A lightning strike cracks the night sky. A popping sound fills the air. The power is out. The city is shrouded in darkness. But then the street lamps silently flicker back on. A back-up battery has sprung into action. The city can keep running until main power is restored.

This could be the near future. Japanese firm PJP Eye has developed a backup battery that works when all else fails. It works by burning a small amount of waste cotton at high temperature.¹

These batteries are much more environmentally friendly than normal batteries. They are already used to power cash machines in India. And they are just one alternative: other companies have created batteries powered with sea water, sand, hennaA reddish-brown dye made from the powdered leaves of a tropical shrub., tree waste, calcium, gravity, and the famously stinky durianA spiny oval tropical fruit with a very strong smell. fruit.

The invention of sustainable power sources is reason for cheer. And it is not the only piece of good news: in the last few weeks, representatives from 27 countries have agreed to tackle the risk of AI, the European Union has voted to halve pesticideA substance used for destroying insects or other organisms. use and dengueA debilitating viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes. has been almost eradicated from ColombiaA country in South America with a population of just over 50 million. .²

But these stories are often buried deep in newspapers and on specialist news websites. Front pages and TV broadcast items often present a relentlesslyUnceasingly. bleak view of the world.

Bombing and hunger in GazaThe smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt. . Stalemate in Ukraine. Collapse in MyanmarThe largest country in mainland south-east Asia, formerly known as Burma. It is an ethnically diverse place, something that has often resulted in fierce conflict.. Trump polling record highs. Celebrity deaths. Global warming. 10,000 reindeer killed by cars in five years. According to commentator Ray Williams, "bad news far outweighs good news by as much as seventeen negative news reports for every one good news report."³

Some think this is an inaccurate reflection of real life. There are many reasons to be optimistic. Indeed, many trends suggest that we are getting better at solving problems and improving lives.

The number of people living in extreme poverty has decreased dramatically.⁴ Gene-modifying technology has allowed us to make enormous strides in nutritionThe process of taking food into the body that you need to live and grow. and disease prevention. It took scientists decades to develop the flu vaccine,⁵ but we created and distributed a working vaccine for Covid-19 in less than a year. 

The negative tone of the news might just be good business. One research project has found that each negative word in a headline increases clicks by 2%. Positive words have the opposite effect.⁵ Focusing on the bad gives news websites more hits, meaning that for news outlets, bad news is good news.

But it is not just journalists and editors deliberately choosing grim stories to sell copies. We are wired to identify and avoid danger, so our minds are naturally drawn to the bad. As neuroscientist Rick Hansen says: "The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences and TeflonIts scientific name is polytetrafluoroethylene. for positive ones." We just find bad news more interesting.

This focus on the worst could ultimately turn out to be for the best. As scientist John Hands says: "The more we think about these things, the more action we can take, and the more action we are taking." Our obsession with bad news could be good news after all.

Yes: The world has got immeasurably better in the last hundred years. People are living longer lives. Technology has made work easier. Terrible things still happen, but the overall direction of travel is positive.

No: Newspapers may focus on the bad too much. But with 32 ongoing conflicts happening right now, controversial politicians winning elections, and the world continuing to heat up, who can blame them?

Or... The world is more complex than good versus bad. And it is not easy to divide news into positive and negative. Our reaction to them depends on our point of view. One person's joy is another's misery.