ROME, Dec 23 (IPS) – Despite its grim record of multiple natural disasters and a deepening climate crisis, one could be forgiven for looking back on 2019 with a degree of nostalgia. There is no disguising the extent of the calamity wrought this year by COVID-19, yet as we approach the end of 2020 we may also draw strength from positive developments emerging.
These tiny swirls on the sun could trigger solar flares 
Bullfrogs may have an antidote to deadly shellfish poisoning 
Is AI making us dumber? Maybe not. But our skills are at risk 
Emperor penguin chicks like these starved. An iceberg may be the cause 
Naked mole-rat queens rule their colonies with a potent odor 
‘Cheating’ birds change their tune 
Hiroshima fosters hope, 81 years on from nuclear catastrophe 
The Year of Pastoralists Must Be More Than Symbolic 
Rohingya Refugees Seeking Safe Haven in Bangladesh Hit by Fresh Disasters