Solar Punk — Positive news and world affairs

Good news keeps happening. Here is where it lives.

Positive stories shape a better future. We gather them from trusted sources so you can focus on what's working.

Sourced, dated, verifiable.

For everything else, the world is already on it.

Monday, 9 November 2026

LIVELIVELIVE

Estimated EU deaths linked to excess particle pollution fell 57% from 2005 to 2023 — Read on Euronews

The EEA estimates 182,000 EU deaths were attributable to fine-particle exposure above WHO guidelines in 2023, down 57% from 2005. RTVE’s reporting puts the long-term health gains from cleaner air in context.

Estimated EU deaths linked to excess particle pollution fell 57% from 2005 to 2023 — Image: Solar Punk

Estimated EU deaths linked to excess particle pollution fell 57% from 2005 to 2023 — Image: Solar Punk

US homelessness count falls 6.3% in year to January 2026 — Show the summary

China extends pause on 24% US goods tariff and port fees for two months — Show the summary

A supervised LSD dose reduces anxiety and depression scores in phase III trials — Show the summary

Research

More to read

Single-dose psychedelic nasal spray eases depression symptoms in phase 2 trial — Read on Medical Xpress

In a trial of 193 adults with treatment-resistant depression, a single psychedelic nasal spray dose with psychological support reduced symptoms more than a low-dose comparator. Group differences persisted for eight weeks.

Research

Anthropic plans to put 5% of its shares into a public-benefit fund — Read on The Wall Street Journal

The proposed fund could support nonprofits and people affected by AI-driven changes at work. Its stake could grow with the company’s value; the plan needs shareholder approval.

A personalised vaccine lowers the risk of melanoma returning — Read on Associated Press

In a trial of more than 1,100 people treated surgically for melanoma, 82% were alive without recurrence after two years with the vaccine plus immunotherapy, versus 70% with immunotherapy alone. The vaccine remains experimental.

Coal supplied less than half of China’s electricity in first half of 2026 — Read on Caixin Global

China’s environment ministry reported that coal supplied 49.7% of the country’s electricity generation in the first half of 2026, its first share below half. The measured shift puts non-coal generation above 50% of the power mix.

World

Egypt reopens historic Tripoli embassy building as it engages Libya’s western government — Read on Euronews

Egypt reopened its historic embassy building in Tripoli and held talks with Libya’s western government. Engagement by a longstanding backer of the eastern faction opens a channel for negotiation; its mission returned in 2021.

Egypt reopens historic Tripoli embassy building as it engages Libya’s western government — Image: Solar Punk

Egypt reopens historic Tripoli embassy building as it engages Libya’s western government — Image: Solar Punk

UK appeal court rules ransom kidnap victims can qualify for trafficking protection — Show the summary

Houston orders police to limit referrals to US immigration agents — Show the summary

FAA plans shared information displays at 435 air traffic control sites by 2028 — Show the summary

Our Picks

On

An 83-second animated film made with code

@0xMovez Movez

On

How an image changes after repeated AI edits

@SmokeAwayyy Smoke-away

On

AI trials for mechanical design

@BorisMPower Boris Power

On

ChatGPT Images 2.6 with GIFs and reference images

@OpenAI OpenAI

On

Two AI models compared with a cycling pelican

@ValencianaAbel Valenciana

On

ChatGPT and Codex for design, engineering and simulation

@OpenAI OpenAI

On

Another virtual port, with a hint at Fable 5.5

@anxuanng An Xuan

On

An AI-generated scene more realistic than almost all the content encountered

@aifilmmaker Ian Sharar

Abundance

S&P 500

7,377 +0.2%, 6 months

Mitsui Chemicals agrees to buy chipmaking materials supplier JSR — Read on Bloomberg

Mitsui Chemicals has signed a ¥1.84 trillion deal, including debt and other items, to buy JSR, subject to approvals. Combining their complementary chipmaking materials businesses could support integrated research and supply.

Mitsui Chemicals agrees to buy chipmaking materials supplier JSR — Image: Solar Punk

Mitsui Chemicals agrees to buy chipmaking materials supplier JSR — Image: Solar Punk

Varda raises $251 million to develop drug crystals in orbit — Show the summary

Five older women secure Brisbane homes with A$120,000 and 50-year leases — Show the summary

Battery-storage firm RelyEZ completes HK$562.7 million Hong Kong IPO — Show the summary

Advances

DNA recorder traces the ancestry of 1.28 million cells in a mouse embryo — Read on Sciences et Avenir

Researchers reconstructed the ancestry of 1.28 million sampled cells in one mouse embryo using inherited DNA marks. Linking that history to cell identities reveals how early cells gave rise to different tissues.

Research

DNA recorder traces the ancestry of 1.28 million cells in a mouse embryo — Image: Solar Punk

DNA recorder traces the ancestry of 1.28 million cells in a mouse embryo — Image: Solar Punk

A shared AI design simulates cloth, liquids and grains — Show the summary

Research

Physicists create a room-temperature supersolid from light and matter — Show the summary

Research

Electrical noise links a superconductor’s puzzling energy gap to electron pairs — Show the summary

Research

Fridays: seven things that work.

One selection a week on WhatsApp. Chosen by hand, each with its source. No other messages.

Waiting list: the first message goes out when the list is ready.

Culture

Musée d’Orsay displays wartime-recovered art to help trace rightful owners — Read on New York Times

A permanent Musée d’Orsay gallery opened in May with 13 works recovered after the Second World War. It brings ownership histories and efforts to trace rightful owners into public view.

Musée d’Orsay displays wartime-recovered art to help trace rightful owners — Image: Solar Punk

Musée d’Orsay displays wartime-recovered art to help trace rightful owners — Image: Solar Punk

Art historian attributes painting of a young man with roses to Caravaggio — Show the summary

Doris Salcedo will exhibit a house woven from human hair in New York — Show the summary

Zaragoza’s Goya Museum reopens with expanded galleries and international loans — Show the summary

Longevity

Experimental obesity drug reduces knee arthritis pain in a trial — Read on MedPage Today

In a 445-person trial, investigational retatrutide reduced knee osteoarthritis pain more than placebo over 68 weeks. The findings point to a potential treatment for people with knee arthritis and overweight or obesity.

Research

Experimental obesity drug reduces knee arthritis pain in a trial — Image: Solar Punk

Experimental obesity drug reduces knee arthritis pain in a trial — Image: Solar Punk

Iron infusion improves exercise capacity in patients with iron deficiency and heart failure — Show the summary

Research

Italy begins funding a targeted drug for certain slow-growing brain tumours — Show the summary

Blood pressure stays lower after hormone-blocking treatment ends in small follow-up — Show the summary

Research

Consciousness

A general suspicious mindset is not always central to conspiracy beliefs — Read on PsyPost

Across nearly 30,000 respondents in 17 national samples, a general conspiracy mindset was not consistently central to networks of specific beliefs. The findings challenge a common account of how conspiracy beliefs fit together.

Research

A general suspicious mindset is not always central to conspiracy beliefs — Image: Solar Punk

A general suspicious mindset is not always central to conspiracy beliefs — Image: Solar Punk

Religious US adults can combine secular outlooks with belief in magic — Show the summary

Research

Cat specialists link resistance to belly rubs with vulnerability and sensitivity — Show the summary

Blaming outside factors for simulated betting losses is linked to wanting help — Show the summary

Research

Energy

Electric cars outsell petrol-only vehicles in Australia in October — Read on CNN

Australia recorded 24,845 battery-electric vehicle deliveries in October 2026, against 23,605 petrol-only vehicles. Growing electric-car uptake offers a route to lower reliance on oil.

Electric cars outsell petrol-only vehicles in Australia in October — Image: Solar Punk

Electric cars outsell petrol-only vehicles in Australia in October — Image: Solar Punk

Backup-battery checks help explain minute-by-minute power-grid disturbances — Show the summary

Research

Moldova inaugurates power line to bypass Transnistrian supply hub — Show the summary

Canada’s budget sets out C$518.5 million for nuclear energy strategy — Show the summary

Planet

Divers remove invasive coral from Brazil’s protected Cagarras Islands — Read on Mongabay

Volunteer divers are removing invasive sun coral around Brazil’s protected Cagarras Islands. The operation aims to protect native marine communities, backed by local evidence that removal can control the invader.

Divers remove invasive coral from Brazil’s protected Cagarras Islands — Image: Solar Punk

Divers remove invasive coral from Brazil’s protected Cagarras Islands — Image: Solar Punk

China adopts law requiring environmental checks for Antarctic activities — Show the summary

Assam restricts drone flights near Amur falcon roosts — Show the summary

Kenya signs $160 million conservation programme to support habitats and communities — Show the summary

Today [18]

Research

Cosmic radiation limits giant primordial black holes’ role in dark matter — Show the summary

Nvidia signs pact to connect Rebellions AI chips to its computing systems — Show the summary

Satellite captures Europe’s weather every 2.5 minutes in imaging test — Show the summary

Research

A gut virus suspected of causing illness can infect bacteria — Show the summary

Italy proposes €100 a year in state-funded savings for newborns — Show the summary

Preprint

Even an ideal superfluid would sap light’s energy, a preprint predicts — Show the summary

Research

Earth’s shifting interior may explain gaps of up to a billion years in its rocks — Show the summary

Research

Intense heat turns old wind turbine blades into additives that stiffen resin — Show the summary

Research

Half-metre gaps cool floating solar panels most in an Italian reservoir model — Show the summary

X-energy extends Fluor partnership to a second planned nuclear power plant — Show the summary

New York awards nearly $13m to develop advanced energy storage — Show the summary

Canada opens up to 200,000 extra permanent-residence places for 2027 — Show the summary

Research

One gene-editing dose suppresses a fat-regulating protein for three years in monkeys — Show the summary

EU names Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus as eligible for 2027 asylum support — Show the summary

France’s new-generation TGV enters passenger service between Paris and Marseille — Show the summary

Research

Early metformin prescription linked to lower risk of long COVID or death — Show the summary

Construction begins on Chinese nuclear reactor designed to supply industrial heat — Show the summary

Agility Robotics goes public to scale humanoid robots for warehouse work — Show the summary

Monday, 9 November 2026

LIVELIVELIVE

Estimated EU deaths linked to excess particle pollution fell 57% from 2005 to 2023 — Read on Euronews

The EEA estimates 182,000 EU deaths were attributable to fine-particle exposure above WHO guidelines in 2023, down 57% from 2005. RTVE’s reporting puts the long-term health gains from cleaner air in context.

Estimated EU deaths linked to excess particle pollution fell 57% from 2005 to 2023 — Image: Solar Punk

Estimated EU deaths linked to excess particle pollution fell 57% from 2005 to 2023 — Image: Solar Punk

US homelessness count falls 6.3% in year to January 2026 — Image: Solar Punk

US homelessness count falls 6.3% in year to January 2026 — Image: Solar Punk

US homelessness count falls 6.3% in year to January 2026 — Read on WUSF

HUD counted 698,425 people experiencing homelessness in January 2026, down 6.3% from January 2025. Separate analyses also estimate a national decline, while one records a 1% rise in chronic homelessness.

China extends pause on 24% US goods tariff and port fees for two months — Read on Central News Agency (CNA)

China has formally extended suspensions of a 24% additional tariff on US goods and port fees on US-linked vessels for two months. The decisions avert renewed trade barriers while retaining a 10% additional tariff.

A supervised LSD dose reduces anxiety and depression scores in phase III trials — Read on MedPage Today

Two phase III trials presented at a conference found lower anxiety and depression scores after one supervised LSD dose than after placebo. The trials enrolled 363 people, with differences still present at 12 weeks.

Research

More to read

Single-dose psychedelic nasal spray eases depression symptoms in phase 2 trial — Read on Medical Xpress

In a trial of 193 adults with treatment-resistant depression, a single psychedelic nasal spray dose with psychological support reduced symptoms more than a low-dose comparator. Group differences persisted for eight weeks.

Research

Anthropic plans to put 5% of its shares into a public-benefit fund — Read on The Wall Street Journal

The proposed fund could support nonprofits and people affected by AI-driven changes at work. Its stake could grow with the company’s value; the plan needs shareholder approval.

A personalised vaccine lowers the risk of melanoma returning — Read on Associated Press

In a trial of more than 1,100 people treated surgically for melanoma, 82% were alive without recurrence after two years with the vaccine plus immunotherapy, versus 70% with immunotherapy alone. The vaccine remains experimental.

Coal supplied less than half of China’s electricity in first half of 2026 — Read on Caixin Global

China’s environment ministry reported that coal supplied 49.7% of the country’s electricity generation in the first half of 2026, its first share below half. The measured shift puts non-coal generation above 50% of the power mix.

World

Egypt reopens historic Tripoli embassy building as it engages Libya’s western government — Read on Euronews

Egypt reopened its historic embassy building in Tripoli and held talks with Libya’s western government. Engagement by a longstanding backer of the eastern faction opens a channel for negotiation; its mission returned in 2021.

Egypt reopens historic Tripoli embassy building as it engages Libya’s western government — Image: Solar Punk

Egypt reopens historic Tripoli embassy building as it engages Libya’s western government — Image: Solar Punk

FAA plans shared information displays at 435 air traffic control sites by 2028 — Show the summary

Canada opens up to 200,000 extra permanent-residence places for 2027 — Show the summary

EU names Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus as eligible for 2027 asylum support — Show the summary

UK appeal court rules ransom kidnap victims can qualify for trafficking protection — Show the summary

Houston orders police to limit referrals to US immigration agents — Show the summary

Our Picks

On

An 83-second animated film made with code

@0xMovez Movez

On

How an image changes after repeated AI edits

@SmokeAwayyy Smoke-away

On

AI trials for mechanical design

@BorisMPower Boris Power

On

ChatGPT Images 2.6 with GIFs and reference images

@OpenAI OpenAI

On

Two AI models compared with a cycling pelican

@ValencianaAbel Valenciana

On

ChatGPT and Codex for design, engineering and simulation

@OpenAI OpenAI

On

Another virtual port, with a hint at Fable 5.5

@anxuanng An Xuan

On

An AI-generated scene more realistic than almost all the content encountered

@aifilmmaker Ian Sharar

Abundance

S&P 500

7,377 +0.2%, 6 months

Mitsui Chemicals agrees to buy chipmaking materials supplier JSR — Read on Bloomberg

Mitsui Chemicals has signed a ¥1.84 trillion deal, including debt and other items, to buy JSR, subject to approvals. Combining their complementary chipmaking materials businesses could support integrated research and supply.

Mitsui Chemicals agrees to buy chipmaking materials supplier JSR — Image: Solar Punk

Mitsui Chemicals agrees to buy chipmaking materials supplier JSR — Image: Solar Punk

Battery-storage firm RelyEZ completes HK$562.7 million Hong Kong IPO — Show the summary

Nvidia signs pact to connect Rebellions AI chips to its computing systems — Show the summary

Italy proposes €100 a year in state-funded savings for newborns — Show the summary

Varda raises $251 million to develop drug crystals in orbit — Show the summary

Five older women secure Brisbane homes with A$120,000 and 50-year leases — Show the summary

Advances

DNA recorder traces the ancestry of 1.28 million cells in a mouse embryo — Read on Sciences et Avenir

Researchers reconstructed the ancestry of 1.28 million sampled cells in one mouse embryo using inherited DNA marks. Linking that history to cell identities reveals how early cells gave rise to different tissues.

Research

DNA recorder traces the ancestry of 1.28 million cells in a mouse embryo — Image: Solar Punk

DNA recorder traces the ancestry of 1.28 million cells in a mouse embryo — Image: Solar Punk

Electrical noise links a superconductor’s puzzling energy gap to electron pairs — Show the summary

Research

Cosmic radiation limits giant primordial black holes’ role in dark matter — Show the summary

Research

Satellite captures Europe’s weather every 2.5 minutes in imaging test — Show the summary

A shared AI design simulates cloth, liquids and grains — Show the summary

Research

Physicists create a room-temperature supersolid from light and matter — Show the summary

Research

Culture

Musée d’Orsay displays wartime-recovered art to help trace rightful owners — Read on New York Times

A permanent Musée d’Orsay gallery opened in May with 13 works recovered after the Second World War. It brings ownership histories and efforts to trace rightful owners into public view.

Musée d’Orsay displays wartime-recovered art to help trace rightful owners — Image: Solar Punk

Musée d’Orsay displays wartime-recovered art to help trace rightful owners — Image: Solar Punk

Zaragoza’s Goya Museum reopens with expanded galleries and international loans — Show the summary

John Coltrane’s private club tapes emerge in an 11-track collection — Show the summary

Powerhouse Parramatta opens with five exhibitions in Western Sydney — Show the summary

Art historian attributes painting of a young man with roses to Caravaggio — Show the summary

Doris Salcedo will exhibit a house woven from human hair in New York — Show the summary

Longevity

Experimental obesity drug reduces knee arthritis pain in a trial — Read on MedPage Today

In a 445-person trial, investigational retatrutide reduced knee osteoarthritis pain more than placebo over 68 weeks. The findings point to a potential treatment for people with knee arthritis and overweight or obesity.

Research

Experimental obesity drug reduces knee arthritis pain in a trial — Image: Solar Punk

Experimental obesity drug reduces knee arthritis pain in a trial — Image: Solar Punk

Blood pressure stays lower after hormone-blocking treatment ends in small follow-up — Show the summary

Research

One gene-editing dose suppresses a fat-regulating protein for three years in monkeys — Show the summary

Research

Early metformin prescription linked to lower risk of long COVID or death — Show the summary

Research

Iron infusion improves exercise capacity in patients with iron deficiency and heart failure — Show the summary

Research

Italy begins funding a targeted drug for certain slow-growing brain tumours — Show the summary

Fridays: seven things that work.

One selection a week on WhatsApp. Chosen by hand, each with its source. No other messages.

Waiting list: the first message goes out when the list is ready.

Consciousness

A general suspicious mindset is not always central to conspiracy beliefs — Read on PsyPost

Across nearly 30,000 respondents in 17 national samples, a general conspiracy mindset was not consistently central to networks of specific beliefs. The findings challenge a common account of how conspiracy beliefs fit together.

Research

A general suspicious mindset is not always central to conspiracy beliefs — Image: Solar Punk

A general suspicious mindset is not always central to conspiracy beliefs — Image: Solar Punk

Blaming outside factors for simulated betting losses is linked to wanting help — Show the summary

Research

Finn Janning reads Bolaño and Weil as guides to facing suffering — Show the summary

Daily hassles are linked to small dips in feelings of romantic love — Show the summary

Research

Religious US adults can combine secular outlooks with belief in magic — Show the summary

Research

Cat specialists link resistance to belly rubs with vulnerability and sensitivity — Show the summary

Energy

Electric cars outsell petrol-only vehicles in Australia in October — Read on CNN

Australia recorded 24,845 battery-electric vehicle deliveries in October 2026, against 23,605 petrol-only vehicles. Growing electric-car uptake offers a route to lower reliance on oil.

Electric cars outsell petrol-only vehicles in Australia in October — Image: Solar Punk

Electric cars outsell petrol-only vehicles in Australia in October — Image: Solar Punk

Canada’s budget sets out C$518.5 million for nuclear energy strategy — Show the summary

Half-metre gaps cool floating solar panels most in an Italian reservoir model — Show the summary

Research

X-energy extends Fluor partnership to a second planned nuclear power plant — Show the summary

Backup-battery checks help explain minute-by-minute power-grid disturbances — Show the summary

Research

Moldova inaugurates power line to bypass Transnistrian supply hub — Show the summary

Planet

Divers remove invasive coral from Brazil’s protected Cagarras Islands — Read on Mongabay

Volunteer divers are removing invasive sun coral around Brazil’s protected Cagarras Islands. The operation aims to protect native marine communities, backed by local evidence that removal can control the invader.

Divers remove invasive coral from Brazil’s protected Cagarras Islands — Image: Solar Punk

Divers remove invasive coral from Brazil’s protected Cagarras Islands — Image: Solar Punk

China adopts law requiring environmental checks for Antarctic activities — Show the summary

Mediterranean commission adopts fishing limits for hake, shrimp and dolphinfish — Show the summary

US weather service restores twice-daily balloon launches across its network — Show the summary

Assam restricts drone flights near Amur falcon roosts — Show the summary

Kenya signs $160 million conservation programme to support habitats and communities — Show the summary

Today [13]

Research

A gut virus suspected of causing illness can infect bacteria — Show the summary

Preprint

Even an ideal superfluid would sap light’s energy, a preprint predicts — Show the summary

Research

Earth’s shifting interior may explain gaps of up to a billion years in its rocks — Show the summary

Research

Intense heat turns old wind turbine blades into additives that stiffen resin — Show the summary

New York awards nearly $13m to develop advanced energy storage — Show the summary

France’s new-generation TGV enters passenger service between Paris and Marseille — Show the summary

Construction begins on Chinese nuclear reactor designed to supply industrial heat — Show the summary

Agility Robotics goes public to scale humanoid robots for warehouse work — Show the summary

Research

Bird flu vaccine offers broader protection in mice and ferrets — Show the summary

Research

AI-assisted preprint claims proof of a longstanding quantum computing conjecture — Show the summary

Research

Gel membrane lets experimental fluoride batteries cycle at room temperature — Show the summary

Research

Flexible connectors let nanoparticles assemble into new crystal structures — Show the summary

Liquid-air storage plant begins supplying electricity to China’s grid — Show the summary