Don't worry about warming: Planet HD 189733b awaits us all

Retail Sales Still Falling. House Prices Still Falling. Pound Still Falling. UK Manufacturing Output Still Falling. Hey, Mr Headline Writer - tell us something we don't know. There's a recession on. We get it.

With so much of the media intent on reminding us that the global economic collapse is still there every morning, it's sometimes difficult to find the good news between the headlines, little signs that this bracing market correction is putting us back on track values-wise. Well, here's some: gloomy financial news is actually supplanting celebrity culture in the public imagination. According to Google, search terms related to the credit crunch featured more often in 2008 than terms connected with celebrities. And what was the most popular subject after the financial crisis? Politics. And after that? Cupcake recipes. The economy may be going downhill fast, but the rest of us, it seems, are heading in the right direction.

In other great news, the Hubble space telescope has finally tracked down a planet with an atmosphere rich in CO2, water vapour and methane, which means it could support, and may already contain, life. If things don't improve round here, Planet HD 189733b - remember that name - could form an essential part of our ultimate bail-out strategy. At the moment Nasa is saying it's too hot to sustain humans, but let's wait and see if they're still saying that when our own oceans reach a rolling boil.

No one's suggesting we shouldn't have a crack at weathering the storm first, but it's nice to know we have options. See you in the transporter room.

Recession-busting tip: Have a friend dress up as Father Christmas and drop by one evening next week in order to explain to your children how the credit crunch has forced him to trim his toy budget by 40%. What are they gonna do - argue with Santa?

What's going cheap right now: Toothbrushes, chalk, sweet mango chutney, grout.