Ensuring the week gets off to an upbeat start with today's global collection of positive news nuggets.
Underwater Gannets
One can never have enough gorgeous nature photos! A dramatic image of two gannets fighting for a fish in the waters off Scotland’s Shetland Islands won first prize at the World Nature Photography Awards 2024, and it's just one of many that showcase the wild side of our world. Want to see more? Click here
True Game Changer
Cystic fibrosis once guaranteed an early death: a child born in the early 2000s could expect to live until age 35. Then in 2019, Trikafta - a new drug combination that corrects the misshapen protein that causes cystic fibrosis - came along. Today, reports The Atlantic, those who begin treatment in early adolescence can expect to survive to 82 - an essentially normal life span.
2023: Year of Significant Progress For Global Health - It was a remarkable year for medicines and global health. Here's a summary of all the top good news stories...
Reviving LIFE
Bedford Media, the company run by Karlie Kloss and her billionaire husband Joshua Kushner, are reviving LIFE Magazine for the modern era - more than two decades after the original print edition was shuttered by Time Inc. Coupled with its acquisition of fashion-centric i-D Magazine last fall, Bedford may be trying to build a magazine empire that defines mainstream culture amid one that’s become fractured due to social media.
News Consumption
A new study in Nature just put some numbers on what is arguably the most important rule in journalism: If it Bleeds, it Leads. So, why are most headlines filled with gloom? Because news headlines containing negative language are more likely to be clicked on than those containing positive words. Specifically, for a headline of average length, each additional negative word increases the click-through rate (CTR) by 2.3 percent. By contrast, for each positive word in a headline of average length, the click-through rate decreases by 1 percent. Given that click-through rates are generally in single digits, these percentage differences are actually enormous. Moral of the story? Stick to OGN Daily!
Nilgai Comeback
The largest antelope species in Asia, the nilgai, is making a comeback in northwestern Bangladesh after being hunted to extinction in the 1930s. Recent forays back into their historical habitats indicate that Bangladesh is once again hosting nilgais within its borders.
Bicycle-Friendly Paris
Within a year of building 52 km of bike-friendly 'corona tracks,' 60 percent of users were new to cycling. Cyclists in the French capital now have more than 1,000 km of bike paths and marked routes, up from 200 km in 2001, and a further 130 km will be added by 2026.
Solar Eclipse Chaser
From Texas to Brazil, a 105-year-old eclipse chaser from Fort Worth has witnessed 12 solar eclipses in his life and he's ready to watch his 13th on April 8. It all started in 1963 when Laverne Biser packed up his bags and headed for Maine to witness his first eclipse. Six decades later, his love for this rare celestial event has taken him places he'd never visited before - and he's been taking photos of them every time.
New Packaging
Bpacks, a UK-based startup, has launched the world’s first tree bark-based packaging material as an alternative to plastic. Made from the waste of the wood production industry, the packing technology works with equipment used for plastic-based packaging production, making it easier to switch to a more environment-friendly alternative.
"Don't listen to anyone who doesn't know how to dream." Liza Minnelli
On This Day
1 April 1976: Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs found Apple Computer in the garage of Jobs' parents house in Cupertino, California.
Mood Booster
Hilarious collection of clips of dogs having a great time.