Today is International Women's Day, "a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, or political," per the U.N. In that vein, consider reading about these 130 women from around the world who have changed the world. The list contains many of the usual suspects you're likely familiar with — Marie Curie, Harriet Tubman, Malala Yousafzai — but we also bet you'll learn the stories of some fascinating women you haven't yet come across.
Must Reads
Reminder: Daylight saving time starts late tonight, so don't forget to change your oven clock in the morning
A rare phenomenon referred to as "Earth's tallest lightning" was captured on camera from space
Environment
Scientists Capture First-Ever Footage of Narwhals Using Their Tusks to Play
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If your only exposure to narwhals is the cute creature in Elf who drawls, "Bye, Buddy! Hope you find your dad," we have good news for you: These "unicorns of the sea" are apparently just as fun in real life as they are in the movie. New research out of Florida Atlantic University offers first-of-its-kind footage of how the whales use their solitary spiraled tusks, which can grow up to 10 feet long. Their findings? As the study's senior author, Greg O'Corry-Crowe, said in a statement, narwhals use their tusks for "quite unexpected" reasons — namely, foraging, exploration, and play. To capture what the study calls the "first reported evidence of likely play" in narwhals, the researchers partnered with Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Inuit communities from Canada's High Arctic. They used drones to gather footage of the mammals chasing Arctic char — but rather than trying to catch the fish for dinner, the narwhals appeared to be playing with them. "I have been studying narwhal for over a decade and have always marveled at their tusks," said co-author Cortney Watt. "To observe them using their tusks for foraging and play is remarkable."See footage of the animals in action.
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Civil War nurse Clara Barton, also known as the "Angel of the Battlefield," is one of the most revered women in American history (for good reason). But she's not the only healer who helped troops through historic conflicts. Thousands of American Red Cross servicewomen traveled to the U.K. during World War II to run clubs for the U.S. forces, and their stories are far less well-known — or not known at all. That's what a new project at the American Air Museum in Britainis trying to change. "Their stories have largely been forgotten, so the aim is to bring them to life, to learn more about these women and the impact they had, not only on the morale of the Americans based here but also on the local British people who came in contact with them," historian Hattie Hearn told the BBC. Since the research project started in January, hundreds of women's names and stories have been rediscovered. One of them is Hazel Dixon Payne, an early recruit to the American Red Cross, who was the first Black volunteer to die in overseas service. "She was buried in England with full military honors, there was an outpouring of grief at the time," said Hearn. Families with photographs, memorabilia, and memories from this period are encouraged to contribute insight to the museum's archive and, as Hearn puts it, "preserve this history before it's lost."
Humanity
"A Story About Love": Study on Causes of Homelessness Upends Assumptions
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A recent study from Ohio's Case Western Reserve University is turning assumptions about homelessness on their head, suggesting that caregiving for loved ones is a significant contributor. After interviewing 40 Cleveland residents experiencing chronic homelessness, researchers found that many of the participants had prioritized taking care of a family member — often at the cost of personal stability. Initially, the work sought to investigate the intersection of race and gender in homelessness, but as participants shared their tales, a different throughline emerged. "We found that this story is really about love and caretaking," study lead Meagan Ray-Novak said in a statement. These findings led her to develop a theory called "relational connectedness and values-driven decision-making," which highlights how relationships can deeply impact important life choices. "Folks are giving up their living arrangements," Ray-Novak told News 5 Cleveland. "They're either quitting their jobs or losing their jobs to take care of a family member, and that's a loving thing to do, it's a positive thing to do, but then recovering from that afterward is really complicated in ways that we didn't expect at all." Notably, the study didn't find a single participant who regretted their choices. "They all said, 'No. My mom needed me. They were going to put her in hospice. No way was that going to happen,'" said Ray-Novak. "That's amazing so I think we should celebrate that."
In Other News
Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs might help lower the risk of dementia (read more)
Two AI pioneers won the Nobel Prize of the tech world for their work training machines the way we do animals (read more)
Human neurological health may have a surprising link to plant immunity that could inform future therapies (read more)
By turning life stories into music, one Stanford University medical student istransforming palliative care (read more)
An "unbothered" little blue penguin was spotted exploring on its own, a rare occurrence (read more)
Something We Love
Andy Okay "Offline" Charity Print I love the concept behind Andy Okay's Art for Causes. The initiative collects unique works of art from professional artists and then sells them at a discount, with the proceeds benefitting a charitable organization, like the WWF, Support Rainforest Trust, and ShareTheMeal. This "offline" print really caught my eye! – Marika Spitulski, Writer
After watching her sons surf, Toyo Yamane Peluso figured, why couldn't she do it too? A social media post asking if other moms wanted to join her led to the inception of the Salt Water Divas, a Southern California crew that now boasts over a thousand women, most of whom started surfing later in life. "With everything in life, if there is something that is tugging at your soul, you need to just go for it," said 58-year-old Peluso.
Photo of the Day
Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images
In a surprising twist, Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis is seeking out autographs from his young fans during spring training — in exchange for his own, of course. For Lewis, the inspiration came from his experience meeting now-retired Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp as a kid. "The Dodgers could have gotten crushed that day, but we were just happy that we got to meet Matt Kemp," he said. "That's just how I want to make other kids feel, because I got that experience and it made me love the game of baseball."
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