Good News: Smartphones are improving our memory skills and how tech is saving heritage in Ukraine

Welcome to another week of the Good News round-up, our weekly bulletin of what’s going well around the world.

Click the video above to get the full digest of this week’s good news stories.

Scotland has become the first country to make access to free period products a legal right, at a time when around one in 10 girls in the United Kingdom are unable to afford sanitary towels and tampons.

Local authorities and educational institutions in Scotland are now legally obliged to provide free sanitary products to anyone who needs them.

1. The Scottish government says it has invested more than €32 million to fund access to period products in a range of public settings.

Local authorities and educational institutions in Scotland are now legally obliged to provide free sanitary products to anyone who needs them.

The Scottish government says it has invested more than €32 million to fund access to period products in a range of public settings.

Watch the video above to get all the details, including the legal background and how women and girls will be able to get hold of the products.

2. A 17-year-old student named Robert Sansone has single-handedly designed a motor that could potentially transform the electric car industry.

It all started a couple of years ago when Sansone became aware of the disadvantages of electric cars in a video he saw online.

He learned that most electric car motors require magnets made from rare-earth elements, which have a tremendous cost, both financially and environmentally.

Watch the video above to get the details of his design, as well as how he has managed to repurpose another widely commercialised electric motor for his invention.

His work has earned him first prize at this year’s Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and an award of US$75,000.

3. The world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the United States, has taken a significant and unexpected step to tackle climate change.

Called the Inflation Reduction Act, the bill includes the biggest climate investment in its history, with a promise of €361 billion to be spent on renewable energy. Experts have estimated that the move could cut emissions in the US by around 40 per cent by 2030.

According to energy and climate policy firm Energy Innovation, the reduction in pollution that the bill should bring about could save up to 3,900 lives a year by 2030.

But what exactly will this multi-billion investment do? Watch the video above and get all the answers. Courtesy of Green, the environment section of Euronews.

4. A new study says using smartphones does not make us as lazy as we thought, and could in fact help improve our memory skills.

The research, which was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, revealed that digital devices help people store and prioritise information.

Smartphones seem to help clear headspace, making us better at remembering things, as well as reinforcing the act of remembering things we consider important.

Watch the video to get the full details from the senior author of the study, Dr Sam Gilbert from the University College of London. He shared his thoughts about neuroscientists’ and parents’ concerns about the overuse of technology, and whether it results in the breakdown of cognitive abilities.

5. A project is using artificial intelligence to preserve Ukraine’s cultural heritage.

A group of Ukrainians under the name of Skeiron is working to preserve cultural sites damaged by the war in Ukraine.

Using a special laser and artificial intelligence, they are creating 3D models of the country’s historic buildings and monuments, to act as blueprints to restore these sites if they are destroyed.

In the video, we speak to Yura, founder of Skeiron.

And remember, it can be hard to find among the headlines, but some news can be good news.