Our Favorite Science Stories from 2017

We’ve handpicked some of the stories that particularly stuck with us this year.

If you are having trouble reading this email, read the online version. Stories that Taught us Something This Year Through high water and low, KQED Science has been working to bring you the best and most important science coverage. We've handpicked some of the stories that particularly stuck with us this year — that made us think in a new way or taught us something new. Read More Boy? Girl? Both? Neither? A New Generation Overthrows Gender "This story really made me aware of the way that gender has become wide open, especially for a younger generation. Frankly, it was so far outside my experience that someone would say, 'I'm both male and female,' or 'I'm neither male nor female,' or 'Sometimes I'm male, sometimes I'm female.'" - Jon Brooks, Editor, Future of You Read More Risk of Shark Attacks in California Has Plummeted, Researchers Say "I swim in the Bay and have never seen a shark. So many people think 'I'm at imminent risk of getting attacked by Jaws.' I think the way the media covers shark attacks is partially to blame, so it was good to see the statistics showing you're much less likely now to get attacked by a shark than you were in the '50s." - Lindsey Hoshaw, Interactive Producer Read More After Compulsively Watching YouTube, Teen Girl Lands in Rehab "I learned that a lot of the leading tech companies are using really sophisticated methods to encourage us to spend more and more time online. What might be the scariest part is that I know all of that and I'm still not able to resist it." - Lesley McClurg, Reporter Read More End of California's Epic Drought Is in Sight "For me the most indelible story of 2017 was — hands down — the end of the most punishing drought in California's history. One thing that struck me was how quickly things turned around." - Craig Miller, Editor/Senior Reporter Read More Oroville Crisis Triggers Rethinking of California Dam Management "I think what the Oroville Dam crisis in February showed us was that even some of the largest, most impressive public work structures that humans have built are still no match for nature." - Paul Rogers, Managing Editor Read More The Difference Between a Bully and a True Alpha Male "I think Frans de Waal is brilliant. I really admire the way he helps us to think about who we are, where we come from, what kind of attributes and qualities do we share with our primate ancestors." - Kat Snow, Senior Editor Read More How Much Drinking Water Has California Lost to Oil Industry Waste? No One Knows "California likes to pride itself on its environmental track record, but what really struck me about this story was the extent of the errors regulators were making." - Lauren Sommer, Reporter Read More Everything That Happened Monday During the Solar Eclipse "I had been reporting about the solar eclipse for weeks, so I was a little afraid that I'd be underwhelmed by something I had spent so much time researching. Instead, I was totally unprepared for the sight of the sun going black and the appearance of a large, silvery halo in the sky." - Danielle Venton, Editor Read More Support of KQED Science is provided by the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, the Vadasz Family Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the members of KQED. Manage Subscription | Privacy Policy KQED 2601 Mariposa St. San Francisco, CA 94110-1426 Copyright © 2017 KQED. All Rights Reserved.