Human Progress discussion

What example of human progress makes you most hopeful?

For me it's LGBT rights. Twenty years ago I don't think most people thought resistance was going to crumble so quickly. And yet it did. Where I live being LGBT seems to be part of the fabric, something that is not much of an issue. That said, homophobia still exists and there's plenty of heterosexism around, but it seems to be eroding quickly. So the expansion of LGBT rights makes me most hopeful.

Your thoughts? Medical breakthroughs? Decrease in global poverty? Decrease in interstate and civil war? Decreasing crime rates? Increasing literacy? Better TV, coffee, beer, and contraception? Wifi? Increasing representation of women in government? Increasing percentage of girls attending school around the world? Near-eradication of diseases like polio and guinea worm? Increasing graduation rates? Longer life? Access to travel? Space exploration? Free long distance? (Remember when we used to pay for long-distance calls!?!) Less air pollution (at least in rich countries)? Better sneakers? More sexual freedom? Online shopping? Your smartphone?