5.2 Good news in Tech, Science & Business
Looking intentionally for the good news stories
Good news stories can seem few and far at times. Here, you will find a range of good news' stories that get the discussion going with students prompted to do their own research and look for the implications and impact of their discoveries. Keeping a positive angle as well means we keep the the students' social and emotional wellbeing in mind. So whilst the story is important, the impact positive news can have on our mindsets and mental health is equally important.
The long road
The examples on this page all have something in common apart from the positive impact they might have: they are the results of collaboration, patience and sustained learning and research over many, many years. All these examples prompt students to think critically weighing up the pros and cons of these developments but they are also are required to step out of their comfort zone and think creatively about the possible impact these developments pose.
EXAMPLE 1: Cold fusion
Let's start with possibly a controversial one: in the second week of December 2022, it was announced that scientists in America had achieved a breakthrough in cold fusion. Research on cold fusion had begun in the 1950s so this has been a long road.
“Fusion has the potential to provide a near-limitless, safe, clean, source of carbon-free baseload energy,”
Dr Robbie Scott, of the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Central Laser Facility (CLF) Plasma Physics Group
Researchers have reportedly made a breakthrough in the quest to unlock a “near-limitless, safe, clean” source of energy: they have got more energy out of a nuclear fusion reaction than they put in.
Nuclear fusion involves smashing together light elements such as hydrogen to form heavier elements, releasing a huge burst of energy in the process. The approach, which gives rise to the heat and light of the sun and other stars, has been hailed as having huge potential as a sustainable, low-carbon energy source.
The Guardian, 12 December 2022[1]
EXAMPLE 2: Artificial Intelligence for eyes with Deep Mind
Opthamology might seem a rather niche area to go to for extraordinary medical advancement in the use of Artificial Intelligence. However, the research carried out at Moorfields Eye Hospital with Google Deep Mind, has proven just that. In this clip, you can find out exactly what Deep Thinking is and an appreciation for how the patience needed for scientific discovery to become a clinical reality. More time? The full video of how Pearse Keane led a team to this discovery is here.
'I am eternal optimist but I genuinely believe this could be the first autonomous AI systems to be useful by millions of patients around the world'
EXAMPLE 3: Top 10 advances in technology in 2022 (MIT)
Every year MIT publishes its list of the top 10 advances in technology for that year. What is interesting this list when it comes to discussing with students, is not what the development is but why it is important.
Have students a) discuss the potential impact of the following list of technological advances and their possible impact on the world.
b) then research the impact of these developments according to scientists and see how their own ideas were aligned with these.
The List[2]
1. The End of Passwords: 'New forms of authentication will finally let us get rid of [passwords] for good. Instead we will yse a link sent via emails, a push notification, or a biometric scan'
2. Covid Variant Tracker: 'The pandemic brought unprecedented investment in genomic sequencing and dramatically expanded the capacity for this type of monitoring around the world. Better surveillance has allowed scientists to track the spread of the covid virus and to quickly spot and warn about new variants'.
3. A Long-Lasting Grid Battery: 'We’re using more renewable power than ever. But what happens when the sun sets or the wind stops? Grid operators need a way to store electricity for later. New iron-based batteries may be up to the task'.
4. AI for Protein Folding: 'Nearly everything your body does, it does with proteins. And the way a protein folds determines its activity. But figuring out proteins’ structure can take months. Now an AI called AlphaFold2 has solved this longstanding biological puzzle, which could make it possible to quickly design drugs for a wide range of diseases'.
5. Proof or Stake: Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin use huge amounts of electricity. This is due to the way transactions are verified, which now requires significant computing power. Proof of stake offers a way to verify transactions without using so much energy'.
6. A Pill for Covid: ' A new drug from Pfizer provides effective and broad protection against the covid-19 virus, including the newest variants'.
7. Practical Fusion Reactors: ' The promise of limitless, carbon-free electricity has for decades inspired researchers to try to make fusion power work. Now one startup plans to deliver it to the grid by the early 2030s'.
8. Synthetic Data for AI: 'Training AI requires vast amounts of data ...[but] ... that data is messy or reflects real-world biases, or there are privacy concerns around the information included. Some companies are starting to create and sell synthetic data to avoid these problems'.
9. Carbon Removal Factory: 'Reducing emissions is a key step to mitigating climate change. But it’s not enough, according to the UN. To avoid catastrophic future warming, we must also remove carbon dioxide from the air. The world’s biggest carbon removal factory recently opened in Iceland.'
10. Aging Clocks: 'DNA markers are making it possible to track the aging process in real time, and helping scientists understand why people age at different rates'.
EXAMPLE 4: The development of a Malaria vaccine
Watch this video and consider why it has been so difficult to make a malaria vaccine and what needs to happen to make this development truly world-changing.
Ozone layer recovery
Impacts on climate change
“Ozone action sets a precedent for climate action. Our success in phasing out ozone-eating chemicals shows us what can and must be done – as a matter of urgency – to transition away from fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gases and so limit temperature increase,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas'.
Full article: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/ozone-layer-recovery-track-helping-avoid-global-warming-05degc
It's an interesting dynamic to consider that many teachers who have forged their careers in this century, grew up in the tail-end decades of the last knowing that the ozone layer was in dire trouble; possibly the start of climate change being in the public consciousness. Now shift forward to the new year of 2023 and for the first time we are hearing the words 'recovery' albeit still in a number of years to come. It's interesting to consider the effect of this potential piece of good news on both the mindset of educators and students alike.
What is the good news?
Take a look at this excerpt from the UN Environment Programme and ask yourself what needed to happen to get these results? What role did collaboration and international-mindedness play?
'NAIROBI, 9 January 2023 – The ozone layer is on track to recover within four decades, with the global phaseout of ozone-depleting chemicals already benefitting efforts to mitigate climate change. This is the conclusion of a UN-backed panel of experts, presented today at the American Meteorological Society’s 103rd annual meeting. Examining novel technologies such as geoengineering for the first time, the panel warns of unintended impacts on the ozone layer.
On track to full recovery
The UN-backed Scientific Assessment Panel to the Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances quadrennial assessment report, published every four years, confirms the phase out of nearly 99% of banned ozone-depleting substances. The Montreal Protocol has thus succeeded in safeguarding the ozone layer, leading to notable recovery of the ozone layer in the upper stratosphere and decreased human exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun.
If current policies remain in place, the ozone layer is expected to recover to 1980 values (before the appearance of the ozone hole) by around 2066 over the Antarctic, by 2045 over the Arctic and by 2040 for the rest of the world. Variations in the size of the Antarctic ozone hole, particularly between 2019 and 2021, were driven largely by meteorological conditions. Nevertheless, the Antarctic ozone hole has been slowly improving in area and depth since the year 2000.'[3]
UN Environment Programme, 9/1/2023
Full article: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/ozone-layer-recovery-track-helping-avoid-global-warming-05degc
Footnotes
- ^ The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/12/breakthrough-in-nuclear-fusion-could-mean-near-limitless-energy
- ^ https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/02/23/1045416/10-breakthrough-technologies-2022/?gclid=CjwKCAiAkrWdBhBkEiwAZ9cdcJuxlzgbtFdB4JswUGBDAUouj5qXI2qReLHZT88OGX5S-pAaNYjWjhoCtr8QAvD_BwE
- ^ UN Environment Programme, https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/ozone-layer-recovery-track-helping-avoid-global-warming-05degc