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CAN THE ETERNAL CITY SURVIVE?

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we question if there’s enough time to save Rome, help relocate jaguars in Panama, discover how these samurai helped unify Medieval Japan ... and celebrate the relocation of Nat Geo HQ’s baby geese. Plus, why you might find AI creepy.

tourists visiting the Roman Forum

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREA FRAZZETTA, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

It looks like the Eternal City is not eternal after all.

Rome could be devastated by rising sea levels and floods. Its weakest area is near the spot where an out-of-towner triumphed 1,700 years ago, becoming sole ruler of the Roman Empire. Will Rome lose this battle, too? (Above, tourists visit the Roman Forum.)

WILL ROME SURVIVE?

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the Tiber River in Rome

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTIAN MINELLI, NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

Not if, but when: Rome is built on a hydraulic balance that’s designed for a pre-industrial climate. A massive flood of the Tiber River (pictured above) would be disastrous. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Oda Nobunaga

ILLUSTRATION VIA SCIENCE HISTORY IMAGES/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

How three samurai helped unify Medieval Japan (the foremost of these warriors, Oda Nobunaga, depicted above)

Beyond the Western myth of exploration lies a rich and often overlooked history

Does it really matter if you buy organic produce? Here’s what the science says

The end of inflammation? New approach could treat dozens of diseases

Nat Geo headquarters saved baby geese from falling off a terrace Related: How barnacle geese survive extreme falls

Why are our oceans getting warmer?

Juneteenth is America’s second Independence Day—here’s why

Churchill Downs is suspending operations after 12 animals died. Why is horse racing so dangerous?

Inside the ‘factory of the world,’ there is still a corner untouched by machines

Dead whales are washing up on the East Coast. The reason remains a mystery.

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

the face of a robot that looks eerily like a human

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAX AGUILERA-HELLWEG, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Something’s ... off: AI is getting more humanlike by the day—but things start to get creepy when you detect something’s just not right. As robots that look and act like humans get more realistic (like the one above), could the uncanny valley become a thing of the past?

WHY IS AI SO CREEPY?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

a hand entering a small-scale beauty salon

PHOTOGRAPH BY LORI NIX AND KATHERINE GERBER

Contemplate the present: Art, imagination, disaster—a metaphor. Partners Lori Nix and Katherine Gerber create and photograph post-apocalyptic small-scale dioramas that can take up to 15 months to create. “You wouldn’t know it from the work we do, but I’m actually really optimistic,” says Nix. (Above, Gerber’s hand enters the twister-ravaged beauty salon, illustrating the scale of these detailed creations.)

SMALL SCALE, BIG PROBLEMS

EMBATTLED SPECIES

Researchers relocate a sedated jaguar to an open area

PHOTOGRAPH BY RIKKY AZARCOYA

Jaguars in jeopardy: They've been victims of the pet trade and poaching—for skins, fangs, and claws. Their habitat in Panama has been hit especially hard by encroaching development and land clearing, forcing them to prey on livestock at farms bordering forests.

Now a Nat Geo Explorer has a plan to save the iconic big cats from extinction—by turning the embattled jaguars and ranchers into unlikely allies. (Above, researchers relocate a sedated jaguar. Its eyes are covered to help it stay calm.)

UNLIKELY ALLIES

Today’s soundtrack: When in Rome, Bill Evans

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

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