24 Things That Made the World a Better Place in 2024

Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral Reopened

It’s been a tumultuous year in French politics, but there was at least some good news at the end of 2024: After being badly damaged by a fire in its roof-space in 2019, Notre Dame reopened its doors in December after five years of repair and renovation works. The cathedral boasts a new altar and a dazzling ivory-colored interior. Repair works are continuing on the exterior of the building. Read more on the Guardian.

The US Homicide Rate Continued to Decline

In 2020, homicides in US cities rose on average by 30 percent—the largest recorded spike in American history. They remained high for several years, before beginning to fall, and are now projected to return to pre-2020 levels for the first time. Data suggests that male unemployment and school closures, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, as a result of the pandemic were the key drivers of the rise in violence. Read more on Brookings.

One of the World’s Rarest Cats Is No Longer Endangered

The Iberian lynx, one the rarest species of cat in the world, is no longer classified as endangered. There are now thought to be more than 2,000 of these wild cats spread across Spain and Portugal—up from just 62 mature cats back in 2001. Read more on the BBC.

EVs Are Lasting Longer Than Predicted

Rather than having a shorter lifespan than internal combustion engines, as everyone thought, EV batteries may actually last longer. Warranties typically cover EV batteries for eight years, but they look like they might last for up to 20. But right now it is hard to be certain—there are very few EVs on the road that are even a decade old. Read more on WIRED.

These Guys Hacked AirPods to Give Their Grandmas Hearing Aids

When Apple released a software update that enabled its AirPods Pro 2 earbuds to act as hearing aids, Rithwik Jayasimha rushed out to get some for his grandma—only to realize location restrictions meant the feature didn’t work in India. Most people would just admit defeat, but Jayasimha grabbed two friends, some foil, and a microwave, and set to work building a homemade device to get rid of the geolocation restrictions. Read more on WIRED.

A Baby Pygmy Hippo Conquered the Internet

In July, a global sensation was born. Since being revealed to the public on July 25 at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand, Moo Deng (which translates as “Bouncy Pork”) has become one of the most recognizable faces of the internet. Sure, she’s cute. But what’s propelled her to stardom is her sassy personality: sitting in her mom’s food bowl, biting her zookeeper, charging around her enclosure, and screaming. In 2024, lots of people could relate. Read more at The New York Times.