This article is more than 1 month oldNine scientific breakthroughs I’d like to see in 2026 – from earworms to procrastinationThis article is more than 1 month oldEmma BeddingtonThere’s nothing more uplifting than hearing about a world-shaking, life-enhancing new development. But science shouldn’t overlook the small stuff, or stop looking for new species of cute, fluffy mammals …
People who greet the new year with hope, ambitious plans and optimised gut microbiomes might be obnoxiously apparent at the moment, but we all know they’re a minority. Most of us lurched into 2026 catastrophically depleted and grey-faced, juggling deep Lemsip dependency with a deeper overdraft and a sense of ever-deepening global geopolitical foreboding. There is, however, one thing that fills me with buoyant optimism now and always: science. I don’t understand it, but I’m delighted it’s out there, making things better.
I was booted out of my leaden year-end listlessness by The Atlantic’s list of 55 Facts That Blew Our Minds in 2025. Did you know, for example, that scientists at UC Berkeley created a new colour? (It’s called “olo” and it’s sort of teal.) Or that doctors treated a baby with a rare genetic disorder with custom gene editing? There were more wonders in the Smithsonian’s list of last year’s fascinating scientific discoveries: ichthyosaurs, extinct marine reptiles, had “stealth flippers”, snails can regrow eyes within a month, and “flamingos form tornado-like vortices as they probe for prey”, which is pure poetry (it looks pretty cool too, I watched one do it on YouTube). Still on an animal theme, entomologists discovered a “bone collector” caterpillar that conceals itself in the body parts of its prey (I’m sure he’s lovely when you get to know him). 2025 was also the year science made oyster mushrooms play keyboards (sort of), astronomers discovered more than 100 moons in our solar system and medical researchers created replica womb lining and made astonishing progress towards lab-grown teeth.
Science is awe-inspiring; it’s the one thing that makes me really look forward to 2026. I know big brains are already working tirelessly on the stuff we’re desperate for them to sort out: climate collapse, plastic waste and ecosystem failure; cures for dementia and cancer and the chronic conditions, such as long Covid, that blight the lives of many of my loved ones and yours. But smaller stuff is cool too. Far be it from me to try to direct the course of human inquiry, but I have a few suggestions of projects that would sit well on a “mind-blowing discoveries” list this time next year. I can’t manage 55, but here are nine.
Are we really sure sitting down is bad for us? It would be great if someone clever took another look at that.
It was cool when you discovered a supersized stick insect last year, guys, and I loved all the new insects generally – four new wasps! Wow! Just a suggestion, but I think global morale would be vastly improved by the discovery of a new cute, fluffy mammal. Maybe keep a lookout while you’re wasp hunting?
