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JUST DON’T USE THE ‘V’ WORD

Sunday, September 3, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we wonder why we don’t eat more vegan foods, watch a hummingbird sip nectar with its forked tongue, discover how the ‘wickedest city on Earth’ sunk ... and question how AI can help identify the names of 10 million missing enslaved Americans.

a vegan cheese burger

PHOTOGRAPH BY CON POULOUS/THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

You’re hungry. This succulent spread is before you. You dig in. Yum. Only then, you ask: Why didn’t anyone tell me this burger is vegan?

A recent experiment at MIT indicates the biggest obstacle to this earth-friendly food might be the “V” word itself. When food wasn’t labeled as vegan, it sold better. Two thirds better.

Why is that? Do people feel vegan means inferior ingredients? Don’t want to feel constrained? Feel like it’s an obligation (or necessity, if you are lactose intolerant)? News flash: It tastes better now, and is likely better for you. Plus, you probably eat a lot of vegan stuff already.

plant-based burgers, sausages, and chicken

PHOTOGRAPH BY AMY LOMBARD/THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

A broad selection: With plant-based burgers, sausages, and chicken, increasingly popular and available in fast-food restaurants and grocery stores across the United States, a new group of companies have entered the market. Read on.

Unlock this article with Nat Geo Premium! Get access now to exclusive stories, plus a century of archives, photos, and videos. See subscription options starting at just $19/yr.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

a calf sperm whale with an adult sperm whale

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIAN SKERRY, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

This video captures a never-before-seen-on-camera sperm whale birth. It’s beautiful. (Above, a new calf, similar to the one caught on camera, with an adult whale)

Death cap mushrooms are extremely deadly—and they’re spreading

Will Americans find the names of 10 million people enslaved in their country?

DNA from this 3,000-year-old brick tells the story of a king—and cabbages

Millions of tennis balls are trashed each year. Here's how to recycle them.

What gives the Mediterranean diet such life-extending power?

This is the story of the world's oldest nightmare

How magnesium affects your sleep and anxiety

Inside the race to kill an invasive menace—before it gets to a town near you

Where to travel in the U.S. this September

PHOTO OF THE DAY

a gif of a hummingbird drinking nectar

VIDEO BY ANAND A. VARMA

Yes, that’s a tongue: Hummingbirds can flap their wings up to one hundred times a second, and they have forked tongues to help them sip nectar (shown above). Nat Geo Explorer Anand Varma wanted to show the world their beauty in slow motion and used high-speed cameras that can record action within nano fractions of a second to do so. For National Hummingbird Day, get a glimpse into the amazing lives of these intricate creatures.

SEE FOR YOURSELF

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Port Royal

LUIS MARDEN/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION

A wicked 1-2 punch: The pirate-laden Jamaican port was dubbed “the wickedest city on Earth.” But within three hours, between an earthquake and a tsunami, Port Royal (pictured above) was wrecked. The natural causes for the disaster didn't stop moralists from making Sodom and Gomorrah references.

PILLAR OF SALT (WATER)?

LAST GLIMPSE

fireflies

PHOTOGRAPH BY KIRSTEN LUCE

A firefly’s path: Each speck of light above is one of several bursts a firefly makes as it travels within a 30-second camera exposure. Some of these insects travel in small loops, while others move in one steady direction. No matter the destination, it’s a marvel to witness thousands of fireflies light up this forest in Mexico.

Related: A rare look at fireflies that blink in unison, in a forest without tourists

BEHIND THE SHOT

Today’s soundtrack: Cheeseburger in Par a dise, Jimmy Buffett (R.I.P.)

This newsletter has been curated and edited by David Beard, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and Jen Tse. Amanda Williams-Bryant, Alisher Egamov, Susie Murphy, Rita Spinks, and Jeremy Brandt-Vorel also contributed this week. Thanks for reading!

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