Merry News Tuesday
- Editor OGN Daily
- 13 hours ago
- 4 min read
Tuesday's smorgasbord of tasty good news nuggets to perk up the day.
Mistletoe Smooching
Thousands of people and many, many sprigs of a certain festive shrub later, the America's capital now holds the world record for most couples kissing underneath the mistletoe. A few days ago, 1,435 couples gathered in downtown Washington, D.C. under a massive mistletoe installation to kiss simultaneously for five seconds. In doing so, they nearly tripled the Guinness World Record previously set in 2019 in St. Louis, where 480 couples had locked lips. The smooching took place underneath a ten-foot-long sphere of shrubbery and ribbons suspended in the air, but each couple also held their own sprig of mistletoe above their heads.
Gen Z Leads The Way
A new study by Cinema United found that Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) are going to the movies more than any other generation. While the popular belief is that young people are staying home to stream movies rather than heading out to see them on the big screen, the reality is more complicated. Young people are actually going to the movies more - they’re just more selective about which films are worth the big-screen experience and which can be enjoyed from the comfort of the couch. They went to the movies an average of 6.1 times per year, up from 4.9 times in 2024. About 40 percent of them went to the movies six or more times, up from 30 percent in 2022. Overall, Gen Z attendance is up a whopping 25 percent compared to last year. That shift has been driven by more premium large-format screenings, in-seat food and drink service, and increasingly comfortable seating.
New Species
A new pumpkin toadlet species was recently discovered in the mountains of southern Brazil. Bracycephalus lulai is just over one centimeter (only 0.39 inches) long and roughly the size of a pencil tip. It’s a completely new species of frog. “This new species is unique due to a combination of many characteristics,” says biologist Marcos R. Bornschein. “But it stands out because of its orange coloration and particular features of its advertisement call, including the presence of four pulses per note.” In fact, that unique advertising call (when animals send out some kind of sound to find a mater or announce their presence) is what led Bornschein and the team to this discovery.
100,000th Image
After nearly 20 years circling and photographing the red planet, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recently snapped its 100,000th image. A high school student - not a scientist - chose the milestone image’s subject matter, nominating the pictured region (called Syrtis Major) through HiWish, an online portal where members of the public can suggest Martian regions for future photography and study.
Wonderful Idea
It can be tough to feel festive when you’re sick, but Texas Children’s Hospital wanted to change that by putting on a special holiday market just for patients. Surrounded by colorful decorations, the kids get to browse a cornucopia of goodies, picking out gifts for parents, siblings, and caregivers. Besides helping children get into the Christmas spirit, the market provides a sense of normalcy that can be hard to come by during treatment.
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Sony's Peanuts
The Japanese conglomerate will pay a whopping $457 million to roughly double its stake in Peanuts Holdings to 80 percent. It will no doubt be a wonderful Christmas present for the family of 'Peanuts' creator Charles M. Schulz, who will still get to hold the remaining 20 percent. Sony first became involved with Peanuts in 2010, over six decades after Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and their friends first appeared in American newspaper comic strips in 1947 as Li'l Folks. The 'Peanuts' name was introduced in 1950.
Biodegradable
We all know about the health dangers of microplastics, which are incapable of fully breaking down and end up in just about everything, including our food and water. So, it's welcome news that researchers from Japan have recently developed a new type of plastic: one that’s entirely plant-based and biodegradable. It’s not the first time a biodegradable plastic has been created, but while many versions take a long time to disintegrate, this one can fully decompose in marine environments in just a few hours.
"At Christmas, all roads lead home." Marjorie Holmes
On This Day
23 December 1815: Jane Austen published her fourth novel, Emma, which centres on a precocious young woman whose misplaced confidence in her matchmaking abilities occasions several romantic misadventures.
Today's Articles
Remarkable Discovery: 7,000-year-old walls found off the coast of France. Over twice as old as Egypt's Pyramids of Giza.
Mood Boosting Video
Spectacular Utah landscape seen from above.