In today's Good News, a blood test could soon speed up the frequently lengthy and difficult process of diagnosing endometriosis, an often debilitating condition affecting millions worldwide. And in a win against invasive plants, artisans in Africa turn pesky water hyacinth into helpful plastic alternatives, like biodegradable shopping bags.

Catherine Garcia
The Week Digital

When learning a new language, sleeping between lessons significantly improves memory and mastery of new words and grammar, a study from the University of South Australia suggests. Using a truncated Mandarin offshoot called Mini Pinyin, researchers found participants who slept showed much better retention and performance. Sleep is "not just restful; it's an active, transformative state for the brain," lead author Dr. Zachariah Cross said, adding that the findings may inform treatments for language impairments like autism and aphasia.

Rare images of an isolated Amazon community known as the Massaco people appear to confirm that it is "flourishing despite environmental threats," said The Guardian. Automatic cameras set up in the rainforest offer a glimpse of the uncontacted group and "give further evidence that the population is growing." The Massaco are believed to have doubled their number to 200 or 250 despite "unrelenting pressure from agribusiness, loggers, miners and drug traffickers."

Several large airlines have announced sustainability goals for the coming decades

An invasive plant in Africa is being transformed into biodegradable shopping bags and planters. The water hyacinth, a destructive aquatic plant in Kenya's Lake Naivasha, has devastated native species and damaged livelihoods. To combat it, HyaPak Ecotech has begun employing locals to harvest the hyacinth, turning it into eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics. This innovation, which both supports conservation and creates jobs, will soon expand to India and El Salvador, countries also struggling with the water hyacinth.

Australian researchers report that a blood test is showing "strong predictive accuracy" in diagnosing endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, causing pain and heavy periods. Endometriosis is typically diagnosed through laparoscopic surgery, and a non-invasive test would make it easier — and much quicker — for patients to receive an accurate diagnosis. Globally, endometriosis affects about 10% of reproductive-age women and girls, the World Health Organization said.

New Year's resolutions seem made to be broken, but with a few adjustments, you can give yourself a shot at sticking with it

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