Five Things Going Right: September 23, 2026

Five real advances in science, medicine, technology, and the environment, each verified against the original reporting. In this episode: A Korean drone rescue program enabled a northern Mozambique community to achieve zero fatalities during one; UK NEET (young people not in work, education or training) fell by 30,000 to 981,000 (13% of 16-24 year-olds); Overdiagnosis in breast cancer screening may be less common than previously thought, according to a new study; Concrete with zeolite and bamboo biochar is 7.48% stronger in compression, 15% stronger in tension, and; Healthy behaviors and appropriate treatment can help manage knee osteoarthritis and may reduce the risk of.

Stan Berteloot is a French-American journalist, marketing strategist, and AI expert based in Princeton, New Jersey. A University of Maryland journalism graduate, he navigates the intersection of storytelling, technology, and culture. As Head of Strategy and CTO at Nytro Marketing, he pioneered AI-driven content creation, launching the AI in Marketing podcast. He also hosts Back in America, a podcast exploring American identity through in-depth conversations on race, misinformation, and AI ethics. Start your VoiceStream free trial today!

📚 Sources:

• https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/korean-drone-rescue-program-helps-mozambique-achieve-zero-fatalities-during-worst-flood-in-decades/
• https://www.positive.news/society/number-of-young-people-out-of-work-and-education-falls-below-one-million/
• https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-reassess-a-major-risk-of-breast-cancer-screening/
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260921081105.htm
• https://scitechdaily.com/knee-osteoarthritis-isnt-inevitable-simple-habits-may-lower-your-risk/

What is Five Things Going Right?

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, and today is Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026. And I'm Josh. We've got some interesting stories to cover today, so let's get started. Earlier this year, in January, a community in northern Mozambique experienced one of its worst floods in decades. Remarkably, there were no recorded deaths. That's right, and a Korean drone rescue program played a significant role in that outcome. A small group of drones, along with their pilots, provided real-time information to search and rescue teams. The drones helped locate people and guide the response efforts as the floodwaters rose. It's a great example of technology making a real difference in emergency situations. New figures from the Office for National Statistics in the UK show a decrease in the number of young people not in work, education, or training. The number fell by 30,000 to 981,000 between April and June this year. That represents 13% of 16- to 24-year-olds, bringing the total back below 1 million. But the ONS has cautioned against drawing firm conclusions from just one quarter. Exactly, because the rate is still slightly higher than it was a year ago. So while it's a positive sign, it may not indicate sustained progress just yet. A study from the University of Southern Denmark is shedding new light on overdiagnosis in breast cancer screening. It suggests that overdiagnosis might be less common than previously thought. Overdiagnosis refers to detecting cancers that would never have caused symptoms during a woman's life. While mammography can find cancers earlier, this concern remains significant. The study doesn't specify how much the overdiagnosis rates might be revised, or how many women could be affected by this reassessment. Researchers at MEPCO Schlenk Engineering College have developed an innovative concrete mixture. It combines zeolite with bamboo biochar. In lab tests, this new concrete showed 7.48% higher compressive strength and 15% higher tensile strength compared to conventional concrete. Plus, it captured about 1.2 grams of carbon dioxide per day. However, it's important to note that laboratory capture rates don't directly translate to real-world performance. And there are still questions about scaling to industrial production and assessing long-term durability. Finally, research from the Washington University and St. Louis Division of Public Health Sciences highlights the potential to manage knee osteoarthritis through healthy behaviors and appropriate treatment. Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of knee pain, making activities like walking and climbing stairs more difficult. This is early-stage guidance, and the story doesn't specify what share of cases are preventable through behavior change, or how much risk reduction is possible. That's all for today's updates. Thanks for joining us. We hope you found these stories insightful. Until next time! That's it for today. That was 5 Things Going Right. Come back tomorrow for 5 more.