📈 Human Progress
In the last decades humanity has made great progress with less extreme poverty, increased health, wealth and democracy. We follow in the tradition of professor Hans Rosling.
📉 EU looks set to reach climate targets for 2030
The Union is on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The target that the EU has set is a 55 percent reduction.
💡 Musings of the Angry Optimist: Untrue established truths
The discussion is full of pessimistic knee-jerk reactions regarding AI.
🕊️ PKK ends armed struggle after 40 years of conflict
The Kurdish militant group PKK announced on May 12 that they had ended their armed struggle against the Turkish state that has been ongoing since 1984. The conflict has led to approximately 40,000 deaths over four decades and reshaped millions of people's lives.
📉 Diabetes-related deaths in the US drop to lowest levels in years
New preliminary figures from the CDC show that diabetes-related deaths in the US have decreased to 26.4 deaths per 100,000 people according to data from the third quarter of 2024. This decrease reverses the concerning increase observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
🏆 Four companies win $100 million for their carbon capture
Mati Carbon receives the main prize of 50 million dollars in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition. The company uses crushed basalt on agricultural land to accelerate a natural weathering process that permanently binds carbon dioxide, while improving soil quality for small-scale farmers.
🦟 New medication kills mosquitoes through the blood they suck
A medication approved for rare genetic diseases, proves to kill malaria-carrying mosquitoes when they suck blood from people who have taken the medicine. The mosquitoes die within 24 hours after sucking blood containing nitisinone, which is faster than with previously tested medications.
🧠 Users of digital technology have 58 percent lower risk of cognitive decline
Digital technology reduces the risk of cognitive impairment by 58 percent according to a comprehensive meta-analysis. The effect persisted even after accounting for demographic factors, socioeconomic status, and health conditions.
💰 Gates Foundation will spend $200 billion on charity over the next 20 years
Bill Gates has decided to donate virtually his entire fortune through the Gates Foundation. During the foundation's first 25 years, over 100 billion dollars were donated, and Gates plans to double this amount to more than 200 billion dollars by 2045.
😊 Young Americans are getting happier
The percentage of university students with symptoms of depression has decreased from 44 percent in 2022 to 38 percent in 2024. Studies show that this trend applies to American youth in general, with decreasing rates of depression and suicide.