24 Things That Made the World a Better Place in 2024

Retinal Implants Restored Vision in Blind People

Science Corporation—a California-based brain-computer interface company—is developing an experimental eye implant to restore vision. After receiving the implant as part of a clinical trial, some participants could see well enough to read from a book, play cards, or fill in a crossword puzzle despite being legally blind. Read more on WIRED.

Scientists Tested a Protective Pill for Lyme Disease

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals is developing a pill for humans that could protect against tick-borne Lyme disease for several weeks at a time. In February, the Irvine, California–based biotech company announced results from a small, early-stage trial showing that 24 hours after taking the drug, it can kill ticks on people, with the effects lasting for up to 30 days. Read more on WIRED.

Weight Loss Drugs Showed Promise Against a Host of Diseases

Ozempic, Zepbound, and other GLP-1 drugs seem to boost heart health, protect the kidneys, improve sleep apnea, and lower the risk of certain obesity-related cancers. Recent studies have also hinted at their potential to treat addiction and even slow the cognitive decline that comes with dementia. Scientists are still working out exactly why they seem to have these positive effects. Read more on WIRED.

The NFL Let Players Wear Anti-Concussion Caps in Games

Fans may not have warmed to them, but Guardian Caps’ results speak for themselves—since they started being used in practices in 2022, concussions have roughly halved in these sessions. Only a handful of football players have used the caps in NFL games so far, but with the health impacts of concussion under the spotlight, expect to see them—or even more effective successors—become gradually more and more common. Read more on WIRED.

Global EV Sales Continued to Rise Strongly

November 2024 saw the most electric vehicles sold worldwide in a month ever—1.8 million—breaking a record set just the month before. EV sales have slowed in Europe but are surging in China, and globally, year-on-year growth of EVs in 2024 was about 25 percent, according to the consultancy firm Rho Motion. Read more on Euronews.

Adult Obesity in the US Fell—for the First Time in a Decade

Rates of obesity in US adults dipped slightly in 2024, halting the steady increase seen over the past decade. Observers have been quick to point to the influence of Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and other GLP-1 drugs, but researchers caution that Covid-19 may also have played a role—as it disproportionately killed Americans with obesity. Read more at CNBC.

Geneticists Solved the Mystery of Why Some Cats Are Orange

Two independent studies run by American and Japanese researchers appear to have answered the enduring question of why some cats have orange coats. It turns out the culprit is a genetic variant on cats’ X chromosome. The research also explains why tortoiseshell and calico cats tend to be females. Read more at Smithsonian Magazine.

The World’s Largest Sail Cargo Ship Successfully Crossed the Atlantic