[HN Gopher] Positive news from 2023
___________________________________________________________________
Positive news from 2023
Author : apsec112
Score : 172 points
Date : 2023-12-26 17:17 UTC (5 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.gapminder.org)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.gapminder.org)
| ryan-duve wrote:
| I used to follow Tank's Good News[1] each week for this type of
| thing, but it seems it stopped being updated. I am hoping the
| owner eventually brings it back one day.
|
| [1] https://tanksgoodnews.com/
| graypegg wrote:
| I think that's the hardest part of running a news site with a
| permanently positive bent: if you stop or even slow down, you
| leave a really deep emotional impact.
|
| I totally respect the idea, but I would have so much trouble
| with that pressure.
| _hzw wrote:
| As the saying goes, "no news is good news".
| 082349872349872 wrote:
| Once upon a time, if the BBC didn't have anything else to
| report, they'd play music for the rest of the news time
| slot.
| stephendause wrote:
| I subscribe to Reasons to be Cheerful [1]. I like it alright.
|
| 1. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/
| IndySun wrote:
| Gapminder's 'best of 2023', though always very welcome, features
| several plusses regarding EV batteries. I expect an alternative
| to personal EVs, group EVs (automated), will be upon by this time
| next, making the lesser green elements of batteries even greener.
| toomuchtodo wrote:
| Electric bikes are extremely popular.
| IndySun wrote:
| Are electric bikes fully legal where you are? Limited tryout
| areas are dotted around my country. Expect fatal and semi-
| fatal incidents to follow exponentially; before helmets,
| fines, and licences catch up.
| vladvasiliu wrote:
| What do you mean by "fully"?
|
| Here in France, you may ride an electric assistance bike
| that cuts off at 25 kmph as if it were a normal bike. No
| license, helmet, or insurance required. You may also ride
| on bike paths. Just like a regular old-fashioned bike.
|
| For bikes with assistance above that, you need a license,
| the "light motorcycle" or whatever it's called. Also,
| insurance, helmet, and gloves, just for any "real"
| motorbike. These things cost as much as a full-on
| motorcycle, so I don't know who buys them.
|
| Anyway, I haven't heard of any increase in injuries or
| fatalities related to the uptake of electrical bikes that
| doesn't seem linked to the overall increase in cycling
| since covid.
| seanmcdirmid wrote:
| They've been a major thing in China for almost 15 years
| now. And none of that panned out (compared to the
| alternatives).
| ZeroGravitas wrote:
| EVs are an amazing technological leap forward.
|
| The negativity you continually read about them is just the
| equivalent of "windmills kill birds", propaganda promoted by
| some of the worst people in the world, in order to maintain the
| level of death and destruction that they profit from.
|
| Even separate from cars, the battery revolution driven by cars
| will likely be the second most important part of a carbon free
| grid after solar PV.
| aftbit wrote:
| Focusing on the good is an important step towards better mental
| health. That said, good and bad are in the eye of the beholder.
| For example, Iran and Saudi Arabia restoring ties is likely very
| bad news for Israel.
| nyokodo wrote:
| > Iran and Saudi Arabia restoring ties is likely very bad news
| for Israel
|
| While geopolitics creates the strangest bedfellows, this is
| probably an attempt to play China off against the USA/Japan as
| well as shake a few geopolitical trees. I doubt some handshakes
| are going to resolve centuries of mutual hatred and Sunni/Shia
| supremacy between Saudi and Iran. Saudi has mountains of cash
| but needs a security guarantor. The USA has played that role
| for some decades but is losing interest so Saudi is maneuvering
| to regain American interest or gain another guarantor. They may
| be betting that diplomatic excursions with Iran ostensibly
| brokered by China will lead to the USA or Japan stepping in to
| prevent China gaining greater influence in the region, and if
| not maybe China would work out for them.
| adra wrote:
| Hey, look at it this way, the Yemen civil war is still
| ongoing, and if they are it's likely because Iran and Saudi
| Arabia are still funding it, which would conflate to eat
| least a cold war between the sides even if there's some
| surface level of democracy forming.
| sgt101 wrote:
| I thought that Saudi Arabia and Israel were on the verge of a
| rapprochement before October 7th? The offer on the table was
| F35's and access to the Tempest program in the UK in exchange
| for normalization. This would have put the Saudis right on top
| vs. Iran.
| Miner49er wrote:
| Very true, countries signing up to end coal use is bad news for
| a coal miner.
| adra wrote:
| And democracy is bad news for autocrats. I'm not saying that
| miners have a moral stain, far from it. Simply that a thing
| that is good for you and yours may be a significant net
| negative for the world / population at large. I can certainly
| empathise for those displaced by a change in
| geopolitics/economics etc that can significantly harm a
| subset of the greater whole, it won't stop my resolve if it's
| truly for the betterment of the world.
| Adverblessly wrote:
| > Iran and Saudi Arabia restoring ties is likely very bad news
| for Israel.
|
| It is bad news for the West. Iran will stop after restoring
| Muslim control of Israel in much the same way that Germany
| stopped after restoring German control of the Sudetenland.
| ganzuul wrote:
| That's like saying the eye transplant is going to increase
| organ trafficking.
| ssgodderidge wrote:
| > First fossil fuel-free flight
|
| I wish there was a way to find positive stories like this without
| having to wade through the increasingly negative swamp that is
| news today.
| scns wrote:
| https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
|
| I can recommend installing the App.
| ssgodderidge wrote:
| Seems interesting! I wonder how they source their articles.
|
| I chuckled to myself about the article on frogs with fangs
| [1]. I like the focus on discovery of a new species, but not
| exactly thrilled about fanged frogs' existence.
|
| 1: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/new-species-of-fanged-
| frog-h...
| nyokodo wrote:
| > not exactly thrilled about fanged frogs
|
| Well, we had wisened up to them appearing as bats so...
| sschueller wrote:
| I don't, I don't want to be caged in a bubble of happy in
| ignorance while the world burns.
|
| I want to know just how corrupt, vial and inhumane people can
| be so I can do everything in my power to not be that way and do
| what I can to improve this world how ever minute that may be.
| ssgodderidge wrote:
| I agree on not staying in a "bubble of happy ignorance." I
| didn't mean to say "this is the only way I want my news."
|
| Instead, I would like an occasional, easy-to-consume method
| to get stories like this
| apsec112 wrote:
| Everyone already knows that a lot of the world sucks. The
| important question is how to make it better, but reading bad
| news stories won't help answer that.
| alex_smart wrote:
| Or you could just tend your own garden.
|
| https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candide
| mossyfog wrote:
| The reality is no matter read we the news or not, there will
| be misery in the world. But also there will be things worth
| celebrating. And a healthy society celebrates good news. On
| the contrast, a globalized out of touch society obsesses over
| what they can't change, while people that need help are under
| their nose..
| kentosi-dw wrote:
| Yes, but on the other hand seeing an article about how
| "European rivers (were) restored" also let us know that the
| charities we donate to actually do make a significant impact.
| ponector wrote:
| You already know how corrupt people are. Why to read the
| news?
|
| You are already doing what you can to improve the world. How
| reading news will help? Would you do more than you can?
| jebarker wrote:
| Does continual exposure to bad things people do really help
| in your admirable desire to improve the world? I'd think that
| reading a couple of history books would suffice and then just
| getting on with making the world better.
| derefr wrote:
| What an odd perspective. Personally, I find hearing about
| awful people, injustices and atrocities, etc. to be highly
| _de_ -motivating. I want to save a world less when I plunge
| deep into a well of knowledge about the people that _don 't
| deserve to be saved_.
|
| And vice-versa, when I learn about uplifting things --
| selfless people doing things to help others, people striving
| to invent new technologies and medicines that keep our world
| going one more day, preventing us from tipping over into some
| apocalypse or another -- I find myself more motivated to help
| others as well, because I can imagine that I am helping those
| good people. And also, I don't have to imagine -- those
| people are on my side! If I have a goal for positive change
| related to one of these issues, news about progress with
| those issues tells me that I wouldn't be alone in solving
| these problems; that there will be people there to work with,
| people to ally with and collaborate with, people that
| massively increase the chance of changing the world!
|
| Besides the motivational angle, though: "the world is
| burning" news is basically information-free. For almost all
| adults who haven't been living in a cave, such news causes no
| Bayesian update. Growing up, you learn about a few of the
| worst atrocities ever committed -- the dictators, the serial
| killers, etc. Once you know these, you can derive the pattern
| of thinking behind them, an understanding of the base
| impulses of humanity at its darkest. You don't need constant
| new examples of the pattern to _remind_ you that it continues
| to happen. You can _assume_ that it continues to happen. (If
| you know this and you still feel _obsessively compelled_ to
| expose yourself to such information -- well, there 's a name
| for that.)
|
| Whereas, "good news" is frequently _useful_ news. A new
| medicine? You or a family member might live longer taking it!
| Solar panels are cheaper now? Hey, maybe you can afford them
| yourself now! There 's currently a big grassroots push to
| treat tuberculosis in developing nations? Sounds like
| something still small enough that a retweet could actually
| help it happen! And _also_ sounds like you should slightly
| update in favor of those nations becoming more developed and
| being a place you should take a vacation to one day!
| burkaman wrote:
| You can try this newsletter:
| https://futurecrunch.com/goodnews/. It didn't have that
| particular story, but there are a lot of climate-related
| headlines.
| godelski wrote:
| I stopped checking the news every day. Usually once every few
| weeks. You might think that this would lead to me being less
| informed about the world but I actually don't feel that way,
| even as my intake is still decreasing. Anything big will be
| highly visible and you'll see on many platforms (arguably this
| is news, but you all know what I mean) and people will be
| talking about it. I'll then look it up and read about it to get
| some information but don't let my life revolve around things I
| can't change or influence. Generally I feel a lot less stressed
| and happier. Around elections I read up a bit more to catch up
| but that's about it. There's just so much going on all the time
| that there's always going to be things to report but the
| difference is if that information can help me in any way or if
| that information is actionable. By getting the news late you'll
| also get it once there's a bit more clarity around the thing,
| often helping you actually understanding it.
|
| Certainly there are downsides too, but for me this has been
| beneficial. I just don't need my news to be scary TikTok (which
| I also refuse to use) and having my attention running on high
| at all times. It's too much for me to handle. YMMV
| manu3000 wrote:
| https://www.positive.news/
| ssgodderidge wrote:
| Looks like they have a related post about positive news
| stories from 2023:
|
| https://www.positive.news/society/what-went-right-
| in-2023-th...
| loeg wrote:
| Note that this flight was using carbon-based fuel that emits
| CO2 and other biproducts, it was just synthetic fuel instead of
| being pumped out the ground. I think it's mostly a marketing
| puff piece for the aerospace industry.
| Gare wrote:
| Synthetic fuels can be carbon neutral. The major question is
| if they can be produced economically.
| infotainment wrote:
| Really great to see progress on a malaria vaccine. Will be
| interesting to see if malaria can be eradicated in the coming
| decades.
| paulpauper wrote:
| _12. New anti-obesity drugs are effective_
|
| this is the big one that affects many people, about half the
| population. We need answers more than ever. Obesity out control.
| Nothing seems to work, but these drugs offer a glimmer of hope,
| but I don't think they will solve the obesity epidemic
| completely.
| talldatethrow wrote:
| I post here every now and then about how effective a vegetable
| juice diet for 90 days is. Most people respond with hate and
| general info about how unhealthy it is supposedly.
|
| At this point I have helped 4 adults (3 being 60+ yrs old) and
| myself try the diet. Even my own father.
|
| Most can't do all 90 days for whatever reason. Every single
| person that has tried it for 30 days has lost about 25 lbs. The
| ones that tried it for 60 days lost 35-40 lbs.
|
| Two of the seniors had blood tests done before and after the
| juice diet, both showed improved markers on EVERY single thing
| tracked, including blood sugar and A1C levels, even though they
| basically lived off the sugar in vegetables for 60 days.
|
| Every single person agrees that vegetable juice plus meat would
| be the ideal diet for them long term after trying it.
|
| Even with all that said, new people that year it says it
| doesn't sound healthy. If you told them your diet is 2-3 lbs of
| salad plus meat a day, they'd say ya that sounds healthy. If
| you tell them, hey, have 10 lbs of salad a day for 90 days,
| they'd say that sounds healthy but sounds too hard to eat that
| much. If you tell them, sure, why don't you juice it instead
| and make a gallon of juice, they'll say that doesn't sound
| healthy.
|
| I think weight loss is very simple. It's just not easy. And
| it's not easy to decide to try. I begged my dad for 3 years to
| try 90 days of juice, after I tried. Finally he tries it, and
| is now a believer. My mom though, seeing his great blood test
| results, and seeing him lose 35 lbs and feel great, still isn't
| convinced she could give up pastries and bread and just live
| off salad (juice) for 90 days.
|
| Heck, people will try hormone altering drugs before they try
| celary, carrot, beet, cucumber juice.
| malfist wrote:
| For every complex problem, there is a simple, easy and wrong
| answer.
|
| Crash diets like this don't work. Sure you may lose pounds
| the week or two that you try it. But what happens in 6
| months? A year? Highly unlikely to keep those pounds off.
| talldatethrow wrote:
| Well, these people lost weight for 60 days that they did
| it. And if they then transition to eating vegetables and
| meat, they keep the weight off. Pretty obvious really.
| boyka wrote:
| > improved markers on EVERY single thing tracked
|
| Sounds like such a diet could have adverse affects on TSH,
| T3/T4 and Test. Were those tracked? If so, what was the
| effect?
| talldatethrow wrote:
| I guess I didn't hear about that or ask. For them not to
| mention it I assume that being 30+ lbs overweight and
| heating junk food is detrimental to that to too, so it is
| either improved or stays the same from eating 10lbs of
| vegetable juice a day.
| luminen wrote:
| I'm a huge proponent for a produce-heavy diet, and I'm happy
| to hear your anecdotal experiences have been positive for
| yourself and others. However, I will say your statement, "If
| you tell them, hey, have 10 lbs of salad a day for 90 days,
| they'd say that sounds healthy but sounds too hard to eat
| that much." is untrue. I don't think anyone with a solid
| education in nutrition would say 10lbs of salad/day is
| healthy.
|
| Can I ask what inspired you to go down the route of vegetable
| juice, vs other dietary changes? Rapid weight loss to the
| tune of 20lb+/month is rarely a good sign, except in the
| morbidly obese. Gradual, sustainable lifestyle changes tend
| to show good, healthy results in the short and long term.
| talldatethrow wrote:
| Because I have had decades to eat a balanced diet and lose
| weight slowly. That is harder to sustain for a year for me,
| than having 1500 calories of vegetables juice for 90 days.
|
| Once done, you've broken a lot of habits. If you can stay
| away from processed snacks and huge carb heavy meals, you
| keep the weight off.
|
| Losing 35 lbs in 60 days is life changing for most people I
| think. After that it's easier to maintain a healthy diet
| imo. Keeping a healthy diet while watching yourself lose 4
| lbs a month for a year is a lot harder for people... As we
| can see from everyone constantly expanding.
| ponector wrote:
| > Most people respond with hate and general info about how
| unhealthy it is supposedly.
|
| But that is true, it is unhealthy.
|
| To get better people need a healthy food lifestyle. To cut
| calories, cut extra sugars, eat more complex and less
| processed foods.
|
| The good proposal is to not jump on whatever-style 90-days
| diet, but to embrace healthy balanced diet for all year
| round. For example, DASH diet.
|
| Ps: why to drink juice if you can eat veggies unfiltered, in
| one piece with all their nutrients?
| talldatethrow wrote:
| Because I can not get myself to eat 1500 calories of
| vegetables a day.
| ponector wrote:
| While it is good that such drug exists, it could be a wrong
| path to fight disease. Instead of fixing the root cause:
| unhealthy food habits, it reduce symptoms. People will continue
| follow unhealthy lifestyle knowing they can get a pill later.
|
| You can compare obesity with depression: both are psychological
| issues in most cases. It is easy to fight obesity - the person
| simply need to cut on calories, to get a healthy diet. However,
| it is really hard to do that on practice.
| password54321 wrote:
| When you start treating "first person with ethnic background X in
| space" as "good news", that's how you arrive at lots of effort,
| time and money being spent on pursuing objectives that have zero
| value.
| andsoitis wrote:
| > When you start treating "first person with ethnic background
| X in space" as "good news", that's how you arrive at lots of
| effort, time and money being spent on pursuing objectives that
| have zero value.
|
| Reducing barriers so that anyone can pursue their dreams seems
| like a worthwhile and _humanistic_ goal.
|
| I do, however, question the use of the label "ethnic
| background" because _everyone_ is of some ethnic group.
| CapitalistCartr wrote:
| "I do, however, question the use of the label "ethnic
| background" because everyone is of some ethnic group."
|
| That's why he wrote "ethnic background X". The X is a
| relevant part of the quote.
| password54321 wrote:
| >Reducing barriers so that anyone can pursue their dreams
| seems like a worthwhile and humanistic goal.
|
| Sure, and what you treat as a positive reward signal towards
| this goal is important. If you treat having 10% more of X in
| field Y, as a positive, then why not 20% or better yet 50%?
| It leads to artificial results.
| yes_man wrote:
| Imagine being born as a little girl in a country where women
| haven't had equal rights to men. Now if you see a woman from
| your country doing something huge (like go to space), it raises
| the bar or what you believe you can become. Not zero value
| password54321 wrote:
| Your inspiration should simply be anyone. We are all just
| human. Why is it more inspiring if they look more like you?
| piloto_ciego wrote:
| This is such a garbage response to this.
|
| You don't think it's noteworthy and "positive news" that a
| woman from a country that wouldn't let women drive just a
| little while ago is sending a female astronaut to the ISS? I
| get being irritated by weird and hyperbolic culture war
| nonsense, but this is pretty freaking amazing IMO.
|
| While KSA has a great many problems - especially in regards to
| human rights <cough MBS having people murdered, cough cough>,
| this is a positive sign that maybe those sorts of attitudes
| aren't permissible in polite company on a global stage anymore.
|
| This _is_ good news.
| password54321 wrote:
| I'm sorry I upset you over the internet, I hope you feel
| better by knowing you did not even understand what I wrote.
| piloto_ciego wrote:
| You didn't upset me, I just think you're full of it and I'm
| telling you so because clearly someone in your upbringing
| failed you. Your response is a low effort response because
| you don't actually have a point. It is standard reactionary
| nonsense, which is surprising to see here but I suppose it
| shouldn't be too surprised. "Hurr durr, DEI bad, amirite?"
| That's you, that's what you sound like. Meanwhile,
| literally one of the most monstrous and backwards countries
| for women's rights in the world has put a woman in space
| and is trying to modernize.
|
| Tell me exactly how this is encouraging efforts that have
| "zero value?" You don't think Saudi Arabia entering (albeit
| hesitantly) the 21st century is an achievement unto itself?
| You don't think it's noteworthy or admirable just because
| it's not "boots in moon dust" or whatever technical
| achievement you think is more important? Please. Take your
| 1930s mentality back to where it came from.
|
| The future isn't only for men of European ancestry.
| VoodooJuJu wrote:
| Oh, you just done a heckin badspeak.
| dang wrote:
| " _Eschew flamebait. Avoid generic tangents._ "
|
| " _Please don 't pick the most provocative thing in an article
| or post to complain about in the thread. Find something
| interesting to respond to instead._"
|
| https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
| danans wrote:
| You are assuming that the only reason Barnawi went to the ISS
| is because of her ethnicity. I looked her up, and turns out she
| is conducting experiments on ISS in her field of biomedical
| research.
|
| https://english.alarabiya.net/News/saudi-arabia/2023/05/25/S...
|
| You might counter that she was selected by the wealthy Saudi
| authorities as a PR stunt.
|
| That's probably also true to some extent, but how is that
| different than the than how space travel was used for
| PR/patriotic purposes in the US and Russia for in the past?
|
| A lot of space travel throughout it's history is openly about
| selling aspiration.
| password54321 wrote:
| >You are assuming that the only reason Barnawi went to the
| ISS is because of her ethnicity.
|
| Never said that. Just pointing out what you treat as a
| positive reward signal matters if you want to optimize for
| the goal that's actually intended here.
| danans wrote:
| > what you treat as a positive reward signal matters if you
| want to optimize for the goal that's actually intended
| here.
|
| What is this singular goal that you are implying should be
| intended here? The absolutely pure pursuit of science?
| That's never been the goal of space travel, even from it's
| inception.
| gcgbcfy wrote:
| Diseases caused by poverty eliminated by science is not really
| good news.
| chrisweekly wrote:
| Strong disagree, because "Diseases caused by poverty" is a
| GIVEN. In that context, "...eliminated by science" is
| unambiguously good news.
| ponector wrote:
| Not good? What is good thing: eliminate disease or keep it to
| spread?
| adra wrote:
| I'm just putting words into ancestors post, but my guess is
| that it's disingenuous to congratulate yourself for solving a
| man made problem. Poverty doesn't have to be a given unless
| you ascribe to specific world views. You could solve a
| disease caused by poverty, or you know.. solve poverty so
| that the need to cure this disease is zero.
| manicennui wrote:
| "First African country with shared parental leave"
|
| Based on the linked article, South Africa was already ahead of
| the US.
| jldugger wrote:
| I enjoy the idea but the implementation feels lacking: about half
| of these are statistics, which is on brand for gapminder, but
| using comparisons from several years past instead of 2022. Which
| makes it a bit less "news of 2023" and more "news of sometime in
| the past decade."
|
| Not sure if they're framing it this way to exaggerate the
| improvement or because the data reported on isn't collected
| annually.
| DrRobinson wrote:
| It's news _from_ 2023, not news about things that happened only
| in 2023. Things might have improved starting years ago but the
| research to show it wasn't finished until this year, so it's
| also about celebrating seeing progress and improvements.
|
| Limiting the list to things improving only since 2022 seems
| unnecessarily restrictive and we'd miss a lot of positive and
| interesting news.
| manicennui wrote:
| "Historic deal to protect vital water source in US"
|
| This is referring to the Colorado River, and it is WAY too
| little, and far too late. Real changes won't be made until the
| situation is dire.
| oezi wrote:
| A good list of things which shows that people strive to do better
| and that we all can work together for a better future.
|
| Renewables investments exceeding fossil ones by 1.80 USD for
| every fossil dollar and many countries seeing strong renewable
| energy growth are my highlights from the list.
|
| That world happiness is back to more than pre-pandemic levels was
| also a big surprise to me.
| jm20 wrote:
| Yeah I'm skeptical of the happiness metric. Most people living
| their day to day lives would say things still feel a lot more
| "negative" than pre-pandemic
| oezi wrote:
| Reading the linked Guardian article, apparently happiness is
| still depressed in Western countries but the advances to
| reduce human misery across the globe is compensating this.
| alexmolas wrote:
| The other day I was discussing with a coworker about the impact
| of technology in our lives. He defended that tech has a net
| negative impact overall and that we should reduce the speed at
| which we develop tech, while I was defending the opposite. News
| like these prove my point. The problems of the world will be
| solved with better technologies and more investment on research.
| 63 wrote:
| You may be working with different definitions of "technology."
| Certainly there are fields which are primarily negative and
| should slow down, just not all of them because "technology" is
| an infinitely broad term.
| ponector wrote:
| How technology can stop the war?
|
| Or stop people from abusing each other?
|
| Or decrease tensions between religion groups?
| alexmolas wrote:
| I'm going to give some speculative answers which may sound
| like science fiction. Take them with a grain of salt.
|
| > How technology can stop the war?
|
| Better technology can help countries to be more productive
| and less dependent on other countries. This would reduce
| tensions between countries and consequently reduce armed
| conflicts.
|
| > Or decrease tensions between religion groups?
|
| Tension between groups can be reduced by making people more
| aware about how people in the other group are really. For
| example, a Christian can change his mind about Muslims after
| spending time talking with a Muslim. With technology you can
| help people in different groups to understand better people
| in the other group.
|
| Of course these are speculative answers, and technology has
| been proven to be highly unpredictable (people predicting
| that in 2020 there would be flying cars) so I know my
| predictions are probably false. But they are useful to
| understand how technology can help. On the other hand,
| history shows us that technology has helped consistently the
| (read the article posted here for an extensive list of
| example).
| timeon wrote:
| > With technology you can help people in different groups
| to understand better people in the other group.
|
| Unfortunately technology was already used for the opposite
| purpose.
| ponector wrote:
| > Better technology can help countries to be more
| productive and less dependent on other countries.
|
| More productive in producing weapons for invasion. If
| country will be more dependent - they will consider
| opportunity costs of going into the war. But here we are,
| with biggest war in Europe since ww2.
|
| Looks like technology can only help people to create a more
| sophisticated ways to kill each other.
| relativ575 wrote:
| > Looks like technology can only help people to create a
| more sophisticated ways to kill each other.
|
| If technology can help to create more sophisticated way
| to kill each other, it can also be used to create the
| defense against the same. Laser can be a killing weapon,
| or can also be used to shoot down drones.
|
| And this is saying nothing about civilian application
| that save instead of killing each other.
| Towaway69 wrote:
| Technology has only magnified and accelerated human vices.
| Being able to steal billions from investors has never been
| simpler.
|
| It is the application of technology that needs to be improved.
| After all, technology does not give us anxieties, it's our own
| FOMO that causes us anxieties.
| mlinksva wrote:
| 2023, no mention of AI (which I consider hugely positive; AI that
| is, not lack of mention). Still, I appreciate the creativity.
| It's a great list, some stuff I didn't know about. #96
| (Azerbaijan/Armenia relations breakthrough) seems like really
| squinting to see a glass half full considering all of 2023.
| Here's to more in 2024, including breakthroughs in seemingly
| intractable and stupid conflicts!
| tarruda wrote:
| > which I consider hugely positive; AI that is,
|
| Why do you think AI is hugely positive?
|
| Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I see no good outcomes from the
| excessive automation that will result from advances in AI.
|
| It can make the world better to the very few that are in a
| position to leverage it, but will result in jobs disappearing
| for most of humanity.
| mlinksva wrote:
| We are incredibly wealthy by historical standards (see also
| Gapminder's long term trends linked from the OP
| https://www.gapminder.org/facts/improvements/) because all of
| the jobs of yore have disappeared, many times over, from
| "excessive" automation and other productivty increases. More
| please!
| lovecg wrote:
| Off the top of my head, protein folding and drug discovery
| have a huge potential to be extremely positive.
| roenxi wrote:
| The point of life is not to have a job. Although exactly what
| the point is after that is a religious question and hotly
| contested. Although uncomfortable in the short term, there is
| simply no point people doing work that could be profitably
| automated. There is great benefit to be had from abundance.
|
| So far pretty much all the economic upside has gone to the
| masses. The wealthy have much higher nominal wealth and no
| way to use it for themselves that hasn't existed in all of
| history. In fact, the lack of modern pyramids like what was
| built in Egypt suggests they're using resources even more
| consistently for the common good instead of monumental waste
| (heh).
| abhayhegde wrote:
| > _(which I consider hugely positive; AI that is, not lack of
| mention)._
|
| Hugely positive for whom? A big mega corporation? The average
| human being stands to benefit minimally, but in the long run
| things don't like too good if everything is up for automation.
| mlinksva wrote:
| See my reply to a similar sibling
| https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38775375
| relativ575 wrote:
| Automation is always a good thing in the long run for the
| society collectively. If you have a counter example of bad
| automation please elaborate.
|
| It's the short term pain, or individual lost that needs to be
| addressed.
| tomjen3 wrote:
| Reading through this it seems like a fucking joke: we have an
| amazing breakthrough in cancer rates not seen in 20 years (35%
| down).
|
| We should have it down to basically zero by now. This so many
| resources poured into it.
|
| The same with all the better malaria treatment - great but
| shouldn't we have fixed this problem by now?
|
| 2023 could have been a great year with advances in AI solving
| protein folding, but it turned out to be the same usual shit:
| dictators who get other people to kill so they can get rich.
| realusername wrote:
| > We should have it down to basically zero by now. This so many
| resources poured into it.
|
| That's explained by cancers being a family of decease and not a
| single decease. So it's always going to be a moving target.
| tomjen3 wrote:
| Sure, but this is targeting a specific type of cancer, not
| cancer in general. Or do you mean that breast cancer is also
| a family of disease?
| roenxi wrote:
| People have to die of something. Just make sure you don't
| expect all-cause death rate to drop to 0. Bodies decay.
| stackedinserter wrote:
| That list should be titled "100 things that sound great when read
| by a UN bureaucrat in front of other UN bureaucrats but don't
| affect your life in any meaningful way".
| malfist wrote:
| What does the United Nations have anything to do with this
| article?
| tuukkah wrote:
| Don't miss the 31 global improvement trends either:
| https://www.gapminder.org/facts/improvements/
___________________________________________________________________
(page generated 2023-12-26 23:01 UTC)