Although February is the shortest month of the year, there are plenty of good news stories to brighten the month.

Fusion energy, the product released from reactions that power stars, is nothing new to scientists around the world.  For over half a century, the quest to control and harness this power has only grown.  Recent experiments in the United States have achieved a burning plasma state and allowed scientists to be the closest they have ever been to controlling a self-sustaining power.  The physics division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory contributed to this phenomenon by increasing their capabilities in diagnostic science, which will help turn the research of fusion into a reality.  If fusion power can be harnessed, it can be used to generate electricity commercially throughout the world as a much safer and efficient alternative.

“Hopefully in the near future, fusion power can be used as the new main source of energy to power the planet instead of other sources that can have negative effects on the planet,” said junior Henry Caiati.

Recently at the University of Pennsylvania, doctors have claimed that cancer patients who were given immune cell therapy have been cured of the disease.  Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States behind heart disease, with over 600,000 fatalities per year.  This discovery has sparked excitement within the medical field and is a major step forward in cancer research.  Doug Olsen is a 75-year-old Californian who underwent the experimental treatment back in 2010, and 12 years later, there are no signs of cancer in his body, according to Good News Network.  The treatment is known as CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptors cell therapy) and trains the immune cells in the body to target cancer at a much more effective rate.  After they wipe the cancer out, the cells remain in the body and continue to mutate in order to prepare just in case that the cancer comes back.  According to Olsen, it took only three weeks for the doctors to meet with him and tell him the wonderful news that he was cancer free. 

“This is great news for the world of medicine.  Cancer is a horrible disease that kills far too many each year, and hopefully this cure is as effective as it claims to be so it can put an end to cancer once and for all,” said junior Antonio Sottile.

Coral reefs are one of our planet’s most spectacular sights, especially the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia being honored as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.  Recently, a scientific research mission located what is now believed to be one of the largest coral reefs in the world off of the coast of the island of Tahiti in the Pacific Ocean.  The reef is two miles long, 200 feet wide, and in pristine condition.  Before its discovery, a majority of the world’s coral reefs did not exceed a depth of 85 feet, but this reef has changed this pre-existing belief, as it is approximately 200 feet below sea level.  Currently, scientists know more about the surface of the moon than they do about the deep ocean, as only around 20 percent of it is mapped out.  Two organizations, UNESCO and 1 Ocean, have teamed up to continue the process of mapping out the ocean with new expeditions scheduled through 2030.  The discovery of this magnificent reef is one step closer to completely navigating the deep ocean and exploring uncharted waters.

Back in April 2019, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France caught on fire and burned for a  devastating 15 hours, destroying two-thirds of its roof and most of the wooden elements of the building.  Starting in the fall of 2021, temporary structures were built to secure what was left of the cathedral’s remains, thus preparing for its reconstruction.  Over the last few months, an immense amount of progress has been made to the cathedral with more to come soon.  It is expected that the Cathedral will be finished with construction some time in 2024.

“This is amazing to see.  It was very unfortunate that the church caught on fire and suffered so much damage, so to see it being rebuilt over the next years will give many people around the world an enormous amount of joy,” said junior Jackson Walz.