Upbeat News Thursday
- Editor OGN Daily
- Aug 7
- 3 min read
What better way to start the day than with some upbeat news?
New Online Archive
When you think of “Dickensian literature,” foggy alleyways, forlorn orphans, or grotesque villains may come to mind. That’s due in part to the influence of illustrations meant to aid 1800s readers in envisioning the scenes, characters, and emotions. Charles Dickens was deeply committed to these illustrations, which would portray characters, scenes, and emotions to his readers. Dickens consulted heavily with his artists and sometimes revised his writing to better match the vision of the illustration. Now, over 2,000 images based on Dickens’ works can be found in a convenient and free online archive, aptly called Charles Dickens Illustrated Gallery. Whether you enjoy his writing or are just curious about his work, this digital collection provides a fascinating look into the stories that entertained readers in the past. Curated by researcher Dr. Michael John Goodman, the site organizes illustrations by book and edition.
Amateur Enthusiast
In what would no doubt come as a surprise to the people who made them, a collection of palaeolithic tools has sold at auction for £41,000 ($54,500). A total of 68 hand axes and other Stone Age tools, which date back about 400,000 years, were collected by amateur enthusiast David Blake in Kent, south east England, between 1987 and 2013. The Stone Age was a long historical period, starting about 2.5 million years ago and ending in 3,000 BC, characterised by humans using stone tools.
Tree-Planting Day
Ethiopia just had a national tree-planting day to plant 700 million trees in a single day. While it wasn’t possible to verify if they’d achieved their goal, by around 6 a.m. local time (they started very early), officials said that around 355 million seedlings had already been planted by 14.9 million Ethiopians, reports Associated Press. Authorities say some 40 billion tree seedlings have been planted since 2019. The target for 2025 is 7.5 billion trees.
Back From The Brink
A Caribbean island’s beloved “blue dragons” have come roaring back from the brink thanks to conservation efforts. Green iguanas are the most common species of their kind, though they can sometimes turn red, and several other mottled shades of tan, brown, and grey. That makes the blue iguanas of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands all the more special. The blue coloration flushes particularly vivid when the animals feel threatened, or in males during the breeding season. Melanophore cells in their skin can expand or contract to make them appear lighter or darker. A tranquil juvenile female may look almost khaki-colored, while a mature male in the breeding season is particularly vibrant. CNN reports that there may have been as few as 25 left on the island, but thanks to conservation and a release program there are now around 1,200 on the island - shifting the animal from Critically Endangered, to Endangered.
Helsinki Traffic
Thanks to lower speed limits and smarter design, the capital of Finland went an entire year without a single traffic death, reports YLE. Street design for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure has been significantly upgraded in recent years, and more traffic cameras and automated enforcement systems have been introduced.
NY Goes Electric
New York is now the first state in the U.S. to require new buildings to be built entirely electric, without hookups to fossil fuels including gas, reports EcoWatch. It's a good start, but the state doesn't go "all in" as, according to the new mandate, only residential buildings up to seven stories tall and commercial or industrial buildings up to 100,000 square feet with building permit applications for initial construction approved on or after 31 December, 2025 will be required to meet the requirements by that date.
“Exquisite beauty is often hidden in life’s fragile, fleeting moments.” John Mark Green
On This Day
7 August 1948: At the Olympics in London, track-and-field athlete Fanny Blankers-Koen, who was pregnant with her third child, helped the Dutch team win the 4 x 100 relay, becoming the first woman to capture four gold medals at a single Games. She earlier had won the 100 metres, the 200 metres, and the 80-metre hurdles.
Discover more about "the flying housewife".
Today's Articles
Rescue Mission: Intriguing 'single banana experiment' shows how to reduce food waste. Researchers call it point-of-sale anthropomorphism.
Mood Boosting Video
Walking Backwards: It has surprisingly numerous benefits for both mind and body.
