Good News Worth Celebrating
- Editor OGN Daily
- 7 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Quick summary of all the top good news stories from last week.
In a week when we heard of a delightful show of gratitude as Czech citizens paid off the travel debt of a 99 year old American WWII hero, and British researchers have discovered that a ‘copy’ of Magna Carta owned by Harvard Law School is in fact an extraordinarily rare original from 1300, we also learnt about a new 'superwood' that has 50 percent more tensile strength than steel, with a strength-to-weight ratio that’s 10 times better. It's not just a lab experiment; the remarkable new product is available now. And, in other good news...
Health & Wellbeing
$200 Billion: The world of philanthropy is abuzz after Bill Gates' announcement that it will ramp up its spending to $200 billion over a 20-year period in an effort to eradicate or dramatically reduce the world’s deadliest diseases and cut maternal and child mortality rates to a fraction of what they are - then close its doors at the end of 2045.
TB Vaccine: There are high hopes for world’s first TB vaccine in 100 years after a clinical trial testing the new vaccine hit enrolment targets earlier than expected because of volunteer enthusiasm in communities located in TB hotspots, says Gavi - The Vaccine Alliance. The vaccine is designed to prevent adults from advancing to the dangerous stage of an infection (the current, century-old vaccine is targeted at babies and children). It's great news as TB is the world's deadliest infectious disease.
Phones Finnished: The Finnish Parliament has approved a law restricting the use of mobile devices by pupils at primary and secondary schools. Research increasingly indicates that excessive smartphone use in children and adolescents can negatively impact their mental and physical health, academic performance, and social development.
Immune System Boost: University of Minnesota scientists have successfully used gene-editing to treat late-stage digestive system cancers. Using CRISPR, they modified patients' immune cells to better fight cancer by removing a gene that normally limits their attack strength. Of the 12 patients with previously incurable cancer, several saw their disease stop spreading, while one patient's tumours completely disappeared.
Tackling Ticks: New research is shining a light on how animals develop resistance to tick bites, which points toward the possibility of developing more effective vaccines against the tiny, disease-carrying bloodsuckers.
Parisian Kids: Paris was once notorious for speeding traffic and a parking technique involving gently nudging cars to squeeze into a spot - but now it has topped a European ranking of cycling-friendly cities for children.
Wildlife & Conservation
Back From The Brink: South Africa's wattled crane population has increased from fewer than 200 birds in 2000 to over 300 today, improving its conservation status from critically endangered to endangered. The recovery follows three decades of targeted conservation efforts.
Fast Food: Rather than passively filter-feeding, new research reveals that flamingos use their heads, beaks and feet to generate underwater tornado-like vortices that funnels invertebrates into their mouths.
Self-Made Mosaic: Over the last two decades, local divers and fishers have pieced together a mosaic of no-catch zones covering a remarkable 7,725 square miles (20,000 sq.km) of Mexico's coasts, with zero help from the government. Though the national government recognises the refuges now, they were originally created by local communities in response to government inaction, and even post-recognition, will be run by locals.
New Bee Species in UK: A new bee species is setting up home in southern England, drawn from the orchards of Europe by warmer springs and earlier flower blooms. The European orchard bee, Osmia cornuta, can usually be found busily pollinating cherry and apple trees in countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands. The good news for the UK is that they are said to be better pollinators than honeybees.
Planet Before Profit: The Pacific island territory of New Caledonia has announced a 50 year moratorium on seabed mining for nickel across 500,000 square miles (1.3 million sq. km) of ocean. The rare and sweeping move places the French territory among the most restrictive in the world in terms of seabed extraction, and should enable the protection of roughly one-third of the world’s pristine coral reefs.
And Finally...
Turning The Air Blue: Six GPS waypoints used in UK aviation are to be renamed because their five-letter code names sound too rude. Some air traffic controllers are "refusing to use potentially offensive route names" like "OKNOB" and "UTITI", both near Glasgow, and "RUBMI", a point south of Portland Bill. The Civil Aviation Authority said other controllers have "deliberately mispronounced" them.
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Today's Articles
Nonuplets: GWR shared photo of world's only surviving nonuplets, as they celebrated their fourth birthday.
Unsolicited Advice: When Kevin Kelly celebrated his 68th birthday, he gifted his children bits of advice he wished he had known when he was their age.