Name: Big Science Ideas of 2018
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Look back at some of the biggest science stories of 2018. From CRISPR gene editing to a new global climate report to a mission to find alien worlds, 2018 was a big one for science.

Take a look back at some of the biggest science stories of 2018—from CRISPR gene editing to a mission to find alien worlds.

Take a look back at some of the biggest science stories of 2018.

Big Science Ideas of 2018

Take a look back at some of the biggest science stories of 2018—from CRISPR gene editing to a mission to find alien worlds.

Space & Flight

Big Science Ideas of 2018Published: January 14, 2019Onscreen: NOVA’s big ideas of 20181. Water on MarsThe Mars Express Mission found signs of a 12-mile body of liquid water 1 mile beneath the surface of Mars. Could it contain life?Vlada Stamenkovic: Giving us, you know, hope to say, well, it would make sense to go back to Mars and really start seeing Mars as a potential place where life still could exist.Onscreen: 2. CRISPR BabiesA Chinese scientists claimed that he and his team used CRISPR gene editing to make embryos resistant to HIV then implanted them in a woman, who gave birth to twins. The claims have not been verified, but scientists around the world condemned the work as unethical.3. Natural DisastersHawai’i’s Kīlauea volcano erupted violently, releasing rivers of lava, uprooting thousands of Hawaiian residents while creating more than 800 acres of new land. Volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, killed more than 2,000 in Indonesia.The U.N. released a major climate change report predicting a high risk for crisis as early as 2040.Climate-related disasters in 2018 included: Hurricane Florence dumped over 30 inches of rain in some areas of the Carolinas, Hurricane Michael devastated some coastal communities in the Florida Panhandle.Wildfires scorched the West. California’s Camp Fire was the single deadliest fire in the state’s history, forcing over 50,000 people to evacuate, destroying more than 18k structures, and killing more than 80 people.4. The SunNASA’s Parker Solar Probe launched in August. It’s the first spacecraft to fly through the Sun’s atmosphere.Nicola Fox: It really is a mission of extremes. We will be the fastest moving man-made object ever, moving at speeds around 120 miles per second.Onscreen: 5. New Hunter for Alien WorldsNASA retired the Kepler space telescope after it ran out of fuel. Over 9 years, Kepler discovered almost 2,700 exoplanets. But a new hunter is on the case: TESS.Tess launched in April to look for exoplanets in a region of the sky 400 times bigger than Kepler’s search area.Here’s hoping for exciting new discoveries in 2019!

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Colossal explosions shake a remote corner of the Siberian tundra, leaving behind massive craters. In Alaska, a huge lake erupts with bubbles of inflammable gas. Scientists are discovering that these mystifying phenomena add up to a ticking time bomb, as long-frozen permafrost melts and releases vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. What are the implications of these dramatic developments in the Arctic? Scientists and local communities alike are struggling to grasp the scale of the methane threat and what it means for our climate future. (Premiered February 2, 2022)

In the Arctic, enormous releases of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, threaten the climate.

Arctic Sinkholes

The top half of Jupiter in blue and green against a night sky

A composite image of Jupiter using images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Jupiter ERS Team; image processing by Judy Schmidt.

Explore the cosmos, delve into ancient history, and follow an extreme rescue with NOVA’s most-watched documentaries released in 2022.

NOVA’s most popular science documentaries of 2022

Four bright orange loops brand off of a dark blue blob

A transmission electron micrograph of HIV-1 virus particles (orange) replicating from the plasma membrane of an infected H9 T cell. Credit: NIAID, Flickr

Scientists have cured a handful of people of HIV by piggybacking on treatments they received for blood cancer. But does that bring a widespread cure any closer?

Big Science Ideas of 2018

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Explore More

Hurricane Florence Will Likely Bring a Deluge of Rainfall to the Carolinas

What Is CRISPR Gene Editing?

The Next Quest for New Worlds

Liquid Water Found on Mars

Kilauea Volcano Erupts

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