Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

Science has left lights and shadows in 2025: the success of vaccines and the loss of glaciers

Science has suffered disappointing political interference in 2025 in several countries, but this year has been fruitful. Elhuyar Zientzia has compiled a list of 10 outstanding news items. Many of them have aroused enthusiasm in society, surprise others and pain others: vaccines, fire, avian influenza, CO2 records, glaciers, CRISPR, Gaza, quantum, sponges and a new window to the universe have been highlighted.

1.Txertoak: The vaccines have given very encouraging news, despite the U.S. government’s reluctance to vaccinate, with the nearly elimination of viruses that cause uterine cancer in Denmark and the 50% reduction in hospitalizations for bronchiolitis in young children in the Basque Country thanks to the vaccination campaign.

Uterine cancer (text)

2. Loss of glaciers: The Monte Perdido glacier in the Pyrenees has been one of the protagonists of this year, becoming a symbol of the global loss of glaciers that is causing a climate emergency.

When a glacier is lost (text)

Interview with Eñaut Izagirre (audio)

3. Fire: Humans learned to light and use fire more than 400,000 years ago. In the Basque Country itself, there has also been significant news related to human evolution, since 20,000 years ago, whale bone instruments were discovered, the oldest in history.

They created fire (text)

Tools made of whale bones (text)

4. The most detailed pictures of the sky: Vera C. The Rubin Observatory begins its work, which will capture the most detailed images of the visible sky of the southern hemisphere.

Vera C. First images of Rubin (text)

Telescopes, closer to the limits of the universe (audiovisual): https://l.eus/teleskopioak

5. CRISPR therapy: CRISPR gene therapy has shown its first major success in curing a child who was born with a rare genetic disease.

Success of CRISPR therapy (text)

6. CO2 record exceeded: Among the most worrying news is that this year fossil fuels have surpassed the CO2 record. The energy transition and climate change are being made public every year.

Record of carbon emissions from fossil fuels (text)

Energy transition challenges (audiovisual) https://l.eus/EnergiaTrantsizioa

7. Avian influenza: The catastrophe in animals caused by avian influenza has also been reported throughout the year.

South Georgia sea elephant population, in half (text)

“We are concerned about the trend in emerging diseases” (audiovisual) https://l.eus/GaitzEmergenteak

8. Basque Quantum computer: During the International Year of Quantum, the Donostia computer Basque Quantum has been the news in the Basque Country and internationally. Javier Aizpurua, Scientific Director of BasQ, accompanied us.

Interview with Javier Aizpurua (audiovisual) https://l.eus/JAizpurua

A mile in San Sebastian (audio)

9. The Gaza massacre: Even the science itself has begun to see the consequences of the massacre in Gaza. The studies of health personnel there have brought the look there.

Consequences of the massacre in Gaza (text)

10. Meadows: the list ends with a theme that will be the protagonist in 2026: the meadows. A symbol of biodiversity and, at the same time, a sign of a difficult future if we do not take care of extensive grazing and livestock. The International Year of Grasslands and Shepherds begins on January 1st.

Pastures, more than grass (text)