Archive of Human Genius

We are building the world’s largest database of social change milestones, from the first fire to today’s good news. Change is not only possible, it has happened consistently throughout human history. Filter by era, country, topic, actor, source, and more.

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  • Person receiving nasal spray
    2024 C.E. January 10

    Novel nasal COVID-19 vaccine offers longer, better immunity than jabs

    Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore have developed an intranasal COVID-19 vaccine that enhances the immune system’s response to the virus, providing longer-lasting, greater protection than vaccine injections, even against new and emerging variants. The novel vaccine candidate could mean fewer boosters in future.


  • Solar farm
    2024 C.E. January 10

    Microsoft places massive 12GW solar module order, bolstering U.S. solar supply chain

    Building on a previously announced 2.5GW module supply agreement signed in January 2023, Qcells will supply Microsoft with 12GW of solar modules over an 8-year period. Equivalent to powering more than 1.8 million homes annually, the solar modules will be produced in the United States at a fully integrated solar supply chain factory in Cartersville, Georgia.


  • Forest landscape
    2024 C.E. January 9

    Forest restoration planned for Colombia’s Farallones de Cali National Park

    The $3.7-million project could take several decades because of the severity of the environmental damage done by illegal mining, which has deforested the park and polluted its rivers with mercury. The 485,226-acre national park is an important biological corridor along Colombia’s Pacific coast.


  • Cancer cells
    2024 C.E. January 9

    New protein test can detect 18 early stage cancers, scientists say

    The team from U.S. biotech firm Novelna wrote: “At stage I (the earliest cancer stage) and at the specificity of 99%, our panels were able to identify 93% of cancers among males and 84% of cancers among females." It believes its cheaper, less invasive multi-cancer screening test could be a ‘gamechanger.’


  • Forest scene
    2024 C.E. January 9

    Poland to halt logging in 10 of its most ancient forest

    Paulina Hennig-Kloska, who was appointed climate and environment minister in December 2023, said that the half-year moratorium in forests across the country was the first step to limiting logging. The government promised in its coalition agreement to protect 20% of the country’s forests.


  • Chicken feeding
    2024 C.E. January 9

    Chinese scientists invent a cost-effective, low-emission method of converting coal into protein for livestock feed

    Biotech researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) say the new method could feed livestock much more efficiently than natural plants, while using a1/1000th as much land as farming.


  • Gabriel Attal
    2024 C.E. January 9

    Gabriel Attal becomes France’s first gay prime minister

    Education Minister Gabriel Attal has just been appointed prime minister of France, the first out gay man and LGBTQ+ person to be named to the position. At age 34, he will also be the country’s youngest prime minister in its Fifth Republic.


  • House in the snow
    2024 C.E. January 8

    Leading heat pump manufacturers develop next-generation prototypes to withstand subfreezing weather

    The U.S. Department of Energy has announced that four additional heat pump manufacturers successfully produced heat pump prototypes as part of the Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump (CCHP) Technology Challenge. Launched in 2021, this initiative brings together public and private sector stakeholders to address technical challenges and market barriers to adopting next-generation cold-climate heat pumps—a key clean energy technology that can potentially save households $500 a year or more on their utility bills while also slashing harmful carbon emissions.


  • Tourists on Main Market Square in Krakow, Poland.
    2024 C.E. January 7

    Poland’s Clean Household Energy Initiative projected to prevent 20,000 deaths annually by 2030

    A new Polish national program plans to replace half the country’s 2.7 million wood and coal-fired furnaces with natural gas furnaces or even more efficient heat pumps by 2030. The policy is projected to save more than 21,000 lives a year in Poland, increase the number of people breathing clean air 15-fold, and help Poland reach new E.U. air quality standards.


  • Fjord
    2024 C.E. January 6

    Norway moves aggressively to curb cruise ship emissions to protect fjords

    Starting in 2026, only ships powered by alternative fuels will be allowed to visit Norway’s fjords. Lawmakers want to protect the unique natural environment and stop marine diesel oil and mass tourism from damaging the climate. Some ships are now powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), but that will no longer qualify as an acceptable fuel for cruise ships visiting the fjords of Norway.


  • Person receiving nasal spray
    2024 C.E. January 10

    Novel nasal COVID-19 vaccine offers longer, better immunity than jabs

    Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore have developed an intranasal COVID-19 vaccine that enhances the immune system’s response to the virus, providing longer-lasting, greater protection than vaccine injections, even against new and emerging variants. The novel vaccine candidate could mean fewer boosters in future.


  • Solar farm
    2024 C.E. January 10

    Microsoft places massive 12GW solar module order, bolstering U.S. solar supply chain

    Building on a previously announced 2.5GW module supply agreement signed in January 2023, Qcells will supply Microsoft with 12GW of solar modules over an 8-year period. Equivalent to powering more than 1.8 million homes annually, the solar modules will be produced in the United States at a fully integrated solar supply chain factory in Cartersville, Georgia.


  • Forest landscape
    2024 C.E. January 9

    Forest restoration planned for Colombia’s Farallones de Cali National Park

    The $3.7-million project could take several decades because of the severity of the environmental damage done by illegal mining, which has deforested the park and polluted its rivers with mercury. The 485,226-acre national park is an important biological corridor along Colombia’s Pacific coast.


  • Cancer cells
    2024 C.E. January 9

    New protein test can detect 18 early stage cancers, scientists say

    The team from U.S. biotech firm Novelna wrote: “At stage I (the earliest cancer stage) and at the specificity of 99%, our panels were able to identify 93% of cancers among males and 84% of cancers among females." It believes its cheaper, less invasive multi-cancer screening test could be a ‘gamechanger.’


  • Forest scene
    2024 C.E. January 9

    Poland to halt logging in 10 of its most ancient forest

    Paulina Hennig-Kloska, who was appointed climate and environment minister in December 2023, said that the half-year moratorium in forests across the country was the first step to limiting logging. The government promised in its coalition agreement to protect 20% of the country’s forests.


  • Chicken feeding
    2024 C.E. January 9

    Chinese scientists invent a cost-effective, low-emission method of converting coal into protein for livestock feed

    Biotech researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) say the new method could feed livestock much more efficiently than natural plants, while using a1/1000th as much land as farming.


  • Gabriel Attal
    2024 C.E. January 9

    Gabriel Attal becomes France’s first gay prime minister

    Education Minister Gabriel Attal has just been appointed prime minister of France, the first out gay man and LGBTQ+ person to be named to the position. At age 34, he will also be the country’s youngest prime minister in its Fifth Republic.


  • House in the snow
    2024 C.E. January 8

    Leading heat pump manufacturers develop next-generation prototypes to withstand subfreezing weather

    The U.S. Department of Energy has announced that four additional heat pump manufacturers successfully produced heat pump prototypes as part of the Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump (CCHP) Technology Challenge. Launched in 2021, this initiative brings together public and private sector stakeholders to address technical challenges and market barriers to adopting next-generation cold-climate heat pumps—a key clean energy technology that can potentially save households $500 a year or more on their utility bills while also slashing harmful carbon emissions.


  • Tourists on Main Market Square in Krakow, Poland.
    2024 C.E. January 7

    Poland’s Clean Household Energy Initiative projected to prevent 20,000 deaths annually by 2030

    A new Polish national program plans to replace half the country’s 2.7 million wood and coal-fired furnaces with natural gas furnaces or even more efficient heat pumps by 2030. The policy is projected to save more than 21,000 lives a year in Poland, increase the number of people breathing clean air 15-fold, and help Poland reach new E.U. air quality standards.


  • Fjord
    2024 C.E. January 6

    Norway moves aggressively to curb cruise ship emissions to protect fjords

    Starting in 2026, only ships powered by alternative fuels will be allowed to visit Norway’s fjords. Lawmakers want to protect the unique natural environment and stop marine diesel oil and mass tourism from damaging the climate. Some ships are now powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), but that will no longer qualify as an acceptable fuel for cruise ships visiting the fjords of Norway.



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