It's the last day of April, which marks the end of Earth Month. In honor of that, we urge you to take a moment this morning to revel in the awe-inspiring animal species we share the planet with: These 20 photos, published by Popular Science ahead of the forthcoming 10 Years of Remembering Wildlifebook, feature playful polar bears, adorable wild dog puppies, majestic leopards, and much more. This is also the perfect opportunity to remind you about our Spring Cause of the Month — Re:wild is on an ambitious mission to help protect and restore the wild, and you can support that mission here.
Must Reads
It might be a good time to book a domestic flight
Tennis Legend Andre Agassi Makes His Pro Pickleball Debut Today
Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Life Time
Nearly 20 years after tennis great Andre Agassi retired from the sport, he's coming back to the court as a pro. But this time around, he's swapping his tennis racket for a pickleball paddle. The winner of eight Grand Slam titles is competing in his first professional pickleball tournament today at the Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida, alongside 18-year-old pro pickler Anna Leigh Waters, the sport's No. 1 ranked women's player. "It was very apparent that Anna Leigh was tired of winning," Agassi joked to The Athletic of their partnership. "She's right up there with the greatest ever in what she does and the idea of challenging myself to not screw things up for her is daunting." As for Waters, she's ready to see what their teamwork brings to the court — and the sport as a whole. "We both tend to err on the aggressive side, and I think that works," she told CNBC. "Andre's goals are to grow the sport of pickleball, and that's a huge goal of mine. I thought if we partnered together, this would be a really awesome way to grow the sport." You can see the duo play for yourself, as they'll be competing in the doubles match at noon ET. Learn how to tune into the action.
Together With IotaComm
Smart Buildings Aren't Just the Future — They're Happening Now
The dream of a futuristic smart city — where buildings, traffic, energy use, and air quality are all intelligently connected — sounds like science fiction. But it's quickly becoming a reality, thanks to advances in the $1.5 trillion Internet of Things (IoT) market. The challenge? Traditional Wi-Fi networks are too expensive to power this vision at scale. That's why brands like GigNet & Crayola are tapping into IotaComm's nationwide wireless network. It's a lower-cost, more reliable alternative to help bring smarter operations to schools, businesses, and communities. This smart future is not 10 years away — it's being built right now. And the best part is that IotaComm is allowing investors to participate in its growth. You can earn up to 50% bonus equity, which provides an attractive way to reduce your average cost basis and help drive momentum. Learn more about becoming a shareholder here.
This is a paid advertisement for IotaComm's Regulation CF Offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.iotacomm.com.
Humanity
"Violin of Hope": A Secret Note Was Found Tucked Inside an Instrument Made by Dachau Survivor
Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images
On Sunday, people will gather at the site of the Dachau concentration camp in Germany to commemorate 80 years since the Nazi camp's liberation. And ahead of that anniversary, we have a related story of resilience. A pair of art dealers recently discovered a note hidden in the F hole of a violin crafted by a Jewish instrument maker while he was imprisoned at Dachau. The note is short but impactful, reading: "Trial instrument, made under difficult conditions with no tools and materials. Dachau. Anno 1941, Franciszek Kempa." The violin and its hidden note went unnoticed for more than eight decades. Hungarian art dealers Tamás Tálosi and Szandra Katona found the instrument among a furniture set, and were perplexed by the combination of skilled craftsmanship and poor materials. They eventually sent the piece for repairs, at which point its moving history revealed itself at last. Although some instruments were brought into Dachau, this is the first known one built at the camp. And while it's still a mystery how the violin ultimately made its way to Hungary, documents revealed that Kempasurvived the war and returned home to Poland, where he continued making instruments before dying in 1953. "We named it the 'violin of hope' because if someone ends up in a difficult situation, having a task or a challenge helps them get through a lot of things," Tálosi told the Associated Press. "You focus not on the problem, but on the task itself, and I think this helped the maker of this instrument to survive the concentration camp." See the violin and note.
Science
Tiny New Species of Snail With Unusual Shell Named After Picasso
Gojšina et al / SWNS
In yet another example of nature serving as the world's largest open-air art museum, a tiny new species of snail with an unusual shell has been named after the painter Pablo Picasso. The 3-millimeter creature (about half the size of a medium grain of rice) was discovered by an international team exploring snail diversity in Southeast Asia. Belonging to the genus Anauchen, the A. picasso snail has rectangularly angled whorls, making it look "like a cubist interpretation" of its relatives with more typical, rounded shell shapes, per the scientists. They described it in a study published April 23, along with 45 other previously unknown species of microsnails found in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. The researchers called the new species "real beauties" in a news release about the research, adding: "Their shells exhibit extraordinarily complexity. For example, the aperture — the 'opening' of the shell — is armed with numerous tooth-like barriers, which are most probably useful against predators." And the Picasso snail isn't the only newly described species to boast a familiar name. Another teeny species found in Myanmar was dubbed Bensonella dracula (or B. dracula) because it has two strong palatal tubercles, raised features within the aperture, that "resemble teeth of a vampire" — check it out.
In Other News
A drug designed to treat the underlying cause of Type 1 diabetes has entered the trial phase in Australia (read more)
Scientists found evidence of 18,000-year-old icebergs that once drifted in the North Sea (read more)
In Peru, a recently unearthed lavish tomb is challenging perceptions of gender roles in an ancient society (read more)
A dating app banned filters and Photoshop in hopes of helping people "feel celebrated, not swiped past" (read more)
Lucky bird: A Floridian jumped into an alligator-filled lake to save an injured eagle — watch the rescue (read more)
Something We Love
Unconditional With Maggie Lawson Anyone who is obsessed with their pets will feel so seen by this podcast. The host is Maggie Lawson, an actor from Psych, and she exudes warmth and kindness as she talks with others about the "unique and transformative bond between people and their pets." There have been 13 episodes so far, and I already want to be her friend and hang out with her dog Linus. – Marika Spitulski, Writer
Nice News' first book club meeting earlier this month was a smashing success, so we can't wait to bring you another one. On May 6 at 5 p.m. ET, we'll host a conversation with Stephanie Harrison, author of New Happy. Harrison will help you learn how to break free from the old definition of happiness (one rooted in achievement, comparison, and constant striving) and embrace a new, research-backed path to deeper joy, meaning, and connection. It's free to join — and you don't have to read the book beforehand!
Take a seat, look around, and maybe have a nice chat or two with a fellow passerby. That's the concept of "happy to talk" benches, a sweet initiative that started in 2019 to encourage connection between strangers. The cause is still continuing to spread thanks to individuals like Oliver Chan, an artist on the autism spectrum who helped bring four benches to his English town. "With all those lonely people out there," Chan wrote, "I felt it was important to do something about it."
Photo of the Day
Magdalena Chodownik/Anadolu via Getty Images
It's the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, a nearly two decade-long conflict that resulted in millions of casualties. Today, we honor those who died — and those who are working tirelessly to stop the war's remnants from claiming more lives. What you see above is a worker with the Mines Advisory Group looking for explosives in Quang Binh, Vietnam. Since 1999, the de-mining organization has found and destroyed nearly 400,000 items of unexploded ordnance and cleared over 70,000 acres of land, "creating space for schools, homes, and livelihoods."
Only About 4% of US Pet Owners Have Pet Insurance — See Money's Top Plans
We all hope our pets stay healthy and safe, but unexpected accidents or illnesses can wreck a budget overnight. Emergency visits can range from $800 to $1,500 (or more), and major surgeries can easily exceed $5,000. What's more, managing conditions like diabetes, arthritis, or allergies can cost pet owners hundreds to thousands of dollars annually in medications and treatments. Pet insurance can significantly lighten this financial load — and some plans start as low as $10 a month. Check out Money's top pet insurance providers below and take the worry out of pet parenting.
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