National Geographic | National Geographic

Hi friend, thanks for being a subscriber! Please make sure you are signed in to unlock your full subscriber experience.

National Geographic

A SECRET MILITARY MISSION LED TO TITANIC’S DISCOVERY

Thursday, May 25, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we learn the hidden story about how the Titanic was discovered, air out our dirty laundry, rethink getting a gel manicure ... and discover that octopuses have nightmares.

the Titanic underwater

PHOTOGRAPHS BY EMORY KRISTOF, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

The U.S. Navy was on a secret mission to find two sunken nuclear subs.

Another discovery caused a bigger splash—and almost spilled the beans on the secret mission. However, says Nat Geo Explorer-at-Large Bob Ballard, “people were so focused on the legend of the Titanic they never connected the dots.”

WHAT WE KNOW NOW

For this Memorial Day weekend, unlock this article with a 30-day free digital trial of Nat Geo Premium! Access exclusive content, plus a century of archives with iconic cover stories, photos, and more. Start your free trial now.

a plaque on the sunken Titanic

Uncovering one mystery, concealing another: Ballard and U.S. officials kept part of the background of his Titanic discovery secret for years. (At top, a deck of the sunken liner; above, a plaque Ballard left on the ship.) But what happened to the two sunken Navy subs? And were they leaking radiation on the ocean floor? Read more to find out.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

a person with a manicure

PHOTOGRAPH BY DINA LITOVSKY

A poor gel manicure can lead to lifelong health issues. This is what we know. (Above, a person with a manicure)

England was born on this battlefield. Why can’t historians find it?

Murder, mutiny, slavery: 'World’s worst shipwreck' was bloodier than we thought

These green books are poisonous—and may be on a shelf near you

Japan is poised to release nuclear wastewater into the Pacific. How worried should we be?

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

These ancient Greek weapons were quite literally toxic

These big spiders invading the U.S. have a secret weapon. Should we be afraid?

Do octopuses dream? Here’s what the scientists say

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

clothes hanging on a line

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAY DICKMAN, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Airing dirty laundry: Being more eco-friendly can start with how you do laundry—from the detergent you use to how you dry your clothes. A quick tip? “One household can cut 800 pounds of carbon pollution every year by washing four out of five loads of their laundry in cold water,” Nat Geo reports.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Tara Roberts in the water

PHOTOGRAPH BY WAYNE LAWRENCE

Role models: Nat Geo Explorer Tara Roberts (pictured above) has helped document the wreckage of slave ships—and reclaimed the stories and artifacts of African captives transported on them. Roberts and fellow Explorer and marine scientist Aliyah Griffith have been inspirations to aspiring divers everywhere, such as Halle Bailey, the star of The Little Mermaid. “It would be so cool,” Bailey told Nat Geo, “to work in marine life.”

HISTORY, UNDER THE SEA

LAST GLIMPSE

a gray reef shark swimming among small reef fish

PHOTOGRAPH BY ENRIC SALA

Celebrating—and protecting—the seas: How can we safeguard the world’s most diverse ocean ecosystem? Nat Geo has launched a five-year expedition to explore remote reaches of the ocean—and to protect marine life and support local conservation efforts. The Global Expedition is part of Nat Geo's broader Pristine Seas effort. (Above, a gray reef shark swims over corals in a sea of small reef fish.)

Explorer of the Year: She founded an Afghan girls school. Now she runs it in exile

PROTECTING THE PRISTINE

Today’s soundtrack: What’s Love Got To Do With It? Tina Turner R.I.P.

We hope this newsletter brightened your Thursday! It was curated and edited by David Beard, Hannah Farrow, and Jen Tse. Have a story idea? Let us know here. Know a friend who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup. See you tomorrow!

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply.

This email was sent to: [email protected]. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored.

This email contains an advertisement from:
National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036

Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences.

© 2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.