Tuesday's Good News
- Editor OGN Daily
- Sep 23
- 4 min read
Ensuring the day gets off to a sunny start with a global collection of upbeat news nuggets.
Across Light Years
This photograph from the 2025 Royal Observatory Greenwich’s ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year captures a serendipitous moment when a brilliant fireball from the Perseid meteor shower appears to graze M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. Originally the photographers had only planned to capture a close-up of the M31 galaxy. Retrieving the camera the next morning, they discovered this wonderful surprise.
First Time in History
The National Archives in Washington, D.C. is currently showcasing the four pages of the U.S. Constitution, plus a rarely shown “fifth page,” the Bill of Rights and the 17 other amendments. The historic documents will be on view in the Rotunda at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. until 1 October. The display is part of the celebrations leading up to America’s 250th anniversary.
Appalachian Foothills
In one of the largest private land protection initiatives in state history, nearly 3,000 acres of forest in the foothills of Appalachian Ohio, and the wildlife that call it home, will be protected and open to the public. The family that has owned the land for the last century has donated it to a local landbank, which will manage it as a nature preserve. This will protect wildlife and enhance accessibility and safety for the public by adding trail markings and parking. And with a conservation easement on the land, The Nature Conservancy will ensure the Joy Valley Nature Preserve is protected long-term.
Spreadsheet Champion?
Ever found yourself wondering why you spent all that time learning Microsoft Excel at school? Not so for Ha Dang, who will represent Britain in the spreadsheet world championships in Las Vegas this December. The 33-year-old has won a slot at the contest after seeing off more than 40 rivals in the inaugural British competition, a feat that has left him “astounded and privileged”. Dang will now head to Sin City to represent Britain against hundreds of others for the title of “world’s best spreadsheeter”, with a $5,000 prize and a personalised championship belt up for grabs.
Midday Meal
India’s ambitious “midday meal” programme, known as PM Poshan, was launched to boost school enrolment and combat chronic malnutrition. But in Laitsohpliah, a rural village in north-east India, its unique uptake is making waves. The menu there is hyperlocal, using ingredients sourced from nearby farmers, many of them parents of pupils, while the rest comes from the school’s own kitchen garden. “Our students don’t like skipping meals any more,” says headteacher Nestar Kharmawphlang. The shift is thanks to an initiative by the North East Society for Agroecology Support, which aims to make school lunches healthier, more sustainable and climate-resilient.
Global School Meals
National school meal programmes now serve 466 million children worldwide, up 80 million since 2020 (yes, that’s 80 million more children in just four years). 99 percent of funding is now coming from national budgets.
Hyperloop
It’s long been touted as the future of mid- to long-distance travel, but hyperloop has remained something of a pipe dream. Until now. The technology just took a big step forward after Dutch-based Hardt Hyperloop completed a potentially game changing test at the European Hyperloop Center. As well as reaching a record speed of 85kph, it performed a lane switch manoeuvre, which is seen as critical for scalable hyperloop infrastructure. Hyperloop is an autonomous transport mode with magnetically levitated vehicles travelling through a network of low pressure pipes. “Demonstrating lane-switching at these speeds - in this environment - is a major leap from theoretical designs to real-world systems, and a great accelerator for scalable hyperloop implementation worldwide,” said Roel van de Pas, managing director at Hardt Hyperloop. Proponents of hyperloop claim that it could one day take thousands of trucks off the road and many more planes out of the sky. While the technology has a long way to go, much progress has been made at the European Hyperloop Center since it launched its first test a year ago.
“Poetry has a crucial role to play in our lives, society, and the world. It helps us slow down, hear clearly, see deeply, and envision what matters most in our lives.” Arthur Sze
On This Day
23 September 1806: Lewis and Clark arrived in St. Louis, Missouri, at the end of their daring expedition to the Pacific Northwest. The expedition was a major chapter in the history of American exploration.
Today's Articles
Fibonacci Sequence: Thanks to his astute observation, a 13 year old discovers how to make solar panels in winter radically more efficient.
"Leaves on The Line": In good news for British commuters, Ctrl Alt Deleaf blows away the competition.
Mood Boosting Video
Head Butts: What happens when you leave a tetherball in the forest?
