This year, scientists learned more about COVID-19 as the virus continued to circulate and mutate. The cicadas emerged from underground, and Perseverance landed on Mars. Laura Helmuth, editor in chief of Scientific American, talks about the year in science. And, climate change is forcing the insurance industry to adapt and come up with new products. We dive into one experiment: a policy to insure nature against extreme storms, specifically a coral reef in Mexico.

Chef Kathy Gunst shares her daughter's recipe for moussaka – a blend of sauteed ground lamb with spices layered with thin slices of potatoes and eggplant and then blanketed in a rich, cheesy bechamel sauce. And, a tiny non-profit has produced a high-tech tool called Heat Seek to record apartment temperatures. As Jon Kalish reports, the idea is to help tenants force their landlords to fix ongoing heat issues.

Jackson Browne's "Downhill From Everywhere" has received a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album. We revisit our conversation with Browne from July. And, this year's real estate market was a wild ride marked by low inventory, bidding wars and prices surging to historic highs. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, shares housing market predictions for 2022.

Jill Schlesinger, CBS News business analyst and host of "Jill On Money," joins us to discuss tax season, savings and more financial tips to get ahead before the start of the new year. And, scientists warn as the climate changes, we can expect more frequent and powerful storms to disrupt the electric grid. But as WBUR's Bruce Gellerman reports, two environmental justice communities in Massachusetts are preparing for the worst and planning for a more resilient energy future.

When someone suffers a brain injury and loses the ability to speak, read and communicate, typically after a stroke, that condition is known as aphasia. KJZZ's Jill Ryan reports how singing is one way to help bring back the language and create a social community. And, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear joins us to discuss the latest on recovery from this month's deadly tornadoes.

Vaccination and masking are the safest ways to prevent COVID-19. But epidemiologists warn that when it comes to preventing omicron, all masks are not equal. Infectious disease expert Saskia Popescu explains. And, Angela Stent of Georgetown University talks about the events that led up to the collapse of the Soviet Union 30 years ago. And Masha Gessen of The New Yorker talks about what life was like for people in Russia as it transitioned.

Mark Vande Hei and Tom Marshburn will spend this Christmas further away from home than any other beings in the universe. The two astronauts are orbiting the planet on the International Space Station. They join us. And, the Nashville African American Wind Symphony is entirely made up of Black classical musicians. As Paige Pfleger of WLPN reports, its mission is to educate the younger generation of musicians and advocate for musicians of color.

This year, TikTok dominated the charts. We take a look back at the biggest songs of the year on the app and how the platform is changing the music industry with Insider's Dan Whateley. And, artist Emily McDowell started a conversation about perimenopause through her greeting card company. She talks about her personal experiences and her effort to spread knowledge and stem fear.

Former American Cancer Society chief medical officer Dr. Otis Brawley looks back on advances in cancer 50 years after President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act. Journalist Dawn Turner about her book "Three Girls from Bronzeville: A Uniquely American Memoir about Race, Fate, and Sisterhood," which explores the divergent life paths of herself, her sister and her best friend who all grew up in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.

A Steller's sea eagle — a bird larger than bald eagles — was spotted this week along the Taunton River in Massachusetts. Nick Lund, who works for the Maine Audubon and runs a bird blog, saw this eagle and joins us. And, Aisha Harris, co-host of NPR's "Pop Culture Happy Hour," shares some of her favorite films of 2021.