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POWERFUL. AND THEN, GONE.

Thursday, August 10, 2023

ROAR (Happy Lion Day)! In today’s newsletter, we uncover what happened to the Maya civilization, witness Maui’s fatal fires and learn of the heightened intensity of hurricanes, question what will become of the boulders surrounding this asteroid ... and digest all we can about human milk.

the great pyramid of Calakmul

ALFREDO MATUS/ALAMY/ACI

Was it drought? Bloody power struggles? The wrath of the gods?

The swift fall of the sophisticated Maya civilization perplexes experts today even as evidence points to several factors.

Instead of rising like the great pyramid of Calakmul (above), later fortifications and temples still stand unfinished, as if—all of a sudden—work just stopped.

What did the Maya scribes say? They had fallen silent, too.

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A Hubble Space Telescope image of the asteroid Dimorphos surrounded by boulders (tiny bright dots, circled) that were knocked off of the asteroid’s surface by NASA’s DART mission.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NASA, ESL, DAVID JEWITT/UCLA

Remember when NASA crashed into an asteroid? It had some unintended consequences (above, the asteroid surrounded by boulders, circled).

Dozens killed in hurricane-fueled fires on Maui Related: Why climate change is increasing a hurricane’s severity

As climate change affects beloved landscapes, we feel the loss

Has the U.S. ever fought on Russian soil? You’d be surprised.

What’s with the big question mark in the galaxy?

The strange histories of the stuff we put on—and in—our bodies

How you should dispose of unused or expired medications

Can you really sweat out toxins?

Hippos had found refuge in Uganda’s national parks. But that may be changing

Heart attacks are rising in young people. Here's what to know.

Meet 5 of history's most elite fighting forces

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

a baby struggles to get away from her mother's breast

PHOTOGRAPH BY JENNIFER MCCLURE

Breast or bottle: We know more about cow’s milk than human milk—but as new research surfaces, what we do know could change the lives of millions. (Above, Esme clings to her mother's breast.)

WHAT DO WE KNOW?

WORLD LION DAY

In Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, two male lions take a break in a dry lake bed.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES

Boom-and-bust cycle: When the rains and herds move north in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, lions struggle find enough food—leaving some to starve to death. Among these apex predators (above, two male lions rest in a dry lake bed) live zebras, cheetahs, elephants—and an urgent need to protect this intricate web of life.

Related: Are South Africa’s captive lions inbred?

PROTECTING THE LIONS

LAST GLIMPSE

Isabella symbolized a new, united Spain. In this 1867 painting, Eduardo Cano de la Peña depicted the queen in a saintly pose after the 1487 capture of Málaga, a crucial step toward the full conquest of Granada in 1492. Museum of Fine Arts, Seville

PHOTOGRAPH BY ORONOZ/ALBUM

‘Game of Thrones’ style? To seize power in Spain, Queen Isabella (depicted above in a saintly pose) had to play it smart. As a woman and as the third heir in line, she defied the odds and rose to the top—and ushered in a golden age for Spain. Here’s how.

STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM

Cat-stravaganza! Our series of cat stories for Tuesday’s newsletter got this purr from reader Mary Koyl: “Yes, my cat recognizes my voice, runs to the specific window and sliding glass door when I ask him if he wants me to open them and runs to his food bowl when I ask him if he wants to eat. I could go on.....”

Today’s soundtrack: August 10, Khruangbin

We hope this newsletter brightened your day! It was curated and edited by David Beard, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and Jen Tse. Know someone who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup. See you tomorrow!

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