National Geographic | National Geographic

Hi friend, thanks for being a subscriber! Please make sure you are signed in to unlock your full subscriber experience.

National Geographic

IT DOESN’T TAKE JACKHAMMERS TO MESS YOU UP

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we examine the key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet, learn the growing toll of noise pollution, zero in on a COVID link to the heart ... and explore the wreck site of a 16th century warship.

A colorful visualization of the inner ear. In light blue, the tympanic membrane; the malleus in violet, the incus in green, and the stape and round window in royal blue.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BSIP, UIG/GETTY IMAGES

Lower birth weight. Type 2 diabetes. Higher stress and annoyance. Heart issues.

Noise pollution—suffered by tens of millions of Americans while they are at work, outdoors, and in countless other places throughout the day—hits the body in many ways beyond the inner ear (pictured above in a colorful visualization).

We’re still learning how extensively noise affects us. It doesn’t have to take a leaf blower to wreck a critical night’s sleep, either. Here’s what we know.

ARE YOU AFFECTED?

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Close up of a person's hand holding olives

PHOTOGRAPH BY SARAH RICE/REDUX

No food or medicine can do what olive oil can do (Above, Frantoio olives plucked in California’s Seka Hills)

Now we know how COVID attacks the heart

These 6 vitamin pairings will boost your brain, your heart, and your immunity

Jackie Kennedy was in mourning even before that fateful trip with President Kennedy to Dallas

A daily aspirin may not be a good thing

Where have all the caribou gone?

The Daily Wonder: See what these plants look like—from the inside out!

Are you making this a dry November? Your body will notice the difference.

What sleep apnea does to the body

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

Johann Rönnby, shown here diving amid the stunningly preserved wreckage, discovered the Mars site with his team more than a decade ago.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KIRILL EGOROV

Whose ship? More than 450 years ago, the legendary warship Mars sank while fighting German and Danish forces. Now, archaeologists, using the stunningly preserved wreckage (above), have reconstructed the underwater battlefield in 3D. Whose warship was it?

A. France’s
B. England’s
C. Spain’s
D. Sweden's

CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Alexander the Great's surprising battlefield decision proved pivotal for facial hair norms that lasted hundreds of years.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

Move over, Movember? Alexander the Great revolutionized battle—but he also revolutionized male facial hair. Alexander (depicted above) wanted the Macedonian beards of his soldiers shaved clean so the enemies wouldn’t grab them. In a month where letting facial hair grow has become popular, we provide a brief history of the beard.

LAST GLIMPSE

Marathon swimmer Diana Nyad during a nine-hour workout off the coast of Key West in 2011.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NICOLE BENGIVENO, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

How did she do it? At 64, after a series of failures, legendary marathon swimmer Diana Nyad (shown above) swam more than 100 miles from Cuba to Key West. The gutsy triumph, depicted by Nat Geo Explorers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi in a just-released film, has won praise for the demanding performances by Annette Bening and Jodie Foster. But was it all true?

HERE’S THE STORY

In memorium: R.I.P. longtime Nat Geo journalist Priit Vesilind, who was driven from his homeland of Estonia by Moscow but was welcomed back home as a hero when Nat Geo launched its Estonian edition. Here’s one of his stories.

Today’s soundtrack: Nightswimming, R.E.M.

Thanks for reading our newsletter! It was edited and curated by Nancy San Martín, Jen Tse, and David Beard. We'd love to hear from you: [email protected]. Keep shining!

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply.

This email was sent to: [email protected]. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored.

This email contains an advertisement from:
National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036

Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences.

Manage all email preferences with the Walt Disney Family of Companies.

© 2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.