I sincerely hope all of you have had at least one thing in the past year in your actual life to be thankful for. But in the bleak case that you haven't, fret not. There is a world outside your misery, and stuff here is pretty boss, all things considered.

1. Extreme poverty is falling fast:



2. As are malaria deaths (and research spending on malaria is rising):

3. And AIDS-related deaths:

4. Life expectancy is rising:

5. While teen pregnancy in the United States is dropping:

6. As is smoking:

7. And homelessness:

8. And lead poisoning:

9. And violent crime:

10. Plus, homicide has been going down steadily for centuries:

11. War is on the way out, too:

12. Especially if you take the long view:

13. Infant mortality is down:

14. As is maternal mortality:

15. And literacy is up:

16. In the United States, more less-advantaged kids than ever are attending preschool:

17. As well as college:

18. And fewer than ever are dropping out of high school:

19. We're bending the health-care cost curve, which has a huge impact on the federal budget:

20. The stock market is at an all-time high:

21. Moore's law is still chugging along:

22. We're wasting less of our lives in cars:

23. Meanwhile, in the future, driverless cars could save up to 21,700 lives a year in the United States alone: