Thank you, Commander Hadfield

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

With celebrity death and elections taking the media by the nose, it’s easy to forget that this year saw a great many positives. Let’s look.

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) December 31, 2016

Click through thread.

Here's a few favorites.

2. Sri Lanka spent five years working to exile the world’s deadliest disease from their borders. As of 2016, they are malaria free.

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) December 31, 2016

(Don't let the door hit you on the way out.)

5. Tiger numbers around the world are on the rise for the first time in 100 years, with plans to double by 2022.

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) December 31, 2016

(Cat lover, moi?)

14. A solar powered airplane flew across the Pacific Ocean for the first time, highlighting a new era of energy possibilities.

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) December 31, 2016

(All new way to get high.)

24. Atmospheric acid pollution, once a gloomy reality, has been tackled to the point of being almost back to pre-industrial levels.

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) December 31, 2016

( :airguitar: )

28. The A.U. made strides to become more unified, launching an all-Africa passport meant to allow for visa-free travel for all citizens.

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) December 31, 2016

(!)

30. China announced a ban on new coal mines, with renewed targets to increase electrical capacity through renewables by 2020.

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) December 31, 2016

(Good luck, West Virginia)

46. Finally - The Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years, giving hope to Maple Leafs fans everywhere. Happy New Year.

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) December 31, 2016

(Yay!)

[JoeP]

Thanks Kam! Thanks Chris Hadfield!

show spoiler

Bloody Canadians being all cheery

[mickthinks]

Commander Hadfield left this off his list:

Huge newfound deposit of helium will keep MRI scanners running | New Scientist

From the link

Chris Ballentine of the University of Oxford, joint head of the team reporting the find this week at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference in Yokohama, Japan [said] “This discovery makes it very likely that similar systems can be investigated and, where the geology works in the same way, more helium deposits will be found,”.

[JoeP]

Or, since

The nearest ready supply of helium is on Jupiter

let's send some spacecraft there and actually have them come back this time.

Jupiter Mining Corporation, anyone?

[ZEZOZE]

allow me to brag...he was in my studio and i got to meet him. We talked about David Bowie. It was very cool. Here is a photo of us. It looks photoshopped, but it's not. The black halo effect is from the flash. Not the most flattering picture of me, but hey it's still pretty cool...

[/URL]


in my 20 years being in television news I have only ever asked one other person if they would take a picture with me and that was Romeo Dallaire...and i've been around loads of celebrities and politicians, but those two dudes are amazing.

[JoeP]

Photoshopped? You look like cardboard cutouts.

[ZEZOZE]

we have our own chain of restaurants.