Case in point, the popular ‘Upworthy Science’ account on Instagram posts updates about all the wonderful progress happening in the scientific world, both on a global and local scale. We’ve collected some of the most uplifting bits of science news they’ve featured to share with you, Pandas. Scroll down to check them out!
More info: Instagram | UpworthyScience.com
#3
When reading, watching, and listening to the news, you should try your best to strike a balance between staying informed and avoiding drowning in anxiety. Negative news is more popular because human beings tend to focus more on information that could potentially relate to their survival.
The drawback is that negative news can raise our stress levels, make us anxious, and even affect our sleep.
#5
It’s vital to remember that a lot of news in this day and age is pure sensationalism. The goal is to make you feel strong emotions (anger, fear, disgust, etc.). That way, you spend more time obsessing about what’s reported.
You’re also more likely to reshare it with the people you know, and then, the news continues to go viral. Positive news is more grounded, tame, and healthier.
#8
Upworthy Science is run by the team at Upworthy, an incredibly well-known website that focuses on positive storytelling. Both are owned by GOOD Worldwide Inc. The odds are that you’ve seen a lot of Upworthy posts—science-related or otherwise—in your social media feeds.
The Upworthy Science Instagram account was originally created in the summer of 2019. Five years later, it has a massive following. Currently, 309k internet users, from veteran scientists to amateurs, follow it for their daily dose of good news.
Upworthy itself was created more than 12 years ago, way back in the spring of 2012. Five years later, GOOD Worldwide Inc. acquired the website itself.
In early 2023, Upworthy: Stories of Human Decency was sold to National Geographic Books, set to be published in the early fall of 2024.
#13
When the Civil War started, Walker had already earned her medical degree, married, and started a medical practice in an era where very few women aspired to practice medicine at all. After the war broke out, Walker tried to enlist as a soldier and was rejected. Instead, the Union Army hired her as a surgeon where she treated the wounded in battle and across enemy lines. At one point, Walker was arrested as a spy and taken prisoner by the Confederacy. Thankfully, Walker was soon released and received the Medal of Honor for her heroism and service to the Union. Walker is the only woman (still!) to have received the medal of honor and one of only eight civilians who have received it to this day.
After the war, Walker retired from her medical practice due to a war injury and became a writer, supporting issues like health care and women’s suffrage.
Another bada*s quality that Walker had? She wore whatever she wanted—namely, men’s attire such as a top hat and trousers, which was scandalous at the time. When confronted about her unusual dressing habits, Walker is said to have responded, “I don’t wear men’s clothes—I wear MY clothes.” Walker died in 1919 at the age of 86—one year before American women earned the right to vote
Bored Panda recently spoke to a researcher who studies the progress in science about the scientific boundaries that should and potentially should not be pushed. N. Otre Le Vant, the author of 'On Progress in Physics and Subjectivity Theory’ and the founder of Inisev, shed some light on the importance of learning to handle scientific knowledge responsibly.
"Since the dawn of humanity, discoveries in science and technology have always had two sides: the good and the bad. Nuclear energy can be used to build an atomic bomb, but it can also solve our energy problems. Dynamite can be used in war, but it can also help us access valuable resources by breaking through rock in mining. Even a stone can be used in two ways: to crack open a coconut or to hit someone’s head," the researcher told Bored Panda during a previous interview.
"Stopping science is equivalent to stopping to think. It’s also impossible: if we decide to halt certain scientific pursuits, who determines what type of science is permissible and what is not? This is similar to free speech. While some free speech can cause harm, restricting it raises the question: who decides what can be said and what cannot? Such restrictions are always prone to misuse," the researcher said.
