- Aug 15

OGN Thursday

Some tasty bite-sized chunks of upbeat news.

New British bank notes — New British notes featuring King Charles

Charity Cash

A series of banknotes which were among the first to feature the King Charles III have been auctioned for £914,127 ($1.2m), with the proceeds going to several charities. The notes, which sold for far more than their face value, were among the earliest to be released after new £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes entered circulation in June. One sheet of £50 notes went for £26,000, breaking the record for the highest lot sold in a Bank of England banknote auction. This was followed by the £10 auction where a single note was sold for £17,000 with the serial number HB01 00002. So, notes with a face value of £78,000, ended up selling for £914,127, making just over £836,000 for charity.

Dr. Becs Bradford graduates from the University of Bristol at 41

Anything is Possible

A woman who dropped out of school at age 15 has now has graduated as a doctor at 41. She recalls being sick and tired of people telling her she couldn’t do things because she dropped out of school. Now, Dr. Becs Bradford officially holds a degree in Medicine from England's University of Bristol. “I don’t know if I’m just a little delusional, but I really believe that if your heart is in it, you can 100 percent do the crazy things you’ve always dreamed of. When I was young I was constantly told I would amount to nothing, that I was stupid. I wanted to prove that people like me do deserve good things, that they can get jobs that are fulfilling and well paid.” Now Dr. Bradford uses her life experiences to better understand patients, and mentors people from ‘non-traditional backgrounds like me’ to strive for their own success.

Man sitting on a rock beside a lake — Sustainable travel to grow rapidly

Ecotourism Boom

In a world increasingly conscious of environmental impacts, the ecotourism industry is experiencing an unprecedented boom. A recent report by Allied Market Research projects that the market will skyrocket to $830 billion in the next 10 years, up from $210 billion in 2023. This remarkable growth represents an annual growth rate of roughly 12 percent over the next decade.

Slice of toast — Gluton trigger discovered

Gluten Trigger Found

Scientists have made a breakthrough that could lead to new treatment options for celiac patients. The team identified how and where the gluten response begins, with certain cells playing a bigger role than thought. Like other autoimmune disorders, celiac disease occurs when the body mistakenly launches an immune response against a harmless molecule - in this case the trigger is gluten, a protein found in many cereal grains. Consuming these foods leads to a range of unpleasant symptoms, and the only treatment is a strict diet. The researchers say that the discovery could provide new targets for developing drugs that potentially treat or prevent celiac disease.

Proposed wooden skyscraper in Milwaukee — The timber tower will consist of 55 floors, making it the tallest mass timber skyscraper in the world | MGA

Timber Skyscraper

A remarkably ambitious proposal in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, looks set to take timber to new heights. Assuming all goes to plan, the project will become the world's tallest timber skyscraper once complete. The currently unnamed skyscraper is designed by Michael Green Architecture (MGA), the founder of which is a pioneer of modern timber construction and has played a huge part in popularizing modern big wooden buildings in North America. We don't actually have an exact height figure at this early stage, but the firm has said that it will consist of up to 55 floors. To put this into perspective, the current world's tallest timber building, which is also in Milwaukee, is the Ascent, which contains just 25 floors. So it will be a substantial height increase.

Sustainable Construction Materials: Wood is one of the most promising sustainable alternatives to steel and concrete. Not every day wood, it's a material called engineered timber that's exciting architects.

Secret Warehouse

News is seeping out about a secret facility that contains a handbag made from alligator skin and tiny vials of perfume that still release a potent scent - just some of the precious artefacts recovered from the world’s most famous shipwreck: the Titanic. The exact location of the warehouse where they are stored is a closely guarded secret, because of the value of its contents. All we can say is that it is somewhere in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. Inside, the shelves are packed with thousands of items: from an upturned bathtub and dented porthole, to intricately etched glassware and tiny buttons. Perhaps one day they will be put on public display...

“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.” J. B. Priestley