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EVERYTHING GROWN HERE IS BIG

Saturday, September 30, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we gape at these freakishly large veggies, learn how climate change impacts fall foliage, find out we’ve been using a useless drug for decades ... and question why we find AI to be so creepy.

Loren Olsen holds a jumbo zucchini during one of the annual Alaska State Fair competitions.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CLARK JAMES MISHLER

Land of the big: Cabbage weighing in at 138 pounds. Zucchini as tall as a kid (as seen above). Pumpkins bulkier than a couple of NFL linebackers.

These are just a few examples from the biggest U.S. state, which produces other monstrous produce. How exactly, in such a short growing season, does Alaska do it?

This giant pumpkin weighed in at a whopping 902 pounds at the Alaska State Fair. Every year, farmers compete for the biggest produce. When its all over, the produce is distributed to local wildlife rescues to feed the animals.

Farmers of all ages compete for the biggest produce at the Alaska State Fair, such as the 902-pound pumpkin (above). Why do these freakishly large fruits and veggies thrive here? And what happens to the produce once the competition is over? Find out.

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Scientists think trees release a red-producing chemical in the fall to help the tree absorb the tree's last remaining nutrients before winter strikes. Warming temperatures have been delaying this color change, with unclear consequences for trees' health.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GARY HERSHORN, GETTY IMAGES

How climate change disrupts fall foliage (Before winter strikes, trees release a red-producing chemical to help the tree absorb its last remaining nutrients.)

Women are more likely to be sleep deprived. Here’s why that’s so bad.

’Creator’ issues: Why you might find AI so creepy

Meet Henry VIII’s most underrated wife—the queen who survived

This asteroid is heading dangerously close to Earth

Dogs will eat almost anything—cats, not so much. Here’s why.

Meet ‘Dogxim,’ the world’s first known dog-fox hybrid—and a genetic oddity

Get ready for Fat Bear Week! Wait, what?

Sequoyah, the U.S. state that almost existed

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A sunbathing woman blots herself with a towel.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NEWSCAST/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP/GETTY IMAGES

You probably have some in your medicine cabinet: A key ingredient in common decongestants—like Mucinex and DayQuil —was just revealed to be ineffective. With cold and flu season around the corner, what should you do now?

Related: Why isn’t one medicine—proven effective for colds—on shelves?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

With her project Chroma, photographer and artist Medina Sage Dugger pays homage to J.D. ’Okhai Ojeikere (1930-2014), a photographer famous for his black-and-white images of Nigerian women’s intricate hairdos. Wunika Mukan consulted on the project.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MEDINA SAGE DUGGER

Color! Movement! Life! Artist Medina Sage Dugger captures Nigerian women’s hairstyles as an homage to famous photographer J.D. ’Okhai Ojeikere for his black-and-white images. With the country’s Independence Day tomorrow, celebrate the proud culture behind Nigerian hairstyles (two pictured above).

Related: See scenes from classic fairy tales—with a Nigerian twist

SEE FOR YOURSELF

LAST GLIMPSE

A male humpback whale swims off Maui, Hawaii

PHOTOGRAPH BY RALPH PACE/WHALE TRUST, NMFS PERMIT # 13846

Setting records: His name is Frodo. He’s a humpback whale who set the record for the longest-known movement of his species, flipping the script on what scientists typically thought of as the creature’s typical migration pattern. (Above, a humpback whale—not Frodo—in Hawaii.)

HOW FAR DID HE GO?

Today’s soundtrack: Cruel, St. Vincent

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

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