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THE MAJESTIC UNDERWATER MYSTERY

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we go way down to find a legendary kingdom, prepare for a rare hybrid solar eclipse, rid ourselves of evil ... and sniffle through longer allergy seasons. Plus, Patagonia, Paul Theroux, and Rosanne Cash.

An illustration of Atlantis

ILLUSTRATION VIA ISTOCK, GETTY IMAGES

“Way down, below the ocean,” once sang hippie folkster Donovan, sits the great Atlantis.

If that’s true, why can’t we find traces of this so-called pinnacle of human achievement (depicted above)? Has science gotten us any closer—or come up with an explanation for its purportedly mysterious disappearance? In short, Plato is to blame.

Read the full story here.

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Neferusobek

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY MUSÉE DU LOUVRE, DIST. RMN-GRAND PALAIS/GEORGES PONCET/ART RESOURCE, NY

Was Neferusobek Egypt's first female pharaoh? Here's what we know. (Above, a headless bust depicting the female king)

These 7 hormones influence how much you eat. Can we influence them?

Don't dump it down the drain. Here's a better way to dispose of used cooking oil.

Australia restored native plants and animals to an idyllic island—by killing off all the rats

This deadly fungus has swept through hospitals

By mid-2023, China won't be the most populous country. This is its future.

The seaweed blob has arrived on Florida's beaches. Here’s what we know.

See how Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr around the world

How you should dispose of unused or expired medications

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A girl screams

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAN SOCHOR, LATINCONTENT/GETTY IMAGES

Not today, Satan: Exorcisms purge evil from a person—and sometimes a place. They’re often magnified in movies, but their real life history dates back long before Jesus. Here’s what we know. (Pictured above, a girl screams during an exorcism ritual performed in Colombia.)

OUT, DAMNED DEMON!

THE NIGHT SKIES

An illustration of the night sky

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW FAZEKAS

A rare hybrid solar eclipse: It begins at sunrise Thursday as an annular eclipse and transitions into a total solar eclipse along its path, visible from parts of Indonesia, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. Viewers in some areas will see a ring of fire around the moon’s edge, while others will witness the total eclipse’s breathtaking beauty. Catch it in real time here. On Saturday night, meteor watchers can watch as many as 20 shooting stars an hour radiate out from near the bright star Vega, and its namesake constellation Lyra, in the northeastern sky. — Andrew Fazekas

ALL ABOUT SOLAR ECLIPSES

PHOTO OF THE DAY

A woman pollinating a pear blossom

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTHA COOPER, NAT IMAGE COLLECTION

Testing the fates: Allergy seasons may grow longer because of climate change. Decades ago, however, an archival photo (above) showed a woman in Japan pollinating pear blossoms by hand. This image originally appeared as part of a 1984 story on pollen.

LONGER ALLERGY SEASONS?

LAST GLIMPSE

A family on a train

PHOTOGRAPH BY GASTÓN ZILBERMAN

All aboard! This ride takes 18 hours, is 513 miles long. It traverses vast countryside and remote mountain towns. The Tren Patagónico is the only regularly scheduled long-distance passenger train in southern Argentina and Chile—and we take you along for the journey. (Above, a family gazes out the window.)

Related: Paul Theroux reflects on the evolving nature of rail travel

Today’s soundtrack: My Baby Thinks He’s a Train, Rosanne Cash

This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. Want to say hello? We'd love to hear from you: [email protected]. Thanks for reading!

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