What ‘Alternative’ Science News is Most Relevant?
Online ‘alternative’ science news has grown a larger social role while trust in ‘mainstream’ news has nose-dived since the COVID pandemic. But what stories are savvy online users really looking at?
Below we delve into this question because, to remain relevant and viable, Principia Scientific International must strike a balance between our stated Mission to report openly and honestly on current affairs in STEM (science, technology, engineering and medicine) and keeping the bills paid.
With finite resources at our disposal it behoves us to ‘test the waters’ often to gauge what you want to get from us. We know if we get it right, you are more likely to keep coming back, boosting our modest ad revenue/voluntary donations and making us sustainable for many more years to come (we first began daily publishing way back in 2011).
With that in mind, I took to A.I. to see what it says what topics are the most read online science news content, below is what we found:
Most Popular Science, Medicine, and Technology News Stories on Search Engines in 2025 (Using ChatGPT)
Based on Google Trends data, industry reports, and search volume analyses from sources like Exploding Topics, SE Ranking, and Google Cloud, the most searched and popular news stories in these categories reflect a mix of breakthroughs, societal concerns, and practical innovations. AI integration dominates across all three fields, driven by rapid advancements and real-world applications. Other recurring themes include personalization in healthcare, environmental impacts, and futuristic tech like brain interfaces.
Search interest peaked around major events (e.g., solar eclipses sparking space queries) and ongoing issues (e.g., flu seasons boosting health searches). Below, I break it down by category, highlighting the top kinds of stories with examples of high-volume queries/topics. These are derived from 2025 year-to-date trends, focusing on rising searches (e.g., >5,000% growth in some AI-related terms).
Science News Stories
Science searches often spike with astronomical events, climate crises, and lab breakthroughs. Popular stories emphasize discovery and global impact, with “how does it work?” queries common.
| Rank | Story Type | Example Searches/Topics | Why Popular (Search Volume Insight) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Space Exploration & Astronomy Events | “Solar eclipse 2025 map”, “James Webb Telescope discoveries”, “Mars mission updates” | Total solar eclipse in early 2025 drove millions of U.S. searches for viewing tips and science explainers; space topics saw 200% YoY growth. |
| 2 | Climate & Environmental Crises | “Excessive heat waves 2025”, “Climate change effects on weather”, “Hurricane season predictions” | Tied to real-time events like Hurricane Milton; “excessive heat” was a top global trend, with 150% rise in related queries. |
| 3 | AI in Scientific Research | “AI accelerating drug discovery”, “Quantum computing breakthroughs” | AI tools for research exploded in early 2025, with searches up 300% amid new models like MedGemma. |
| 4 | Battery & Energy Tech Innovations | “New solid-state batteries”, “Sustainable energy storage” | Driven by EV and renewable pushes; 120% growth in queries about next-gen batteries. |
| 5 | Biology & Genetics Advances | “CRISPR gene editing updates”, “Human evolution discoveries” | Precision medicine overlaps; steady 80% rise from ethical debates and trials. |
Medicine & Health News Stories
Health searches are highly practical, focusing on personal wellness, disease prevention, and tech-enabled care. Mental and women’s health surged post-pandemic, while AI diagnostics trended with Google’s Health AI announcements.
| Rank | Story Type | Example Searches/Topics | Why Popular (Search Volume Insight) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AI-Driven Diagnostics & Personalized Medicine | “AI for early cancer detection”, “Personalized treatment plans 2025” | Top trend per Google Cloud; searches for “AI healthcare” exploded 400% in Q1 2025. |
| 2 | Mental Health Innovations | “Brain fog menopause remedies”, “Anxiety neuron research” | Rising awareness; “mental health tech” up 250%, linked to new therapies and apps. |
| 3 | Wearables & Preventive Devices | “Wearable heart monitors life-saving”, “Continuous glucose monitors” | From Google’s Check-Up 2025; 180% growth in queries for devices like Dexcom ONE. |
| 4 | Gut Health & Microbiome Research | “Gut bacteria mental health link”, “Probiotics for immunity” | Holistic trends; searches rose 150% with new studies on digestion-brain axis. |
| 5 | Infectious Disease Outbreaks | “2025 flu season vaccine”, “Strep throat symptoms” | Seasonal spikes; flu queries hit 5-year highs, with 100% YoY increase. |
Technology News Stories
Tech stories lean toward consumer gadgets and ethical AI debates. Searches for “how-to” guides (e.g., using new AI) are huge, reflecting adoption in daily life.
| Rank | Story Type | Example Searches/Topics | Why Popular (Search Volume Insight) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AI Advancements & Tools | “ChatGPT 5 features”, “Best AI for vacation planning” | Dominated trends; “AI girlfriend apps” and voice AI up 500%, per Google I/O 2025. |
| 2 | Robotics & Autonomous Systems | “Brain-computer interfaces Neuralink”, “Autonomous robots home use” | Hype from McKinsey; 220% rise in BCI queries amid clinical trials. |
| 3 | Smart Home & IoT Devices | “Smart kitchen gadgets 2025”, “Voice-controlled home security” | Remote work boom; searches grew 160% for energy-efficient tech. |
| 4 | Edge Computing & Data Security | “Edge AI for privacy”, “Cybersecurity trends 2025” | Fraud detection focus; 130% increase tied to healthcare data breaches. |
| 5 | Sustainable & Green Tech | “Eco-friendly gadgets”, “Text-to-speech AI accessibility” | Overlaps with climate; 110% growth in queries for low-energy devices. |
These trends show a convergence: AI is the thread tying science discoveries to practical health tools and consumer tech. For real-time updates, tools like Google Trends reveal location-specific spikes (e.g., U.S. election influenced health policy searches).
Overall, stories blending innovation with everyday relevance (e.g., “how AI saves lives”) drive the highest engagement.
So, there you have it. It seems like we cover the bases on the most contentious issues, with climate, ‘green tech’, health and medical (vaccines etc.), artificial intelligence, but we rarely, if at all, cover those ‘how to’ stories with tech gadgets.
A Move Away from Written Content to Video Presentations
Since Principia Scientific began daily posting in 2011 we have gone from almost exclusively written content that mostly addressed climate matters to adding more video content, especially on medical topics such as vaccine injury and health matters.
Our hope was that we could retain our traditional readership demographic audience (STEM professional, male, 40-65+) while engaging more with a younger audience.
So, my next question to A.I. was:
Are people looking for more written content or is there a growing trend to want to watch videos? Are people seeking shorter segments or do they want ‘in depth’ analysis?
ChatGPT’s reply:
Here’s the clear, up-to-date answer (Nov 2025) based on Google, YouTube, TikTok, and Pew Research data.
1. Video is now 2.3× more searched-for than written articles
- Google Search: “watch” + topic beats “read” + topic in 78 % of science, health & tech queries.
- YouTube: 3.1 billion monthly users search for “how AI works” 4× more often than they Google the same phrase.
- TikTok: #ScienceTok videos grew 340 % YoY; average user watches 19 science clips per session.
2. Length: Two clear camps (no middle ground)
A. The 45-second dopamine hit (70 % of views)
- 0–90 sec “explainer” clips dominate.
- Top hook in the first 3 seconds → 30 % higher completion.
- Example: “CRISPR in 60 sec” gets 12 M views; the same 18-min documentary gets 900 k.
B. The 18–45 min deep-dive (30 % of views, but 4× watch-time revenue)
- Long-form YouTube (MrBeast-style docs, Veritasium, Kurzgesagt) grew 41 % in 2025.
- 68 % of 25–44-year-olds say they “finally understand quantum computing” only after a 30-min video.
- Podcasts on Spotify/YouTube (2 hrs+) are up 29 % for health topics.
3. Written content is not dead—it moved
- Substack & newsletters: +55 % paid subs for 3,000-word weekly deep dives.
- Reddit megathreads (10 k-word explainers) are the #1 Google snippet for “how does mRNA vaccine work long term”.
- People READ when they want to copy-paste, quote, or argue; they WATCH when they want to feel the discovery.
So, it is certainly a trend towards video! The challenge for platforms like PSI is to keep that balance between engaging the widest possible audience but also holding true to our core values of giving detailed, informed and educational material.
So, where do we go from here?
Crunching the numbers, the data shows we are reaching a younger audience but many of our longer, high-brow medical posts are not being read as prolifically as they were during the pandemic crisis, when visits to our pages peaked at millions of views.
To stay relevant and viable as a trusted independent source of STEM news please help us do our work better – drop a suggestion or any feedback in the comments below. And/or if you value what we do and want to see us grown, please consider a donation to our running costs (link below).
Thank you for your continued support!
About the author: John O’Sullivan is CEO and co-founder (with Dr Tim Ball) of Principia Scientific International (PSI). He is a seasoned science writer, former teacher and legal analyst who assisted skeptic climatologist Dr Ball in defeating UN climate expert, Michael ‘hockey stick’ Mann in the multi-million-dollar ‘science trial of the century‘. From 2010 O’Sullivan led the original ‘Slayers’ group of scientists who complied the book ‘Slaying the Sky Dragon: Death of the Greenhouse Gas Theory’ debunking alarmist lies about carbon dioxide plus their follow-up climate book. His most recent publication, ‘Slaying the Virus and Vaccine Dragon’ broadens PSI’s critiques of mainstream medical group think and junk science.
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