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A Beautiful Photo of Ukrainian Birds Has Become a Symbol of Hope For The Community
A mother stork nesting her two chicks has become a ‘symbol of hope’ for the country of Ukraine. The new nest was photographed on the outskirts of Kyiv—months after a violent invasion interrupted the normal arrival of the majestic species for annual mating. Storks are a ‘sacred’ bird in Ukraine, where they nest every spring after wintering in Africa. Of the 224,000 storks that visit Europe every year, 16 percent build new nests or return to established ones in Ukraine, and raise chicks through the end of summer. Some birds have begun to return to their usual nesting areas now, bringing hope to Ukrainians living with the aftermath of the Russian invasion.
Score (96)
New Technology Uses Hand Photos To Detect Serious Diseases
Sometimes, the body leaves clues in plain sight. Researchers at Kobe University say a new artificial intelligence system can identify a rare hormonal disorder simply by analyzing photos of the back of a person’s hand and a clenched fist. The goal is to help doctors detect acromegaly, an uncommon endocrine disease that often goes unnoticed for years. The condition is caused by excessive growth hormone and usually appears in middle age. Over time, it can lead to enlarged hands and feet, changes in facial features and abnormal growth of bones and organs. Because those changes happen slowly, diagnosis can take a long time. “Because the condition progresses so slowly, and because it is a rare disease, it is not uncommon to take up to a decade for it to be diagnosed,” said Kobe University endocrinologist Hidenori Fukuoka. If untreated, the disorder can lead to serious health problems and reduce life expectancy by about ten years. Many experimental AI tools designed to detect diseases from photographs rely heavily on facial images. But researchers say that approach can raise privacy concerns for patients. The Kobe team decided to take a different path. Graduate student Yuka Ohmachi explained that the researchers focused on the hands, which doctors often examine when evaluating patients with suspected acromegaly. “Trying to address this concern, we decided to focus on the hands, a body part we routinely examine alongside the face in clinical practice for diagnostic purposes, particularly because acromegaly often manifests changes in the hands,” Ohmachi said. To further protect patient privacy, the scientists limited images to the back of the hand and a clenched fist. They deliberately avoided photographing palms because palm-line patterns can be unique enough to reveal someone’s identity. The privacy-focused design helped researchers recruit a large group of participants. In total, 725 patients from 15 medical institutions across Japan contributed more than 11,000 images used to train and test the system. The results surprised even the scientists behind the project. When researchers compared the AI’s performance with experienced endocrinologists who reviewed the same photos, the system showed higher diagnostic accuracy. “Frankly, I was surprised that the diagnostic accuracy reached such a high level using only photographs of the back of the hand and the clenched fist,” Ohmachi said. “What struck me as particularly significant was achieving this level of performance without facial features, which makes this approach a great deal more practical for disease screening.” The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Researchers emphasize that the technology is not meant to replace doctors. Instead, it could act as a screening tool that flags potential cases earlier, helping patients reach specialists sooner. The team also believes the same approach could be expanded to detect other conditions that show physical signs in the hands. Possible future applications include identifying rheumatoid arthritis, anemia and finger clubbing, which can be linked to lung or heart disease. Ohmachi says the technology could open the door to a broader role for artificial intelligence in medicine. “This result could be the entry point for expanding the potential of medical AI,” she said. Lead researcher Fukuoka believes tools like this could eventually become part of routine health checkups. “We believe that, by further developing this technology, it could lead to creating a medical infrastructure during comprehensive health check-ups to connect suspected cases of hand-related disorders to specialists,” he said. He added that it may also help doctors working in rural or underserved areas. “Furthermore, it could support non-specialist physicians in regional healthcare settings, thus contributing to a reduction of healthcare disparities there.” Sometimes, spotting a serious illness begins with something simple. In this case, it may start with a photo of a hand.
Score (97)
Philadelphia Schools Guarantee Daily Recess, Water And Bathroom Breaks; Ban Silent Lunches
At some schools, the bell signals math, science or history. In Philadelphia, it now signals something else too: the right to take a break. The city’s school district has approved a new wellness policy that guarantees students access to recess and bathroom breaks, while also introducing regular movement breaks throughout the school day. The decision came after an eight-hour school board meeting last week, where officials voted to fully adopt the program following advocacy from a grassroots parent group called Lift Every Voice. Supporters say the changes protect basic needs that had sometimes been restricted in classrooms. Under the new policy, teachers can no longer take away recess or bathroom access as a form of discipline. The rules also guarantee “movement breaks” for elementary school students after every 90 minutes of sitting. Advocates say the policy addresses concerns parents have raised for years. Members of Lift Every Voice told the Philadelphia Inquirer that some families had even begun sending children to school in diapers because bathroom breaks were not always guaranteed during class time. The group, a Black-led parent organization, said that in some cases access to drinking water fountains could also be withheld during lessons. Changing those practices took time. According to reporting from the Inquirer, it took nearly two years for the new rules to move through the process and become official school regulations. When the vote finally passed, supporters celebrated. The parent group marked the moment with music and dancing outside the meeting room. Philadelphia schools superintendent Tony Watlington Jr. acknowledged the policy shift and said the district was glad to take the step. “I wish we had done this much sooner. But I’m pleased that we’re doing it today,” he said. The new rules go beyond breaks and recess. They also prohibit certain forms of collective punishment in schools. One example is “silent lunch,” a disciplinary practice where entire groups of students must eat quietly because of one student’s behavior. The updated policy also prevents schools from removing access to recess or bathroom breaks as punishment. School board members say the goal is to treat students with dignity while creating a healthier learning environment. “When we think about children holding their bodies because bathroom access is protected, or sitting for hours without movement, or rushing through silent lunches, that’s not discipline,” said Board of Education councilmember Kendra Brooks. “It’s actually dehumanizing.” The same school board meeting included another change aimed at improving student attendance. Philadelphia schools will also eliminate half-days, which district data linked to sharply declining attendance. Supporters of the wellness policy say the changes mark a step toward classrooms that better support students’ physical and emotional well-being.
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Score (97)
Newborn Baby Found In Shopping Cart Reunites With Rescuers 53 Years Later
Some stories begin in the most unexpected places. For Pearl Marshall, it started in a parking lot. In August 1972, a newborn baby was discovered inside a paper bag in a shopping cart at Westgate Shopping Center in Fairview Park, Ohio. The infant, only hours old, had been dressed in yellow and wrapped in a blue blanket. More than five decades later, the women who found her that night finally saw her again. The reunion came after years of questions about Pearl’s origins. Adopted in Cleveland shortly after she was found, she grew up surrounded by family and built a life of her own. She joined the Girl Scouts, became a music teacher and eventually married her husband, Jack. Still, one mystery lingered. Pearl never knew the full story of how her life began. That changed when Ohio opened previously sealed adoption records. Hoping to learn more, Pearl requested her original birth certificate. Instead, she received something else. “It was a foundling report,” she said. “A Jane Doe certificate. It says, ‘Jeanne Westgate.’” The document listed her birthplace as Westgate Shopping Center. The name sounded unusual, but it matched something Pearl had heard years earlier. Her adoptive mother once mentioned a newspaper story about a newborn discovered in a parking lot and wondered aloud if it might have been connected to Pearl. Now the details seemed to line up. Searching online, Pearl eventually found a short newspaper headline: “Abandoned Baby Found at Plaza.” Determined to learn the full story, she contacted local police. Her request eventually reached Chris Gerrett, a historical researcher for the city of Fairview Park. Gerrett quickly became absorbed by the mystery. “I don’t golf. I don’t travel. This is what I do for fun!” she said. The official police report from that night no longer existed. But Gerrett began digging through archives and uncovered several newspaper articles describing the discovery. The baby, they said, had been found late on the evening of August 20, 1972. Gerrett then set out to locate the two women who had stumbled across the newborn that night. Using property records, school information and probate documents, she eventually traced a phone number connected to one of their families. “I called him… and told him I was looking for a couple women who found an abandoned baby at Westgate in the ’70s, and fingers crossed he didn’t think he was talking to some lunatic and hang up on me!” Gerrett said. The response came after a long silence. “It was dead silent, and after a very long pause, he said, ‘My mother told me that story years ago.’” Gerrett had found them. Back in 1972, Rita Marshall and Darlene Gilleland had simply been heading home after watching a movie at the shopping center theater. As they approached their car, they noticed something unusual. A shopping cart had been pushed against it. Inside sat a paper bag. “The bag was rustling,” Gilleland remembered. Marshall stepped closer to investigate. “I had to get in close because it was dark,” she said. “And I saw her little face, and I said, ‘Darlene, it’s a baby, it’s a baby!’” The two friends immediately called police and stayed with the infant until help arrived. They followed the baby to the hospital, where doctors examined her and confirmed she was healthy. Hospital staff gave the newborn a name. “Westgate” came from the place where she was found. “Jeanne” honored the nurse who cared for her. Soon after, the child entered the foster system and was later adopted. But Marshall and Gilleland never forgot that night. “I’ve always thought about her,” Marshall said. “Wondered how she was. What she was doing.” For decades, the story lingered in their memories. Then, 53 years later, the past finally caught up with the present. With Gerrett’s help, Pearl met the women who had discovered her as a newborn. “There were a lot of tears, a lot of talking, a lot of laughing, and a lot of hugging,” Gerrett said. Marshall was overwhelmed by the moment. “I feel like our long-lost baby has come home,” she said. The reunion did not end there. Together, the three women visited the shopping center where the story began. The movie theater they once left that night is gone now, but the plaza still stands. The exact location where the baby was found sits behind a Lowe’s store. Standing there decades later, Marshall and Gilleland shared something they had believed for years. “We always felt like someone was watching to make sure we found you,” they told Pearl. For Gilleland, the moment closed a circle that had remained open for half a century. “I won’t forget the day that we found her,” she said. “And I won’t forget the day that we found her again!” For Pearl Marshall, the reunion filled in the first chapter of a life story that once began with questions. Now it begins with something else entirely: two strangers who noticed a rustling bag in a parking lot and chose to help.
Score (96)
This Rehabilitated Eagle Chick Finally Returned to the Wild Following Weeks of Recovery
An eagle chick was returned to its nest in Doreen, Victoria, following a period of rehabilitation at the Healesville Sanctuary where it was treated for a wing fracture. Zoos Victoria said the chick was found on the ground at a farm after falling 30 meters (99 feet) from its nest on a gum tree. The young bird could not yet fly and “completely dependent on its parents.” Footage released by the sanctuary shows the chick being hoisted back up onto its large nest following four weeks of treatment. “Carers, volunteers, an arborist, a farmer and a team of veterinary experts all coming together to make this epic rescue, rehab and release mission possible,” Zoos Victoria said in a press release. Zoos Victoria via Storyful
Score (98)
Meet Florrie, The School Puppy With A Very Important Job
The newest face wandering the hallways at a Lincolnshire secondary school has four paws, a wagging tail and a growing fan club. Her name is Florrie. She is nine weeks old. And her job is already making a difference. When the school bell rings, Florrie bounds through the corridors greeting students and teachers like she has worked there for years. In reality, the border collie and bearded collie cross puppy only arrived a week ago. Still, staff say her impact was immediate. "She's been absolutely amazing," says Amanda Cook, a maths teacher and assistant head who has taken on the role of Florrie’s handler. Florrie spends her school days close to Cook, often resting in a large cage filled with dog toys and the occasional half-chewed fizzy drinks bottle. Barely bigger than a football, the fluffy puppy squeaks and wriggles with the kind of energy only a young dog can manage. Cook admits bringing a puppy into a busy secondary school was a little nerve-racking at first. "She's been here for a week so far, and I have to say even though we planned everything out I was a bit nervous that first day," she says. Florrie technically belongs to Cook, but unlike the family dog waiting at home, this one now spends her days roaming the school. The idea was simple. If Florrie started young, the school itself would become normal to her. "We just thought that if she was in school from day one she'd get used to the environment better than introducing an older dog," Cook says. "I have another dog at home that I thought about introducing but she's quite nervous when she comes into school. Whereas for Florrie, from day one it was her home." The puppy’s arrival may feel spontaneous to students. In reality, it took four years to make it happen. Before bringing Florrie in, the school contacted parents and guardians to check for allergies, fears of dogs and other concerns. Only after that long process did the plan finally move forward. And then came the challenge of managing a puppy in a building full of teenagers. "Luckily, I've got lots of help because obviously she's very popular," Cook says, adding that the students have been "incredible" with their new four-legged classmate. Florrie is not simply a hallway celebrity. She is part of a broader effort to support student well-being at a time when schools across the UK are seeing growing mental health pressures among teenagers. "There are lots of pressures on young people at this particular point in time, and I include in that mobile phones and digital technology," says headteacher John McHenry. The school is also still seeing the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted learning and social development for many students. "Mental health has been something massively impacted by COVID," McHenry says. Support services exist, but demand is high. "Obviously the services are oversubscribed," Cook says. "We have a counsellor in school who works with our students, just having the dog there as well as an early intervention will be really, really useful." McHenry describes Florrie as one more tool teachers can use to help students cope. "Florrie is the most recent addition, if you like, in our toolbox," he says. The concept itself is far from new. Animals have been linked to mental health benefits for centuries. Reports from the 19th century even described animals living at Bethlehem Hospital in London, where observers said they had a calming influence on patients. More recent research supports the idea as well. Birmingham University’s Dr Alison Broad wrote in her doctoral thesis that there is a "growing body of research which indicates the significant impact that animals can play in supporting well-being and mental health." Teachers at the school say they are already seeing early signs of that effect. "Her behaviour is impeccable! I wish we could say the same about all new joiners but certainly she has been absolutely brilliant,and the reality is she's already having a popular impact," McHenry says. He has noticed something else too. Students who spend time with the puppy often seem calmer afterward. "We're seeing students who've engaged with Florrie who are dysregulated, but who are then finding themselves much calmer and more capable of coping," he says. The students themselves seem to agree. Martynas, whose shoelaces quickly became Florrie’s favourite toy, believes the puppy will help students talk through difficult moments. The dog could be "a very good outlet" for people who need to share something on their mind, he says. Another student, Lukas, says Florrie helped him overcome a long-standing fear. "I used to be afraid of dogs, but she's the cutest thing ever." Sixth-form student Dawid also sees potential. "I'm hoping it will help with mental health issues, especially people that need that extra support," he says. Charlotte, another student, adds that the puppy may help with everyday pressures at school. "Exam stress, things like that," she says. "Even making relationships with teachers, relationships with students, finding friendships that can be quite difficult. And she is very cute!" For now, Florrie’s official training as a mental health support dog has not even begun. But after a morning spent greeting students, chasing footballs, tugging at shoelaces and exploring new corners of the school, the tiny puppy eventually slows down. Her paws stop tapping against the floor. Her eyes droop. There will be plenty of work ahead. For the moment, though, Florrie curls up for a nap.
Score (96)
Drones Are Helping Scientists Check Dolphins’ Health Without Touching Them
A new study suggests drones could offer a safer way to check on dolphins without ever disturbing them in the water. Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, tested how drone technology can be used to monitor dolphin health from above. Their findings show the flying devices can accurately measure key health indicators such as body temperature and breathing rates. Using specialized thermal cameras mounted on drones, scientists analyzed more than 40,000 images of bottlenose dolphin populations. The study found that the most reliable measurements were taken when drones hovered about 10 metres (32.8 feet) directly above the animals. “Monitoring the health of dolphins is important for assessing environmental impacts and supporting conservation,” said researcher Charlie White. Because dolphins spend most of their lives underwater, traditional health checks can be difficult and sometimes stressful for the animals. In many cases, scientists must temporarily capture or restrain them to gather medical information. Drones could change that. By collecting thermal images from above, researchers can track body temperature and respiration patterns. Any unusual changes in those measurements may signal illness, injury or stress. The method could also help protect marine ecosystems. Dolphins are considered keystone species, meaning their health often reflects the overall condition of the ocean environment. Changes in dolphin populations can signal problems such as overfishing, pollution or habitat damage. Senior researcher Guido Parra said the technology could become an important conservation tool as it continues to improve. “With continued refinement and testing under a wider range of wild conditions, the approach has the potential to support safer and less intrusive health monitoring of marine mammals,” he said. As drone technology advances, scientists hope these aerial checkups will help ensure dolphins — and the ecosystems they help support — continue to thrive.
Score (97)
This Miracle Baby is Finally Leaving the Hospital After an 8-Month NICU Journey
For months, one of the smallest patients at a Florida hospital was also one of its strongest. Now he’s finally heading home. Baby John Delancey III, born at just 22 weeks, has been discharged after spending 257 days in the neonatal intensive care unit at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital. When he arrived on June 6, 2025, John weighed only 1 pound and 0.2 ounces. Doctors classify babies born that early as micropreemies, a group that faces some of the most difficult medical challenges in neonatal care. But over the months that followed, John steadily grew stronger. By the time he left the hospital, he weighed 17 pounds and 3.5 ounces, surrounded by the nurses, physicians and therapists who had helped care for him since his earliest days. Along the way, the tiny patient picked up several affectionate nicknames from staff and family members, including Johnboy, JJ, Johnny, Lil John and Big John. Hospital staff said his determination became a source of inspiration across the entire NICU. “It takes extraordinary teamwork to care for a baby born this early, and John reminded us every day why this work matters,” said Dr. Kiran Dwarakanath, medical director of the NICU. “Micropremies face incredible challenges from the moment they arrive, yet John showed us time and again what a fighter he is,” Dwarakanath added. “Our team poured their hearts into helping him grow stronger and it has been a privilege to watch him reach this milestone.” Before John left the hospital, the NICU team held a special celebration to mark the moment. The unit hosted a graduation-style sendoff, complete with cheers, colorful pom-poms and a tiny blue cap and gown for the newest graduate. Staff members who had spent months caring for him gathered to celebrate the milestone and say goodbye. “We are so proud of John and the strength he has shown,” his care team said in a joint statement. “He has already made a lasting mark on all of us.” The hospital later shared the moment on social media, reflecting on the long journey from fragile newborn to thriving infant. “Wrapped up and supported at every turn, John grew from a micropremie to a thriving 17 pound 3.5 ounce, big boy with the help of our dedicated nurses, physicians and therapists who have been by his side for months,” the hospital wrote. “It has been an honor to watch him grow and to be a part of his incredible journey.” As the hospital team cheered him on one last time, they also shared a message for their former patient. “John, we are so proud of you,” they wrote. “You have already made your mark on the hearts of the Brandon Hospital team and we know you will continue to make a mark on the world.” After 257 days in the NICU, John’s biggest milestone has finally arrived. Home.
Score (98)
This Teen Recycled 1.5 Million Cans To Raise Thousands For Charity
Most 13-year-olds spend their weekends playing video games. Ryan Hulance spends his time collecting cans. The teenager from Solihull in England has raised thousands of pounds for charity by recycling more than one million aluminium cans, turning a simple idea into a growing community project. Ryan first came up with the plan in 2023. He wanted to help local food banks while also doing something positive for the environment. His solution was straightforward: collect used cans and sell them to scrap metal companies. Aluminium recyclers typically pay between 20p and 90p per kilogram, which works out to about 65 cans per kilogram. Ryan started by contacting local businesses near his home in the West Midlands to ask if they would donate their empty cans. At first, the project was small. Ryan gathered a few hundred cans each week and stored them at home. To make room, his parents would crush the cans by driving over them with their car before Ryan bagged them up. Before long, the numbers grew. Last year alone, Ryan collected eight tonnes of cans, raising about $6,000 for charity. He donated the money to a women’s support organization. Over the past three years, he estimates he has recycled about 1.5 million cans, raising roughly $18,000 that he has given away to charitable causes. The project has expanded so much that Ryan now collects about 20,000 cans every week. He even created his own organization, called We Can CIC, a community interest company focused on recycling and fundraising. Ryan’s family, who run a garage, received an industrial crushing machine to help manage the growing volume of cans. The machine compresses them into large metal bales that are easier to transport to recycling companies. Today, Ryan works with around 200 regular suppliers, including businesses that save their cans specifically for him. He spends about 20 hours a week on the project, collecting cans after school and on weekends. “Sometimes I think I’d rather be playing video games with my friends, because I'm 13 years old,” Ryan said. “But actually when I think about it more deeply, I really love what I do because I get to help people and families who are in need.” “I came up with the idea because I wanted to help people and the environment at the same time.” “I came up with recycling cans and it just took off from there.” Ryan’s family hopes the project will continue to grow. They believe it could also help support recycling efforts in nearby Birmingham, which has faced challenges with waste collection during a bin workers’ strike. His mother, Karima Hulance, says the family is proud of what Ryan has built. “We are very proud of Ryan and really want to help him expand,” she said. “The cans come from around 200 regular suppliers but we want to broaden that to many thousands.” “For the last three months we have recycled one tonne per month but we are capable of much much more.” For Ryan, the goal remains simple: Keep collecting cans, keep helping people, and prove that even a small idea can make a big difference.
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Scientists Find Intelligence May Come From The Brain Working As One System
For decades, scientists have studied the brain like a collection of separate tools. One system handles memory. Another manages attention. Others process language, perception or reasoning. Each network has been mapped and studied individually, leading to major discoveries about how the brain works. But one big question has remained. How do all those separate systems combine to produce a single, unified mind? Researchers at the University of Notre Dame believe they are getting closer to an answer. In a new study published in Nature Communications, scientists found evidence that human intelligence may come not from one specific brain region, but from how the entire brain works together. “Neuroscience has been very successful at explaining what particular networks do, but much less successful at explaining how a single, coherent mind emerges from their interaction,” said Aron Barbey, professor of psychology at Notre Dame. The research focuses on something psychologists have noticed for more than a century. People who perform well in one cognitive skill, such as memory or attention, often perform well in others. This pattern is known as general intelligence. It influences how people learn, solve problems and adapt to challenges throughout life. Scientists have long known the pattern exists, but they have struggled to explain why. “The problem of intelligence is not one of functional localization,” Barbey said. Many studies have tried to pinpoint intelligence to specific regions in the brain, especially areas in the frontal and parietal cortex. But Barbey says the more important question may be how the brain’s networks communicate and coordinate with each other. To explore that idea, researchers tested what they call the Network Neuroscience Theory. Instead of viewing intelligence as a single skill or brain region, the theory suggests intelligence emerges from the overall organization of the brain’s networks and how efficiently they share information. The research team analyzed brain imaging and cognitive performance data from 831 adults in the Human Connectome Project. They then tested their findings against a second group of 145 adults in the INSIGHT Study. By combining data on both brain structure and brain activity, scientists created a detailed map of how large-scale brain networks interact. The results supported a different way of thinking about intelligence. Rather than existing in one place, intelligence appears to arise from cooperation among many brain systems. “We found evidence for system-wide coordination in the brain that is both robust and adaptable,” said Ramsey Wilcox, the study’s lead author. “This coordination does not carry out cognition itself, but determines the range of cognitive operations the system can support.” The researchers identified several key features that appear to shape intelligence. First, many brain networks must work together. Tasks are distributed across specialized systems, which then combine their information. Second, communication between distant parts of the brain is essential. Long-range connections act like shortcuts, linking far-apart regions and allowing them to exchange information quickly. Third, certain regulatory regions act as coordinators, directing which networks activate when solving problems or making decisions. Finally, intelligence depends on balance. Local groups of neurons need to work efficiently while still staying connected to the wider brain network. When those elements work together smoothly, thinking becomes more flexible and effective. Across both groups in the study, differences in intelligence were closely tied to these large-scale organizational patterns rather than to any single brain area. “General intelligence becomes visible when cognition is coordinated,” Barbey said, “when many processes must work together under system-level constraints.” The findings could help explain several patterns seen throughout human life. For example, intelligence often increases during childhood as brain networks become more connected. It may decline with aging as those connections weaken. And widespread brain injuries can disrupt intelligence even when individual regions remain intact. The research could also influence the future of artificial intelligence. Today’s AI systems are extremely good at specific tasks, such as recognizing images or generating text. But they often struggle to apply knowledge across different situations. Barbey says the human brain offers a clue as to why. “Many AI systems can perform specific tasks very well, but they still struggle to apply what they know across different situations,” he said. “Human intelligence is defined by this flexibility — and it reflects the unique organization of the human brain.” The study suggests that building truly adaptable artificial intelligence may require designing systems that mirror the brain’s network-wide coordination, rather than simply expanding specialized tools. In other words, the secret to intelligence may not lie in any single part of the brain. It may lie in how the whole system works together.
Score (98)
Smithsonian Acquires Historic Comic Books Featuring Superman And Captain America
Before they dominated movie screens and toy aisles, Superman and Captain America lived on thin pages of newsprint that once sold for a dime. Now those pages have been given a permanent place in American history. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has acquired Action Comics No. 1 and Captain America Comics No. 1, the first appearances of two of the most famous superheroes ever created. The rare comics were donated by Brandon Beck, co-founder of the video game company Riot Games. For museum curators, the addition represents far more than collectible pop culture. “I have worked at the museum for almost 30 years and have been able to collect, research and share so many fun and important stories with the public,” said Eric Jentsch, curator of popular culture and sports history. “This acquisition was one of the most gratifying of my career, not only as the comics are important pieces of our cultural history that should be preserved, but also because if you told me as a kid I would be working with these incredible collections I would have been psyched.” The first of those legendary stories appeared in 1938, when Action Comics No. 1 introduced a new character created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. Superman. The caped hero from the doomed planet Krypton quickly became a symbol of justice during the difficult years of the Great Depression. That first issue launched nearly nine decades of stories and helped establish the modern superhero genre. The character’s influence has only grown since then. A new Superman film directed by James Gunn last summer earned about $624 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing superhero movie of 2025. Captain America followed two years later. Captain America Comics No. 1, created by writer Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby, debuted in December 1940 with a cover dated March 1941. The issue arrived during a tense period before the United States entered World War II. Its cover made a statement that readers could not miss. Captain America, the newly created super soldier Steve Rogers, was shown delivering a powerful punch directly to Adolf Hitler. The image carried political weight at a time when the United States had not yet entered the war. Through a hero who embodied national determination and democratic ideals, comic books became part of the cultural response to the global conflict. By acquiring both comics, the Smithsonian is highlighting how entertainment reflects the history and values of the time in which it is created. “We use objects from popular culture to reflect and learn about the past, and the comics provide incredible insight into the era from which they come,” Jentsch said. He noted that the stories also reflect the backgrounds of the people who created them. Superman and Captain America were both invented by first-generation Jewish American creators during a period marked by rising global tensions and rapid technological change. Paul Levitz, a former president of DC Comics who later wrote Superman stories, said the recognition would have meant a great deal to the artists behind the characters. “The pivotal creators of these comics—Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby—were all first-generation Jewish Americans, anxious to make their marks in a country that had welcomed their parents,” Levitz said. “As someone who had the pleasure of knowing them all, I can confidently say that this recognition of their work in the most significant comic book acquisition in decades, would have been a great affirmation of the groundbreaking genre that they created.” Family members of the creators say the moment carries personal meaning as well. Siegel’s daughter, Laura Siegel Larson, pointed out that the museum already holds another important item from her father. “The museum already holds my dad’s portable typewriter. Now they have Action Comics No. 1, the holy grail of Superman artifacts,” she said. Jim Simon, the son of Captain America co-creator Joe Simon, added: “It is wonderful to know that my father Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s work is not only forever immortalized in the hearts of millions but also in the highest of institutions where it will be forever preserved.” The timing also reflects the enormous cultural reach superheroes now have. In recent decades, superhero stories have dominated global box offices and streaming platforms, shaping Hollywood economics and inspiring generations of fans. Yet the origins of those billion-dollar franchises remain remarkably humble. They began as stapled comic books sold at neighborhood newsstands. Today, those same issues have become some of the most valuable printed materials in existence. Four years ago, a copy of Captain America Comics No. 1 sold for more than $3 million at auction. Last year, Superman No. 1 fetched more than $9 million, and earlier this year a copy of Action Comics No. 1 reportedly sold privately for $15 million. For the Smithsonian, the comics are more than collectibles. They are artifacts that help explain how storytelling, culture and identity evolve over time. As Jentsch put it, the impact of those early pages is impossible to miss. “That these books created characters and narratives whose relevance has only grown since their debut almost 90 years ago speaks volumes about their impact and immersion into everyday life.”