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Five real advances in science, medicine, technology, and the environment, each verified against the original reporting. In this episode: A paralyzed man regained hand and arm control through double neural bypass surgery connecting his brain to; Mexico's 6-year drought may end by October 2024 due to wetter-than-normal El Niño rains; A brush test called qMIDS achieved 95.5% accuracy in diagnosing oral cancer in a trial of 545 patients, with; Japanese arborists use nemawashi technique to relocate centuries-old trees while preserving root systems; Northwestern University scientists demonstrated entangled photons can be sent through a 24.4-kilometer.
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 5 Things Going Right, the news that's actually good. 5 stories, 5 minutes, all of them true. Hi everyone, I'm Grace. Today is Thursday, July 23rd, 2026, and we've got some fascinating stories to cover. And I'm Josh. Let's jump right into it. Here's what's happening today. Imagine being paralyzed from the chest down and then suddenly regaining control of your hands and arms. That's exactly what happened to a man after undergoing a double neural bypass surgery. It's incredible. The surgery uses a computer to connect signals from the brain directly to the nerves in the hands and arms. This allows him to do things like feed himself and even pet his dog. It's amazing how technology can bridge such gaps and restore independence. Moving on to Mexico, there's hope that the country might finally see an end to its multi-year drought by the end of the rainy season in October. That's thanks to a wetter-than-normal El Nino pattern, right? Exactly. Dante Sinohe Hernández Padrón, a researcher, mentioned that the heavier rains have been affecting both the drier north and the more humid south. But even with more rain, there are still concerns about long-term water stress due to aquifer depletion and competing demands. Over in London, researchers at Queen Mary University have developed a brush test for oral cancer that gives results in under an hour. That's right. The test, called QMIDS, measures four genes and was tested on 545 patients with potentially cancerous mouth lesions. It achieved an impressive 95.5% accuracy. But it's important to note that the trial involved patients who already had suspicious lesions, so the results might differ in general screening settings. In Japan, there's a remarkable effort to preserve centuries-old trees using a technique called nemawashi. That's the process where arborists and horticultural experts relocate trees while keeping their root systems intact, right? Exactly. It's a combination of horticultural knowledge and modern engineering, reflecting a deep respect for both nature and cultural heritage. Lastly, scientists at Northwestern University have made a breakthrough with entangled photons. They managed to send these photons through a 24.4-kilometer fiber-optic cable from Evanston to Chicago, while it was carrying regular internet traffic. The entanglement was preserved, with more than 94% fidelity. That's a significant step forward for quantum communication technology. That's all for today's stories. It's incredible to see the strides being made in technology and science. Absolutely. Thanks for tuning in, everyone. Until next time. That's it for today. That was 5 Things Going Right. Come back tomorrow for five more.