriving with normal kidney function. This patient donated one of her kidneys to her mother and then lost her remaining organ due to the high-blood pressure impact of preeclampsia. Her 8-year wait on the donor list is now over. (New Lease on Life)
Where were you on 7 January 2020? This is the day the first 59 cases of a mysterious respiratory disease was reported in China. Five Years Ago We all know the rest of this story is history, so to speak. In late 2024, The Lancet, the peer-reviewed British medical journal, revised the estimated death toll from 7-million to 18.2 million souls, with approximately 3000 succumbing per month. Although this viral infection continues to mutate and present ongoing health risks to the world's populations, it is now considered an endemic disease, after burning through the omicron variants and its sub-species. 1 in 8 of those infected who do survive have long-term, life changing illnesses. The bright light in the horrific impact of the pandemic is the amazing discoveries which did evolve from it: the advent of mRNA vaccine platforms which are able to rapidly identify the infecting agents and design countermeasures, rapid emergency response systems, the need to stockpile critical medical supplies, and a need for a true, open worldwide medical organization to watch for the next potentially harmful virus. There are still questions to be answered about the COVID-19 pandemic: Does the SARS-CoV-2 virus remain and continue to mutate in the mammalian population? Who is suffering from the effects of long-term infection and how can they be helped? Where did the virus come from? When is the next one? We are now better equipped to handle another global pandemic. Fingers crossed we have time. For time is what's needed as we continue to learn about emerging trans-species viruses.
MEDICINE and AI:
What happens when two seemingly different fields of study overlap? When it comes to medicine and AI the answer is amazing things. In vol.3, no. 9 issue of our newsletter, we highlighted the recipients of the 2024 Nobel Prizes. The winners of the Nobel for Chemistry won for their use of artificial intelligence in the design of new proteins. (DesignerProteins) Proteins are large complex molecules which form the building blocks of most cellular function, structure, and regulation - the basis of life. In 1789, Antoine Fourcroy recognized three distinct varieties of animal proteins: albumin, fibrin, and gelatin. Due to their chemical complexity they are difficult to impossible to determine their internal elemental composition and their molecular structure. Before the application of AI to this problem approximately 170,000 proteins were identified. Now, using the Alpha-fold program with AI more than 200 million molecules have been fully sequenced. Proteins directly impact vaccine development, cancer treatment, and inorganic applications such as pollution-eating enzymes and molecular seed stock to grow minerals.
More than 100,000 thousand people die from snake-bites each year. Treatment options were limited for most deadly venoms. Now, using AI to design specific anti-venom proteins, the promise of widely-available, inexpensive treatments for previously fatal snake and spider bites is becoming a reality. Fight The Bite Here
CLIMATE:
2024 was the hottest year on record following the prior record set in 2023. The global temperature rise passed the 1.5degC annual increase last year. And we are experiencing the impact. Nine months without perceptible precipitation, Santa Ana winds in excess of 100mph and a county government imposing departmental cuts across their budgets led to the perfect storm. Result - Los Angeles is burning. As of 24Jan2025, 55,082 acres have burned across Southern California. That's 86 square miles or 30% of New York City, 3/5th of Edinburgh, and all of Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand. Yeah, it's a lot and the winds are still blowing and there is no rain in sight. Now, it will be about the cleanup of highly toxic waste and the costs and heartaches of rebuilding the century-old, generational neighborhoods. Our thoughts and prayers are extended to all who have suffered loss in this epic tragedy. One which we will be repeating worldwide as the temperatures continue to rise.
Fires will not be the only result of climate change, the oceans are the most affected with mass-bleaching of our reefs and the alteration of ocean currents. Glacial and ice-sheet melting will bring flooding to all coast lines. (Global Impacts of More Heat)
In a two week period in October, Florida was struck by two devastating hurricanes: Helene and Milton. For one of the first times in recorded meteorological history, Hurricane Milton experienced not one but three intense storm development phenomena: Rapid Intensification, Eye Wall Replacement, and Extratropical Transition. Gulf of Mexico storms often experience one of these phenomena as they evolve. But Milton experienced the trifecta during its travels across the Gulf. The result, it grew from a Category One storm to a Five in 18 hours. Winds increased from 65 to 175mph during those 8-hours. This rapid growth caused Milton to undergo a cycle of eye wall replacements. Its original eye wall - the ring of thunderstorms surrounding the eye - was small and dissolved as the area of storm coverage increased. The increase in area allowed the storm to gather more energy from the warm water, doubling in size. And lastly, and perhaps why it did such damage in North Carolina, is extratropical transition. This occurs when the storm moves from a tropical atmospheric environment to the cooler temperate environs which have more climatic contrasts. This tends to lessen the winds but the overall storm grows in size and the amount of rain it carries increases. (Storms of October) See one of photos of the month for the size of Milton.
In November, the world gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan for the 29th meeting of climate specialists and government officials. As uncertainties overshadowed the conference, a climate accord agreement was reached for wealthier countries to provide $300B annually in climate finance for the poorer countries of the world to mitigate the impact of climate emergencies. With a change in US government oversight with the Trump election, the future of this accord is in question. (Agreement before Action)
MATHEMATICS:
2024 was a monster year in maths, the largest prime number was discovered by a researcher in San Jose, CA. The new record has 41,024,320 digits. How big is this number? If one thinks about the universe, the estimated number of atoms within it is only about 80 digits. The new prime is a really big number! (Its A Whopper)
And then there is pi (π), you know that little number that pops up in unexpected places, like circles, pendulums, river bends, baking challenges, has its own day of celebration, and baking challenges. There's a movie and a song, too. In 2024, two Indian physicists found a new formula to calculate pi. That's a lot for a little number which starts 3.141592... and never repeats a number-string pattern! (Its Just a Number)
SOCIAL MEDIA:
The future of social media has never been more uncertain than it is now. Users are more concerned with privacy than ever before, governmental regulation could lead to a decline in certain platforms, VR and AR (virtual reality and augmented reality) may become the next formats for social interactions replacing traditional clicks, and societal norms may trend away leading to different forms of communication. But, don't hold your breath, more than 2 billion people log into Facebook daily, there are a billion TikTok users, and though many have left Twitter for safer places, X still has 250million uses each day. However, after 20years of social media, the data suggests changes are appearing, we post less, more users are focusing their communications in private messaging spaces, many have left social media entirely. The future may seem to be in the hands of politicians (e.g. TikTok in the US) but it's the user who will speak the loudest. (Who Speaks the Loudest)
It's not all doom and gloom, we are still at the threshold of many new and amazing discoveries in the years to come. Science will get us there, out of trouble and into new places, so hang in for the ride in 2025.
On To Our Favorite Things:
If you've been with us on this amazing journey, you know we have some favorite things in the Den: coffee, cats, and sports. So here are our 2024 amazing and favorite things-
Baseball's Magic Mud: Rawlings Sporting Goods Company produces 2 million baseballs each year for the Major Leagues. But just out of the box, ML pitchers can't control the ball. So before each game, the umpires rub-up thirteen dozen balls with a magic substance. Mud collected from a secret location in New Jersey. It's the muds unique ratio of clay to water and sand which provides the pitcher with grip and control. (Its All in the Dirt)
Cats or Babies: Which are the smartest? Well, if you believe the results of a word-association test, then it would have to be cats! The study, conducted at Lyon College in Arkansas and published in the peer-reviewed journal Science, utilized a test developed for babies. results: cats learned the associations in two 9-second lessons, while it took babies four 15-second lessons. Overall result, your cat is listening to you and perhaps understands wha you are saying. (Cats v. Babies)
Coffee: Want to improve the flavor of your morning espresso, cuppa joe or decaf for the afternoon? If so, then sprinkle some water on your whole beans before grinding them. A group of material chemists at the University of Oregon found a bit of water reduces static electricity, thus preventing clumping to ensure a more even grind. All this leads to a richer, more flavorful cup. (Just A Sprinkle)
