10 most important science stories of the past year

top 10 science stories of 2022
Credit: Pernas Lab

As the year draws to a close, itโ€™s time to look back at the groundbreaking advances that made news in 2022 and will shape the world for years to come. Here are Big Thinkโ€™s selections for the top science stories of 2022:

10. For the first time, a human wears augmented reality contacts

In July, the startupย Mojo Visionย announcedย that their CEO wore the companyโ€™s prototype augmented reality (AR) contact lenses for the first time. Each device is equipped with a display that is 30 times sharper than an iPhoneโ€™s and is outfitted with all the technology needed to track a userโ€™s eye movements. Though extremely preliminary, the technology makes real the sci-fi dream of implanted vision that allows the wearer to seamlessly interact with digital images overlaid on perceptual reality.

Follow the latest news and policy debates on sustainable agriculture, biomedicine, and other ‘disruptive’ innovations. Subscribe to our newsletter.

3. A man received a transplant of a genetically engineered pig heart

In January, a terminally ill 57-year-old man in need of a heart transplant but ineligible for the procedure became the first human toย successfully receive a transplantย of a pig heart. Xenotransplantations like this are usually swiftly rejected by the human body, but this heart came from a pig with ten gene edits intended to lower the risk that the human immune system would attack it. The heart functioned well, but the man, David Bennett,ย eventually diedย two months after the groundbreaking procedure.

This is an excerpt. Read the full article here

{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }}
{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }}
{{ options.labels.newReviewButton }}
{{ userData.canReview.message }}

Related Articles

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Does glyphosateโ€”the world's most heavily-used herbicideโ€”pose serious harm to humans? Is it carcinogenic? Those issues are of both legal and ...

Most Popular

ChatGPT Image May 10, 2026, 08_16_59 PM 2
Overmedicalization? RFK Jr.โ€™s antidepressant crackdown raises conflict questions over his fee stake in Wisner Baum, the tort firm built on suing drug makers
Picture1-5
Science Disinformation Gap: The transatlantic battle over social media and censorship
Screenshot-2026-05-08-at-3.40.33-PM
Seeds of power: China turns to genetic engineering to become global superpower
Picture1-14
When superbugs threaten vulnerable children: Can AI help solve antibiotic resistance?
ChatGPT-Image-Apr-13-2026-02_20_22-PM
Viewpoint: Misinformation infodemic? Why assessing evidence is so challengingย 
S
As vaccine rejectionism spreads, measles may be taking a more dangerous turn
Screenshot 2026-05-08 at 3.01
Transforming farming and nutrition with AI and robotics? Larry Ellisonโ€™s half-billion-dollar Hawaii greenhouse dream goes bust
Screenshot-2026-05-01-at-1.29.41-PM
Viewpoint: What happens when whole grains meet modern food manufacturing? Labels donโ€™t tell the whole story.
Farmers can talk to plants
Farmers are a major source of misinformationโ€”about farming
ChatGPT-Image-May-8-2026-01_41_33-PM-3
Viewpoint: Surge of climate misinformation traced to right wing and anti-wind activistsย 
Screenshot-2026-04-20-at-2.26.27-PM
Viewpoint โ€” Food-fear world: The latest activist scientists campaign: Cancer-causing additives
Screenshot-2026-03-13-at-12.14.04-PM
The FDA wants to make many popular prescription drugs OTCโ€”a great idea. Hereโ€™s why itโ€™s unlikely to happen
bigstock opioids on chalkboard with rol
GLP podcast: 'Safe injection sites': enabling drug addiction or saving lives?
ChatGPT-Image-Mar-27-2026-11_47_30-AM-2
FDAโ€™s expedited drug reviews are hailed in some quarters but other approval practices are problematic
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.