50 votes

Good News - A thread and a challenge

Posted by DefinitelyNotAFae
Tags: ask.discussion, uplifting, positivity, joy, happiness, wins

I want to set a challenge for myself and any others willing (challenge by choice) to find and post some good news today (and tomorrow and the next day) People helping each other out, new discoveries, wins, joys, small happinesses.

Even if it's good in the face of bad, even if it's the sort of good that can also remind you that shit's fucked up. For this thread, we focus on the good and we don't let the fact there's still also bad in the world drag us down? That's my ask!

32 comments

  1. [3]
    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link
    Portland’s Heretic Coffee is offering free 'SNAP breakfast' They're a volunteer run shop and have already had hundreds of people ask to help cover the cost. (And there's a donation link in the...

    Portland’s Heretic Coffee is offering free 'SNAP breakfast'

    “NO ONE should have to worry about their next meal. Portland fam, we know it’s not much, but we’ll do our best to keep you fed. Starting November 1st, each day 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.”

    They're a volunteer run shop and have already had hundreds of people ask to help cover the cost. (And there's a donation link in the article if people feel so inclined.)

    21 votes
    1. Carrow
      Link Parent
      -Mister Rogers As of yesterday, over 2,000 folks have helped, raising over $86k. Portland never had need of an intervention for what rot is blasted on certain networks....

      When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.

      -Mister Rogers

      As of yesterday, over 2,000 folks have helped, raising over $86k. Portland never had need of an intervention for what rot is blasted on certain networks.

      https://www.oregonlive.com/food/2025/10/portland-coffee-shop-raises-over-72000-to-feed-people-losing-snap-benefits.html

      10 votes
  2. [3]
    Aerrol
    Link
    In response to Alberta's insane right wing Premier trying to push separatism, a grassroots movement to push for a referendum to drop the topic blew the requirements out of the water. For...

    In response to Alberta's insane right wing Premier trying to push separatism, a grassroots movement to push for a referendum to drop the topic blew the requirements out of the water.

    For reference, 456,000 people is ~10.6% of the entire population of the province!

    16 votes
    1. [2]
      kingofsnake
      Link Parent
      I was going to post about this! Amazing news, and the type to make Dani nervous about radical moves going forward. I'm also hoping that Nicholides is recalled and that the government using the...

      I was going to post about this! Amazing news, and the type to make Dani nervous about radical moves going forward.

      I'm also hoping that Nicholides is recalled and that the government using the notwithstanding clause in the Charter triggers a general strike as well. If everything coalesces at once, maybe Albertans will begin paying attention.

      5 votes
      1. lackofaname
        Link Parent
        Same! Seeing how far they overshot the minimum required votes was such a pleasant surprise. For those unfamiliar with the story, the signatures had to be physical (a digital petition wouldn't have...

        Same! Seeing how far they overshot the minimum required votes was such a pleasant surprise.

        For those unfamiliar with the story, the signatures had to be physical (a digital petition wouldn't have cut it).

        3 votes
  3. [3]
    V17
    Link
    A new hair loss drug is in the works, in macaques (who apparently experience balding like humans do) it can not slow down but reverse balding and even greying of hair. This may seem like a minor...

    A new hair loss drug is in the works, in macaques (who apparently experience balding like humans do) it can not slow down but reverse balding and even greying of hair.

    This may seem like a minor thing for a "good news" thread, though I think even that on its own is pretty great. However, what is great news is that it's a novel drug that was developed with the help of AI and the process was dramatically cheap and fast:

    ABS-201 will enter clinical trials in Australia this December; they will be overseen by Rodney Sinclair, MD, a dermatologist and expert in hair loss. According to McClain, ABS-201 developed in record time. Getting a drug into clinical trials typically takes around five years and as much as $100 million, whereas the new injectable took just 24 months to develop at a cost of $15 million.

    This I see as great news for drug development in general.

    9 votes
    1. [2]
      DefinitelyNotAFae
      Link Parent
      Nah it's pretty great even on its own, hair loss treatment is gender affirming care and I support it! Cautiously optimistic that the AI process here is one of those that's different than all the...

      Nah it's pretty great even on its own, hair loss treatment is gender affirming care and I support it!

      Cautiously optimistic that the AI process here is one of those that's different than all the LLM hallucinating sorts and just unfortunately gets the same name?

      6 votes
      1. V17
        Link Parent
        I haven't had time to read up on it more, but I assume it's something specialized like AlphaFold.

        I haven't had time to read up on it more, but I assume it's something specialized like AlphaFold.

        5 votes
  4. [3]
    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link
    Powered by mushrooms, living computers are on the rise

    Powered by mushrooms, living computers are on the rise

    [R]esearchers from The Ohio State University recently discovered that common edible fungi, such as shiitake mushrooms, can be grown and trained to act as organic memristors, a type of data processor that can remember past electrical states

    Their findings showed that these shiitake-based devices not only demonstrated similar reproducible memory effects to semiconductor-based chips but could also be used to create other types of low-cost, environmentally friendly, brain-inspired computing components.

    8 votes
    1. [2]
      doors_cannot_stop_me
      Link Parent
      If the fair folk get computers it's all ogre!

      If the fair folk get computers it's all ogre!

      2 votes
      1. DefinitelyNotAFae
        Link Parent
        Yes. It would be so bad. If that were. To happen. Indeed. That is how humans feel about this.

        Yes. It would be so bad. If that were. To happen.

        Indeed. That is how humans feel about this.

        5 votes
  5. [9]
    all_summer_beauty
    Link
    /meta I love this idea. It would great as a weekly recurring thread. Is that something deimos/cfabbro/mycketforvirrad/etc have to do?

    /meta

    I love this idea. It would great as a weekly recurring thread. Is that something deimos/cfabbro/mycketforvirrad/etc have to do?

    8 votes
    1. [5]
      cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      The way that the other official "Scheduled topics" have typically come about is by someone manually posting a recurring topic weekly/biweekly/monthly, and the ones that continued to get engagement...

      The way that the other official "Scheduled topics" have typically come about is by someone manually posting a recurring topic weekly/biweekly/monthly, and the ones that continued to get engagement over a long enough period were eventually automated by Deimos when that was requested by the community. So this topic can definitely eventually become one as well. Someone, whether that's DefinitelyNotAFae or even yourself, just has to keep posting a new topic with the same purpose every week until it can also be deemed worthy of becoming an official Scheduled topic too.

      4 votes
      1. [3]
        DefinitelyNotAFae
        Link Parent
        Happy to try to make it a thing

        Happy to try to make it a thing

        7 votes
        1. all_summer_beauty
          Link Parent
          And I'm happy to help if need be! If you ever want someone else to just take care of it, let me know.

          And I'm happy to help if need be! If you ever want someone else to just take care of it, let me know.

          2 votes
        2. dirthawker
          Link Parent
          Given that nearly all my social media is politics (I really need to get a life) and thus highly depressing, I'm definitely needing to see more uplifting stuff.

          Given that nearly all my social media is politics (I really need to get a life) and thus highly depressing, I'm definitely needing to see more uplifting stuff.

          2 votes
      2. all_summer_beauty
        Link Parent
        Got it! Thanks for the explanation, I couldn't remember how those initially got started.

        Got it! Thanks for the explanation, I couldn't remember how those initially got started.

        1 vote
    2. [3]
      Captain_calico
      Link Parent
      Can we also include personal wins or good news as well?

      Can we also include personal wins or good news as well?

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        all_summer_beauty
        Link Parent
        Seems like that's within the scope of Fae's idea!

        People helping each other out, new discoveries, wins, joys, small happinesses.

        Seems like that's within the scope of Fae's idea!

        3 votes
  6. DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link
    'Chunkosaurus Rex' wins Texas' inaugural Fat Squirrel Week - UPI.com Move over Fat Bear Week, it's Fat Squirrel Week now! The rest of the final four were Chunk Norris, Stanley 'The Texas Tank's,...

    'Chunkosaurus Rex' wins Texas' inaugural Fat Squirrel Week - UPI.com

    Move over Fat Bear Week, it's Fat Squirrel Week now!

    The rest of the final four were Chunk Norris, Stanley 'The Texas Tank's, and Nutella. Find Chunkosaurus Red at Dinosaur Valley State Park if you feel like visiting.

    (Idk the predators there but I do worry this competition risks a lot more turnover than fat bear week does and it's already sad when a bear doesn't return from hibernation. However it's so cute and anything that gets people interested in state parks is great!)

    7 votes
  7. lackofaname
    Link
    Guelph Ontario researchers donate 5,000 pounds of beans to food bank. A nice little story highlighting a way of diverting food to those in need. I've never really thought of where agricultural...

    Guelph Ontario researchers donate 5,000 pounds of beans to food bank.

    A nice little story highlighting a way of diverting food to those in need. I've never really thought of where agricultural research and breeding program products end up, beyond tilling/composting.

    7 votes
  8. [2]
    Foreigner
    Link
    Sam Bentley runs a Youtube channel that shares good news on a monthly basis: https://youtube.com/@itssambentley I really recommend checking it out. You'd be surprised just how many good things are...

    Sam Bentley runs a Youtube channel that shares good news on a monthly basis: https://youtube.com/@itssambentley

    I really recommend checking it out. You'd be surprised just how many good things are happening around the world that you never hear about. Some of them might be happening right at your doorstep.

    6 votes
    1. DefinitelyNotAFae
      Link Parent
      I think that's great, if the spirit moves you, find one to share here?

      I think that's great, if the spirit moves you, find one to share here?

      5 votes
  9. [2]
    patience_limited
    Link
    More good fungus news, this time a potential safe replacement for the PFOA-contaminated fluorinated coatings that make paper containers and fabrics waterproof. An edible fungus could make paper...

    More good fungus news, this time a potential safe replacement for the PFOA-contaminated fluorinated coatings that make paper containers and fabrics waterproof.

    An edible fungus could make paper and fabric liquid-proof

    4 votes
  10. ahatlikethat
    Link
    Texas church paints rainbow steps in response to Abbott funding threat Quote from article:

    Texas church paints rainbow steps in response to Abbott funding threat

    Quote from article:

    "Silence in the face of harm always sides with the oppressor,” said Rachel Griffin-Allison, the church's senior pastor. "Painting our steps in the colors of the rainbow is a visible witness to the gospel we preach: that every person is created in the image of God and worthy of safety, dignity and belonging."

    4 votes
  12. [2]
    nothis
    Link
    I subscribe to this newsletter for a while now, and it tends to be a highlight of the week: https://fixthenews.com/

    I subscribe to this newsletter for a while now, and it tends to be a highlight of the week:

    https://fixthenews.com/

    1 vote
    1. DefinitelyNotAFae
      Link Parent
      Once again, I encourage you to post a specific good news story here!

      Once again, I encourage you to post a specific good news story here!

      2 votes