This New Cartoon Wants to Inspire Girls to Become Engineers

Meet Ella. She wants to get girls coding. She’s happy to inspire any little ones to go digital, but she really, really wants to see more young girls end sentences that start: “When I grow up, I want to be…” with “engineer.” And we do too.

Ella the Engineer is the star of a TBD show that is currently crowdsourcing for moola to make a pilot episode on Indiegogo. She is the baby of a dad who already has his own two little Ellas — Anthony Onesto, the director of technology talent development for Razorfish/candidate for Dad of the Year. He came up with the idea for a program starring Ella after being bummed about the lack of tech-savvy female role models in the cartoons and kiddie shows that his two young daughters watched.

Our http heroine will also be brought to you by a group who knows a thing or two when it comes to women and web. Girl Develop It, an organization that works to provide all women affordable and accessible programs to learn software development joined forces with Anthony to help get Ella to prime TV time. In fact, if they don’t reach their goal, the dollars go to Girl Develop It to continue their efforts. (Sidenote: check out and support Girl Develop It now too while you’re at it!)

While we know Ella would approve of that, we hope she makes the necessary funding needed to hack a crack into a major glass ceiling at the playground level. A daily TV show on Disney or Nick could see the same success at inspiring bitty viewers to join Team STEM as efforts to bring easy-to-play coding games and apps to their digital devices do.

This is an Indiegogo campaign that we’ve had our eye on and right now there’s still a ways to go for them to reach their $25,000 goal. If you want to help give girls a coding role model, spread the word or head here to pledge your support. For a $25 donation, you’ll get a Tattly temp tattoo of Ella (gotta love a creative pledge gift!) and knowledge that you’re helping inspire and empower the co-ed coders of tomorrow.

Do you know a young girl who would love Ella? How do you think we can get kids more interested in STEM?

Although women are making steady inroads in STEM fields, the science and technology world remains dominated by men. According to the National Girls Collaborative Project, fewer than 30 percent of all science and engineering jobs are held by women. Though that figure is certainly better than it was in the past, we have a long way to go in lifting the barriers to science, tech, engineering, and math education that keep so many women out of those fields.

Throughout history, women have had to overcome obstacles to access education, yet many persisted in STEM nonetheless — despite the fact that their work may not always have gotten recognition (or was outright stolen) by their male colleagues. But it's never too late to give these brave, history-making women their due.

Here are 10 women in STEM who were forgotten by history — until now.

Mivela Maric:Albert Einstein is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientific minds in history, but there has been some recent discussion over the role that his first wife, Mivela Maric, played in his success.

People who debate Maric’s involvement in the development of theories attributed to Einstein tend to fall into two camps. On one side, there are those who argue that she was merely a sounding board for her husband’s ideas; on the other, that she was a direct collaborator in his research and even helped create some of what we now consider Einstein’s greatest theoretical works. What’s not up for debate is that Maric was a fierce intellectual whose input Einstein took seriously.

Based on correspondence between the couple, historians do agree that Maric can be credited with working alongside her husband. (Einstein talks of “our studies” and “our theory” in many of the letters.) Despite her intelligence, by virtue of being a woman in the earlier part of the 20th century, Maric’s work has never been fully evaluated, and her role (however ambiguous) in her husband’s work will never be fully understood. Maric died in 1948, and for years was overlooked as a physicist and merely noted for her relationship to Einstein. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

Jocelyn Bell Burnell:The name of British astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell may not be familiar to you, but her 1967 discovery of pulsars changed astronomy forever.

While still a graduate student at the University of Cambridge, Bell Burnell's research into quasars (enormous celestial bodies that emit huge amounts of energy) led her to stumble onto large neutron stars that act almost as smaller-scale quasars — now known as pulsars.

With her male advisor, Antony Hewish, Bell Burnell co-authored a paper on the revelation that would go on to help scientists study many facets of the universe, including the possibility of alien communication. In 1974, Hewish and physicist Martin Ryle won the Nobel Prize in physics for work made possible by Bell Burnell's discovery. Her name wasn't even included in the award.

Since Bell Burnell's discovery, she has been a teacher and researcher and has headed the Royal Astronomical Society. She also served as the first female president of both the Institute of Physics and The Royal Society of Edinburgh. In 2018, she was awarded a $3 million dollar prize for her work on pulsars, over half a century after she discovered them.

Chien-Shiung Wu: Born in China in 1912, Chien-Shiung Wu attended a school founded by her father in Jiangsu Province. As a child, she encountered a biography of chemist Marie Curie (the first woman to receive a Nobel prize, and the only woman to date to win it twice) that sparked her imagination and drive. Wu's grades in school were so impressive, she was invited to attend the National Central University in Nanjing without having to complete the school's usually mandatory entrance exams.

After graduating in 1934, Wu realized she needed to attend graduate school abroad if she wanted to advance in her field. She achieved her Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1940 and went on to teach at Smith and Princeton.

Wu was also involved in the highly secretive Manhattan Project — the US government's scientific race to create atomic weapons ahead of its enemies during the Second World War. Although her work was instrumental in developing the atomic bombs the US used in the Pacific theater, Wu subsequently expressed regret at her role in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and shared her wish that atomic warheads never be used again.

After the war, Wu remained at Columbia University in New York, where her research on the decay of atoms brought her work to the attention of two colleagues; in 1954, those colleagues were awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for work that could only be verified through Wu's expertise. Wu's research went uncredited.

Her work did, however, earn other awards and accolades over the years. Wu is credited with helping scientists understand blood molecule changes and sickle cell anemia, and she was the first woman to serve as president of the American Physical Society.

Lise Meitner: Austrian physicist Lise Meitner is sometimes credited as “the mother of the atomic bomb," but the scientist actually refused to work on the Manhattan Project. She reportedly declared, "I will have nothing to do with a bomb!" But her work in nuclear science helped pave the way for future discoveries; much like other women scientists, her name was left off the major awards that resulted.

After achieving her doctorate in the early 1900s, Meitner began a 30-year working relationship with chemist Otto Hahn, in which the two collaboratively studied radioactivity using insights from their respective fields. When Nazi Germany annexed Austria, the Jewish Meitner was forced to flee to Sweden to continue her work; once there, she received no support from the Swedish scientific elite, who were hostile to the idea of a female colleague.

Meitner continued her research in spite of rejection from her peers. Along with Hahn, scientist Fritz Strassmann, and her nephew Otto Frisch, Meitner began new tests on uranium in Copenhagen. Eventually, they were able to develop and prove a theory of nuclear fission. But it was Hahn who, in 1945, was awarded the Nobel Prize for this work.

Although the three other scientists who'd worked with Hahn on the discovery were awarded a different award in 1966, the Nobel “mistake" was never formally clarified.


Rosalind Franklin:Biologist James Watson and physicist Francis Crick solved the riddle of DNA in the 1950s, but they couldn't have done their work without the findings of other scientists; notably Rosalind Franklin. The daughter of English socialites, Franklin was given every educational opportunity. At every turn, she was faced with resistance from colleagues, employers, and even her own father — a would-be scientist, himself, who worried about a woman's place in scientific research.

After graduating from Cambridge, Franklin bounced around between jobs in European laboratories, learning cutting edge X-ray techniques. She eventually took a three-year research scholarship at King's College in London.

Utilizing the radiology techniques she'd learned, Franklin and her lab partner, Maurice Wilkins, took some of the first clear images of DNA structures. The story goes that the pair were having a disagreement when Wilkins, without permission, took his research partner's unpublished work to his friends, Watson and Crick. Franklin's images directly informed the two scientists' first models of DNA structure, yet she was completely uncredited in their published work.

It was only after Franklin's death at the age of 37, from ovarian cancer, that Watson admitted her work had been “crucial" to his and Crick's discovery.

Caroline Herschel:Astronomer Caroline Herschel moved to England from Germany in 1772 to join her brother, William, after the death of their father. While the Herschel patriarch had approved of an education for his daughter, the Herschels' mother insisted Caroline leave school to take up housework after her husband's death.

The brother and sister performed together as a musical duo in England, and it was during this period that William became obsessed with telescopes and astronomy. Caroline soon followed suit.

William discovered the planet Uranus in 1781. When William was appointed Royal Astronomer by King George III in 1782, he took his sister along with him.

Caroline worked alongside her brother, for which King George offered her an annual salary as an astronomer's assistant. She was the first woman to discover an unnamed comet and presented findings to the Royal Society that proved the existence of 560 stars omitted from the British Catalogue, along with a list of errors she found in the publication. Her work was so prolific and thorough that two of her astronomical catalogs are still in use today. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

Justine Siegemund:Midwifery is as old as human history, but until the mid-1600s, the tricks of the trade were passed down orally from midwife to midwife. Enter Justine Siegemund, a German woman who, after suffering excruciating pain from a midwife’s misdiagnosis, began to study the craft herself. Siegemund became so renowned for her expertise that she was eventually encouraged by Mary II of Orange to write a guide on the subject.

Siegemund’s self-published midwifery book, The Court Midwife, became the first German medical text to be written by a woman. With the aid of illustrations by leading medical engravers, Siegemund shared wisdom on life-saving childbirth methods. She’s considered a pioneer in developing techniques to manually turn a breech baby during labor, and using a needle to break the amniotic sac to avoid hemorrhage in cases of placenta previa. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

Emily Warren Roebling:If it weren't for Emily Warren Roebling, one of America's most iconic structures might not exist. When her husband, engineer Washington A. Roebling took ill during the building of the Brooklyn Bridge (probably from the bends, a disorder common in bridge-builders and deep-sea divers), Emily stepped in to ensure the bridge would be completed.

Though she was not an engineer by trade, Emily took over her husband's role as foreperson, project manager, and go-to during the bridge's treacherous building. Historians today are generally in agreement that without her involvement, the Brooklyn Bridge as we know it would likely never have been built. And she knew it, too.

“I have more brains, common sense and know-how generally than have any two engineers, civil or uncivil, and but for me the Brooklyn Bridge would never have had the name Roebling in any way connected with it!" Emily Warren Roebling wrote to her son in 1898.

After the bridge was complete, Emily Warren Roebling went on to attain a certificate in business law at a time when women were not typically allowed to enter law school and devoted her life to philanthropy. (Image via Charles Émile Auguste Carolus Duran/Brooklyn Museum for Wikimedia Commons)

Which STEM lady do you want to learn more about? Tell us @BritandCo!

This post has been updated.

This edible crescent-roll cornucopia is our way of making a normal cheese boardmore festive — and definitely more fun — during the holiday season. Our go-to this time of year is a massive cheese plate that can stand alone and be the main attraction, or the starter for a larger meal. Press on for the surprisingly easy steps to braid a breaded cornucopia.

Chris Andre

Materials + Tools:

  • 1 roll of tin foil
  • 2 packages of crescent rolls
  • 1 egg (for egg wash before cornucopia goes into the oven), optional

Chris Andre

Instructions:

Start by sculpting tin foil into the shape of a cornucopia (it looks like a cone with an upturned tail). Pro tip: Lightly pack tin foil so it's easier to remove later from your baked cornucopia. Crescent rolls should be buttery enough that this shouldn't be difficult.

Chris Andre

Your tin foil mold should look a little something like this.

Chris Andre

Pop open the crescent rolls and cut the triangles into strips. Pinch together the ends of strips to make strips longer.

Chris Andre

Braid crescent roll strips. You can make these as fancy as you want. Not a braiding pro? Skip this step and leave those strips alone.

Chris Andre

Wrap tin foil cornucopia with braids/strips. Make sure you cover all the tin foil. Leave a little wiggle room at the opening of the cornucopia, so that when you’re done baking you can pull some of that tin foil out.

Chris Andre

Use any extra dough to cover the bottom of your cornucopia. Pinch the sides and anchor those braids/strips in.

Chris Andre

Brush on egg wash before placing your cornucopia in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Take out of oven and cover spots of cornucopia that are already golden brown with extra tin foil. Bake for another 20 minutes at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chris Andre

Let it cool down until it’s easy to handle. Remove tin foil.

Chris Andre

Place cornucopia in corner of your cheese plate. Arrange cheese on your serving tray.

Chris Andre

Add crackers — we like to have two or three options.

Chris Andre

Don’t forget to fill up your cornucopia. It's called "the horn of plenty" for a reason. Fill with fresh fruit like grapes, apples, and pears.

Chris Andre

Add nuts like walnuts and pistachios to fill in any empty spaces. Garnish with fresh herbs like rosemary and sage to finish it off.

Chris Andre

Voilà! Invite over your friends, open a bottle of wine, and dig in!

Chris Andre

A cornucopia cheese board will become your new favorite holiday tradition.

Show us your crescent-roll cornucopias on Instagram and check out our baking classes (and our Easy Thanksgiving Desserts piece) for more holiday food inspo!

DIY Production and Styling: Paris Fried

Paris Fried: Paris loves any excuse to celebrate and throw a themed party. She loves experimenting in the kitchen and has a terrible sweet tooth. When she's not crafting in her studio, she's at the farmers' market buying seasonal produce or at her favorite local theater watching double features.

This post has been updated.

A few hours after the world (by way of the internet) laid eyes on the very first photographic image of a black hole, the name “Katie Bouman” began trending. According to a tweet from the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, the 29-year-old MIT postdoctoral student had “led the creation of a new algorithm” that made the black hole image possible. After the pic went public on Wednesday, it wasn’t long before another photo began making the rounds: one of the fresh-faced scientist posed in front of a computer screen that displayed the groundbreaking image she’d helped create, with her hands clasped over her mouth in proud disbelief.

In an instant, Bouman became a stand-in for generations of women scientists whose contributions to technological breakthroughs were buried under the names of their male colleagues. Celebrities tweeted in appreciation. Others listed the names of female scientists that time, and sexism, had allowed us to forget. The moment felt triumphant: a chance for women in STEM to get their long-deserved moment in the spotlight. But there was also some pushback against this simple, feel-good version of events — namely, from Katie Bouman herself.

“I’m so excited that we finally get to share what we have been working on for the past year!” she wrote on Facebook. “The image shown today is the combination of images produced by multiple methods. No one algorithm or person made this image, it required the amazing talent of a team of scientists from around the globe and years of hard work to develop the instrument, data processing, imaging methods, and analysis techniques that were necessary to pull off this seemingly impossible feat. It has been truly an honor, and I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with you all.”

In fact, Bouman was one of more than 200 scientists from 60 different research institutions, in 18 countries across six continents, to contribute to the project. Approximately 40 women (including Bouman) were involved.

While many media outlets (including us) mistakenly reported that Bouman had led the creation of the algorithm used to visualize the previously unphotographable image, a Harvard astronomer named Shep Doeleman was actually in charge of the project.

Bouman’s contributions were important to this process, and while it’s true that she led a team in developing an algorithm intended to create an image of a black hole, the New York Times reported Thursday that Bouman’s algorithm was not the one ultimately used to make the photo we saw on Wednesday. (On Friday afternoon, the MIT CSAIL Twitter account issued a series of posts to clear up earlier confusion.)

“There are women involved in every single step of this amazing project,” said Sara Issaoun, a 24-year-old graduate student at Radboud University in the Netherlands, in an interview with the Times. Issaoun was one of the researchers involved.

So, it appears that many of us got the details of this story a bit wrong, and the reasons why are pretty straightforward. Obviously, it’s easy to jump to less-than-accurate conclusions from information that’s shared on social media, especially in celebration of a young woman for a breakthrough in STEM, a field in which women are so notoriously underrepresented.

The Bouman story was also the product of our tendency to credit individual thought-leaders or “pioneers” for making change happen. We like being able to point to a single person who made a difference in the world, because it inspires us to try to do the same. But the truth is that no one person alone is responsible for making big things happen.

Collaboration is a superpower. As Katie Bouman wants us to remember, it’s when we work together that the impossible comes within reach — or, in the case of black holes, that the unphotographable becomes photographed. The Bouman story is one of teamwork and triumph, and by upholding that spirit, more of us will be able to shine. It may not be the story we wanted, but it’s the one with the most to offer.

RELATED: The Black Hole Photo Everyone’s Freaking Out About Was Made Possible by This Female Grad Student

(Photo by Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Though Black Friday is traditionally the official start of the holiday shopping season, we argue that it’s been kicking since mid-October. We know, we know: it still feels extremely early to start thinking about the holidays, but they’ll be here before you know it! Plus, many brands and retailers are already promoting their holiday goodies with plenty of sales and discounts available right now.

If you’re ready to embark on your holiday shopping journey, but still need answers to questions like ‘when’s the best time to shop?’ and ‘where should I shop for gifts?’ and even ‘how the heck do I save money this season?’, you’ve come to the right place. Consider this your go-to guide for holiday shopping in 2024.

Scroll on for our best guidance on navigating this busy time of year and finding the best gifts possible!

When's the best time to do holiday shopping?

Kaboompics / PEXELS

The best time to do holiday shopping really all depends on your personal shopping goals. Do you want to get a jump on items you know will sell out soon? Do you want to save the most money possible? Do you want to focus on handmade, personalized gifts? These factors will undoubtedly influence your holiday shopping schedule.

Cottonbro Studio / PEXELS

Shopping early can be advantageous for all of the aforementioned goals. A lot of retailers start promoting their holiday products early on, giving you ample time to snatch up that limited-time lip kit or fancy water bottle you’ve been eyeing way before the holidays.

Plus, some of the best deals for holiday shopping happen ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday – in 2023, Experian observed a surge in early spending in October, thanks to early discounts, a trend likely to continue in 2024.

Finally, shopping early can be especially helpful if your plan is to focus on handmade or personalized gifts, giving the artisan you buy from (or yourself, if you’re DIY-ing your gifts) plenty of time to craft the item with love and care.

Gallup reported in 2023 that one in four shoppers start shopping as early as September, a trend likely to continue in 2024 – so you might already be embarking on your shopping spree!

Mikhail Nilov / PEXELS

If right now is just still too darn early for you to start holiday shopping, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the best times to shop since so many retailers offer their largest discounts of the entire year. Plus, the late November-early December timeline can feel a bit more appropriate for the gifting season opposed to late October-early November, when everyone’s still recovering from Halloween.

The only thing to consider during this time is the shipping timelines for the items you purchase – but most retailers will typically advise their specific shipping schedules, so you don’t risk your goodies arriving late.

Where should I shop for gifts?

Ron Lach / PEXELS

You have three main options when it comes to where to shop for holiday gifts: online, in-store, and via our amazing gift guides. Of course, each method has its advantages and disadvantages.

Shopping in-store offers a tangible experience: the opportunity to hold specific items in your hands and gauge exactly what they’ll be like when you give them as a gift. The pitfall with shopping in-person is that it typically requires a commute and journeys through potentially very busy malls and shopping strips, which can add to the already-stressful holiday experience.

In-store shopping can be more physically exhausting, but it’s all about preference! Sometimes strolling through the stores that get all dolled up for Christmas is the best part of the season.

Andrea Piacquadio / PEXELS

Per Google, 65% of those planning to shop for the holidays say they will shop online more. Shopping for gifts online can be super helpful since you can centralize your findings in your browser’s bookmark tab or via virtual cart(s). Plus, shopping online can pose more opportunities for saving some money: lots of retailers typically offer discount codes for online users, especially if you sign up for their digital marketing channels (like email and text) and make a purchase.

Shopping online isn’t just shopping, either. The internet can be a stellar research tool to help you vet whether certain products are worth it, where they can be bought, and when they’ll be available. In fact, Google reported that more than half of U.S. holiday shoppers who went into a store last year say they looked up product reviews online and/or located an item in-store by checking it online.

Kaboompics / PEXELS

Last but not least, scrolling gift guides has to be our favorite place to shop for gifts – and not just because we write and publish them.

At their very core, gift guides help streamline the holiday shopping process, alleviating the stress that bubbles up when you’re wondering what the heck to shop for in the first place. Our gift guides are backed by real people, real experiences, and real opinions from our editorial team. We only promote products that we really love and believe in, oftentimes ones we’ve tested and reviewed ourselves.

We have gift guides for just about everyone on your list, with more on the way! Check ‘em out:

What are the best kinds of gifts to give?

Kaboompics / PEXELS

The best kinds of gifts to give are thoughtful gifts that consider the giftee’s interests, wants, and needs. These gifts can be sentimental, practical, or both simultaneously. What matters most in a gift is that it’ll be meaningful to them past just the holiday season, whether it’s helping them get through daily tasks, reminding them of a memorable trip or event, or giving them small doses of joy.

“Shoppers are increasingly looking for personalized and unique gifts that reflect the recipient's personality and interests,” says Mia Anderson, Owner of ChicSew. “With the rise of online shopping, many consumers are opting for curated gift boxes or experiences that add a special touch.”

Cottonbro Studio / PEXELS

Gift boxes, personalized items, books of interest, self-care goodies, and even gift cards can all be thoughtful gifts depending on the recipient. If you have no clue what your giftee is into, it’s not a bad idea to ask them what they want the most!

“My idea of a great gift is something that is in tandem with the recipient's interest and offers something new to the person, be it learning a new skill, enjoying a calming activity, or simply spending quality time with the family,” says Alfred Christ, Sales Manager & Marketer at Robotime. “This season, we encourage shoppers to shift their focus on quality and the memories their gifts will create and not just merely material aspects.”

When is Black Friday?

Sora Shimazaki / PEXELS

Black Friday is always the Friday after Thanksgiving. This year, Black Friday lands on November 29.

When is Cyber Monday?

Kindel Media / PEXELS

Cyber Monday is typcally the Monday after Thanksgiving. This year, Cyber Monday will land on December 2. Oftentimes, retailers and brands extend their online offers through the week (coined Cyber Week) after the event. Salesforce reported that 67% of shoppers in 2024 plan on shopping during Cyber Week!

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on our best 2024 gift guides, shopping advice, and all things holiday!

The holidays at Starbucks are creeping up on us, people! Peppermint Mocha season will return on November 7. If you’re a die-hard Starbucks fan, you know Red Cup Day is a whole holiday in itself – the frenzy for a free reusable cup is truly no joke. There’s even an entire website dedicated to counting down the madness! Even though there’s no official word on when Red Cup Day 2024 will be, there are several clues that cue us into the annual event. Scroll on for details!

What is Red Cup Day?

Starbucks

Red Cup Day is Starbucks’ highly-awaited annual event that marks the start of holiday beverage season at the coffee chain. For one day only (and while supplies last), customers who order any of Starbucks’ holiday drinks will receive a reusable red cup that features a bespoke design for the respective year.

Starbucks

Here’s a list of all the drinks rumored to be available on the Starbucks holiday menu starting November 7:

  • Peppermint Mocha
  • Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
  • Caramel Brûlée Latte
  • Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte
  • Chestnut Praline Latte
  • Salted Pecan Crunch Cold Brew
  • Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai

What do the red cups look like for 2024?

Starbucks

Starbucks hasn’t officially announced when Red Cup Day will be for 2024, let alone what the famed red cups will look like this go-around. The one obvious point is that the cups will be red! They’ll also likely feature some festive motifs that echo the holiday season. Last year’s red cups boasted playful white and green stars and ornament-like shapes.

Why should I participate in Red Cup Day?

Starbucks

Red Cup Day = freebies, which can feel really rewarding if you’re really into receiving free goodies. Plus, it’s just a fun way to lean into the holiday spirit. The red reusable cup keeps giving beyond Red Cup Day, though! Every time you use the reusable cup for future Starbucks orders, you get a 10-cent discount as well as 25 bonus stars toward your Starbucks Rewards account to save up for more discounts on drinks, food, and merchandise.

When is Starbucks' Red Cup Day 2024?

Starbucks

Again, Starbucks hasn’t alerted us on when Red Cup Day will be for 2024, but based on previous Red Cup Days, we can infer it’ll land on the third Thursday of November. In 2022, Red Cup Day happened on November 17, and for 2023, it was November 16. The third Thursday of November in 2024 hits on November 21, so mark your calendars, everyone!

Additionally, check back here for official info as Red Cup Day approaches.

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This post has been updated.