Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Five real advances in science, medicine, technology, and the environment, each verified against the original reporting. In this episode: Light-activated eye drops restored light perception in blind animal models without gene therapy or implants; An at-home urine test called Galeas detected 92 percent of bladder cancer cases in an NHS trial of nearly; Nearly 50 million children have been displaced by conflict and violence, and play-based interventions by; A 10% increase in broadband adoption across a community corresponds to a 1.19% reduction in waiting time; MIT researchers developed an electrochemical system that extracts pure hydrogen from ammonia at substantially.
Five Things Going Right is a daily five-minute podcast covering real, verifiable progress in science, medicine, technology, and the environment. Every weekday, hosts Grace and Josh walk through five stories that actually happened, each checked against the original reporting from sources like the WHO, the IEA, Nature, and university research. A calm, fact-grounded start to your day. New episodes every weekday morning.
Welcome, this is Five Things Going Right, the news that's actually good. Five stories, five minutes, all of them true. Hi everyone, I'm Grace, and today is Thursday, September 10th, 2026. And I'm Josh. We've got some fascinating stories lined up for you today, Grace. Let's jump right into it. Scientists at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia have been working on something pretty groundbreaking. They've developed light-activated compounds that could potentially restore light perception in cases of degenerative blindness. That's right, Grace. These compounds were tested in blind animal models and showed promising results, allowing for visually guided behavior without the need for gene therapy, implants, or specialized equipment. What's really exciting is that two of these compounds worked when applied as ordinary eyedrops. The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, specifically targets conditions like age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. Together, these conditions affect about 200 million people worldwide. It's important to note, though, that while these results are promising in animal models, human efficacy and safety are still unproven. An NHS trial has been testing an at-home urine test called GLAIS for bladder cancer. This trial involved nearly a thousand patients across seven hospitals in England and Scotland. The test detected 92% of bladder cancer cases, and if the result was negative, there was better than a 99% chance the patient was in the clear. Developed at the University of Birmingham with funding from Cancer Research UK, the results were published in European Neurology Oncology. However, it's not a replacement for cystoscopy, which is still the definitive method for diagnosis. Exactly. Grace, the test is intended to help determine who needs a cystoscopy urgently and who can wait, but its clinical impact will depend on implementation decisions that haven't been made yet. Let's talk about the impact of play for children displaced by conflict. According to UNICEF, nearly 50 million children have been displaced due to conflict and violence. Charities like Right to Play are stepping in with play-based programs aimed at restoring psychological well-being and supporting learning for these children. The report doesn't specify how many children Right to Play currently serves or how long-lasting the benefits are after the program's end, but the initiative is certainly a step in the right direction. Now, on to something a bit different – broadband access and its impact on time management. Researchers have been looking into whether broadband internet can improve how Americans use their time. They found that a 10% increase in broadband adoption across a community corresponds to a 1.19% reduction in waiting time, saving about one and a half hours per person each year. However, the analysis doesn't address whether moving services online might disadvantage people without broadband access or those facing digital literacy barriers. Finally, researchers at MIT have developed an electrochemical system that can extract pure hydrogen from ammonia at much lower temperatures than traditional methods. Ammonia is an attractive hydrogen carrier because it's easily stored and transported, but breaking it down usually requires high temperatures and additional purification. This new method shows promise at the lab scale, but there's no deployment timeline, scalability data, or cost comparison to existing methods like STEAM reforming yet. It's an exciting development, though, and we'll be keeping an eye on how this progresses. That's all for today's episode. Thanks for tuning in. We'll catch you next time. Stay informed! That's it for today. That was 5 Things Going Right. Come back tomorrow for five more.