“We are outspoken about our optimism,” say Bill and Melinda Gates in their 2018 Annual Letter. “Despite the headlines, we see a world that’s getting better,” they continue. They point out that the world is “healthier and safer than ever”, that since 1990, the number of children who die every year has been halved, largely due […]
Crows are very intelligent birds, or so most ornithologists tend to believe. They use tools and can solve problems, and some, including the common raven (Corvus corax), can learn to talk better than certain parrots. One small Dutch company, called Crowded Cities, is using crows’ intelligence for the public good. The company has created an apparatus, the Crowbar, to train the birds […]
Young women in Pakistan, especially in rural areas, have few choices when their parents don’t have the money to pay school fees to continue their education: they get married so their husbands provide for them instead. One family from Shimshal, a village in the northern mountains of Pakistan, is trying to change that by bringing […]
If you only read the headlines, which in general focus on the bad rather than the good news because it is deemed “more newsworthy”, then you would think that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. “Given the rising risk of nuclear war with North Korea, the paralysis in Congress, warfare in Yemen […]
“When you see good things happening, you can channel your energy into driving even more progress.”
Bill Gates, 4 January 2018, Time magazine
This video, “Life Is Wonderful – 20 Under-Reported Good News Stories That Deserve Your Attention”, was posted by George Takei on Facebook on 18 January. The video suggests people should share it and “spread the good news”. It’s well worth watching. Credits go to INSH (or Interesting Sh!t) who describe themselves as a team of “insanely […]
The thoughts in Holly Butcher’s letter can benefit everyone. What a positive spirit, despite all. Holly’s “life advice”, well worth reading, can be accessed here. An excerpt: “… Get up early sometimes and listen to the birds while you watch the beautiful colours the sun makes as it rises. Listen to music.. really listen. Music is therapy. Old […]
This sign, planted in a yard, offers an inspiring message: Check out the Unitarian Universalist Association where you can buy signs with this message on it, and where proceeds support the health, safety and economic security of Wisconsin women and girls.
Companies are using drones to fight deforestation. One of them, BioCarbon Engineering, based in Oxford, England, aims to plant as many as 1 billion trees per year. It uses drones flying 300 feet over land to map an area’s level of deforestation, topography and soil quality, and report its potential for reforestation. With that information, automated planting drones carrying […]
