OGN Wednesday

Editor OGN Daily
4 hours ago
3 min read

Mid-week collection of positive news stories to perk up the day.

Wave Clouds

“While driving near Vodňany in South Bohemia, Czechia, photographer Lukáš Gallo noticed some unusual clouds beginning to form. He kept driving, watching the sky evolve, until about 30 minutes later, a stunning set of Kelvin-Helmholtz wave clouds appeared overhead. He quickly pulled over, grabbed his camera, and captured the momentary display from a roadside field. “I didn’t plan this; it was all of a sudden. But I think that’s the best kind of photograph,” he says. These rare ‘wave’, or fluctus, clouds are formed when there’s a sharp difference in wind speed or direction between two layers of air, similar to the way wind can whip up waves on the surface of the sea. The result is a spectacular series of cloud curls that look like breaking ocean waves, as well as a clear visual warning of turbulence.” Lukáš Gallo's image is the Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025 Public Vote Winner.

Second Chance

Illinois became the 13th U.S. state to pass a ‘Clean Slate’ law to automatically seal eligible arrest and conviction records. Opening doors to opportunity for 1.74 million people in the state, it’s part of a growing effort to ensure that outdated records don’t stand in the way of employment, housing, and stability for people “who have earned a second chance after being held accountable for a mistake.”

Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation — Gaby Wood | David Parry / Booker Prize Foundation

Best Children's Fiction

Organisers of the prestigious Booker Prize have announced a new award for children’s fiction - one that will be judged by young readers as well as adults. Launching in 2026, the Children’s Booker Prize will celebrate the best contemporary fiction for children aged eight to 12 years old, written in or translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland. “The Booker Prize Foundation exists to inspire more people to read the world’s best fiction - because if you can imagine a different world, you can help to create a better one,” said Gaby Wood, its chief executive.

collection of slightly blurred silver clocks — Slowing the biological processes behind cancer, dementia and heart disease

Biological Clock

Once dismissed as fantasy, ageing research is now uncovering ways to slow the biological processes behind cancer, dementia and heart disease… and potentially protect against all three at once. With drugs like rapamycin and senolytics, researchers say the first true longevity medicines could emerge within five years. Yet while influencers sell supplements, scientists warn real breakthroughs are going to demand patience and funding: the United States still spends 20 times more on cancer than on ageing R&D.

152-faced “Noperthedron” — The Noperthedron

Nerdy Breakthrough

Two young mathematicians just broke a 330-year-old geometry riddle. Jakob Steininger, 30, and Sergey Yurkevich, 29, friends since maths-Olympiad days, have discovered the first known shape that can’t pass through a copy of itself, overturning a belief dating back to Prince Rupert’s 17th-century bet (here’s a brief history). Their 152-faced “Noperthedron” (after “Nopert” or “nope, Rupert”) was proved using millions of computer-tested orientations and a new theorem linking symmetry, rotation and shadow geometry. Quanta Magazine says it's a delightfully nerdy milestone that closes a 330-year chapter in geometry’s history.

Emergency Contraceptive

Ending years of debate, the Japanese health ministry has cleared Aska Pharmaceutical’s Norlevo for over-the-counter sale - the country’s first emergency contraceptive available without a prescription. No age limit or parental consent necessary; but buyers must take the pill under a trained pharmacist’s supervision.

The good news is that even if your early crepes have funny lumps and bulges or aren't paper-thin, they're still gonna be plenty edible and delicious. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

On This Day

The men behind the Gunpowder Plot of 1605

5 November 1605: Celebrated with fireworks as Guy Fawkes Day, this English holiday marks the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, when Roman Catholics led by Robert Catesby tried to blow up Parliament, the king, and his family this day in 1605.