In today’s Good News, MIT scientists create an ultrasonic device capable of shaking water out of the air in minutes, opening up a world of possibilities in dry regions. And in Romania, a new deposit system leads to high recycling rates and keeps bottles and cans out of landfills and waterways.

Catherine Garcia
The Week Digital

A California toddler is making remarkable progress after undergoing gene therapy to treat Hunter syndrome, a rare inherited disease that causes cognitive and physical impairments. Oliver Chu, 3, is the first person to try the treatment, which involves removing his stem cells, inserting a working copy of the faulty gene into those cells and then injecting them back into his body. He started treatments a year ago at England’s Manchester University, and “now appears to be developing normally,” said the BBC.

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The European Union’s 2018 ban on neonicotinoids has helped bird populations recover by 3%, according to a study published in Environmental Pollution. Ornithologists surveyed 57 bird species in 1,900 locations across France. Although 3% is not a massive number, scientists are “confident” the ban is “positively” affecting bird species, said Good News Network. After the pesticide DDT was banned in the U.S. in 1972, it took 10 to 25 years for bird populations to fully recover.

From ancient bacteria, to modern cures, to future research

A new ultrasonic device works with atmospheric moisture harvesting materials to recover water from the air in a matter of minutes. MIT scientists designed the system as an alternative to thermal methods, which require heat from the sun and can take several hours to produce water. The device could potentially be a “big source of water” for deserts and regions where there is “not even saltwater to desalinate,” said MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering principal research scientist Svetlana Boriskina.

Since Romania launched a deposit return system two years ago, the bottle and can recycling rate has skyrocketed from about 12% to 94%. When buying beverages, customers pay an extra 11 cents, which is returned when they bring the cleaned, empty container back to the store. Between November 2023 and September 2025, more than 500,000 tons of “high quality” recyclable materials were collected, including 2 billion metal cans and 1.5 billion glass containers, said The Guardian.

A few dollars here and there might seem insignificant, but it all adds up

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