this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2023

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What were some good things humans achieved in 2023? (lemmy.eco.br)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

51 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Anything exciting going on in your field of work this year? Or breakthroughs in science, new technologies developed, things like that.

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[–] [email protected] 89 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

The end-of-year numbers aren't in yet, but 2023 should be the year that wind and solar finally generate more electricity than coal here in the US.
https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/report/BTL/2023/02-genmix/article.php

For new generation projects coming online in 2023, 86% of the electricity is from non-fossil sources. The generation capacity that was retired in 2023 was all fossil based.
https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/articles/fotw-1304-august-21-2023-2023-non-fossil-fuel-sources-will-account-86-new

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

Wow that's pretty great.

I thought you guys were on par with Australia but in fact you're making us look bad - that's great.

[–] [email protected] 77 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The first CRISPR gene editing treatment for sickle cell disease was approved. An amazing start to what I hope is a future of cures for various genetic diseases.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-approves-cure-sickle-cell-disease-first-treatment-use-gene-editing-rcna127979

[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago

The FDA also approved the world's first RSV vaccine. If you've noticed a lot of ad-campaigns for it this year, that's why.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-vaccine

[–] [email protected] 55 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Dracunculiasis (disease caused by Guinea worm infection in humans) is almost eradicated. We hit a new all-time low for known cases: 13 last year, and now only 3 in the first half of 2023.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7245a4.htm

https://www.cartercenter.org/health/guinea_worm/index.html

[–] AFLYINTOASTER 13 points 10 months ago

LFG Humanity! We fuckin WIN THESE go TEAM

[–] Anticorp 50 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Humanity was able to experience Baldur's Gate 3.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

More importantly, IMO: The Talos Principle 2

[–] EightLeggedFreak 2 points 10 months ago

It snuck up on me. I love the first game, completed it and the dlc 100%. The first time I heard anything about the sequel was less than a week before launch. I broke the sacred code and preordered. I don't have much time to play, but I'm making my way through the gate puzzles now.

[–] RGB3x3 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I've just started it and my party died basically right after getting on land to those brain creatures.

I'm loving it.

[–] Anticorp 2 points 10 months ago

I almost died there too on my first playthrough. Those things are tough when you're level one!

[–] [email protected] 33 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Honestly, AI has been helping me a lot as a student and someone that just likes to research stuff. It's development over the last year has been incredible.

[–] themurphy 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It has made my work life much easier too, and I have coded stuff that automated my job without knowing anything about code.

It's incredible.

[–] Wiggums 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

what kind of work do you do that it's helped in?

[–] themurphy -1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I work in media so at first I didn't think it could help me much.

But I've used ChatGPT to automise exports of PDFs/image files, used it to rename extreme large number of documents at the same time, used it to pull data from Excel into my Adobe Programs, used it to create customised scripts with use of the Adobe Script to match my work flow.

Adobes own generative AI in Photoshop and Illustrator is also very helpful in specific situations.

And then I use DeepL (free) for every translation.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

These all genuinely sound like simple search engine searches to me?

[–] themurphy 1 points 10 months ago

Maybe I explained it bad then, because it's not. It would not be possible without ChatGPT with me.

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[–] RedditRefugee69 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Wait, how?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

"I keep getting this bug and I'm not sure about my inputs because it's a different branch oof my specific field. What does this mean?"

(Long mostly right answer that point me in the right direction)

[–] RedditRefugee69 1 points 10 months ago

Thank you for the response. Which AI program do you use to help?

[–] MissJinx 27 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Well I work in cybersecurity so everyday is a new year

[–] them 10 points 10 months ago

Is this a joke about every day being a 0-day?

[–] hashferret 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'm so tired.

[–] MissJinx 5 points 10 months ago

some bro, same

[–] macattack 21 points 10 months ago (2 children)

This was yesterday: https://www.vice.com/en/article/4a35kp/scientists-have-reported-a-breakthrough-in-understanding-whale-language

[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago

They could have just consulted Dory.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

This makes me hyped as someone who has mentioned the dolphin side of things. These advances have arguably been the biggest upside of lockdown.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago (1 children)

We started deploying malaria vaccines!

[–] Newguy 2 points 10 months ago

Right on!

[–] focusforte 18 points 10 months ago (1 children)

John Green and Nerdfighteria was able to pressure Johnson and Johnson to give millions access to life saving tuberculosis medication

[–] semperverus 2 points 9 months ago

I love how war-driven John Green is against tuberculosis

[–] focusforte 15 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

There was a breakthrough in cat medicine research that is showing promising results in doubling the lifespan of cats.

Edit: Sorry for leaving y'all in suspense, I didn't remember exactly what it was at the time of commenting, but I found it https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/focus/en/features/z1304_00039.html

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Please elaborate/link, I'd be very interested to read about this.

[–] focusforte 2 points 10 months ago

https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/focus/en/features/z1304_00039.html

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, I'm piling up here, with the same request, link OP!

[–] focusforte 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/focus/en/features/z1304_00039.html

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So it prolonges lifespan in cats with kidney disease.

Good for the cats but it's not prolonging a healthy cats lifespan it seems.

[–] focusforte 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Most cats do die of kidney related issues, so by addressing that very common cause of death with cats, you're effectively doubling the average lifespan still.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Fair enough. A shame it doesn't transpose to the human condition.

[–] vladmech 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Like we’re talking from 14-18 to 28-36ish???

[–] focusforte 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/focus/en/features/z1304_00039.html

[–] vladmech 2 points 10 months ago

That was a super interesting read, thank you for sharing it!

[–] victorz 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Is that a good thing? 🫣

[–] focusforte 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yes!

[–] victorz 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I dunno, I had cats who lived to be like 18-19 years, so almost two decades. I can't imagine how miserable they'd be if they lived to be 40...

[–] focusforte 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Cats have an average lifespan of about 15 years, so it's doubling from 15 to 30 on average.

[–] victorz 1 points 10 months ago

Still, that's a lot.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

A multi-material 3D inkjet printer. Most of the rest of science news too.

We have just set up a fund for poor countries effected by climate change.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

https://humanprogress.org/trends/

[–] massacre 1 points 9 months ago

We are getting very close to approval of Melanoma vaccines. https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/14/health/moderna-merck-melanoma-vaccine-immunotherapy/index.html

For those not aware, Melanomas are not only one of the deadliest and most common cancers, it isn't really very treatable with chemotherapies or radiation. And yes, Fuck cancer - we're coming for you, bitch!

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