December 31, 2012

Science Sushi: 2012 in Review

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Tonight, we usher in a brand new year and say farewell to 2012. The first full year here at Scientific American Blogs. The year of the Higgs Boson. The year Curiosity landed on Mars. The year the world was ending, but didn't.

It's been a good year here at Science Sushi. In the past year...

...I have posted 60 posts

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

...with several hundred thousand views

...from more than 25 countries

...with 269 comments

Most popular posts of the year? Well, controversy swirled around my posts related to organic farming, including why the failure of Prop 37 was a good thing, how bad reporting turns to fearmongering, and pesticides might not be as scary as we think, with added attention to my 2011 posts. Sharks were a hot topic, too, with my posts on the myth of bull shark testosterone and how shark populations are dwindling drawing in a lot of readers. Brain boosts from music and damages from Toxoplasmosa also ranked high on the list. My readers were intrigued by medical topics, from jellyfish sting treatments to reprogrammed heart muscle and the part played by scientists in bad reporting. Not surprisingly, sex was popular, from posts on big butts, Wild Sex (definitely worth watching!) and sex-deprived flies making the short list. I was most happy to see that some of my more creative posts also fared well; my heartfelt weavings of personal experience, science, and music, Taking Einstein's Advice, Biochemically, All Is Fair and my 2011 post Time—And Brain Chemistry—Heal All Wounds were also among the most-read posts of 2012.

I'm thankful for the wonderful year that I have had here at Scientific American, and am excited to start 2013 on such a high note. Thank you to all of you who read this blog: let's keep this bio-nerdy party going all through 2013!

Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism

Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.

When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.

Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber

Thank you,

Jeanna Bryner, Editor in Chief, Scientific American