Every year Science names its top breakthrough of the year and nine runners up. Online News Editor Catherine Matacic joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss what Science’s editors consider some of the biggest innovations of 2021.

Also this week, Books Editor Valerie Thompson shares her list of top science books for the year—from an immunology primer by a YouTuber, to a contemplation of the universe interwoven with a close up look at how the science sausage is made.

Books on Valerie’s list:



Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System that Keeps You Alive by Phillip Dettmer


Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach


The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein


The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow


Listen to last year’s books round up.

List of this year’s top science books for kids.

 

This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.

[Image: Valerie Altounian/Science; Music: Jeffrey Cook]

[alt: golden protein confetti]

Authors: Sarah Crespi; Catherine Matacic; Valerie Thompson