SN Online's annual list of the most read features contains some predictable entries – and some surprises.
By David Walsh
Dec 13, 2024
2024 was another eventful year for Standardization News and SN Online. Covering events like the Summer Olympics, the ongoing PFAS crisis, and building trends in the aftermath of weather events like Hurricane Helene made for compelling and informative content on the field of standards.
Some were expected and others were surprising – but number four in particular shows how much the content landscape has changed in recent years. Keep reading to learn what the most popular stories of 2024 were.
1) Resilience Standards and the Business of Risk: With Hurricane Helene making big news in North America, it wasn’t surprising that a feature covering resilience made the top of the list. The guide covered here is a great example of the work being done to help real estate stakeholders deal with the increased risk posed by extreme weather.
2) New Cementitious Materials Aid in the Quest for Net-Zero: Efforts to responsibly reduce the environmental impact of concrete production are bearing fruit, and this feature covering the standards behind that effort made the second spot on our list.
3) Going for Gold: Standards for a Safer Olympic Games: The Olympics entertained millions around the globe in 2024, and this feature on the standards that made those games safer was one of the most read features on SN Online.
4) Podcast: How Olympic Sports are Made Safer by ‘Hidden’ Standards: ASTM’s Standards Impact podcast made its first appearance on SN Online’s Top 10 list, as this discussion with two sports safety experts was intriguing enough to land at number four.
5) 4 Standards to Protect an Aging Population: Humanity is aging, and with this shift will come the need for standards to protect that population. An SN Online feature covering this societal trend comes in at number five.
6) Standards and 3D Printing Human Tissue: In-progress standards anticipate a day when additive manufacturing will be used to produce tissues, ligaments, and even organs. SN’s feature covering this cutting-edge field was the sixth most read story of the year.
7) Medical Exoskeletons, A Transformative Technology: As exoskeletons continue the move from science fiction to reality, standards will be needed to facilitate their safe use.
8) Standards for Safer MRI Scans: This critical diagnostic technology is used 10 million times per year worldwide. This feature about the standards helping to make them safer was number eight on our list.
9) Standards Address PFAS in Everyday Products: The PFAS crisis is getting more and more attention in the media world today, and this feature on the standards that will help in the effort to make the world safer was very timely.
10) Commercial Property Assessment Guide Gets an Update: This intriguing feature covering ASTM’s guide to the commercial property inspection process rounds out our list for the year.
