Happy News Thursday
- Editor OGN Daily
- 14 hours ago
- 4 min read
Some bite-sized chunks of uplifting news to brighten the day.
"A Marriage of Sorts"
Using nature as her medium, artist Jeanne K. Simmons creates striking artwork that is an expression of the natural world and our relationship with it. Like this image of a model's hair braided into a grassy hillside, Simmons' art stands at an intersection of installation, sculpture, and photography. “I hope that my work serves as a reminder that it is possible to have a harmonious rapport with the natural world. And that we are, in fact, in a committed relationship with the natural world, a marriage of sorts, and that our fates are intertwined.” In October 2025, Simmons will bring her environmental art to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art in Arizona for her solo show, Rootbound.
Conservation Success
Just 10 years ago, Rwanda’s gray crowned cranes were vanishing. Once a familiar sight in wetlands across East Africa, their numbers in Rwanda had collapsed, driven by habitat loss and capture for the exotic pet trade. That grim picture has now changed dramatically, thanks largely to the work of Olivier Nsengimana, a veterinarian and founder of the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association, which has led a national campaign to rescue, rehabilitate, and eventually reintroduce captive cranes to the wild. The good news is that Rwanda’s endangered crowned crane population has tripled since 2017.
Designed For Women
Adidas has launched the first-ever soccer “boot” built by and exclusively for the unique needs of women players. The brand said it was responding to reports that the majority of women players have at some point experienced discomfort wearing a unisex shoe, and was tested by its athletes and partner team members. Acknowledging that female feet typically have a narrower heel, higher arches and more volume around the midfoot area, the new adidas boot has improved fit in the heel, midfoot and forefoot for better lockdown, increased comfort and to help facilitate quicker changes of direction.
Seeing in The Dark
Researchers have created contact lenses that convert infrared light into visible light. The lenses contain nanoparticles of gold and rare earth metals that enable night vision.
Hope is The Key
When we think about what makes life fulfilling, emotions like happiness, gratitude, and love often come to mind. But according to new research from the University of Missouri, hope may be even more vital. In a series of six studies involving over 2,300 participants, researchers Megan Edwards and Laura King found that hope isn’t just a cognitive tool for goal-setting - it’s a powerful emotional force that gives our lives meaning. Unlike other positive emotions such as amusement or contentment, hope consistently predicted a stronger sense of meaning in life across all the studies. “This cornerstone of psychological functioning is not a rare experience - it is available to people in their everyday lives,” said Dr. Laura King. “And hope is one of the things that makes life feel meaningful.”
Teacher’s Final Wish
Tammy Waddell, a beloved elementary school teacher from Georgia, left behind a legacy of compassion that touched hearts far beyond the classroom. After a long battle with cancer, Waddell passed away at the age of 58. But even in death, her devotion to her students lived on. Instead of flowers, she asked for something more meaningful: backpacks full of school supplies for children in need. Her loved ones honored her wish in a beautiful way. At her funeral, dozens of donated backpacks lined the aisles - each one filled with notebooks, pencils, and the hope of a better school year for students who might otherwise go without. “My cousin’s final request at her funeral was backpacks full of supplies for needy students instead of flowers,” wrote Brad Johnson on X. “A teacher to the end.”
Floating Solar
A new solar farm is operational on a former 127 hectare (314 acre) gravel extraction pit in France and is currently the largest floating solar farm in Europe. Floating solar panels offer unique benefits, such as better performance and potentially longer lifespan from the cooling water as well as limiting bank erosion and water evaporation during wind or drought.
"Anyone can carry his burden, however hard, until nightfall. Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun goes down. And this is all life really means." Robert Louis Stevenson
On This Day
26 June 1963: US President John F. Kennedy gives his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" (intended to mean "I am a Berliner", but may actually mean "I am a doughnut") speech in West Berlin.
Today's Articles
Urgent Plea: A rescue centre is seeking a new forever home for a naked parrot with 'Rated R' vocabulary.
Mood Boosting Video
Fun & Games: Here's what happens if you hang a boxing bag in a forest.