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STRENGTHENING MEMORY

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we learn tricks to improving memory, reconstruct an 8,000-year-old Scandinavian skull, dive into Cape Cod’s great white shark population ... and question if aliens built these 7 ancient sites.

people exercise using the equipment on the beach in California

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID GUTTENFELDER, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

You can’t do anything about aging or some aspects of memory, but you don’t have to surrender to memory decline.

In fact, in societies such as China where older people aren’t conditioned to be forgetful, people score better on memory tests—and do many of the things that improve memory and recall.

What are they? They include exercising, eating healthfully, getting good sleep, socializing, and challenging our mind. And there are some memory tricks anyone can learn.

I WANT THE MEMORY TRICKS

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a truck driver sleeps during shifts

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAGNUS WENNMAN, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Make time for sleep: Getting good rest is an imporant part of staying mentally sharp. A truck driver (above) sleeps between shifts. At the top, exercise, too, is key. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

a reconstruction of an 8,000-year-old man

PHOTOGRAPH BY OSCAR NILSSON

Exclusive: 8,000-year-old skull from perplexing ritual site led to reconstructing this face (pictured above)

Cape Cod may have the highest density of great white sharks on Earth

Colossal gravitational waves—trillions of miles long—found for the first time

Redheads aren’t going extinct. Here’s why.

These reptiles have gone viral. Can you find them?

Our honest, hidden thoughts on race—captured in just 6 words

Mystery solved: the severed feet washing up on the shores of the Pacific Northwest

Gettysburg was no ordinary battle. These maps reveal how Lee lost the fight.

Earth’s shifting magnetic poles don't cause climate change—the conspiracy theory debunked

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

the diversity of the gut microbiome in a sample of human feces

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTIN OEGGERLI, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Your gut, explained: You hear all the time about how important “gut health” and your “microbiome” are. But what exactly does that mean? And why is it crucial to keep your gut healthy? Scientists are learning the many ways these microbes affect everything from your weight, your mood—and even your personality. (Above, the diversity of the gut microbiome in a sample of human feces.)

BURNING MAN FOR ALL

Mobility Camp members serving as “Lamplighters” at Burning Man roll through Black Rock City

PHOTOGRAPH BY MORGAN LIEBERMAN

Come as you are: The “all are welcome” ethos at Burning Man has a specific meaning for members of the Mobility Camp, a volunteer-led group that makes camping at the festival more accessible. Above, some members roll through the grounds as “Lamplighters,” providing illumination to help people return to their camps after sunset. “Humans need to have adventure and love, so the wheelchair Lamplighters will keep carrying our lanterns,” said one of the first illuminators to use a wheelchair.

Related: How wheelchair basketball changed these women’s lives
How the Americans with Disabilities Act transformed a country
This carpenter builds crutches for kids. Now it’s his turn to walk.

ACCESSIBLE BURNING MAN

LAST GLIMPSE

an ancient fortress in Peru

PHOTOGRAPH BY HEIKO MEYER, LAIF/REDUX

Otherworldly help? What do an ancient fortress in Peru (pictured above), the Egyptian pyramids, and Easter Island have in common? Some people suggest extraterrestrial beings helped create these enigmatic constructions. What do you think?

BUILT BY ALIENS

Today’s soundtrack: Darling, Real Estate

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

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