24 Things That Made the World a Better Place in 2024

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has reopened

It’s been a tense year in French politics, but there was at least some good news at the end of 2024: After being badly damaged by fire in the roof space in 2019, Notre Dame reopened its doors in December after five years of repairs and renovations. The cathedral boasts a new altar and a shiny ivory-colored interior. The exterior of the building is under renovation. Read more guardian.

The US homicide rate continues to decline

In 2020, homicides in U.S. cities increased by an average of 30 percent—the largest recorded spike in American history. They were at high levels for several years before starting to decline and are now projected to return to pre-2020 levels for the first time. The data suggest that male unemployment and school closures, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, were key drivers of increased violence as a result of the epidemic. Read more Brookings.

One of the world’s rarest cats is no longer endangered

The Iberian lynx, one of the world’s rarest cat species, is no longer classified as endangered. There are thought to be more than 2,000 of these feral cats across Spain and Portugal – in 2001 there were only 62 mature cats. Read more BBC.

EVs last longer than predicted

Instead of having a shorter lifespan than internal combustion engines, as everyone thought, EV batteries can actually last longer. Warranties typically cover EV batteries for eight years, but they appear to last up to 20 But it’s hard to be sure right now—there are very few EVs on the road that are even a decade old Read more wired.

These guys hacked AirPods to give their grandma hearing aids

When Apple released a software update that enabled its AirPods Pro 2 earbuds to act as hearing aids, Hrithik Jayasimha rushed to get some for his grandmother — only to realize the feature doesn’t work in India due to location limitations. Most people would just admit defeat, but Jayasimha grabbed two friends, some foil and a microwave and set to work creating a homemade device to break free of geo-restrictions. Read more wired.

A baby pygmy hippo has conquered the internet

In July there was a worldwide stir. Since being released to the public on July 25 at Thailand’s Khao Khe Open Zoo, Mu Deng (which translates as “bouncy pork”) has become one of the most recognizable faces on the internet. Of course, she is beautiful. But what propelled her to stardom was her sassy personality: sitting on her mother’s food bowl, biting her pet, charging around her enclosure and screaming. In 2024, lots of people can relate. Read more at New York Times.