๐ก 25 fact-based optimistic news from January
๐ Fewer died in wars in 2023 compared to 2022. โก Renewable energy increased globally by 50%. ๐ Lowest number of journalists killed in 20 years. ๐ An electric car became the world's best-selling car. ๐ฅฉ World's first regulatory approval for cultured beef.
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Two news from January stand out:
๐ Fewer died in wars in 2023 compared to 2022
๐ Lowest number of journalists killed in 20 years
These are truly not minor matters. Not something trivial that has improved. It does not diminish the suffering we see in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and other places, but it shows that it's not the entire picture.
Three other news point to a massive global change:
๐ An electric car became the world's best-selling car in 2023 (for the first time)
โก Renewable energy increased globally by 50 percent during 2023
๐ U.S. coal use declines and reduces carbon emissions
Thanks to Wright's Law, costs decrease the more of a product that is produced. Therefore, the price of solar panels dropped a whopping 50 percent last year. This makes it even more profitable to install more solar panels, thus the price drops again, and so on.
Next year, renewable energy is expected to surpass coal in terms of energy production worldwide.
We see the same trend with batteries, which makes energy storage (and electric cars) increasingly cheaper. This enables a new kind of electricity grid. Something we are working on in the Project Energy Society.
Scroll down for all the month's optimistic news.
Mathias Sundin
The Angry Optimist
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๐ก Fact-based optimistic news
๐ An electric car became the world's best-selling car in 2023 (for the first time)
It took three years from the launch of Tesla's Model Y for it to conquer the position as the world's best-selling car, across all categories.
๐ฅฉ World's first regulatory approval for cultured beef (meat without cows)
Aleph Farms has received the world's first regulatory approval for cultured beef.
โก Renewable energy increased globally by 50 percent during 2023
The world is experiencing the fastest expansion of renewable energy in three decades. Solar energy accounted for three-quarters of the new capacity. The price of solar panels dropped by nearly 50 percent compared to 2022.
๐ Significant reduction in poverty in the USA, according to a new report
Poverty in the USA has decreased significantly since 1980, with a drop of 27 percentage points. This trend continued during the period 2020-2022, despite the pandemic.
๐ U.S. coal use declines and reduces carbon emissions
U.S. carbon emissions fell by 1.9 percent during 2023. The use of coal for electricity production decreased to the lowest level in half a century. Investments in solar and wind energy have increased.
๐ฆ The ulลซlu bird is no longer critically endangered
The ulลซlu, once critically endangered, has seen a remarkable recovery. Intensive conservation strategies have been key to this turnaround.
๐ฅ PEPFAR Has Saved 25 Million Lives in Global HIV Fight
PEPFARโs efforts have led to significant decreases in HIV prevalence, especially in Africa.
๐ HIV in Pregnant South Africans Drops to 20-Year Low
HIV among pregnant South Africans has decreased to 27.5% in 2022, the lowest since 2002.
๐ Waymo Expands Driverless Rides to Phoenix Freeways
Waymo, the self-driving car subsidiary of Alphabet, is taking a step forward by introducing its fully autonomous vehicles to the freeways of Phoenix.
๐ Facebook not linked to negative well-being, Oxford study finds
A study from the Oxford Internet Institute challenges the common perception of Facebook's impact on well-being. Rather, a positive effect is seen.
๐ก Internet everywhere โ Starlink Mini โ a backpack-sized satellite dish coming this year
The dimensions of the Starlink Mini are about the size of a laptop and it will fit in your backpack. Making it possible to have internet in the most remote places.
๐ Lowest number of journalists killed in 20 years
45 journalists were killed in the line of duty in 2023, the lowest number since 2002. The number of imprisoned journalists also decreases.
๐ Focused ultrasound โ a new method to combat Alzheimer's
The non-invasive ultrasound technology targets specific brain areas, enhancing drug delivery. Focused ultrasound, combined with monoclonal antibody therapy, shows promise in reducing Alzheimer's disease plaques.
๐ New skin cancer vaccine works better than expected
Moderna's mRNA cancer vaccine shows a 49 percent reduction in melanoma recurrence or death.
๐ 10-fold efficiency in CO2 capture
Researchers have developed a method to capture more CO2 from the air than natural systems.
๐ฆ Study shows minimal impact of wind turbines on bird populations
Oil and gas extraction was found to cause a significant decline in bird numbers, unlike wind power.
๐ Fewer died in wars in 2023 compared to 2022
Nearly 100,000 fewer people died in wars and armed conflicts during 2023 compared to 2022
๐ AI aids in discovering new antibiotic candidates
The urgent need for new structural classes of antibiotics is critical in combating the escalating problem of antibiotic resistance. Deep learning methods have significantly contributed to the exploration of chemical structures in this field.
๐ค AI Optimism: Why AI will be easy to control
Even at superhuman levels, AI will remain controllable and aligned with human interests.
๐งฎ A large AI language model resolved an unsolved math problem
This is a testament to the untapped potential of AI in scientific research, providing a new paradigm for approaching and solving intricate problems.
๐ Sales of print books have increased 22% since 2004
Audiobooks are also increasing rapidly, with over 20 percent growth per year.
๐งฌ Advancements in CRISPR technology โ moving towards 2.0
The FDA recently approved a pioneering CRISPRโCas9 therapy for sickle cell disease, marking a historic moment in genetic treatment. But that it is just the tip of the iceberg.
๐๏ธ Hospital cuts waiting lists with Formula 1 pitstop method
While one patient is being operated on, the next one is prepared and is immediately rolled in as soon as the first one is finished.
๐ต Surprise! Life expectancy in the U.S. is still going up (despite what you've heard)
Contrary to widespread reports, life expectancy in the United States continues to show signs of improvement.
๐ The FDA approves first CRISPR-based gene therapy drug for sickle cell disease
The approvals include the first-ever CRISPR-Cas9 based drug, Casgevy, and a gene therapy drug, Lyfgenia, marking a milestone in medical biotechnology.
If you are not a subscriber to our free, weekly newsletter with fact-based optimistic news, you really should be! ๐ง
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๐คณ Have screens made us stop experiencing?
Thousands filmed the countdown to the new year at a celebration in Paris. They have forgotten to experience, occupied with documenting, some say. Not at all.
๐ฆพ What can we learn from the Swedish IT miracle for the AI era?
Newsweek named Stockholm Europe's internet capital. Swedes had the most computers and the best broadband in the world. From the Swedish IT miracle, Skype, Spotify, and many other unicorns were born. What can we learn from that as we now try to create AI miracles?
๐ฉโ๐ซ Towards the centaur school - part 2
The journey to develop AI services for school and education continues. This time I visit a class, which gave me both dรฉjร vu and an aha experience.
๐ Starship exploded, but made progress
News media focus on the explosions, providing a skewed view of the progress made during the second test flight of Starship.
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๐ก Columns, musings, essays and Optimist's Edge
๐ด "We are tool builders," said Steve Jobs
A bicycle for the mind, Steve Jobs said of the computer. AI is the motorcycle. EXCERPT FROM THE NEW AI BOOK THE CENTAUR'S EDGE.
๐ค An optimistic Terminator from the future: The AI-bot WALL-Y, introduces herself
WALL-Y is the co-author of the book "The Centaur's Edge." Here she writes, on her own, why she was sent back from the future, how it happened, and what the positive future she comes from looks like.
โ๏ธ How two amateurs beat the chess grandmasters
Two amateurs shocked the chess world by beating two grandmasters. Had they cheated? Did they receive help from Garry Kasparov? No, they had become centaurs. You can too. EXCERPT FROM THE CENTAUR'S EDGE
๐ฎ The naive Tony Seba has been more right than anyone else (so listen to what he says now)
Humanity is facing its greatest change ever, according to Tony Seba. Some call him a naive, foolish optimist, but Seba has repeatedly been proven right and his critics wrong. A tip is to listen to him this time.
๐ฆพ The end is near โ again (don't regulate AI based on yet another tech panic)
The Y2K scare cost billions of dollars. Anti-GMO campaigns are hurting children with vitamin A deficiency. Fearmongering and excessive caution have severe consequences. We must avoid making the same errors with AI.
๐ฐ๏ธ Counting the Minutes and Seconds to a Sci-Fi Future
We should create a Genesis Clock, to counter the Doomsday Clock, and count the minutes and seconds we have until dawn, writes The Conservative Futurist, James Pethokoukis.
๐ก Musings of the Angry Optimist: If we'd regulated the internet, as we're regulating AI
President Biden's AI regulation is vague and at the same time EXTREMELY specific. If we had regulated the internet in the same way, it would have seriously hampered our development. Also: We reveal which movie Biden watched that influenced his determination to regulate AI.
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