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National Geographic

THE MEEK (SPIDER) SHALL INHERIT

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we try not to shy away from this massive spider, decipher ancient birthday invitations, rethink jumping into cold bodies of water ... and celebrate World Turtle Day.

a jojō spider

PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY WU, NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

These aren’t rampaging Godzillas. They look like Nerf footballs.

Yet the invasive, colorful jojō spider is sweeping across the United States. Shyly. In fact, that timidity helps its long, scary crawl across the country.

ARE WE IN DANGER?

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

an ancient Roman tablet

PHOTOGRAPH BY CM DIXON, PRINT COLLECTOR/GETTY IMAGES

Examined: a 1,900-year-old birthday invitation—and the promise of a gift of sandals (The above tablet is one of the first-known examples of a woman writing in Latin)

Are you a stress eater? Here’s how to retrain your brain.

Swastika Mountain needed a new name. Here’s how it got one.

Has science solved one of history’s greatest adventure mysteries?

Did early humans interbreed with a ‘ghost’ population?

The world’s first underwater ultrasound of this animal reveals a troubling truth

Nat Geo names its Explorer of the Year

Simple ways to make your laundry routine more eco-friendly

From forest to table: Inside the world’s bushmeat problem

How to protect your data while traveling

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

people swim in a river

PHOTOGRAPH BY NATHAN HOWARD, GETTY IMAGES

Hot outside? Think before you jump into cold water: Even the most skilled swimmers risk drowning—because cold water triggers “involuntary reflexes in the body, prompting gasping, hyperventilation, disorientation, and lack of muscle control,” Nat Geo reports. A solution? Wear a life vest. (Above, cliff divers swim in a river.)

If you go: Readers, would you wear a life jacket before diving into a cold lake? Let us know.

(DON’T) TAKE A DIP

PHOTO OF THE DAY

sea turtles

PHOTOGRAPH BY THOMAS PESCHAK

Did you know? During the days of Christopher Columbus, there were so many sea turtles that “it seemed that the ships would run aground on them,” a Spanish priest wrote in 1494. (Above, sea turtles swim in the Bahamas.) Today, many of these species are vulnerable or endangered—but they’re making a comeback.

Related: Meet Chonkosaurus, the internet’s famous snapping turtle
How turtle-watching tours actually help conservation

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

a component of the Macaroni telegraph

PHOTOGRAPH BY GEORGE RINHART, CORBIS/GETTY

Mayday! Mayday! The Titanic’s telegraph operators were so overwhelmed with requests from the ship’s guests (one asked to “notify all interested” about a poker game in L.A.) that they didn’t pass along the message about the iceberg—until it was almost too late. (A component of the telegraph pictured above.)

Related: Titanic was found during secret Cold War Navy mission

Today’s soundtrack: Till We Meet Again from “A Small Light,” Danielle Haim

Also: Restoring yesterday's music link: So We Won’t Forget, Khruangbin

Thanks for reading our newsletter! It was edited and curated by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. We'd love to hear from you: [email protected]. Keep shining!

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