Nine Things Guaranteed To Cheer You Up Right Now

I think we can all agree that 2016 was a pretty rough year. We lost legends such as David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and Alan Rickman while gaining a new U.S President who leaves?a lot?to?be desired. But hey, Betty White is still knocking about so it’s not all doom and gloom.

It seems that bad news is screaming out at us from every social media platform, so we’ve decided to share a few of the many?good pieces of news that don’t get splashed across the front pages. Read on to see why 2017 isn’t’such?a?bad time to?be alive after all.

1. Your Coffee Addiction Is A Good Thing

Yes, you read that right. In recent years, science boffins have been studying the health effects of the coffee?bean?and ?it’s not all bad. In fact, research had shown that coffee burns fat, lowers your risk of type II’diabetes, Alzheimer’s,?and Parkinson’s.?Plus it’s?nice to your?liver and packed?with antioxidants. So no longer think of that morning/mid-morning/afternoon/evening cup of Joe as a treat. It’s practically one of your five tbh.

A post shared by educationista.in (@educationista.in) on Apr 24, 2017 at 10:29pm PDT

2. Non-Drip Ice-Cream

Hurriedly chomping your way through a Cornetto before it turns to liquid will soon be a distant memory. Scientists?at the University of Edinburgh and University of Dundee have’discovered a way to keep ice-cream frozen at hot temperatures using a protein called BsIA.?The?protein?binds droplets of fat to air bubbles?therefore’stabilising the?fat and of course, the ice cream. The result? No more drips. Now that’s?revolutionary.

3. An Unlosable Umbrella Is Now A Thing

If you are anything like us, you know the?pain of losing countless umbrellas to public bathrooms, restaurant cloakrooms, pub floors, you name it. Enter Oombrella, a umbrella with a capsule that’s stored inside its handle?and?connected to your smartphone. Going to rain? You’ll get a notification. Left?it behind somewhere? You’ll get a notification. UV resistant and windproof,?this’smart umbrella will?cost you??64.

A post shared by Plugin Magazine (@plugin_magazine) on Feb 24, 2017 at 9:20am PST

4. Captive Killer Whales?Are No More

It’s a good day when Sea World agrees to?end the breeding of?captive killer whales. Declining?tickets sales?and animal rights?protesters contributed to the San Antonio parks decision to end their famous killer?whale performances. It’s?planned?that the they?will be phased out by 2019, which goes to show that campaigning?about animal rights is not always in vain.

5. But Giant Pandas Are In The Clear

It’s official, giant?pandas are no longer an endangered species. The?teddy-like animals are?up 17% over the past decade and the Chinese are planning to create a “giant” giant panda reserve to aid breeding habits. If life-size cuddly pandas don’t cheer you up,?we don’t know what will.

A post shared by Save The Pandas (@savegiantpandas) on Apr 19, 2017 at 3:38am PDT

6. Harry Potter Is Here To Stay

…for the foreseeable future anyway. Get ready?for FIVE more films in the Fantastic Beats and Where To Find Them franchise as well as?a film trilogy of the play HP and The Cursed Child where?apparently the original?cast will be returning as themselves, 19 years older. The play itself?has just cleaned?up at the Olivier Awards with a record nine gongs and rumour has it that it’s headed for Broadway. Forget wizard, Hagrid should’ve told him “you’re a cash cow, Harry.”

7. The Ozone Layer Is Healing

Remember?that massive, worrying?hole in the ozone layer everyone was banging on about? Scientists at MIT?have found that the layer has shrunk more than 4’million’square kilometres since 2000. That’s bigger than the size of India. And all thanks to?the declining use of chemicals in things like aerosol cans.

A post shared by T (@georgie_bartholomew) on Jan 29, 2017 at 3:42pm PST

8. Cancers Ass?Is Slowly But Steadily Being Kicked

Chemotherapy has experienced?a major breakthrough in the last few months. Scientists have recently discovered a “cool cap system” that prevents hair loss in patients. It may seem like a small step, but if it takes away even a small part of the suffering, then it enhances the quality of life that patients have and that is most certainly a good thing.

9. Chris Evans Can Lull You To Sleep

CBeebies Bedtime Stories knew?they?were?onto a good thing when they signed?up?Tom Hardy to read?a few kids stories. Next up is Captain America himself, whose voice and face you can enjoy?as you doze off.

If giant pandas, unlimited coffee and Chris Evans don’t put a smile on your face, we don’t know what will.