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Guinness World Records' new book, Science & Stuff, launches in the UK today (Thursday 8 March) which also happens to be International Women's Day.
To mark the day, we contacted some of the leading female scientists who feature in the book to ask them about which record titles and who inspired them as they were growing up.
We spoke to women who work with robots, butterflies and the weather about their inspirations.
Dr Rachel Albrecht
Dr Albrecht is a lightning researcher who was part of the team which published the definitive ranking of lightning hotspots in the world. Thanks to this work we now know the location of the Highest concentration of lightning strikes - Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo.
Born and raised in Brazil she's pursued her childhood passion for science and weather, a childhood which includes memories of 'egg-sized hail stones' descending on her hometown a dramatic tornado.
Her career has taken her thousands of miles from her family, and it's this which she says has been her biggest challenge.
"“If I would pick an obstacle that I had to overcome, it was working in US for two years with no family around. I knew that was essential to have a successful scientific career, to build a network of international collaborations. So, I just faced the challenge, and here I am now."
What was the record that you enjoyed/were inspired by when you were younger?
"Rollercoaster records. I loved them when I was a child and teenager. Nowadays they scare me a lot!"
What/who in science inspired you when you were younger?
"My mum. As a kid, she always encouraged my curiosity and she always lent me her chemistry school kits (she was a science teacher) for me to play, and the simple idea of using a "white coat to work" was inspirational to me. Later, Twister movie! The fact that it is based on real science and Dorothy is real, was great."
Simone Giertz
Best known for making robots to help her with tasks which "bore" her, Simone Giertz is a Swedish-born YouTuber who now lives in America.
Her YouTube channel is not far from gaining 1 million subscribers who are regularly entertained with her latest creations such as a machine that blows your nose for you, the hair-cutting drone and an alarm clock that slaps you in the face.
She's also a regular presenter on Tested.com, a site aimed at people who are interested in a number of subjects including science.
What was the record that you enjoyed/were inspired by when you were younger?
"The image that I can't get out of my head was the person with the world's longest nails. I don't know that I'd call it enjoyment or inspiring but it definitely made me want to cut my nails more often."
What/who in science inspired you when you were younger?
"I loved MythBusters growing up and the way they did experiments. Getting to work with Adam Savage, it still blows my mind that I call him and pick his mastermind super brain on random projects."
Sabine Hauert
_tcm25-517595.jpg "Sabine Hauert")
When it comes to swarm robots, Sabine Hauert is the woman you need to speak to.
Inspired to work in robotics after being a member of a team competing at the RoboCup with their artificial dog, she's part of a team which has created more than 1,000 swarm robots and is investigating how they can be used in future to help people in situations such as natural disasters or cancer treatments.
Speaking about her RoboCup days, Sabine recalled: "We would cheer our little robots and cry and hug when they won a match. I thought it was amazing that we could make robots work together, and hoped that they could one day help us in real-world applications."
What/who in science inspired you when you were younger?
"I’ve had wonderful male and female mentors throughout my career, including Manuela Veloso (Carnegie Mellon University, US), Dario Floreano (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland), Sangeeta Bhatia (MIT, US), and Radhika Nagpal (Harvard, US). They have all been real inspirations to me. and are amazing scientists, leaders and entrepreneurs."
Dr Blanca Huertas
Butterflies are Dr Blanca Huertas' area of expertise. The Colombian-born scientist is now Senior Curator of Butterflies at the Natural History Museum in London, UK, and gets to travel the world looking at these colourful creatues.
Speaking about the challenges she's faced in her career, Dr Blanca said: "Although women's role in science has improved and it is more appreciated over the last century, there are still a lot of gender bias in my field. It was not easy to reach my position in a traditional institution," as well as language and cultural obstacles thrown up by moving halfway across the world.
But if you want to know how to attract more butterflies into your garden, she's your woman.
“First and golden rule: don’t use pesticides. Most people plant lovely flowers that might attract butterflies, but when they use chemicals they are killing not only the pests but also caterpillars and other harmless wildlife.”
What was the record that you enjoyed/were inspired by when you were younger?
"My son and I love the records books. When I was younger and still, I love reading about those records of people gathering to achieve something. It is amazing seen the effort a group put into."
What/who in science inspired you when you were younger?
"When I was in university I read and got inspired about the adventurous trips of Bates and Wallace chasing butterflies around the world. However, the big butterfly guys Vane-Wright, Lamas & Mallet have been my inspiration and I am lucky enough of learnt a bit from them."
Dr Huertas also cites her former university tutor, Professor Rodrigo Torres (an entomologist - someone who studies insects) as the one who convinced her she could turn this passion for insects into a career.
You can find more from all four of these female scientists on our dedicated Science & Stuff page - as well as lots more material and information about the book including where to buy it.
