Good Things Happening Around The World That Give Us a Reason to Smile

There is no shortage of bad news these days . Every negative event seems to reach every corner of the world in an instant. So it can start to feel like all the good times are gone and that anything positive is just a memory from the past. But that’s far from the truth . There is a lot more good happening around the world than we realize small wins, big breakthroughs, quiet acts of kindness, and massive steps forward that rarely make the headlines, simply because they don’t generate as many views as negative ones do.

Below we have some of the most inspiring recent advances in science and technology that prove good things are happening even if they don’t make the headlines.

11  Type 1 diabetes has been reversed for the first time.

In China, researchers were able to use stem-cell–derived islet cell transplantation to restore insulin production in a 59-year-old man with long-term type 1 diabetes. This is the first time ever that someone has been able to stop taking insulin entirely using stem-cell–derived islet transplantation. It is not a full cure for type 1 diabetes yet, but it is a major win nonetheless. Link

10  Renewables generated more electricity than coal in 2025.

In the first half of 2025, electricity from renewables like wind and solar reached 3,180 terawatt-hours, higher than coal at 3,120 terawatt-hours. This was mainly due to a 12% increase in solar power and a 9% increase in wind generation year on year. ( Source: Reuters )

9 A new hair regrowth treatment has been developed in Taiwan.

Scientists at National Taiwan University have developed a topical serum that triggered hair regrowth in bald mice within just 20 days. While human clinical trials have not yet been completed, the findings are promising, and a patent for the serum has also been filed. Link

8 A pig heart was transplanted into a human for the first time.

On January 7, 2022, surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center performed the first transplant of a gene-edited pig heart into a 57-year-old man with end-stage heart disease. The recipient was able to live almost 60 days longer before he passed away. Although long-term function and durability in humans are still unproven, this procedure was a big leap. Read more on it here.

7 Quantum internet has become a reality.

Quantum internet could make communication completely unhackable, with security far beyond today’s encryption. Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have now developed a “Q-chip” that proved this by sending quantum signals through existing fiber optic internet lines. (Source: Upenn)

6 Sickle cell disease can now be treated with gene editing.

For the first time, gene-editing therapy has become available for patients. Many early patients using this no longer need regular blood transfusions and have seen a dramatic reduction in their symptoms. (Source: FDA)

5 Quantum computing can now handle real-world tasks.

Researchers at Caltech made a big leap in quantum computing by building a system with 6,100 qubits, a huge jump from just a few dozen before. At this scale, we are now very close to doing practical tasks like drug simulations and designing new materials that normal computers cannot handle. (See more here)

4 Fusion energy could become real after this breakthrough

Researchers in France were able to sustain ultra-hot plasma for about 22 minutes, the longest ever. Many thought this was nearly impossible, but with this breakthrough, we now have the possibility of one day generating huge amounts of clean energy completely sustainably. Link

3 New research could save extremely premature babies

In one key study, scientists were able to grow and develop lamb fetuses, which have a gestation period similar to a human baby, for several weeks. This is a sign of hope that one day we might be able to help human babies born too early that current neonatal care can’t save. (Read more here)

2 Over 12,623 new potential antibiotics were discovered with AI.

Instead of the slow trial-and-error methods, researchers used AI to discover over 12,623 new antibiotic compounds. If even a few pass human testing, we could have new drugs to fight superbugs, bacteria that no longer respond to current antibiotics. Link

1 NASA’s rover found strong signs of past life on Mars.

In July 2024, NASA’s Perseverance rover dug into an old riverbed on Mars and found a mix of minerals and carbon-based molecules that appear in places on Earth where microbes once lived. Scientists are saying this is the strongest hint of life on Mars so far. (Source : NASA)