We're so used to reading negative news about the declining state of our society and planet, that it can be very refreshing to see some more optimistic predictions. The truth is that we're on the brink of dozens of spectacular discoveries that can change the way we live, treat disease, and interact with our natural world. Here are 23 major scientific discoveries that are much closer than you might think. 

The devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan last year knocked over buildings and left almost 100,000 people without power. A much smaller earthquake on the East Coast of the United States also startled millions of people unaccustomed to the feeling of the ground shaking beneath them. But earthquake predictive systems, which already exist in many places, could get much more effective soon, thanks to the discovery of a new trigger.