Science & Nature 2021: Surprising Pandemic Insights The year 2021, often overshadowed by the relentless rhythm of lockdowns and vaccine rollouts, offered a unique lens through which science and nature writing reframed the world. The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2021 emerged as a quiet revelation, weaving pandemic reflections into the fabric of ecological and scientific inquiry with a subtlety that felt almost rebellious against the chaos. Unlike its predecessors-The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2020, which fixated on immediate crises, or 2022's sweeping take on resilience-and the later 2023 and 2024 editions, which leaned into environmental urgency and award-winning anthologies, the 2021 collection stood out for its unexpected pivot. It wasn't just about viruses or isolation; it was about the intersections-how climate change and zoonotic diseases coexist, how human behavior reshaped ecosystems overnight, and how scientific curiosity could thrive even in the shadow of uncertainty. While 2020's pieces were urgent, almost visceral, 2021 offered a more reflective gaze, akin to a biologist studying a long-exposure photograph: slow, deliberate, and revealing patterns invisible in the flash of a crisis. The 2022 edition, in turn, became a bridge, echoing the 2021 insights but amplifying them into a broader narrative of adaptation and interconnectedness. By 2023, the series had fully embraced the urgency of environmental collapse, weaving pandemic lessons into calls for systemic change. And 2024's anthology, with its award-winning environmental focus, felt like a culmination-a tapestry of human resilience and the natural world's quiet, persistent rhythms. Each edition, like a species evolving, carved its own niche in the collective memory of the pandemic. Yet 2021's contribution lingered, a reminder that even in disruption, there are moments where science and nature writing quietly illuminate the path forward.