This past year might have been a trying one, but among the negative news stories were plenty of bright spots.
For every celebrity death, there was a scientific breakthrough. For every bit of political nonsense (well, maybe not every bit of nonsense) there were leaps forward in clean energy.
In case you're feeling down about 2016, here's a reminder that, in a lot of ways, the world really is getting better.
1. Populations of tigers, pandas, and manatees all started growing for the first time in years.