I came across a meme recently in which someone was musing that they missed the good old days when the news was someone in a suit telling them what had happened, rather than a 24/7 panic machine. We know that the stories we tell ourselves about our future shape how our brains change over time and shape our future lives, so let's balance all the doomsaying with a good dose of the positive, the optimistic, and (my absolute favourite) the downright bizarre.
18 reasons to feel good about the future
Buzzfeed have dug out some truly bizarre and wonderful heart-warming discoveries. Highlights include:
- scientists in Japan conducting early clinical trials for a medicine that can regrow teeth
- prospective new cures for dementia and cancer
- the rampant growth in sustainability projects around the world
- the hole in the ozone layer healing in our lifetime
- whales recolonising waters they had long abandoned as their species recovers
- plastics (and microplastics thanks to our own research team) being stripped from our oceans
And two bizarre tales of history in the making
And if good news doesn't float your boat, here are some truly bizarre stories that are just wondrous to behold.
The 150 year overdue library book
People worry about returning their overdue books. If you are ever guiltily returning a book a few days late, just remember those who throughout history have taken this to new extremes, like the Australian who absentmindedly bricked a book up in their fireplace and left it to be returned by their grandchildren some 150 years later. Let's hope that library no longer charges overdue fines.
The 639 year long organ concert
As every musician knows, slow practice makes perfect. The slower, the better. A musical project in Germany has taken this to a new extreme. The small medieval Burchardi Church in Halberstadt, Germany has automated its organ in order to take slow practice to a new extreme. The project of musician John Cage, for the past 25 years, it has been playing the same composition very, very slowly and is now all of 4% of the way through the piece. It started with a pause in the music that lasted three years, and the performance is scheduled to complete in September 2640. Crowds gathered to watch a seven note chord change to an eight note chord a few weeks ago as another pipe was manually added.
I imagine visiting that church is a little like fishing - restfully waiting for nothing to happen.
Share your stories in the comments
Do you have any happy news or have any bizarre tales to tell about the strange workings of the world? Let us know in the comments below.
Sources
Dazio, S., & Keyton, D. (2026, August 6). This organ will play one composition until 2640: It’s redefining how slowly music can be played. The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/john-cage-organ-project-halberstadt-organ-aslsp-938b5a1d0bc3d8d0dec5cb19accd00a6
McGuirk, R. (2026, July 31). A book found bricked in a fireplace is returned to an Australian library, 150 years overdue. The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/australia-library-book-overdue-kiama-f4dc126f4eecd345f27f24fdb2742800
Vadher, U. (2025, June 20). The Power of Positive Thinking. Positivity. https://positivity.org/mindfulness/the-power-of-positive-thinking
Vilhauer, J. (2026, January 29). How Thinking About the Future Reshapes Your Brain. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-forward/202505/how-thinking-about-the-future-reshapes-your-brain?msockid=39a1e59102786fe637caf21f03db6e04
Vouloumanos, V. (2025, September 8). “The Ozone Layer Is Actually Healing Faster Than Expected”: 18 Good Things Happening In The World That Prove Progress Is Possible. Buzzfeed. https://www.buzzfeed.com/victoriavouloumanos/good-things-happening-in-the-world-fact-checked
Image credit
Photo © Dr.Hausderivative work, reproduced under a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, via Wikimedia Commons.