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THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT ROME

Monday, September 25, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we make sense of people’s obsession with Rome, figure out why buying eggs at the grocery store is so confusing, discover six herbs and their healing powers ... and learn that turtles travel in herds?

How often do the men in your life think about the Roman Empire? Maybe more than you think. They may not wear costumes, like these Catalan actors in Spain, but they could still be obsessed.

PHOTOGRAPH BY TINO SORIANO, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

A TikTok craze is telling our History editor in chief, Amy Briggs, that people want to know what men think about when they think about Rome (actors shown above).

Unlike most TikTok trends, this one does not seem strange to Amy at all. But then again, it’s her job to think about Rome.

So what’s going on? “For starters,” she says, “it’s not one thing. It’s many things.”

HERE ARE THE THINGS

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Pasture-raised eggs photographed on a yellow backdrop

PHOTOGRAPH BY REBECCA HALE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Cage-free or free-range? What egg labels really mean—and what’s worth the extra money (Pasture-raised eggs above)

The complicated truth about Vitamin D

Asteroid sample returned to Earth is a time capsule of the ancient solar system

They move in herds? A surprising discovery upends what we know about turtles.

Why isn’t this proven cold medicine on store shelves?

Do generic drugs work as well as brand name? Here’s what to know.

A 902-pound pumpkin? Why freakishly large fruits and veggies thrive in Alaska

"I hear dead people": How the world went crazy for spiritualism 100 years ago

What is Oktoberfest—and why is it actually in September?

‘Nature does not forget’: These 4 animals are radioactive

Pearl Harbor was the only WWII attack on the U.S., right? Wrong.

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

Any celestial body might have its creation story—but how many come with a recipe? Consider the moonlike images here, which actually are pancakes. As they prepared breakfast, web designer Nadine Schlieper and photographer Robert Pufleb were struck by the lunar features they saw in pancakes, from the cratering bubbles as the batter fried to the mottled finished product. The pair ended up making and photographing scores of hotcake "alternative moons".

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT PUFLEB

Making the ordinary extraordinary: The photo above looks like the moon, but it’s not. Photographer Robert Pufleb has a knack for taking an everyday object and turning it into a celestial wonder. Do you know what it actually is?

A. A doily
B. A lacrosse ball
C. A pancake
D. A glass-blown bowl

CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A mandala offering made from herbs, flowers, and gifts from the earth. Herbal remedies have long been used to treat common ailments. A new book, National Geographic Herbal: 100 Herbs From the World’s Healing Traditions, offers detailed information on the therapeutic uses of herbs.

PHOTOGRAPH BY WARWICK SAINT

Home remedies that heal: Herbs can ease cramps, heal burns, and ward off the evil eye—if you know how to use them. (Above, a mandala offering is made from herbs, flowers, and other gifts from the earth.)

CONSIDER THESE 6

LAST GLIMPSE

a crane above the rainforest

PHOTOGRAPH BY GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE, REUTERS/REDUX

Unearthing: More than a third of Pompeii remains unexcavated (above, sheep graze a portion of this area). What’s left to explore? (Hint: A lot). Here’s what may still remain underground.

Today’s soundtrack: Pompeii, Bastille

Thanks for reading today’s newsletter! It was curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. Is anyone in your family a little too fascinated with the Roman Empire? Let us know!

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