Ten Good Things That Happened This Year

Someone posted a huge list of GOOD things that have happened in the world this year.

1. Scientists may have found the gene responsible for ALS.  And funding for the study came from the Ice Bucket Challenge.

2. We figured out a new stem-cell therapy that can halt the effects of Multiple Sclerosis.

3. In March, 800 hostages were rescued from the terror group Boko Haram in Nigeria.

4. Solar panels in California started producing enough electricity to power six million homes, which is a new record.  And a solar-powered plane flew around the world.

5. Back in July, volunteers in India planted 50 million trees in less than 24 hours.

6. The number of wild tigers, manatees, and giant pandas is up.

7. Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an OSCAR for “The Revenant”.  Obviously not everyone thinks he deserved it, but most people do.

8. Starbucks all over the country started donating their unsold food to food banks.

9. The hole in the ozone layer finally started healing itself.  Scientists have been waiting for it to happen since we banned certain chemicals in aerosols 30 years ago.

10. We’re closer to helping paralyzed people walk again.  Just this week, scientists in Switzerland said they used a brain implant to help a paralyzed monkey walk again.  (Buzzfeed)