Finding “good news” stories isn’t easy at the moment. The silver linings, and survivor stories, are inspiring, but it can help for our own sanity to take a break from the general news cycle in favor of something more uplifting.
A number of outlets have shared various versions of a good news roundup, The Guardian’s aptly named ‘The Upside’ along with the Telegraph aim to balance the downbeat headlines with a positive weekly summary. American actor John Krasinski has also led the way with his #SomeGoodNews, a news network for good news via YouTube. Apple News, a service now used by millions globally, has a weekly roundup of good news for subscribers.
It’s easy to criticize these efforts as overly saccharine, pandering to a public that’s too immature to handle reality. I find that view naive. No one, not even Jim from The Office, is suggesting this is people’s only source of news. Rather with entertainment options curtailed from the lockdown – and the sometimes building stress that comes with months indoors – it’s perfectly acceptable to add some comfort food into a news diet.
In that spirit, here’s our take of some of the top positive stories this month that you may have missed:
Norway and the A-ha moment that made electric cars the answer
Interesting backstory story behind how Norway have become the world’s electric vehicle leader, starting in 1995, with the lead singer of the 1980s band A-ha and a converted electric Fiat Panda.
A reassuring update on why it’s ok to keep drinking coffee. In addition to improving our mood and generally making us better morning people, research links coffee to lower blood sugar, better liver health, sharper memory, protection against developing dementia, and perhaps even longer overall lifespan.
Lemur matriarchs in mood for love can’t resist flirts’ aroma
Humans are not the only primates who make an effort to smell nice when they go on a date. Scientists have revealed that male lemurs enjoy “stink flirting” by secreting a fruity and floral aroma from their wrists.
Training AI 'to translate mum's phone messages'
At present, Africa is seen as losing out in playing a role in shaping the AI future, because the majority of the continent's estimated 2,000 languages are mostly spoken and rarely documented. This article explores the power of AI as a language translation model, with the hope that in five to ten years, there will be the potential to interact with Alexa in any minority language.
Giant pumpkin rivalry brings growers together in Australia
How do you grow a large pumpkin? Good seed. Good soil. And some good luck.
Kirsty Howe is an account manager based in London