Reviews of the year are so pass茅 鈥� in the sense that, if you are reading this magazine linearly, you will already have passed one. If, however, you are (as we sincerely hope) a dedicated back-cover-forwards reader, you have a cornucopia of delights ahead of you. Either way, tarry a while with us as we review the year in our own way and crown the winners of the second annual Feedbys 鈥� the much-coveted Feedback awards.
Saw that one coming
The year began, as is traditional, in January. Except for the crew of the good ship New 杏吧原创, of course, for whom it began on 21 December 2019 with a preview of this now past year (鈥淣ew 杏吧原创 experts reveal what the biggest science stories will be in 2020鈥�). Neither there, nor in our accompanying leader (鈥淲e live in testing times, but there are many reasons to be optimistic鈥�), did we mention an impending global coronavirus pandemic.
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For this, our first award, for Seer of the Year, goes to: New 杏吧原创. Allowing security to deal with the rowdy collegial protesters at the back of the hall shouting that they pointed out the probability of an oncoming pandemic back in 2017, we are pleased to accept this award on behalf of most of the world.
Don鈥檛 try this at home
鈥淧ANDEMIC鈥� screamed the New 杏吧原创 cover on 7 March. Well, don鈥檛 say we didn鈥檛 warn you. In those early days, seemingly a decade or so ago, social distancing was still a random adjective + gerund combination and the pandemic response in large parts of the world could be summarised as 鈥渏ust give it a good wipe down鈥�. A mere two weeks later, reports were flooding in to these pages of efforts to make hand sanitiser from budget vodka, an Australian newspaper that had provided an eight-page toilet paper substitute pull-out, and innovative ways to avoid shaking hands.
Our next award, for Correction of the Year, comes from this crop. It goes to The Guardian newspaper for its amendment of a statement in an article entitled 鈥淐oronavirus: Nine reasons to be reassured鈥� that 鈥渁 solution of ethanol, hydrogen peroxide and bleach will disinfect surfaces鈥�. Presumably for those who had in a flash been less than reassured, it was changed to 鈥渁 solution of ethanol, a solution of hydrogen peroxide or a solution of bleach will disinfect surfaces鈥�.
My feet look big in this?
New corona-times, new corona-habits. Many have made hay pushing sometimes questionable innovations to help us through the dark days until a new vaccinated dawn.
The FBI got in early, using the new craze for exercise 鈥� something Feedback never personally shared 鈥� to push out a fitness app, the downloading of which innocently made almost all of your personal data available to them. Then, of course, there was Gucci, helping us look fabulous in our new, largely virtual lives with a range of new, entirely virtual clothes.
But Feedback鈥檚 Innovation of the Year award goes to the unnamed cobbler from Cluj, Romania, who produced a pair of extended shoes in European size 75, so as to effectively enforce social distancing.
Don鈥檛 come near me
Ah yes, social distancing. A review of Feedback鈥檚 2020 wouldn鈥檛 be complete without crowning a Social Distancing Measure of the Year. We mean this literally, in celebration of the various ways you have spotted in which bits of the world have attempted to explain to other bits of the world what 2 metres, or a less spacious 6 feet in pre-revolutionary units, actually means in units of鈥� stuff.
In a truly global celebration of local obsessions, your eagle eyes (see punchline) have given us skis (Colorado), an alligator (Florida), hockey sticks (Toronto), a tapir (Guatemala), a caribou (Yukon) and 10 footballs, six boomerangs, five sea turtles or a kangaroo (all Northern Territory, Australia). Among other things.
But a new entry wins it. We freely admit to having sat on it for a while, as we have been singing it to a seasonally appropriate tune. It comes from the good folks of the Nagshead RSPB nature reserve in Gloucestershire, UK, as sent in by Larry Stoter: 鈥�14 and a bit goldcrests, 11 blue tits, 10 robins, 8 and a bit sparrows, 5 green woodpeckers, 3.5 magpies, 2 peregrines鈥� (deep breath) 鈥淎-AND ONE WHI-ITE-TAILED EAAA-GLE鈥�.
Feedback on you
In a similarly festive spirit, our final prize could go to UK home improvement retailer B&Q for a 鈥済enius鈥� storage solution (its word). The listing for the storage box on the B&Q website advertises dimensions of height 155 millimetres, length 820 mm, width 255 mm and depth 820 mm.
What of its extension in time, we wonder, a key consumer metric? No matter: we could really do with such a roomy 鈥�4D hyperbox鈥�, in the description of spotter Richard Hind, to house our extensive piles of correspondence from you.
And so, in fact, our final prize, for People of the Year, goes collectively to you, our dear readers. It has no doubt been a discombobulating time for you too, but your missives have kept a smile on our face(s) at least. We鈥檙e only sorry we can鈥檛 print or acknowledge them all: thank you, you truly are what makes Feedback, and this magazine, special. A very Happy New Year to you all, and we hope to see you in 2021.
Got a story for Feedback?
You can send stories to Feedback by email at feedback@newscientist.com. Please include your home address. This week鈥檚 and past Feedbacks can be seen on our website.