this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2023
157 points (99.4% liked)

Asklemmy

44305 readers
1192 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy πŸ”

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_[email protected]~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

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

all 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 89 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year ago

LFG Humanity! We fuckin WIN THESE go TEAM

[–] Anticorp 50 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Humanity was able to experience Baldur's Gate 3.

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

More importantly, IMO: The Talos Principle 2

[–] EightLeggedFreak 2 points 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year ago

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

[–] MissJinx 27 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Well I work in cybersecurity so everyday is a new year

[–] them 10 points 1 year ago

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

[–] hashferret 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] MissJinx 5 points 1 year ago

some bro, same

[–] macattack 21 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago

They could have just consulted Dory.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year 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 1 year ago (1 children)

We started deploying malaria vaccines!

[–] Newguy 2 points 1 year ago
[–] focusforte 18 points 1 year 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 1 year ago

I love how war-driven John Green is against tuberculosis

[–] focusforte 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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 1 year ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] focusforte 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year 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 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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 1 year ago

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

[–] vladmech 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] focusforte 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] vladmech 2 points 1 year ago

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

[–] victorz 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is that a good thing? 🫣

[–] focusforte 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] victorz 2 points 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year ago

Still, that's a lot.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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.

[–] massacre 1 points 1 year 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!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago