Oct 14

OGN Monday

Kick-starting the week with a global round up of positive news stories.

14 October 1947

On an autumn day in Southern California, U.S. Air Force Captain Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager became the first person to fly an aircraft faster than the speed of sound, or Mach 1. Built specifically for that purpose, the plane - nicknamed “Glamorous Glennis” in honor of Yeager’s wife - was air launched from the bomb bay of a Boeing B-29 and reached 700 miles per hour (Mach 1.06). Before the flight, many believed an invisible barrier would destroy any plane that reached such speeds. Yeager later said: “I realized that the mission had to end in a let-down because the real barrier wasn’t in the sky but in our knowledge and experience of supersonic flight.”

Amazing Results

Doctors are hailing “amazing” trial results that show a new drug combination (amivantamab and lazertinib) stopped lung cancer - the world’s leading cause of cancer death - advancing for more than 40 percent longer than the standard treatment. Experts said the breakthrough came amid a “golden age” of cancer research where a greater understanding of what spurs on specific tumours is informing better ways to beat the disease, says The Guardian.

Australia Leads

Over 10,000 square miles of additional protected area will be added to the Heard and McDonald Islands in Australia’s far southern territorial waters. Coupled with other expansions of existing marine sanctuaries, it puts Australia on course to have 52 percent of its ocean territory protected, more than any other nation, by the end of the current administration’s term. “This is not just a huge environmental win for Australia, it’s a huge environmental win for the world,” said Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. “This is a unique and extraordinary part of our planet. We are doing everything we can to protect it.”

Mexican Boost

In Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist, has pledged to boost renewable energy production to make up 45 percent of power generation by 2030.

Arty Microbes

A Spanish microbiologist used bacteria to help restore several Antonio Palomino paintings from the 18th century. Pilar Bosch was able to remove animal collagen glue that had been stuck on the frescoes since the 1960s by training the bacteria, using samples of the glue, to produce enzymes to degrade the substance. She then spread the bacteria onto the frescoes using a special gel, and a few hours later, the glue was gone.

Meet Big Boy 4014

The 600-ton railed vehicle was one of 25 Big Boys constructed by Union Pacific during World War II. Today, it’s one of only eight still in operation, and it’s currently going on tour across the country. “It’s American history. In 1941 it was created. And it’s still running today. It’s beautiful. When you hear that whistle blow, it’s like nothing else,” Gino Villalobos, who went to see Big Boy in Houston on Sunday, told KHOU 11. From now through Oct. 23, the historic train - which holds the title of the world’s largest operating steam locomotive - will continue rolling through various U.S. towns and cities, from Durant, Oklahoma, to Greeley, Colorado. Track Big Boy No. 4014 here.

"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable." Christopher Reeve

On This Day

14 October 1066: At the Battle of Hastings, fought this day in 1066, King Harold II of England was defeated by the invading army of William, duke of Normandy, in the Norman Conquest, establishing Normans as rulers of England.