Henrik Sotnedal

Opinion: Optimism is underrated/underappreaciated. We need optimists to realize our potential to improve our lives and evolve as a civilization. We have the technology and brain power to solve the world's most pressing problems/challenges. All we lack, is the will to act.

Solar, wind, batteries*, and EVs only dropped in price to where they win economically because earlier policy driven by environmental concerns scaled them. * - Batteries are a partial exception due to early scaling from consumer electronics. But that only got them part way.

In science fiction, the corporations are often evil doers. In the AI world right now, we're pretty fortunate that the three companies at the frontier are fairly responsible actors, making proactive choices in the interest of the public good.

🤠3 Things That Went Right This Week🤠 🚀NASA astronauts are on their way to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years 🫦The full network of clitoral nerves has been mapped for the first time 😎 India’s solar power is expected to quadruple over the next decade and its wind power to triple, reducing its coal reliance from more than 70% to under half. theprogressnetwork.substack.com/p/global-terro…

It’s official. You are far less likely to die if you get a COVID vaccine. The vaccines have been shown to LOWER overall mortality. A comprehensive study tracking over 28 million adults in France has revealed a powerful link between mRNA COVID-19 vaccination and a significantly lower risk of death. Published in JAMA, the research followed individuals aged 18 to 59 for nearly four years, finding that those who received the vaccine had a staggering 74% lower risk of dying from severe COVID-19. Perhaps more surprising was the discovery that vaccinated people also experienced a 25% lower risk of dying from any cause compared to their unvaccinated counterparts. This survival benefit was most pronounced in the first six months but remained significant throughout the entire study period, underscoring the enduring protective value of the shots. To ensure the results were accurate, researchers adjusted for 41 different health factors to isolate the specific impact of the vaccines. While the study acknowledged rare side effects like myocarditis, it found no evidence of increased long-term mortality risk associated with the vaccines. Even after accounting for the "healthy user effect"—the tendency for healthier people to be more likely to seek out vaccination—the data consistently showed that the vaccines provided a protective shield extending beyond the virus itself. These findings suggest that mRNA technology played a crucial role not just in managing a global pandemic, but in promoting broader long-term survival for millions of people. source: Botton, J., et al. COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination and 4-Year All-Cause Mortality Among Adults Aged 18 to 59 Years in France. JAMA.

The world is getting better.

Solar became the largest source of electricity in Pakistan in just a decade. In the last 4 years, It went from 4% to 25% (2021-2025)

It’s not the sun

⚡️In 2025, 96% of cars bought in Norway were electric.

It's easy to dwell on the doom and gloom of everyday news. However, Even in difficult and uncertain times such as these, We achieve small victories here and there and continue to work towards a better. Here are Top 25 Good News in 2025 positive.news/society/what-w…

@danielsil44 So True

They are always ready for war, but not for the war that truly matters: the war against aging

Without saying anything… how long have you been playing video games? Reply with a GIF.

EVs today represent ~5% of the global car fleet, already displacing ~1.5 million barrels of oil per day. What started as a rounding error in 2015 is now entering the steepening phase of the electrification S-curve. The #Bettrification shift is beginning to bite.

Cancer death rates are down 29% over the last decade

One reason I'm not so scared of autonomous superintelligence. When you're really smart, you usually realize that being evil is dumb.

Solar is doubling every 3 years ☀️

Gas peaker days are numbered. Batteries will win and replace them

Norway 🇳🇴 sold 12 petrol cars in February. No, not 12 thousand. 12! 👏👏👏

This could be a big deal!

The US energy storage industry installed a record 57.6 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of new capacity in 2025, 4x what it installed just three years ago🔋 Texas is expected to overtake California this year as the largest energy storage market in the country. In Arizona, the third largest market, utility-scale installations increased 129 percent in 2025 over the previous year. #battery

Optimism is good for your health