The Year in Science--and What Americans Thought about It

This year in science saw important developments, including a few surprises--but, many of 2018's most significant events were the products of ongoing social and political trends that have been in motion for years. The year 2018 saw renewed debate about the urgency and efficacy of policies to limit climate change, against a backdrop of severe weather events and at a time when the U.S. government continues to roll back environmental regulation. It was also a year when both CRISPR and artificial intelligence (AI) revealed their growing potential for innovation across many fields, even as researchers expressed concern that these technologies were developing at speeds too fast to assess and evaluate their impact. NASA continued its exploration of the solar system, and Americans had the opportunity to watch, in real time, the harrowing landing of the InSight probe on Mars. But, the public was also fixated on the launches of SpaceX's revolutionary, reusable rockets--the latest chapter in the rise of private space companies, as the Trump administration continues to look for ways to outsource and commercialize U.S. space exploration.