Good News from 2025: True/False Quiz

1. Groundbreaking gene therapy was used to cure sickle cell anemia patients of the painful and sometimes deadly inherited disease.

2. Two government agencies in Scotland piloted a four-day, 32-hour work week. More than 250 employees enrolled lost no pay while mental health, productivity and morale improved.

3. Although green sea turtles were declared extinct, scientists declared the cute reptiles are actually unimportant "in the greater scheme of things."

4. The Marshall islands eradicated non-native rats from two islets, allowing birds and geckos to return and native seeds to again take root.

5. In a surprise move, Sears announced a partnership with pop star Madonna to revive 500 of the nation's defunct shopping malls as "Return to the 1980s" fever swept the retail world.

6. A $20 billion injection of US cash will relocate Alaskans facing climate change disasters to resilient new communities designed with input and know-how from tribal leaders.

7. Despite its downsides, AI may be a diagnostic powerhouse, even out-performing physicians in a study. What's more: it's affordable.

8. Although free speech and democracy remain under fire in many nations, young people in Nepal overthrew a government accused of corruption and repression of social media, a reminder of the power of the people.

9. After water was discovered on Mars in 2024, a team of fifteen Chinese astronauts and engineers has constructed the first self-sustaining colony on the red planet using solar power to drill four wells into a major aquifer.

10. The Ocean Clean Up, an effort to rid the world's oceans of garbage, is expanding to 20 rivers this year, from Los Angeles to Jamaica and Indonesia.

11. Columbia made history with a resolution that defines and protects the lands of isolated indigenous people in the Amazon, a years-long process that involved tribal communities and activist organizations.

12. Internet activism, while not a panacea for policy changes, continues to change lives and warm hearts. In December, a Tik Tocker spotlighted an 88-year-old still working full time to cover medical bills; news spread, and a fund for the man has surpassed its $1 million goal.