The 8 most controversial science stories of 2024

This year , scientists argued about everything from climate change to space junk.

Researchers proposed that ancient Egyptians built the world's first pyramid using a hydraulic system.

Sagittarius A

is the first ever image of our galaxy's central black hole, located 26,000 light-years from Earth .

A new study found Earth is on course to reach 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit ( 2 degrees Celsius ) of warming by the late 2020s .

Defunct satellites that burn up as they enter Earth 's atmosphere could be releasing dust that interferes with the planet's magnetic field.

Metal pollution from falling space junk may theoretically create an invisible conductive shell around Earth , weakening the magnetosphere.

Some scientists praised the study for highlighting potential issues arising from spacecraft dust, but others said the results were too speculative.

A new analysis of megalodon fossils found that the long-extinct, supersized sharks looked nothing like researchers previously thought.

The anatomy of the megalodons has remained somewhat elusive because shark skeletons are made of cartilage rather than bone, and therefore don't preserve well as fossils.

The study is impossible to fully verify as the authors held back crucial data.