24 Things That Made the World a Better Place in 2024

Wired [unpaywalled] : “Let’s face it—2024 has felt at times like a relentless conveyor belt of doom. The climate crisis is still gaining momentum, COP underlined the lack of consensus on what to do about it, and attempts to create a plastics treaty failed. Political violence rose to the surface in the US, and there was an election result that foretells four years of chaos and persecution for many. And war, conflict, and violence continue to afflict millions worldwide, from the DRC to South Sudan, Haiti to Yemen, Ukraine to Gaza. But in the midst of the darkness, there were some bright rays of light. Scientists made big strides in countering some of the greatest health problems faced by humanity. Efforts to fight climate change have pressed on. And a cute baby hippo bit her zookeeper’s knee in a fit of childish rage, launching a thousand memes. Here’s our rundown of the best news to come out of 2024.

• In 2020, homicides in US cities rose on average by 30 percent—the largest recorded spike in American history. They remained high for several years, before beginning to fall, and are now projected to return to pre-2020 levels for the first time. Data suggests that male unemployment and school closures, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, as a result of the pandemic were the key drivers of the rise in violence. Read more on Brookings…”