Discover

Discover Magazine will amaze you, enlighten you, and open your eyes to the awe and wonder of science and technology. Discover reveals secrets, solves mysteries, and debunks old myths. Discover shares new findings and shows you what makes our universe tick.

New Year, New Life

Discover

When Little Things Mean a Lot • TROUBLED BY JOINT PAIN, BOWEL PROBLEMS, AND LAPSES OF COGNITIVE ABILITY, ONE MAN IS UNEXPECTEDLY HIT WITH NEWS OF A RARE DISEASE THAT DEALT THE ODD MEDLEY OF SYMPTOMS.

THE YEAR IN SCIENCE • JOIN US AS WE REVIEW THE SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS AND FINDINGS THAT MADE NEWS (AND EVEN HISTORY) IN 2024.

THE DAZZLING SUN OF 2024 • From totality to tremendous light shows, our sun put on a shining performance.

New View on the Black Hole at the Galaxy’s Center • STUNNING IMAGE SHOWS MAGNETIC FIELDS ENCIRCLE SAGITTARIUS A*.

THE NEW MOON(S) RACE • Rocks from the farside, a planned nuclear reactor near the lunar south pole, a new search for habitability on Europa, and a few false starts marked the year in moons.

ON THIN ICE • Climbing global temperatures caused the loss of Venezuela’s last glacier in 2024, sounding an alarm for other glacial environments around the world.

THE YEAR OF THE CICADA • A memorable year for periodical cicadas, 2024 saw — and heard — two emerged broods stirring up a cacophony in the Midwest and South, encouraging researchers to follow the noise.

That Sinking Feeling • TWO 2024 STUDIES FORESHADOW AN UNNERVING FUTURE FOR VULNERABLE COASTAL CITIES IN CHINA AND THE U.S. THAT CONTINUE TO SINK PROGRESSIVELY DEEPER INTO THE GROUND.

AN EPOCH DECISION • The term Anthropocene has grown in popularity to describe human impact on the environment. Its rejection as the current geological age has sparked debate.

Vertebrates at Your Fingertips • IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE MUSEUM COLLECTIONS MORE ACCESSIBLE, THE OPENVERTEBRATE PROJECT HAS GIVEN RISE TO A MASSIVE DIGITAL DATABASE OF VERTEBRATE MODELS, BENEFITTING RESEARCHERS, EDUCATORS, AND CREATIVE MINDS.

THE END OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN • Slowly but surely, the Atlantic Ocean has started to close. Recent research shows how this will occur over millions of years as oceanic crust gets forced into the Earth’s mantle.

GENE EDITING GETS AN AI BOOST • A new editor based on CRISPR is a ‘scientific moonshot’ for this startup.

Groundbreaking Therapies for Sickle Cell Disease Approved by FDA • EDITING BLOOD CELLS’ DNA OFFERS THE HOPE OF A CURE, EVEN WITH SIGNIFICANT HURDLES.

NEWFOUND IMMUNE CELLS ARE KEY TO LONG-LASTING ALLERGIES • Scientists have long sought to understand why allergies linger in our bodies. A new discovery points the way toward improved treatments.

GENE-EDITED PIG KIDNEYS TRANSPLANTED INTO LIVING HUMAN PATIENTS • A pair of groundbreaking surgeries offers new hope for ending a deadly shortage.

Variations on a Gene • NIH PROGRAM PROVIDES MUCHNEEDED EXPANSION TO ALL OF HUMANITY’S DNA DATA.

THE MASTER IMMUNE-SYSTEM CONTROLLER IN OUR BRAINS • A NEWLY IDENTIFIED NEURAL CENTER PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN MODERATING INFLAMMATION.

DRESSED TO DIFFERENTIATE • New analyses make sense of ancient adornments, documenting their role as a marker of identity.

Survival of the Thickest • RESEARCHERS FOUND THEIR OLDEST FOSSILIZED SKIN YET, REVEALING A THICK, SCALY START TO LIFE ON LAND.

A NOT-SO-ARCTIC ALASKA • Fossilized tree trunks and animal tracks from around 100 million years ago reveal a warmer, wetter Alaska, teeming with dinosaurs as well as birds.

Fated to Fail • AN ANALYSIS OF ANCIENT CLIMATE CHANGE SUGGESTS THAT THE APE GIGANTOPITHECUS WAS TOO GIANT TO SURVIVE.

SQUIRREL SICKNESS • MEDIEVAL REMAINS REVEAL THAT LEPROSY ONCE BOUNCED BETWEEN HUMAN AND SQUIRREL...