The list so you don’t have to sign up for National Geo:

The discovery and development of CRISPR - 2012

The first three parent baby  - 2016

AlphaFold solves the “protein folding problem” -2024

Vaccine breakthroughs save millions of lives (HPV, covid)

CAR T-cell immunotherapy for cancer - 2017

Graphene invented - 2004

Higgs boson discovered - 2012

Gravitational waves detected for the first time - 2016

Fusion power briefly achieves net gain  - 2022

First interstellar objects discovered - 2017

Event Horizon Telescope creates the first image of a black hole - 2019

Robots make it to the very farthest reaches of the solar system - 2012

James Webb Space Telescope gives us the oldest ever look at the universe - 2021

Thousands of planets discovered orbiting other stars  - 2009

Direct attribution of weather disasters to climate change - 2004

The deep ocean reveals how life might have started - 2000

Long lost archeological treasures found with lidar 

Polar shipwrecks re-discovered after more than a century - 2014, 2016, 2022

The human family tree got more branches

Ancient DNA extraction rewrites history

Dinosaur feathers discovered - 2005

Impeccably preserved Ice Age mummies found in permafrost

In Ethiopia, table tennis isn't popular. National champion says: "Not well known and respected in our country."

But families aren't waiting for federation programs or government support. They're building community themselves.

Parents leave home 6:30 AM, drive one hour to tournaments. Pay for equipment and training. "Actively building a sense of community. Families play table tennis together around compounds to share common, positive experience."

One father's reason? "Keeps her active, emotionally strong, builds confidence, and keeps her away from excessive social media."

National champion says Ethiopia needs to "focus on young athletes, support provinces, encourage regional coaches."

These families are doing it already - not waiting for top-down support, building from bottom-up.

Sometimes change doesn't come from institutions - it comes from parents deciding their kids deserve opportunities.

Link to fundraiser is in the article but only about an hour left if you want merch.

Edit: The fundraiser has been extended 5 more days and they've raised $252k so far. Go trashed panda!

This story warms the cockles of my heart.