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In Silicon Valley and around the world there are thousands of folks toiling away on new technologies, convinced that the thing they are building will transform the way we live. NPR's Steve Henn introduces us to five techies whose research and work he'll be keeping a close eye on in the coming year.

Shavings of metal can flake off of the artificial joints and cause serious pain and medical problems in the hip. About a half-million Americans have this type of implant, and though most patients won't have a problem, one doctor called the failure rate "unacceptably high."

One of the defining elements of the 2012 presidential campaign is money. Two dozen wealthy Americans have put in at least $1 million each. And one of the biggest donors is Sheldon Adelson, the casino magnate who has almost single-handedly kept Newt Gingrich's campaign afloat.

The Great Recession hit the industrial Midwest especially hard in recent years. Now, though, local leaders in at least one small Illinois city believe the worst is finally behind them. But they need to diversify — and attract new residents.

Republican Richard Mourdock, who crushed longtime Sen. Richard Lugar in Indiana's GOP Senate primary, is a Tea Party conservative with a low-key persona. "I never got hit with the charisma stick," he says. Mourdock equates his political style and his marathon-running mantra: "You just keep going."

In Boston, scientists are predicting that climate change will lead to dramatic sea level rise, and more frequent flooding, around the city. Officials are studying the potential impact on roads and sewers and are asking waterfront developers to plan for increased flooding.

Jim Ledvinka grew up outside of Chicago watching his grandmother make ketchup from scratch once a year. As a kid, he hated the stuff. As a man — and now a grandfather — he became desperate to re-create it. That's where All Things Considered's Found Recipes project comes in.

The number of polio cases globally sank to an all-time low in 2012. But outbreaks in Syria and Somalia this year are jeopardizing efforts to eradicate the virus. A recent visit to the Somali-Ethiopian border highlights just how easily polio can regain a foothold in rural, insecure communities.

Some of the most interesting things on TV in 2014 weren't actually made for TV. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans lists the moments in television, viral video and social media that changed us all this year.

About 75,000 patients a year die from infections they caught in the hospital. A Kaiser Health News analysis finds that nearly 700 hospitals across the nation have higher than expected infection rates.