OGN Friday
- Editor OGN Daily
- 16 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Wrapping up the week with an eclectic bundle of uplifting news stories.
Mountain Surprises
Imagine you are skiing down a mountainside. You turn a corner, and you spot a lone, intriguing artwork. Something peaceful and surprising. Like this stone stack entitled 'Phase of Nothingness' by Japanese sculptor Nobuo Sekine. It may be thanks to Powder Art Foundation - a new kind of sculpture park evolving on the slopes of a ski mountain in Utah, that was established by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. PAF’s mission is to activate 140,000 mountainous acres with moments of wonder - with the help of artists. Each year, PAF unveils only a handful of projects - there is no mandate to fill the mountain, only to stud its contours with thoughtful interventions.
First Time Ever
In a major breakthrough in human tissue replication, for the first time ever a 3D-printed cornea has been transplanted onto a legally blind patient's eye, successfully restoring their sight. The procedure by the Rambam Eye Institute in Haifa, Israel, involved a corneal implant grown entirely from cultured, living human corneal cells, rather than donor tissue. This is very good news because it could help millions of people around the world. Whilst existing corneal transplant surgeries have a high success rate (around 97 percent) and donor tissue is readily available in some developed countries where you typically only need to wait a few days for a procedure - it can take years in other countries that don't have eye banks and centralized infrastructure to make tissue available on demand.
Medical Advances: Global synopsis of all the top good news stories about medicine and treatments that OGN spotted in November.
Pleasant Surprise
New study finds that a reserve in Mozambique has the largest documented breeding population of a rare falcon. Scientists estimate the Niassa Special Reserve hosts 68 - 76 breeding pairs of Taita falcons, likely the world’s biggest population of the rare raptor, given that other population centers have around 10.
Ozone Hole Healing
The European Union's Copernicus monitoring service hails ‘reassuring sign’ of progress observed this year in the ozone hole’s size and duration. The ozone layer, a stratospheric shield that protects life on Earth from ultraviolet (UV) rays, was worn down by human pollution. However, since ozone-depleting chemicals were phased out by the 1987 Montreal protocol, it has begun to recover - successfully curbing emissions that has led to the heating effects of the gases peaking five years earlier than expected. “This progress should be celebrated as a timely reminder of what can be achieved when the international community works together to address global environmental challenges,” said Laurence Rouil of Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. The World Meteorological Organization estimates that the ban will enable a complete recovery of the ozone layer over the Antarctic, where it is thinnest, by 2066.
World Record
A diamond-studded crystal Fabergé egg that once belonged to Russia's imperial family has sold for a record £22.9m ($30.2m) in London, more than double the previous record for a Fabergé egg. The Winter Egg - considered one of the legendary jeweller's most beautiful creations - is decorated with 4,500 diamonds and was commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II in 1913 as a present to his mother. The 8.2cm high (3.2in) egg was created by Carl Fabergé, based on the design of Alma Theresia Pihl, one of only two female workmasters at the St Petersburg jewellery company. It was carved from rock crystal and decorated with rose-cut diamonds, as well as platinum snowflake motifs.
Plug In Solar For US
Acquiring solar panels at home can be an expensive hassle for people in the US. But small, simple plug-in solar panels for use on balconies are soon to become available for millions of Americans, with advocates hoping the technology will quickly go mainstream. Earlier this year, Utah became the first state in the country to pass legislation allowing people to purchase and install small, portable solar panels that plug into a standard wall socket. Cheap and easy, no professional installers required. When attached outside to the balcony or patio of a dwelling, such panels can provide enough power for residents to run home appliances free of charge, without spending money on electricity from the grid. Balcony solar panels are now widespread in countries such as Germany - where more than 1 million homes have them - but have until now been stymied in the US by state regulations. That looks set to change as many other states are filing bills to join Utah in adopting permission for the panels.
“Adults are always asking children what they want to be when they grow up because they’re looking for ideas.” Paula Poundstone
On This Day
5 December 1848: US President James K. Polk triggers the Gold Rush of 1849 by confirming a gold discovery in California. Polk's confirmation sparked a massive wave of migration to California, with the term "forty-niners" coming to describe the fortune seekers who arrived in 1849.
Today's Articles
Never Seen Before: Scientists amazed to find a new type of hydrothermal field surrounded by a thriving ecosystem.
FAB 1: For many, it's the most famous Rolls-Royce in the world. Where is Lady Penelope's 300mph car now?
Mood Boosting Video
Artist And Gardner: Visit Claude Monet's garden at Giverny. He called it "my most beautiful work of art."