Today's Good News
- Editor OGN Daily
- Apr 23
- 4 min read
Wednesday's global round up of positive news nuggets to brighten the day.
Puddle Reflection
Linda Repasky wins the Something Beautiful Challenge in this year's Close-Up Photographer Of The Year awards. Her image, Puddle Reflection, was taken with an iPhone and finds beauty in an ordinary puddle. By looking closely at the pavement she reveals textures, colors and details that many of us would simply walk past. Tracy Calder, co-founder of CUPOTY, highlighted the image's success in finding beauty in the mundane: “You don’t need exotic locations or specialist equipment to capture something beautiful.”
Digital Dementia?
Researchers have found that frequent use of digital technology might help stave off cognitive decline in older adults. After reviewing 57 studies involving more than 411,000 older adults, researchers found that consistent use of technology - e.g. smartphones, computers, email, and social media - was associated with a 42 percent lower risk of mild cognitive impairment or dementia. The study results challenge the “digital dementia” hypothesis, which suggests reliance on tech can weaken cognitive abilities in the long run. But this isn’t to say there’s no such thing as too much screen time.
Extinct in The Wild
Three dove chicks extinct in the wild have hatched at London Zoo. The Wild Socorro chicks, are the offspring of two pairs of parents who arrived at the zoo in late 2024 as part of an international breeding programme. The zoo aims to boost numbers of the doves so that they can eventually be reintroduced to their native habitat on Socorro Island, off the coast of Mexico. Gary Ward, London Zoo's curator of birds, said it was a "big step forward in our role to bring this species back from the brink of extinction".
Cheese Board Tradition
The tradition of having a cheeseboard at the end of a meal dates back at least 400 years to Tudor times, according to historians studying the the oldest English book on cheese. The origins of the post-meal staple were uncovered in the Elizabethan manuscript during work to transcribe the original handwritten text, held at the University of Leeds. The 16th Century document - A pamflyt compiled of Cheese, contayninge the differences, nature, qualities, and goodnes, of the same - had been unknown until it was bought at auction in 2023. Speaking to Radio 4, Dr Alex Bamji, professor of early modern studies in Leeds, said the text showed some Tudor people had a cheeseboard at the end of a meal, like we do today.
Look Up
If you missed it last night, why not have a go at spotting the Lyrid meteor shower tonight?
Oldest Astronaut
NASA's oldest active astronaut has returned home to Houston after his latest stint in orbit. Don Pettit arrived in Space City on Sunday (April 20), which happened to be his 70th birthday - bringing his seven-month-long International Space Station (ISS) mission to an end. Pettit has spent a total of 590 days off Earth across four different space missions. The astronaut is well known to space enthusiasts for his stunning orbital photography, which he frequently shares via social media. Take a look at his Lightning Bugs - it's how you might imagine a photo by Van Gogh would look like, if he had been an astronaut.
Eating The Earth
New York City is cutting emissions and saving money by making vegetarian meals the default in public hospitals, says Canary Media. The hospitals have now served more than 2 million plant-based meals and reports a 98 percent satisfaction rate. The average vegetarian meal costs 59 cents less than meat, so the program has also saved the city more than $1 million.
Marine Protection
The Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor is now bigger and better, thanks to international cooperation. Started in 2004 to strengthen connectivity across five marine protected areas in Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama, today it has expanded to include 10 MPAs, protecting 2 million square kilometres of ocean. Shaped by powerful currents, it’s one of the world’s most ecologically significant marine regions.
“For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” Kahlil Gibran
On This Day
23 April 1985: The Coca-Cola Company introduced New Coke, a reformulated soft drink meant to replace its flagship beverage; due to public outrage, however, the previous version of Coke was brought back as “Coca-Cola Classic” less than three months later. Often cited as the most memorable marketing blunder ever.
Today's Articles
Bonding With Booze: New research shows that wild chimpanzees like to socialise with alcoholic fruit.
Improves Ecosystems: Groundbreaking study shows that solar panels can do much more than just generate clean electricity.
Mood Boosting Video
Wonders of Nature: Enjoy a 5 minute trip around the world looking at some of nature's most beautiful sights.
