This year's top five science stories read like a playback from the future, showing a nation that operates on a new timeline. Here are CGTN's most-read science reports of 2025.

1. The next-generation semiconductor

Chips have dominated science and tech news this year, so it's no surprise that they also top this list. 

Chinese scientists have developed a new method to mass-produce high-quality indium selenide, a "golden semiconductor," paving the way for manufacturing a new generation of chips that outperform current silicon-based technology. Using a novel solid-liquid-solid growth technique, the team can control the atomic ratio between indium and selenium at exactly 1:1, allowing for the production of wafer-scale indium selenide semiconductors. That breakthrough overcomes a long-standing barrier in 2D semiconductor manufacturing.

2. Engineering solutions turn deserts green

Next, a striking image of green checkerboard grids spreading across the Tengger Desert in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The Tengger is China's fourth-largest desert, and holding it back is no mean feat. Grass and shrubs can only be planted during a short rainy season each summer. After decades of sustained effort, China completed the barrier belt along the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert in June, a major milestone in the country's fight to stabilize vast tracts of land against the effects of desert encroachment.

In fact, China has been innovative in anti-desertification. A new model combining solar panels with crop plantations underneath now stretches across the dunes of the Taklimakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Spanning over 3,000 kilometers, the ecological barrier has been recognized globally and was listed among the "2025 Top 10 Global Engineering Achievements" by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations.

3. Humanoid robots step into the spotlight

2025 was also a breakthrough year for humanoid robots.

On the eve of the Chinese New Year, 16 humanoid robots developed by Unitree performed at the Spring Festival Gala, flawlessly tossing and catching handkerchiefs on stage. While not quite matching the skills of a rhythmic gymnast yet, these movements illustrate an evolution in robotic motion that is becoming more and more human-like.

Later in the year, the world watched on as China played host to the first humanoid robot half marathon and the first Humanoid Robot Games, signaling a shift from lab to real-world performance, bringing robots one step closer to everyday life.

4. Natural blocker of cancer growth

Meanwhile, human health remains one of science's most urgent frontiers. This year, Chinese scientists identified a natural compound that may help slow the growth of liver cancer cells. The compound, called silybin, is derived from traditional Chinese medicine. Laboratory experiments showed that it can effectively suppress tumor growth by disrupting cancer cells' metabolic balance. While the findings are still at the preclinical stage, scientists say the research opens a promising avenue for future drug development. This is a perfect example of how traditional medicine and modern molecular biology can intersect in cancer research.

5. 'Ghost particle' detector confirms physics mystery

To cap it all off, China is taking charge in humanity's quest to answer questions on life, the universe and everything in between and beyond. The country's "ghost particle" detector has confirmed a physics mystery in its first major result. Just months after becoming operational, the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory has successfully verified the existence of the "solar neutrino tension," a mysterious inconsistency in how particle physics laws seem to function. The results demonstrate that the massive detector – built over a decade of intensive construction – operates with world-class accuracy.

In this vein, China is also building "Hailing," a deep-sea neutrino detector. After completing sea trials this year, the first detectors are expected to be deployed next year, allowing scientists to "listen" to cosmic signals from the ocean floor.

From preserving and enhancing life on Earth to unlocking the mysteries of the cosmos, 2025 has cast China's scientific leaps into the limelight.

Which field do you hope will see the next major breakthrough? And what's your science-inspired New Year's resolution? Leave a comment and let us know.

(Cover image by CGTN's Li Yuebin)