Synopsis of last week's most important good news from around the world.
America Got Bigger: According to the State Department, the United States grew last week by a whopping million square kilometres (400,000 square miles) - the size of two Californias.
Palace Reopens: The site of one of the most important monuments in classical antiquity - the palace where Alexander the Great was crowned king - has reopened after a 16 year restoration. The Palace of Aigai, near Greece's northern port city of Thessaloniki, was built more than 2,300 years ago.
Harriet Honoured: Admirers of Harriet Tubman and numismatists alike can now buy coins ($5 gold coin, $1 silver dollar and a clad half-dollar) commemorating the famed abolitionist and human rights activist issued by the U.S. Mint.
Alzheimer's Head Start: Scientists have discovered a way to get Alzheimer’s drugs into the brain faster with a new ultrasound tool, potentially improving the efficacy of Alzheimer's drugs, reports AP.
Tech Heads: Apple has announced its long-awaited Vision Pro headset will go on sale on 2 February in the United States. It's the first major new product to be released by the firm since the Apple Watch launched in 2015.
Huge Floating Pool for NYC: Shaped like a giant plus sign, this enormous floating swimming pool started as just a concept over a decade ago. But with a groundswell of local support and interest in accessing New York’s East River, it looks like it’s coming to life in the coming months.
Sci-fi Style: Finland's Verge TS electric motorcycle looks like nothing else on the road because it is like nothing else on the road. Last week it announced it would begin shipping this summer.
Peak China? China, the world’s economic giant, is on the verge of a watershed moment in its environmental history. According to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, “China’s emissions may have peaked in 2023,” citing a systemic economic slowdown and the rise of renewable energy sources as the main drivers of this trend.
Good News For Gardener: A descendant of the Hermès luxury goods empire is reportedly planning to adopt his former gardener so he can bequeath him at least half of his $13 billion fortune.
First Ever: On Sunday, Lily Gladstone won Best Actress at the Golden Globes for her role in Killers of the Flower Moon, becoming the first Indigenous person in history to receive the award.
Manatees Good News: In Florida’s Mosquito Lagoon, a recent effort to restore seagrasses has been successful enough to maintain local manatees, who had lost their main food source. Bringing back seagrasses helps more than manatees. Seagrasses are ecosystem engineers that support enormous numbers of other species, stabilize sediments, and sequester and store twice as much carbon as forests.
New Cancer Test: A simple blood test that can identify 18 early-stage cancers will be a medical “game-changer”, scientists said this week.
Insulin Progress: Australian researchers at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne have succeeded in regenerating damaged pancreatic cells so they can produce insulin and functionally respond to blood glucose levels, reports New Atlas. The novel therapeutic approach has the potential to become the first disease-modifying treatment for type 1 diabetes.
Going Supersonic: On Friday, NASA unveiled the X-59, the first supersonic plane without supersonic booms.
New Climate Report: The IEA says tripling green energy by 2030 is achievable and would keep us on track to meeting the 1.5C Paris Agreement target.
UK Green Progress: New figures show the UK's use of gas and coal for electricity hit its lowest point since 1957, with a 20 percent decline in electricity generated by gas and coal power plants in 2023. Fossil fuels contributed about one-third of the electricity supplies, while renewables reached a record 42 percent.
Amazing Transition: New figures for 2023 show that Uruguay enjoys a nearly complete transition away from fossil fuels in power production. The country generates between 90 and 95 percent of its power from renewable sources, sometimes even reaching 98 percent. Uruguay’s transformation presents it as a potential model for countries attempting to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
Batteries Replace Coal: A huge battery has replaced Hawaii’s last coal plant as Plus Power’s Kapolei battery is now officially online. The pioneering project is a leading example of how to shift crucial grid functions from fossil-fuel plants to clean energy. The plant’s 185 megawatts of instantaneous discharge capacity match what the old coal plant could inject into the grid.
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Today's Articles
Stanley's Cup Craze: How did a simple water bottle drive Stanley’s annual sales from $75 million to a whopping $750 million in a single year?
Hilarious Selfies: A collection of amusing selfies taken by an assortment of different animals.
Head Scratcher: Gigantic structures found in space by British student challenges our understanding of the universe.
Game Changer: This boring-looking vehicle is actually amazing.
It's Good to Laugh: Funny short jokes from last year's Edinburgh Fringe.
Top Performers: A handful of last week's most popular (and amusing) articles, plus the most watched mood boosting video.