🧠 Turns Out Apes Can Imagine

We hope you had a great weekend, and hope you enjoyed the nailbiter of a game last night. That’s right, it was the XXII annual Puppy Bowl, and Most Valuable Puppy Boba led Team Fluff to a 73-69 victory. Meet some of the adorable team members here.

Bad Bunny also performed during the halftime show of another (I guess equally important as the Puppy Bowl) game last night, and even featured a real wedding in his performance.

Meanwhile, animals continued to steal the show. Apes at Johns Hopkins are surprising scientists by pretending to sip imaginary juice at a make-believe tea party, and a group of llamas calmly surrounded a thief until police arrived, showing a knack for teamwork.

👉 P.S. If you enjoy these stories, consider joining our premium newsletter. You’ll be supporting a small, independent team and a community that believes good news matters.

—Stephanie S

Today’s story invites us to rethink what it means to imagine. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have found that apes, like us, can pretend and play make-believe. In a series of “tea party” experiments, a bonobo named Kanzi pointed to cups of imaginary juice and bowls of pretend grapes, showing a surprising grasp of objects that exist only in the mind.

Why does this matter? For a long time, imagination was considered a uniquely human gift. But these findings suggest our closest relatives may share this inner world, hinting that the roots of imagination stretch back millions of years.

It’s a gentle reminder that the mental lives of animals might be richer than we’ve assumed. If apes can imagine, what else might be going on in the minds of the creatures around us?

The researchers are already wondering what other animals might be capable of pretend play. It’s a question that lingers, inviting us to look at the world with fresh curiosity.

Here’s a story you don’t see every day. In Derbyshire, England, a would-be thief tried to escape police by running through a field, only to be surrounded by a herd of llamas. The animals formed a circle around him and sounded the alarm until officers arrived.

The llamas’ owner says they don’t like strangers after dark, and their “citizens’ arrest” left the suspect looking absolutely terrified.

If you need a smile, this is one for the books. Check out the full story for a dose of animal heroics.

Lead pollution in the US has declined by a staggering 100-fold over the last century. Researchers traced this dramatic decline by analyzing hair samples from Utah families, revealing just how much cleaner our air has become.

The big turning point? Phasing out leaded gasoline in the 1970s, which sent exposure levels plummeting.

It’s a hopeful reminder that smart regulations can make a real difference. Dive into the story for a dose of good news.

Here’s a little hope for nature lovers: rare Brown Hairstreak butterfly eggs are at their highest numbers ever in South Wales, all because landowners let their hedges grow wild instead of trimming them back.

After years of decline, volunteers found a big jump in eggs this winter, thanks to a simple change in how hedgerows are managed.

It’s a reminder that small tweaks in how we care for the land can make a real difference. Curious about the comeback? Take a look at the full story.

🐷 Oregon: A sanctuary took in a homeless man's beloved pet pig, originally adopted by his late wife, to care for it until he can recover and reunite with his animal friend.

💪 Austria: Three elderly nuns escaped a senior home and returned to their beloved abbey, winning a partial victory in their showdown with church authorities.

🍵 UK: A new study finds that diets rich in tea, coffee, berries, and nuts are linked to better long-term heart health and lower cardiovascular risk.

🪱 Global: The world is on the verge of eradicating Guinea Worm disease; only 10 cases were reported in 2025, a record low.

🌳 Tennessee: In a boost for wildlife and outdoor lovers, 670 acres of forest were preserved to expand Savage Gulf State Park.

152 years ago today, American poet Amy Lowell was born. Though her literary career spanned just over a dozen years, she published more than 650 poems and became one of the most influential advocates for modern poetry in the United States. Beyond her own work, Lowell played a critical role in introducing American readers to contemporary poetic movements, championing imagism and helping elevate writers such as Ezra Pound. Her energy as a critic, editor, and promoter of new literary ideas shaped the direction of early 20th-century American poetry.

After her death in 1925, Lowell’s reputation faded, but it was revived decades later through the women’s studies movement. In 1926, she was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for What’s O’Clock. Today, her work is also recognized for its emotional intimacy and honesty, including poems inspired by her lifelong partnership with Ada Russell, which stand as some of the most openly queer love poetry of her era.

Other notable February 9 events:

1962: Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom.

1964: The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show before a record-breaking U.S. television audience.

1995: Astronauts Bernard A. Harris Jr. and Michael Foale completed historic spacewalks.

1998: The first annual Random Acts of Kindness Week began.

— William Shakespeare

Every day brings amazing advances and uplifting moments that remind us just how wonderful the world can be. Here are five reasons why today is the best time ever to be alive:

🧠 Early Autism Care: Breakthroughs in early autism screening are enabling earlier intervention and better outcomes.

🌾 Crop Monitoring: Crop monitoring is boosting food production while reducing water and pesticide use.

🌦️ Weather Modeling: Weather modeling is helping farmers plan planting seasons with higher accuracy.

🏛️ Virtual Trips: Virtual field trips are letting students experience world heritage sites without leaving class.

💧 School Rainwater: Rainwater harvesting in schools provides clean drinking water and teaches sustainability.

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