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THE OTHER LOST ARK

Monday, December 4, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we examine the chances of recovering Noah’s Ark, discover the importance of fungi in your belly, learn the evolutionary advantage of curly hair ... and delve into the origins of Advent.

A shepherd and his flock near Mt. Ararat in eastern Turkey. Many people have looked for evidence of the Ark on its slopes, despite the fact that the Book of Genesis describes the Ark as coming to rest in an yet-unidentified range of mountains in western Asia.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN STANMEYER, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLLECTION

In the Biblical story of the Flood, Noah’s Ark eventually rested upon a mountain—and the Lord promised to never again doom the Earth because of humankind. (Pictured above, Turkey’s Mount Ararat.)

But where exactly did the Ark hit dry ground? Was there ever such an apocalyptic flood? Or an ark?

Scientists are contemptuous about the long, tantalizing, romantic search for traces of Noah’s life-saving vessel. They list a string of surprising reasons.

READ THE FULL STORY

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

An illustration of the fungus Candida albicans

COLORIZED SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE IMAGE BY MARTIN OEGGERLI

Fungi in your belly? The new importance of another gut microbiome (above, the fungus found in high levels in people with irritable bowel syndrome.)

The real ‘Murder at the End of the World’

Run out of ideas for what presents to give this holiday season? Here are 12 gifts for the curious and adventurous

Have curly hair? Do you know it was an evolutionary advantage?

How this nation chooses its best and brightest Christmas trees

How we should really be using castor oil

What archaeologists say about the real Jesus

What’s the big deal about Earth getting 2°C hotter?

What is Advent—and why do we mark it with treat-filled calendars

What foods you really need to eat to reduce inflammation

PHOTO OF THE DAY

A seven-month-old cheetah in the back of an SUV hisses at a rescuer’s outstretched hand.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NICHOLE SOBECKI

They're cute, but ... popular Instagram pics aren’t helping fight trafficking of these animals, Nat Geo finds. For today's International Cheetah Day, we’re bringing back this image of this seven-month old cheetah, saved from smugglers, hissing in the back of a rescuer’s van.

Related: How you can fight the illegal cheetah cub trade
Also: How the Endangered Species Act protects at-risk animals

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A woman blows her nose

PHOTOGRAPHY BY OSCAR WONG, GETTY IMAGES

How your body fights a cold: When pathogens invade our bodies—in the form of viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi—the body’s immune system sets up robust lines of defense to fight them, all of which kick in at specific times and in particular ways to get the job of protection done. Here’s how our immune system wards off sickness in every season.

READ THE FULL STORY

LAST GLIMPSE

A dog looks out the window from inside a house

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL DAMIEN, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

The outbreak of the mysterious illness has spread to dogs across the country. Scientists are making headway in pinpointing the cause of the condition. Here’s what we know so far about the illness—and how to protect your pet.

Today’s soundtrack: Louisiana 1927, Aaron Neville

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