A New Year, A New Hope

Whelp, for better or worse, 2022 is over. It's been a tumultuous yet hopeful time.

Pictured: I needed something to tie into the title.

From a macro view, the world has largely moved on from COVID. It's still a threat; people just don't care as much since most are vaccinated and won't die from it. And one of the great side effects (pun not intended) from the COVID era is that most workplaces take sick days much more seriously. Gone are the days where you have to come into the office with a fever and cold-like symptoms. Businesses are too worried about having a super-spreader event.

Another good thing that has come out of COVID is the scientific understanding of viral infections. In 2018, a "cure for the common cold" was considered a joke. Now, it's a real possibility in the semi-near future.

Pictured: Paxlovid, an oral treatment for COVID and a potential starting ground for other viral treatments.

Speaking of things that were considered science-fiction, significant strides in nuclear fusion are extremely promising. This is something I genuinely thought would either never be achieved or at least wouldn't be achieved in my lifetime.

Through most (if not all) of human existence, the limiting factor on what we can do has been energy. With recent advancements, we could *solve* energy. To say this would be world-changing is an understatement; this could fundamentally change how humanity approaches life, the universe and everything.

2022 definitely had its rough moments too. The war in Ukraine comes to mind. From a political science standpoint, this war shouldn't have happened. Most theories of power predicted that sovereign countries were pretty much past the idea of full out war between them; it was thought that conflicts in this era would be focused with extremist groups (homegrown or foreign), not governments. However, the international outcry following Russia's invasion has also given rise to further hope. What was once thought to be one of the most powerful nations in the world is struggling to find footing and momentum. And this is a good sign that such wars (while not over, apparently) will have the free world coming together to stop them.

As we move into 2023, let's keep the hope alive!