OGN Wednesday
What better way to start the day than with a global collection of upbeat news nuggets?
A Seal’s Nightmare
Photography is a powerful force, revealing truths that both inform and help us empathize. When the lens turns toward nature, this creative field reveals parts of our world that often go unseen. It’s fascinating, but it also shows what we stand to lose if we don’t act now to preserve and protect it. Now in its third year, the OurNature Environmental Photo & Video Award explores the relationship between humanity and the natural world. Storytelling is at the heart of its mission, visually documenting our impact on Earth, conservation efforts, and sustainable solutions. The judges have announced its overall winner for the 2026 competition. Norwegian wildlife photographer Audun Rikardsen won the top prize for his arresting image, A Seal’s Nightmare. The dramatic photo is taken from an underwater perspective and shows a polar bear looking through a hole in the Arctic ice, which doubles as a seal’s breathing hole.
Another Winner
Apple is seeing strong demand for its new foldable iPhone, with supplies quickly selling out after pre-order sales opened on Friday morning. By the afternoon afternoon, the Duo was backordered until late January. Apple's new CEO, John Ternus, announced the iPhone Duo last month. The new device lets users split the screen to use two different apps on the device, or two windows of the same website for uses such as comparison shopping. Prices start at $1,999. When folded, it's about the size of a passport. The full display is the largest of any Apple phone, resembling more of an iPad than an iPhone. Analysts expect Apple to sell up to 25 million units in 2027.
Positive Picture
The countdown is on to conserve 30 percent of the planet by 2030. While official figures indicate we’re only a little over halfway to this goal, a new study published in Nature presents a more positive picture. An international team of conservation experts analyzed different global and national datasets and found that nearly 27 percent of land area on Earth is conserved for biodiversity. Unlike the official count, this perspective incorporates spots that aren’t globally recognized as “protected areas” (like national parks and nature preserves) but still support wildlife. “With four years to go, the terrestrial component of the 30 percent target seems out of reach,” lead author Helen O’Neill explained in a statement. “Our analysis suggests that much more of the land is in some type of conservation area than currently recognized.”
Roger That
Why do people say "Roger that"? Well, as you probably know, it isn’t referring to a person named Roger at all. It’s a reference to the NATO phonetic alphabet and old-school radio communications in the United States and dates back to the early 1940s, when “Roger” was used in place of the letter “R” in the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet. In radio communications, using the code word “Roger” indicated a message had been received loud and clear. While “Roger” was replaced by “Romeo” in the NATO phonetic alphabet that was adopted in 1956, many two-way radio users still say “Roger” for the same reason that it’s always been used. According to Dictionary.com, “Roger” became widely used after public broadcasts of NASA’s Apollo missions of the 1960s, when the term was used during radio communications between mission control and the astronauts. So, when someone says “roger that,” you know that they’ve heard the message clearly and concisely.
Land Return
The Penobscot Nation is celebrating the return of about 11,000 acres of its ancestral homeland around the Penobscot River, in Maine. The land return is the first phase of a larger project by the Trust for Public Land to give the tribe back around 30,000 acres. For too long, Indigenous wisdom has been overlooked in land conservation. Not only does this land hold cultural significance to the tribe, but now it will be able to directly steward how it is conserved and used into the future.
The End is Nigh
Sometimes the very best progress in the world happens slowly and steadily. That’s the case for people living in extreme poverty. Just 200 years ago, more than 80 percent of the world lived in extreme poverty - today, it’s under 9 percent. In 1981, it was still 42 percent - it took 160 years for extreme poverty rates to fall by half. Since, it has dramatically accelerated, with the latest assessment by humanprogress.org putting the figure at 8.6 percent, and it continues to decline. While that still represents millions of people around the world, it’s proof that progress is not only possible; we can continually, exponentially improve.
"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." F. Scott Fitzgerald
On This Day
21 October 1805: Battle of Trafalgar - Admiral Horatio Nelson (one of Britain's greatest historical heroes) defeats the combined French and Spanish fleet of 33 ships. Nelson split his fleet (27 ships) into two perpendicular columns to cut directly through the enemy line, disrupting their coordination. A French sniper shot Nelson and he died at around 4:30 p.m., after learning the British had won. The British captured or destroyed 22 enemy ships and lost zero ships.
Today's Articles
Great Solution: “An amazing piece of technology” shares solar power across multiple apartments and just won top award.
Staying Positive: Swedish winter tradition of 'Little Saturday' helps alleviate those long, cold, dark nights.
Mood Boosting Video
Tutankhamun’s Dagger: Thousands of years ago, ancient Egyptians were using material that originated beyond Earth.
