These are some of the fun science stories from this year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has delivered a significant blow to EU R&D investment growth, according to data published in the 2021 edition of European Commission's industrial R&D scoreboard.

A look back at 2021 through the Sustainable Development Goals.

The extraordinary vaccination of more than four billion people, and the lack of access for many others, were major forces this year - while Omicron's arrival complicated things further.

The EU's proposed artificial intelligence act fails to fully take into account the recent rise of an ultra-powerful new type of AI, meaning the legislation will rapidly become obsolete as the technology is deployed in novel and unexpected ways. Foundation models trained on gargantuan amounts of data by the world's biggest tech companies, and then adapted to a wide range of tasks, are poised to become the infrastructure on which other applications are built.

Microplastics from Africa and North America found airborne in French Pyrenees, 2,877 metres above sea level

The European Medicines Agency has approved the Novavax coronavirus vaccine. The protein-based vaccine may be a real alternative, both for bringing forward the global vaccination campaign, and for vaccination skeptics.

At least 66m-year-old fossil discovered in southern China reveals posture previously unseen in dinosaurs

Experience in grant-writing, data analysis and presentation will serve researchers well - even when they move away from academia.

Research has stalled, funds have evaporated and many scientists are still struggling to get out.

A row between the European Parliament and the Council over whether unspent money in the previous Horizon 2020 EU research and innovation programme should be rolled into the 2022 Horizon Europe budget remains unresolved - and could repeat itself again next year. 

Analysis: scientists are only starting to understand new COVID mutation but there is encouraging news from the laboratory, South Africa and on antiviral drugs.

After years of government rhetoric about boosting the commercial benefits from university research, Australia's record is still among the worst in the developed world.

A new study finds that scholars who wrote about topics associated with women, or used methodologies associated with women, were less likely to go on to get senior faculty positions than those who did not.

A patent waiver will not help guarantee COVID-19 vaccines equity around the world and instead richer countries should back compulsory licensing, says a new report by the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA).

A high-profile replication study in cancer biology has obtained disappointing results. Scientists must redouble their efforts to find out why.

Ten people who helped shape science in 2021.

Fund and use 'living' reviews of the latest data to steer research practice and policy.

Scientists can be asked to help find solutions during disasters. A study of how archaeologists worked on the problem of looting during the Syrian war offers lessons for science done during crisis.

From Omicron to a Mars helicopter to an Alzheimer's firestorm, our news editors choose the defining moments in science and research this year.

Political leaders in Florida and Missouri are opting to censor scientists and bury COVID-19 data rather than use that data to protect people in their states. In Florida, state officials pressured researchers at the University of Florida to destroy COVID-19 data and prevented them from accessing stat

Tornadoes can be destructive and hard to predict. We know why they form and that climate change can play a part - but we can't always see them coming. Here's why.

The Parker probe is exploring the corona to help scientists better understand solar outbursts that can interfere with life on Earth

Jennifer Heldmann laughed when I pointed out that she used the word "unprecedented" five times in a recent paper.

First impressions of Horizon Europe are in, as the research world gets to grips with the €95.5B research programme.

Delhi court will scrutinize whether the pirate paper website falls foul of India's copyright law. The verdict could have implications for academic publishers further afield.

The decision to appoint a board of advisors is welcome - and urgent, given the twin challenges of COVID and climate change.

New investment from eLife's funder-partners reflects their commitment to transforming research communication.

On 6 December 2021, the agreement associating Israel to Horizon Europe entered into force.