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2024 Year in Review: Incredible Science Stories

To recap 2024, NewsForKids.net is taking a look back at some of the most interesting stories we’ve covered this year.
Today we’re looking at some some incredible stories from the world of science.

Scientists Find ‘Dark Oxygen’ on the Sea Floor

Manganese nodules on the seafloor in the Clarion-Clipperton zone. The image was taken with ROV KIEL 6000 during expedition SO239 with FS SONNE in April 2015.
Scientists have discovered a surprising new source of oxygen in the ocean. They believe that special rocks on the sea floor may act like batteries, creating oxygen from salt water. The discovery raises new questions about the effects of deep-sea mining.


Endangered Sea Lions Help Map Ocean Floor

View of an underwater area on the sea floor featuring lots of marine plants. The view is from a camera on the back of a sea lion, which is visible in the foreground of the picture.
Australian scientists have come up with a clever way to study hard-to-reach areas of the sea floor: they attached cameras to sea lions. The resulting videos have given scientists new information about the endangered sea lions, and also about the sea floor.


Scientists Solve Earth-Shaking Mystery

Image showing the very long-period seismic wave propagating around the globe.
Last September, scientists around the world were puzzled by an unusual rumbling traveling through the Earth. It was a strong signal, but it wasn’t an earthquake. No one knew what it was. Now, a year later, scientists have solved the mystery.


AI Tools Help Find Ancient Nazca Lines

A collection of the new Nazca geoglyphs discovered by scientists with the help of AI and drones. The geoglyphs have been outlined to make them easier to see.
Researchers have discovered over 300 new ancient drawings in the Nazca Desert in Peru. They used Artificial Intelligence and drones to help them find the new drawings. The pictures were made by the Nazca people, who lived in the area over 2,000 years ago.


Scientists Use 2013 Map to Reveal Ancient Mayan City

Ancient buildings clustered on a hilltop are revealed by a narrow transect of lidar survey data. Lidar technology uses laser pulses to measure distances and create 3D models of specific areas.
Scientists have discovered thousands of ancient Mayan buildings, including the ruins of a large city, in southern Mexico. The buildings and the city were unheard of before. The discovery suggests that there may still be many more ancient Mayan buildings waiting to be found.


Mummy of a 35,000-Year-Old Saber-Toothed Kitten Found

Above, the head of the 35,000 saber-toothed kitten mummy.
In 2020, a group of explorers looking for mammoth tusks in eastern Siberia made a surprising discovery – the mummy of a 35,000-year-old saber-toothed kitten. The find is the first of its kind and is giving scientists a new look at saber-toothed cats.

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