An eclectic, extended bundle of good news snippets to perk up the day.
A new study published in the journal Current Biology reveals that one animal that's still on Earth today actually dates back over 120 million years: a peacock. The fossil of this animal, named Yuanchavis (a mythological bird), dates back to the early Cretaceous era in northeastern China. This discovery also proves that birds are the animals that have survived the best through changes in Earth's environments and conditions through millenia.
When U.S. Navy veteran Kenny Jary's mobility scooter broke down, he was heart broken - the scooter was his ticket out of isolation and his only way to access his beloved community. His neighbour in Minnesota, Amanda, posted a video of him talking about how he sad he was that his scooter broke down - and launched a GoFundMe page to buy Kenny a new scooter. It raised more than $111,000 and when Amanda told Kenny the good news, he broke down in tears. After taking a few laps on his new scooter, Kenny said, "It's the nicest gift I ever had in my whole life." And now, Kenny is the one giving back. Using the extra money raised on his fundraiser, he's purchasing scooters for other veterans in need. But when he invited people to nominate a veteran to receive a scooter, he received more than 500 submissions. So, with Amanda's help, Kenny launched a GoFundMe page to raise more money to meet the demand.
Daniel Craig joked it would be an "absolute honour to be walked all over in Hollywood" as he was honoured with a Walk Of Fame star. The outgoing James Bond actor joined the illustrious names on the world famous Los Angeles tourist attraction during a rare evening ceremony. Craig's star - the 2,704th - was unveiled at 7007 Hollywood Boulevard, a nod to the super spy's famous nickname and only yards from that of Sir Roger Moore, who played Bond in seven films.
Google Maps is now offering drivers in the US the lowest carbon route for their chosen journey as part of the search company’s new environmentally friendly policies. Motorists will be able to select the route with the lowest carbon emissions once factors such as traffic and road inclines are taken into account. Where the comparable journey times are broadly the same, Google Maps will default to the lowest carbon option. Google’s chief executive, Sundar Pichai, said the initiative could save 1m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, or the equivalent of taking 200,000 cars off the road. The upgraded app will launch in Europe next year.
81-year-old Malcolm Clarke suffered a heart attack while watching latest Bond movie but was saved by fellow films fans in the cinema who performed CPR on him. The film’s title? No Time to Die.
A first-look trailer has just been released for the GoT prequel, called House of the Dragon, and will premier in 2022. If you liked Game of Thrones, you will like House of the Dragon. And if you didn’t like Game of Thrones, you will probably still watch House of the Dragon so that you can keep up with what everyone else is talking about. Here's the teaser...
NASA will launch a spacecraft next month to hit an asteroid - on purpose - to change its path, testing for the first time a method of “planetary defense." The launch of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission will blast off on 24 November, NASA said.
Ford just announced it is spending $11.4 billion to build two new factories in Tennessee and Kentucky to manufacture batteries and its electric F-series pickup trucks. Together, they’ll create over 11,000 jobs, and the Tennessee factory will be Ford’s largest ever - and its first new American vehicle-assembly plant in decades. “This is a transformative moment where Ford will lead America’s transition to electric vehicles and usher in a new era of clean, carbon-neutral manufacturing,” said Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford. “With this investment and a spirit of innovation, we can achieve goals once thought mutually exclusive—protect our planet, build great electric vehicles Americans will love, and contribute to our nation’s prosperity.”
Las Vegas, long known as a city of high rollers, has held the distinction of being home to the world’s largest Ferris Wheel (aptly named - what else? - The High Roller) since 2014. But with Dubai’s luxury Ain Dubai (translated from Arabic as Dubai Eye) Ferris Wheel set for its grand opening this month, the American Casino Capital’s title has just been eclipsed. Standing a massive 820 feet high, Ain Dubai can accommodate up to 1,750 passengers in its 48 bespoke air-conditioned cabins.
Colour blind rugby fans and players will no longer have to suffer through Ireland-Wales matches in silence, with World Rugby planning to ditch any red-green kit clashes by the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Distinguishing between red and green is a common issue for colour blind people, with the condition affecting around one in 12 men and one in 200 women globally. Fixtures between Ireland and Wales, playing in green and red respectively, have proven particularly problematic for colour blind supporters.
Nearly a century after their beach resort was wrongfully taken from two Black business owners, Willa and Charles Bruce, the California governor signed legislation that will enable Los Angeles County to return the beachfront property to their descendants. Governor Gavin Newsom visited the Manhattan Beach property to sign the law, with Bruce family members looking on. The measure, sponsored by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, authorizes the county to immediately begin the process of transferring parcels of what was known as Bruce’s Beach, to the family’s descendants.
Attended by high-level government delegates and representatives from carefully selected NGOs, most ordinary folk wouldn’t dream of having a place at the UN’s annual climate summit. But this year, that’s exactly who is being invited: 100 individuals from across the globe. In a first for the Conference of the Parties, a group of demographically representative people will be chosen to contribute to online discussions held during the summit, which takes place between 31 October and 12 November in Glasgow, Scotland. A lottery system is being used to select them.
Synthetic kerosene is made by using water and electricity to produce hydrogen, which is then combined with carbon dioxide to make crude oil, which is then refined into jet fuel. A new plant in Germany plans to be the largest synthetic kerosene producer in the world, using water and electricity from nearby wind farms and captured carbon to make the jet fuel carbon neutral. Currently, aviation accounts for 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, but researchers are confident that e-fuels could cut emissions without significant modifications to aircraft - thus making the whole process much more likely to happen.
A runner who climbed 189 mountains in a month said he felt "incredible" after he raised almost £10,000 ($13,600) for charity. Will Renwick completed his run at Conwy Castle, after clocking up at least 24 miles a day over a month. The challenge he set himself was to run up every mountain peak over 2,000ft (600m) in Wales. He said the 500 mile route was fuelled by instant mash, noodles and chocolate, and despite the lows, the money raised for charity made "every mile worth it."
Fun Fact: Guinness is arguably Europe's most recognizable beverage. When Arthur Guinness signed the lease for the brewery’s St. James Gate property in Dublin in 1759, it was for 9,000 years at £45 per month. Those terms are still adhered to today.
More Good News
Why not surf around the OGN website? Enjoy some of our recent positive news articles:
100 Seconds to Midnight
The market for first-edition books has never been hotter - so a new sale of climate change themed works, spanning over 2,000 years, will make millions. Here's a very interesting video synopsis of some of the important works that will be put up for grabs by Christie's in the not too distant future.
If you're enjoying OGN Daily, please share the good news by telling friends and family...