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BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THESE SIGNS

Monday, July 31, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we look out for early signs of colon cancer, question why colleges even have legacy admissions, discover that a pill could protect us from radiation after a nuclear meltdown ... and consider a glass of natural wine.

This colorized abdominal X-ray shows cancer of the ascending colon; the tumor appears as the oval shadow over the right pelvic bone (left on image).

PHOTOGRAPH BY SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

The rise of colorectal cancer in younger people is a riddle without an easy answer.

The first inclination is to look at higher obesity, diet, and physical activity—but those may not be the biggest reasons.

Experts, already recommending earlier and more widespread screenings, are looking at genetics and environmental factors, too (above, cancer of the ascending colon). But what, exactly, are the clues?

AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Yale University graduates

PHOTOGRAPH BY GEORGE GRANTHAM BAIN COLLECTION, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Why do colleges have legacy admissions? It started as a way to keep out Jews. (Above, Yale University students graduate in 1914)

Who built the Sphinx? Who broke its nose? 4,500 years later, a fresh look

'Magic' mirror in Elizabethan court has mystical Aztec origin

This pill could protect us from radiation after a nuclear meltdown

Something in our galaxy is flashing every 20 minutes—but what?

Is the world in an empathy deficit?

Hogs are running wild in the U.S.—and spreading disease

Omega-3s are more critical for your health than we thought

Home sweet … trash? The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is teeming with life

What is natural wine, and which ones should you be drinking?

The rise of wellness travel, from rewilding to yoga and pilgrimages

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Warawar Wawa walks through a metaphorical rose garden, where buds blossom from the braids of Indigenous Andean women known as cholitas, dressed in pollera skirts. Like the little prince’s beloved rose on Asteroid B-612, Warawar Wawa’s rose is one of many. Even so, Claure says, Warawar Wawa will always consider his rose unique.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RIVER CLAURE

In memory of The Little Prince author: What if one of history’s most widely read children’s books took place not in the Sahara desert but in the Andes Mountains? And what if the main character was a dark-haired Andean child? This Nat Geo Explorer and photographer lets us imagine. (Above, the protagonist walks through a metaphorical rose garden.)

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

a family watches tv

PHOTOGRAPH BY HAROLD M. LAMBERT, GETTY IMAGES

Oh, the good 'ol days: Nostalgia goes beyond a warm fuzzy feeling of past memories—your brain is actually hardwired to crave it. “Consuming nostalgic media of all types gives us a way of thinking about who we are, and helps us make sense of our purpose in life,” Nat Geo reports. (Above, a family watches baseball in 1966.)

LAST GLIMPSE

Acclaimed director Christopher Nolan shot his blockbuster Oppenheimer on 70-millimeter IMAX film. Starring Cillian Murphy, the movie strived to get the historical details right in its telling of the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the invention of the atomic bomb.

PHOTOGRAPH BY EVELYN FREJA, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

Get the details right: We were curious how acclaimed director Christopher Nolan approached creating the blockbuster Oppenheimer—so we asked him. (Above, the 70-millimeter IMAX film on which the film was shot, featuring actor Cillian Murphy.)

THE INSIDE SCOOP

Today’s soundtrack: The Safety Dance, Men Without Hats

Thanks for reading today’s newsletter! It was curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. Want to let us know your thoughts? Send away: [email protected]. Happy trails!

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