"Whales Use Vowels In Their Speech" And 14 Other Good Things Happening In The World Right Now

"Someone needs to tell those rhinos they need to get busy. We’re cheering for them."

Thanks to the cold weather (and the fact it gets dark way too early), I think we're all in need of some cheering up...

NBC

So, when I saw that u/Orikrin1998 asked "what is something GOOD going on in the world that a lot of people aren’t aware of?" I decided to round up some of the best answers:

1. "They're successfully rewilding beavers in the UK."

Troy Harrison / Getty Images

u/pecuchet 

"This honestly makes me so happy!"  

u/Frankyfan3

It was reported that two beavers would return to London for the first time in 400 years to help create a healthier ecosystem.

2. "An eastern black rhino was just born, a complete surprise to the rangers who protect the 1,000 remaining in the community."

Chester Zoo

"They are critically endangered, the rarest of the subspecies, and this is a monumental occasion."

u/HarmonicasAndHisses

"Someone needs to tell those rhinos they need to get busy. We’re cheering for them."  

u/Jonk3r

Chester Zoo welcomed the birth of an eastern black rhino calf mid-November, a positive step in safeguarding the species.

3. "There was just a breakthrough in understanding whale language."

Sciepro / Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF

u/hellocutiepye 

Researchers have identified new elements of whale vocalisations, including the use of vowels and change in pitch. They identified in conversation between whales that they exchange "coda-vowels" in which they term the a-vowel and i-vowel. 

4. "Teen pregnancy rates hit a historic low in 2022."

Tmarvin / Getty Images

u/MassConsumer1984 

This report was found in the US, with their teen birth rate continuously declining since 1991. It's thought this is mostly down to teenagers abstaining from sex, as well as more access to contraceptive measures.

5. "The ozone layer is thickening!"

Grant Faint / Getty Images

u/Mysterious-Estate470

"The ozone is easily our best example of how we CAN effectively work to repair environmental damages."  

u/Robofetus-5000

6. "Sodium-ion batteries might start replacing lithium-ion batteries soon which would be much better for the environment and generally cheaper or more convenient."

Jose A. Bernat Bacete / Getty Images

u/Orangey82

7. "CRISPR treatment has just been FDA approved to cure sickle cell disease."

Artur Plawgo / Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF

u/Downtown-Aardvark934

"This is huge, the burden sickle cell disease places on people and families throughout their lifespan is awful, unpredictable, and expensive."  

u/applecat117

8. "My older cat has completely accepted the new kitten I adopted. I’ve become the third wheel at home and I couldn’t be happier about it. Small positive."

Akimasa Harada / Getty Images

u/SLK93SA

9. "I’m a teacher and my class is super kind and well behaved for the most part. Gives me a little faith in our future."

10'000 Hours / Getty Images

u/LostFaithlessness485

10. "The expansion of renewable energy sources. Many countries are making big moves with wind and solar power. It's a positive development for the environment and the future, even if it doesn't always receive widespread attention."

Tigerstrawberry / Getty Images/iStockphoto

u/portlybeginner

11. "Researchers have successfully cured HIV in several non-human primates. We’re closer to a real cure!"

Abraham Gonzalez Fernandez / Getty Images

u/la_metisse

12. "John and Hank Green have been working with Partners in Health to build a centre for maternal excellence in Sierra Leone, a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, and they’ve made significant progress."

Taylor Hill / Monica Schipper / Getty Images

u/upsidedowngingertea

13. "AI in the medical world is making AMAZING advancements."

Picture Alliance / dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images

u/zordabo 

14. "Polio is almost eradicated. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only places that still have it in the wild, and only a handful of cases were reported in 2023."

The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Images

u/zerbey 

15. "The golden mole that had not been seen since 1937 has been rediscovered in South Africa."

Nicky Souness

"It was previously considered extinct: 'It gets its golden name from oily secretions that lubricate its fur so it can 'swim' through sand dunes. This means it does not create conventional tunnels, making it all the harder to detect.'

Thanks to a two-year search by conservationists and a border collie, they found the golden mole once more."

elizabeth_cotton

H/T to u/Orikrin1998 and Ask Reddit for having this discussion!

Note: All submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Are there any good things happening that you want to share? Let us know in the comments below!