OGN Friday
- Editor OGN Daily
- Aug 29
- 4 min read
Wrapping up the week with an eclectic global collection of positive news stories.
Amazing Grace
When Grace Chambers ran her first 5km parkrun, it was the result of a dare. Now, nine years later, and at 97 years old, she has reached the sought-after milestone of 250 runs. Chambers first took part after her daughter Michele registered her for the free, weekly timed events that take place in parks and public spaces in several countries around the globe. Chambers was previously a keen climber but after having surgery on her leg in 2016 doctors signed her off from climbing that summer, reports The Guardian. “I was incensed, saying ‘what do you mean?’,” Chambers said. She recalled her daughter saying “Mum, sure you could do a wee parkrun instead” and daring her to complete one before her birthday. “I had never heard of parkrun,” Chambers said. But she went along to her first run, in Belfast’s Ormeau Park, on 17 September that year - and she hasn’t looked back since.
Land Restoration
Over 1,000 acres of land in the San Fellipe Valley is being returned to an Indigenous tribe. The acquisition is being funded by the California Natural Resources Agency to support Indigenous led conservation in biologically diverse areas across the state. “The return of these 1,107 acres of Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel ancestral land is more than a restoration of territory, it is a restoration of identity, responsibility, and healing,” says INSY Chairman Kevin Osuna.
Might Have Bean
Chicago's city council has been inundated with calls from worried citizens after a rumour spread online that a man is "trapped" inside Anish Kapoor's giant outdoor sculpture, "Chicago Bean". A group called The Man in Bean Coalition has been pushing the hoax online and protesting by the landmark artwork, claiming that the outline of a person can be seen when "the light hits just right", and that the man's existence has been kept secret from Chicago residents for more than two decades. Alderman Brendan Reilly said he appreciated a good joke "as much as the next guy" but the heavy uptick in calls was distracting his office "from the real work we do".
Meet CivDot
It's a little robot created by Civ Robotics that’s revolutionizing the way solar farms are being built. The four-wheeled machine takes on labor-intensive tasks of preparing the land, enabling construction surveying to be done up to eight times faster than with conventional approaches, according to Interesting Engineering. But what really sets CivDot apart isn’t just speed - it’s precision. “Our secret sauce and our core technology is actually in the navigation and the geospatial - being able to literally mark coordinates within less than a quarter inch, which is very, very difficult in an uneven terrain, outdoor surfaces, and out in the desert,” Tom Yeshurun, Civ Robotics CEO, told CNBC. By automating this groundwork, the robots accelerate project timelines and reduce the costs of solar farm construction, which typically requires extensive planning, surveying, and human power.
Conservation Icon
Meet Peanut - the turtle with the one-of-a-kind, figure-eight shell and a story that turned her into a conservation icon. Back in 1984, little Peanut crawled into a plastic six-pack ring. As she grew, the ring didn’t break away, and her shell formed into the peanut-like shape she’s known for today. Rescued and cared for by the Missouri Department of Conservation, Peanut has since become a symbol of why keeping litter out of nature matters. Now, this beloved red-eared creature is celebrating her 41st birthday at the Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Missouri. The celebration includes crafts, coloring, litter pledges, and of course, plenty of birthday wishes for “the world’s coolest turtle.” Her unique shell - once a result of harm - has become her “superpower.” As the Missouri Department of Conservation put it: “As Peanut’s shell grew around it, her one-of-a-kind shape became her superpower.”
Treasures Revealed
A trove of ancient statues, coins, pottery and pieces of a merchant ship has surfaced from the waters off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt. Divers in wetsuits carefully identified the artifacts at the bottom of Abu Qir Bay and large cranes then hoisted the objects into the air and carried them safely to the shore. “There’s a lot underwater, but what we’re able to bring up is limited; it’s only specific material according to strict criteria,” Sherif Fathi, Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister, told Agence France-Presse. “The rest will remain part of our sunken heritage.” Officials say the area may have been an extension of Canopus, an ancient city near Alexandria. The items date to Egypt’s Ptolemaic dynasty, which lasted from 305 to 30 B.C.E.
“A novel worth reading is an education of the heart.” Susan Sontag
On This Day
29 August 1997: Netflix was founded by American entrepreneurs Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. Originally a DVD-rental company, it later moved into streaming, content creation, and live programming. It's now worth $384 billion.
Today's Articles
'Punk Rock' Dino: Archaeologists discover an armoured dinosaur which had metre-long spikes sticking out from its neck.
Fast Radio Burst: Astronomers spot brightest ever FRB and pinpointed its location with unprecedented accuracy.
Air-Con as Art: Scientists find a way to make an ancient technique cool the air, without electricity.
Mood Boosting Video
Schubert's Ave Maria performed on piano and cello by Brooklyn Duo.
