OGN Monday
- Editor OGN Daily
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
Kick-starting the week with an eclectic global collection of upbeat news stories.
Musical Instrument
Yes, believe it or not, this is a musical instrument called a lethelium. Built around a bicycle wheel rim, this 24-string instrument looks like an alien artifact. It spins on a cymbal stand, allowing musicians to strike, pluck, or bow its “spokes” to create sounds ranging from a harp to a steel drum. It’s an upcycled, industrial sound machine that turns scrap metal into a chromatic orchestra. It’s just one of the finalists for the 28th annual Guthman Musical Instrument Competition where creators from around the world will assemble at Georgia Tech in Atlanta (from March 13-14) to demonstrate their unique, innovative, and frequently bizarre music-making contraptions.
What Are You Watching?
Netflix has revealed its globally most-watched TV shows and movies for the second half of 2025. From July to December, Netflix subscribers watched a total of 96 billion hours of content via the service. Overall, the most successful title on Netflix - by quite some margin - was KPop Demon Hunters, which had a whopping 482 million views. Stranger Things' fifth and final season ended up in second place on the streamer's chart of most-watched series, behind the second season of Wednesday.
Nova Exploding
Ever wondered what an exploding nova would look like? Well, the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA Array) at Georgia State University has succeeded in generating a detailed image of the rapidly changing conditions of the early post-explosion phase, giving "us a close-up view of how material is ejected away from the star during the explosion," explains Gail Schaefer, CHARA Array director. A nova is an astronomical phenomenon that occurs when a white dwarf strips its companion star of hydrogen-rich gas, causing a thermonuclear runaway reaction on the white dwarf’s surface. The name derives from the sudden brightening that makes it look as though a new ('nova') star has appeared in the night sky.
Tony Stark's Roadster
Tony Stark knows a thing or two about cool toys, and now one of his favourites is about to go up for grabs. It may not be an Iron Man suit, but the one-off Acura NSX roadster that Robert Downey Jr. drove in The Avengers (and to the real-world premiere) will soon hit the open market. Honda, Acura’s parent company, has revealed that the actual car used during the filming of the hit Marvel film will be auctioned off by Cars & Bids later this year. The automaker also announced that proceeds from the sale will benefit a charity of the winning bidder’s choice.
He Could Have Died
Phew! He didn't. The US rock climber Alex Honnold climbed one of Asia’s tallest skyscrapers without ropes or a harness on Sunday. Honnold, who starred in the 2019 Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo, ascended the 508-metre (1,667ft) Taipei 101 using the skyscraper’s horizontal metal beams to pull himself up with his bare hands. The 91-minute ascent was broadcast globally, and afterwards Honnold said of his startling achievement: “I think that people often find the inspiration that they need to pursue their own challenges or their own goals. It’s often the kick they need to do whatever it is that they want to do in their life.”
World's Oldest
An ochre hand stencil found in the jungles of Indonesia is the world’s oldest known cave painting; a finding that robs Europe of its claim to have the most ancient art. The stylised red handprint was discovered on the island of Sulawesi and is believed to be at least 67,800 years old. That makes it at least 1,100 years older than the previous record for a cave painting, a hand stencil in a cave in Spain attributed to Neanderthals. The Indonesian handprint was made by a person using his or her mouth to spray ochre pigment around a hand pressed to the wall of the cave, leaving a negative image or outline. Adhi Agus Oktaviana, of Indonesia’s national research and innovation agency, said: “It is very likely that the people who made these paintings in Sulawesi were part of the broader population that would later spread through the region and ultimately reach Australia.”
HS2 Milestone
England's HS2 project will soon link London with Birmingham (the country's two biggest cities which lie 140 miles apart) by a new high-speed rail service. It has just reached an important milestone as construction has finished on its longest tunnel, which includes extensions with ventilation holes carved out to prevent sonic booms. Trains travelling at 200mph (322km/h) will take only three minutes to go through the 10 mile (16km) tunnel, which runs under the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire. Meanwhile, China recently revealed a 373 mph Ultra-High-Speed 'Flying Train'.
You Couldn't Make It Up
A Filipino woman spent four years worshipping what she thought was a green Buddha statue - before being told that it was actually a 3D-printed model of the animated film character Shrek. The woman treated the object with “great reverence” after buying it in Manila, the South China Morning Post reports, giving it a prominent spot in her home, praying to it daily and offering incense. She only realised her error when a visitor pointed out that the model’s facial features looked somewhat different from a typical Buddha’s.
“Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors.” Fred Rogers
On This Day
26 January 1988: Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, a musical version of Gaston Leroux's melodramatic novel, opened in New York City. It went on to become the longest-running show in Broadway history - after 13,981 performances it finally closed in April 2023.
Today's Articles
Getting Enough? Few people are. Discover the multiple benefits of eating beans - a win for health, climate and affordability.
Chart Topper: Robbie Williams now has more UK No. 1 albums than The Beatles, becoming top album artist of all time.
Sex Reversal: Male birds can lay eggs, and it may be more common than ornithologists originally believed.
Mood Boosting Video
Live Cam: California's celebrity bald eagles Jackie and Shadow welcome their first egg of the 2026 season.
