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‘MASTER RACE’ EXPERIMENTS LED TO THEFT

Friday, August 4, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we learn why Iceland wants its skulls back, figure out why heart attack rates are rising in young adults ... and discover a giant prehistoric manatee? Plus, how ancients imagined elephants.

The remains of a headless individual excavated from Haffjarðarey cemetery in 1945 sit carefully packaged at the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavik. Researchers say that it's difficult to answer certain research questions, such as the sex of an individual or the presence of disease, without being able to examine a complete set of human remains.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ÍVAR BRYNJÓLFSSON, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ICELAND

The country has a national parliament dating back nearly 1,100 years. It is asking one of the world’s most distinguished universities to return 50-plus skulls of Icelanders spirited away for now-disgraced experiments on a supposed master race.

In short, what is Harvard University doing with these skulls in a basement of a Massachusetts museum? Shouldn’t these skulls be reunited in their homeland with their other remains (one pictured above)? What’s the holdup?

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Olympus Mons, the largest known volcano in the solar system, stretches 375 miles across at its base, with walls that tower 15 miles above the plains of Mars.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY CORBIS, GETTY IMAGES

Did one of the solar system’s biggest mountains (above) form like Hawaii or the Azores?

Addicted to diet soda? Here’s the history of its low-calorie secret weapon

Despite declines among older adults, the proportion of heart attacks among younger adults is increasing

How would you draw an elephant if you’d never seen one?

Twins can become ‘unidentical’—and more fascinating twin facts

These toxic worms are probably coming to a backyard near you

This tick bite could make you allergic to red meat—and it’s spreading

You (and almost everyone you know) owe your life to this man

You think the shenanigans about the 2020 U.S. election were freaky? Look at 1876.

This book vanished when Anne Boleyn was executed. Now it reveals her secrets.

Who broke the Sphinx’s nose?

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The ancient whale Perucetus colossus depicted in its coastal habitat. The 37-million-year-old fossil bones were so large, experts thought they were boulders. They may have come from the heaviest animal that ever lived.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALBERTO GENNARI

A giant prehistoric manatee? When first discovered, this whale’s 37-million-year-old fossil bones were so large, experts thought they were boulders. They came from what may have been the heaviest animal that ever lived (depicted above).

HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

A Bargibant's pygmy seahorse is nearly imperceptible against the branches of a Gorgonian sea fan in Indonesia.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GREG LECOEUR, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Can you spot it? There’s a camouflaged creature hiding among the coral above. Can you find it, and do you know what it is?

A. Bargibant's pygmy seahorse
B. Red-spotted coral crab
C. Spotted moray

CLICK HERE FOR THE ANSWER

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THE MAINE OFFICE OF TOURISM

Anna Jarvis

PHOTOGRAPH BY ACACIA JOHNSON

Sandy beaches, coastal charm, and tidal pools in Maine

National Geographic Photographer Acacia Johnson stops in Kennebunk and Kennebunkport to sample the state's lobster, local culture, and granite coastlines. Follow her journey and learn about Maine's tide pools, guided tours, and delicious seafood.

ONE GREAT STORY

Swimmer Katie Ledecky shattered her own record in the 1,500-meter freestyle swimming event by five seconds in May, her first professional race. She set a new record of 15:20.48. The previous record was set at the world championships nearly three years ago.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN HUET

Record-breaker: Move over, Michael Phelps. Katie Ledecky (above) now has 16 individual world champion titles, topping Phelps’ record with a victory last weekend. How does she do it? Ledecky studies readouts about her nutrition and bloodwork, and reviews video of her technique, which includes a near perfect freestyle stroke, Nat Geo reported in our 2018 story on building better athletes.

GRIT, PERSONIFIED

Today’s soundtrack: Warren Harding, Al Stewart

Related: A century ago, a president’s sudden, mysterious death in office

Happy Friday! This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. Feeling friendly? Say hey: [email protected]

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