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Thursday, September 7, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we examine the secret of these long-living 'Blue Zones,' witness a rare humpback-orca battle, investigate a possible natural weight-loss drug ... and swim where salmon rule.

Dusk view of a village on the north shore of Ikaria Island, Greece.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GIANLUCA COLLA, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

One place has some of the world’s lowest rates of dementia and middle-age mortality (pictured above). Another is home to the world’s longest-lived women. A third spot boasts the highest concentration of centenarian men.

What makes these “blue zones” stand out? The same thing that propels people in one California town to live a decade longer, on average, than other Americans.

Where are these places?

FIND THE BLUE ZONES

Go deeper:
—This American diet could add 10 years to your life
—These traditional diets could lead to long lives
—Why does the Mediterranean diet work so well?

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

As Ann McKee has toiled away researching the risks of CTE, there has been tremendous resistance to the societal changes her findings suggest are necessary to prevent the disease.

PHOTOGRAPH BY STAN GROSSFELD/THE BOSTON GLOBE VIA GETTY IMAGES

This researcher has held 3,000 brains—and spotlighted why football players and others die too soon (above, Dr. Ann McKee inspects a brain)

Some call it 'nature's Ozempic.' Are the claims too good to be true?

Why do some say natural deodorants are better—and are the claims accurate?

These shoes are nearly 2 feet tall, and women really wore them

These Roman swords were hidden in a Dead Sea cave—and they’re remarkably well preserved

This unique fish farm could feed America's appetite for protein. Why does only one exist?

We still don't know why humans started drinking cow's milk

How can tourists help Maui recover? Here’s what locals say.

Counter or fridge? Here’s how to store fruits and veggies for maximum freshness

Meet 5 of the fiercest queens from medieval times

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

a gif of humpback whales interfering with orcas

VIDEO BY BERTIE GREGORY

Ocean showdown: On a frigid day with thick falling snow, Nat Geo Explorer Bertie Gregory traveled cross the Drake Passage to film a rare Antarctic orca population known for hunting seals by creating waves that knock the marine mammals off pieces of ice.

Instead, the crew ended up documenting something unexpected: two humpback whales (pictured above, right) showed up to disrupt the hunt by the orca predators (above, left). The extraordinary throw down was caught on film and will stream on September 13 on Disney+ as one of the episodes of Animals Up Close.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Martial arts students at the Shaolin Temple Tagou Martial Arts School in Dengfeng, China, practice a handstand for five minutes.

PHOTOGRAPH BY FRITZ HOFFMAN

Battle for the soul: Being upside down for even a few moments is enough to unnerve the average human. But at the Shaolin Temple Tagou Martial Arts School in China, students practice being inverted for five minutes (above). This practice is just part of the discipline and character the students develop at the kung fu school.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

Ideal path for salmon swimming upstream to spawning grounds, the Vyvenka River loops through a floodplain free of roads and dams.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RANDY OLSON

Where the salmon rule: It’s larger than California, but super-remote and unpopulated. It is also where 20 percent of Pacific salmon go to spawn. Where is this?

A. Hokkaido
B. The Alaskan Peninsula
C. The Kenai Peninsula
D. Kamchatka

CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

Today’s soundtrack: When I Was Older, Billie Eilish

Today’s question: COVID is back, and we want to know: Do you still have one or a few COVID tests hanging around your home? Let us know as we keep following the issue.

We hope this newsletter brightened your Thursday! 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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