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Five real advances in science, medicine, technology, and the environment, each verified against the original reporting. In this episode: More than 28,000 people killed themselves with guns last year, representing more than half of all suicide; Cornell University scientists demonstrated a chemical bath method to restore aging EV batteries without; A Brazilian Cerrado savannah restoration program is working to restore 4.4 million acres and was honored as; Molly Lambert, diagnosed with OCD and panic disorder in 2025, has spoken about the condition on television; UK researchers at the John Innes Centre have identified how plant defense receptors (tandem kinase proteins).
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 I'm Josh. Today is Thursday, September 24th, 2026. Here is what we are covering. Let's start with a sobering topic. Dr. Paul Nestat, a psychiatrist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Suicide Prevention, has been focusing on suicide prevention. Yes, and according to recent reports, over 28,000 people died by gun suicide last year. That's more than half of all suicide deaths in the United States. It's been a record high for five consecutive years. Dr. Nestat argues that one of the most promising approaches is limiting access to lethal means. The story highlights this as a direction supported by research, though it's not yet a measure of lives saved. Some innovative tech news. Scientists at Cornell University have developed a fascinating method for restoring aging electric vehicle batteries. They use a chemical bath to rejuvenate the batteries without having to take them apart. The goal here is to recover the lost driving range from used batteries, rather than completely recycling them. This has been demonstrated in a laboratory setting, showing promise for extending the life of electric vehicle batteries. Over to environmental news. A Brazilian restoration program has been recognized at a recent United Nations conference. It's one of the three most ambitious restoration projects in the world, aiming to restore 4.4 million acres of the Cerrado savanna. The Cerrado has lost about 48% of its original vegetation due to agriculture and development. So while this restoration is ambitious, it faces ongoing pressure from land conversion. Now a personal story making waves online. Molly Lambert, who is 23, was diagnosed with OCD and panic disorder last year. After one of her videos went viral, she began speaking on television and podcasts, met with members of parliament, and helped create community groups. Her story has helped others recognize similar experiences they were too frightened to discuss. It's a powerful example of how sharing personal experiences can create community support. Lastly, let's talk about some promising research in agriculture. Researchers at the John Innes Center in the UK have been studying plant defense receptors. They focused on a class called tandem kinase proteins, which could be bioengineered to provide more durable immunity against the blast fungus in crops like wheat, barley, and rice. This is still early stage research, though. The blast fungus remains a major threat. And while identifying a new receptor class is significant, it doesn't guarantee practical disease control yet. We'll catch you next time. Stay informed and take care. That's it for today. That was 5 things going right. Come back tomorrow for 5 more.