5 Science Highlights of 2023

2023 was filled with new scientific discoveries and advancements. Here is a list of just a few of them!

1. Boom in Artificial Intelligence. AI has been making its mark in various industries and its ubiquitousness has even led to the first ever conference about safety and how to manage the technology properly. I imagine a great deal of ethics based conversations will start to emerge as the AI industry continues to grow and dominate.
2. New records reached related to climate change. Big changes in CO2 levels were observed this year. This year, CO2 levels were the highest they have been in 4.3 million years. Ocean water temperature readings also hit record highs. This summer the temperature of surface water read 20.96°C, the highest ever recorded temperature!
3. Donanemab, a drug in clinical phase 3 trials, aims to slow the progression of early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. The clinical phase 3 data for this drug was released this year, and demonstrated that it has the potential to significantly slow down the pace of Alzheimer’s Disease. This treatment has the potential to help millions.
4. The first CRISPR treatment for Sickle Cell Anemia was passed by the FDA this year. It’s amazing to believe that this happened only 3 years after the Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded for the discovery of the gene editing tool CRISPR.
5. 5,000 new species were discovered in the Pacific Ocean. These species were discovered in an area called the Clarion-Clipperton zone in the Pacific Ocean. Sea worms and sea corals are amongst the 5,000 species discovered.

That’s just the beginning! There are so many more discoveries to explore from this past year. I encourage all of you to take a few minutes today to research one cool science discovery or advancement for this year.