Must Reads

• We’re so close to our goal for the May Cause of the Month, benefiting an organization working to transform the child welfare system
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• Here are eight of this year’s best James Webb Space Telescope images

Science

Ancient Egyptians Might Have Been the First to Attempt Cancer Treatment

The ancient Egyptians have a long list of firsts under their belt: They’re the first known society to use a 365-day calendar, wear eye makeup, and use toothbrushes. Another achievement to add to the list? They may have been the first to try to understand and treat cancer.
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As outlined in a paper published Wednesday, researchers re-examined a skull that belonged to a man who died in his 30s between 2686 B.C. and 2345 B.C., and detected signs of cut marks around tumors from “sharp-edged blade” instruments. This represents a “milestone in the history of medicine,” the study authors wrote, as these marks indicate that ancient Egyptians were operating on people and potentially seeking a cure for the disease.
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“It was the very first time that humanity was dealing surgically with what we nowadays call cancer,” senior author Dr. Edgard Camarós told CNN. He added that it still remains unclear whether the operation was done before or after the man died. Regardless, “it’s amazing to think that they performed a surgical intervention,” Camarós said.
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They also looked at a second skull from a later Egyptian dynasty, between 664 B.C. and 343 B.C. That skull, of a woman who died in her 50s, showed cancerous lesions as well as healed fractures, suggesting that she survived previous medical interventions for head injuries. Take a deeper look at the findings and learn what they mean for our understanding of cancer.

Together With FinanceBuzz

How to Increase Your Savings Without Increasing Your Workload

With the current cost of living, it can often feel impossible to build up your savings and invest your money — keys to really growing your finances. But it’s not impossible, and FinanceBuzz has some advice that can help.
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The site has a list of unique ways to boost your income without adding a bunch to your workload, like choosing an 0% intro APR credit card, making sure you’re taking advantage of age-based discounts, and maximizing your travel purchases.

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Tech

Researchers Developed a Material That’s More Transparent Than Glass

Like the idea of keeping your blinds and shades open to let sunshine in, but don’t want to give up your privacy? This new invention may be something to keep your eye on. Researchers at Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology created a polymer-based material that they say is more transparent than glass while obscuring objects behind it and letting in more light than a typical window.
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The coating looks like frosted glass. But per a paper published in Nature Communications, it’s unlike regular glass in that it cleans itself, offers more privacy, and regulates room temperature better. “When the material is used in roofs and walls, it allows for bright yet glare-free and privacy-protected indoor spaces for work and living,” researcher Gan Huang explained in a statement.
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In terms of keeping temperatures down, co-author Bryce S. Richards added that one of the key perks is their invention’s ability to “release heat” and allow for “passive radiative cooling without electricity consumption.” With these features in mind, the team believes the material could be used for sustainability projects and greenhouses, where it could help increase plant yields by up to 9%.

Health

To Support Breastfeeding Moms, Woman-Founded Biz Installs Lactation Suites in Offices

A woman-led company called Work & Mother is bringing peaceful, private, and fully-equipped lactation suites to office buildings to help breastfeeding moms feel supported and secure.
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Founder and CEO Abbey Donnell hadn’t yet become a mother herself when she first conceived of the business idea, but knew she wanted to have children relatively soon. She was working in marketing at the time, and also in the process of earning a master’s in business administration.
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As she listened to her friends who’d recently given birth describe their difficulties pumping at work, Donnell was driven to harness her talents to address the issue — knowing if she didn’t, it would also most likely affect her in the near future: Her first child would be born less than a year after Work & Mother officially launched in 2018.
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“I was able to observe how [my friends] struggled with transitioning back to work,” Donnell tells Nice News. “Specifically, I saw how they were attempting to continue breastfeeding while going back to the office, and were met with difficult, awkward, and just — to put it lightly — overall unfavorable conditions at work.” Read more about how she’s changing the landscape for working moms and take a short tour of one of the suites.

Global Good

🇦🇺 The Australian state of Queensland cut its public transport fares to a flat fee that converts to less than 50 cents.
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🇮🇹 A previously unknown bust of the Renaissance architect behind the Florence Cathedral dome was recently unveiled.
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🇫🇷 Paris’ usually busy Champs-Élysées was transformed into a spring picnic earlier this week.
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🇬🇧 Crime has gone down by close to 90% in England and Wales over the last 30 years, upending residents’ perceptions.
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🇬🇭 At under 18 months of age, a Ghanaian toddler has been dubbed “the world’s youngest male artist.” See his work.

Something We Love

CoffeeSock​
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​If you use filters for your morning cup of joe, you need CoffeeSock in your life. The planet- and money-saving product comes in various shapes to suit a wide range of coffee-making methods — from Aeropress to Chemex, Hario, plain ol’ drip, and more. The “socks” couldn't be easier to clean between uses and each set of two lasts a full year. We bet you won’t go back to paper filters.

Recommendations are independently selected by our team but may result in a commission to Nice News which helps keep our content free.

Inspiring Story

“Fly high, Bette”

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Bette Nash, the world’s longest-serving flight attendant, died at age 88 earlier this month. Known for her regular New York-Washington, D.C.-Boston route (nicknamed the “Nash-Dash”), the history maker started flying in 1957 — and never officially hung up her wings. Look back on her life.

Photo of the Day

This painting, titled “Ecce Homo,” dates back to the first decade of the 1600s, but it’s just now getting its proper due. Experts recently revealed that it was painted by the Italian master Caravaggio, after it was previously misattributed to a pupil of José de Ribera. This week, the artwork went on display at Madrid’s Prado Museum.

FinanceBuzz Can Help You Master Your Money

Now is as great a time as ever to get serious about building your wealth, and that means investing wisely and saving money. Of course, that’s easier said than done, so FinanceBuzz is here to help you learn some ways to boost your finances that don’t involve too much legwork — learn more below.

Odds & Ends

🐼 Pandas will soon return to the nation’s capital
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🚂 An investment of just over $1 is preserving rail history
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😴 Do you have dreams about school exams? This may be why​
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🐟 One fishy deal, literally

Quote of the Day

“The world needs you and it needs the things you carry.”

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– SUSAN CAIN