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THE HAPPIEST PLACES

Thursday, November 16, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we explore lands that minimize stress and bring joy, explore when Niagara Falls was turned off, profile the peacemaker with the Pilgrims ... and examine the risks of ketamine therapy.

Taking a spontaneous midday break from the restaurant she runs in Limón, María del Carmen Yoursrecha Paterson (at right) dances to pulsating music in a nearby bar. For Costa Ricans, living moment to moment comes naturally, as does taking the time to socialize with family and friends.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATTHIEU PALEY

Diving into a pool. Partying in the tropics (above). Is there such a thing as the happiest places on Earth?

Nat Geo went on a hunt—and we have found a few lands where people feel secure, have a sense of purpose, and enjoy lives that minimize stress and maximize joy. What can we learn from them? Oh, and where are they?

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

An aerial view of the American Falls in 2015. Today, up to three quarters of the Niagara River runs beneath the falls on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE THEISS

In 1969, the U.S. turned off Niagara Falls. Here’s what happened next. (Above, an aerial view looking straight down at the American Falls portion of the Niagara Falls.)

Why zinc or a vitamin C supplement isn’t a magic bullet as the weather gets colder

At 32, she was a single mom with two kids. Joséphine became empress of France.

Sperm counts have taken a dive worldwide. Is there a looming global fertility crisis?

Can we ever extinguish the brain fog that COVID caused?

How did this Roman emperor handle loss—and try to become a better person? Even today, people are reading his journal.

The real story of the man who kept peace with the Pilgrims

Add the olive oil. It's really good for you.

Searching for Paul Bunyan—and the truth behind the legend

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A microscopic view of crystallized ketamine.

MICROGRAPH BY M. I. WALKER, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Ketamine therapy may fight severe depression and suicidal thinking. But last month the U.S. FDA outlined potentially serious risks from using the prescription anesthetic without proper medical supervision. Health experts are alarmed by the growing and widespread use of ketamine (pictured above is a microscopic view of crystallized ketamine). Here's what you need to know.

POTENTIAL DANGERS OF KETAMINE THERAPY

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

Angela, a single mother who uses her wrestling money to pay for her son's education, says, "People need some reason to fight, and mine is my son."

PHOTOGRAPH BY LUISA DÖRR

The Flying Cholitas: Stylish and ready to wrestle, these fighters mix modern wrestling with a history of activism. Most, like Angela (above), are members of a highland Indigenous nation. Where are we?

A. Peru
B. Ecuador
C. Bolivia
D. Mexico
E. Colombia

CLICK HERE FOR THE ANSWER

PHOTO OF THE DAY

The last free-range herd: that's how this group of 4,000 reindeer are known in Canada.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KATIE ORLINSKY

The last free-range herd: That’s how this group of 4,000 reindeer are known in Canada. Above, in one of our pictures of the year, they are being herded to the animals’ calving grounds. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation took over the herd in 2021.

Related: Top wildlife photos of the year

SEE MORE PHOTOS

Today’s soundtrack: Happy, Pharrell Williams

We hope this newsletter brightened your Thursday! It was curated and edited by David Beard, 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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