When the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, many Americans -- realizing 2023 had passed -- probably thought to themselves, "Good riddance.' It's been a trying year, with war breaking out in at least two hot spots on the globe; corruption in our nation's highest court, thanks largely to Justice Clarence Thomas; dysfunction in the U.S. House of Representatives, which almost reached comedic levels; and a presidential candidate for one of our two major parties, stating repeatedly that, if elected, he intended to act in authoritarian and undemocratic ways, indicating he had little respect for he rule of law -- with his main goal being to seek retribution against his perceived political enemies, who he deems responsible for the four criminal indictments he is facing in multiple jurisdictions. His words suggest he intends to discard democracy and take America toward a dictatorship. This candidate, Donald Trump, seemingly must blame someone else because he is incapable of accepting responsibility for his own actions and appears to be disinclined to listen to anybody -- even on his own staff -- who could give him sound advice that might help keep him out of at least some trouble. Yet, polls tell us a sizable chunk of the electorate deems this flawed, deeply disturbed man fit to serve in our nation's highest office.
No wonder many Americans are glad to wave goodbye to 2023. A recent post from Axios, however, shows the year really wasn't so bad after all -- and they even call it "Humanity's miracle year." Why? Here is how the Axios' staff puts it:
A key ingredient for life spotted on one of Saturn's moons. An early chapter in human history revised. AI takes hold. It all happened this year.
- Why it matters: The world urgently needs new ideas and inspiration to alleviate chronic and infectious diseases, climate change, energy demands and other complex problems, Axios managing editor Alison Snyder writes.
Once the story dives into specifics, you begin to realize that some really good stuff happened in 2023. Per Alison Snyder:
Here are some of 2023's biggest discoveries and advances:
- AI-assisted discovery: The growing use of AI for science transformed coding, revealed a new class of antibiotics, and predicted the structure of 400,000 possible new materials needed for next-gen batteries, solar cells and computing.
- Gene-editing cure: The FDA approved the first therapy that uses CRISPR gene editing, a treatment for sickle-cell disease. The approach could be used for other diseases but is right now expensive, raising concerns about access to therapies.
- Human history revised: A genetic analysis provided more evidence that modern humans emerged from at least two populations that migrated across Africa and mixed with one another. The finding put "a nail in the coffin" of the idea that modern humans had a single birthplace, a researcher told the N.Y. Times.
Not all of the developments were of this world, and not all centered on humans. Writes Snyder:
- Brain maps drawn: A census of the cell types in the human brain, a map of the maggot brain and a complete atlas of the cells in the mouse brain — multi-year efforts involving hundreds of researchers at dozens of institutions — were released this year. They could help provide much-needed insights into learning, behavior, and brain diseases and disorders.
- Astronomy challenged: The James Webb Space Telescope spotted unusual possible early galaxies and pairs of worlds — perhaps planets or maybe stars — orbiting each other. If confirmed, they could require a reexamination of the formation of stars and the evolution of the universe.
- New species spotted: Spiders, sea slugs, octopi, plants, insects, microbes and hundreds of other species discovered this year are a reminder of Earth's vast biodiversity.
Maybe 2023 will wind up being known as "The Year That Gave Us New Hope."