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DO YOU WANT TO WAKE UP LIKE THIS?

Friday, February 2, 2024

In today’s newsletter, we learn the best way to wake up, question whether colossal crabs can clue us into Amelia Earhart's fate ... and explore the glaciovolcanic caves encircling Mount Rainier.

Waking up can leave you groggy but experts say that exposure to sunlight in the morning is key to helping your body adjust—as this hiker likely discovered while waking up in the Skjoldungen range of Greenland.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDY MANN, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Elmo touched a nerve. The Sesame Street character asked on social media how folks were, and many simply said "Sad!" Would a better wake-up and a better morning make it better?

Scientists say there's an easier way to transition from sleep to wakefulness (above, a camper greeting the day in Greenland). Don't beat yourself up if you feel groggy; that's normal. But a few steps, such as a consistent bedtime, can make a big difference. What else helps?

STARTING BETTER

Other ways to restart:
—GET OUT: This is your brain on nature
—FIND TREES: A skeptic tries forest bathing
—JUST LOOK: Images of gratitude from 8 Nat Geo photographers
—DON’T FORGET: How hydrating makes an outsized difference

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A coconut crab on Nikumaroro Island.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GABRIEL SCARLETT, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Could colossal crabs (pictured above) be the key to Amelia Earhart's fate? Related: What’s with this new ’sighting’ claim?

Should sleep aids be used for children? Here is what experts say.

The incredible details 'Masters of the Air' gets right about WWII

Who measured Earth's distance from the sun?

Find out whether moths are actually attracted to light

Will psychedelics become legal?

Can this test predict your susceptibility to opioid addiction?

Lifting heavy weights can help you mitigate osteoporosis. Here's how to get started.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

A blue-spotted mudskipper jumps during a mating dance at low tide in Sinan, South Korea

PHOTOGRAPH BY YOUNGRAE KIM

Today is World Wetlands Day, and we are exploring South Korea's fight against an ecological disaster. As the country's tidal flats continue to recede due to shoreline development, scientists set out to show us just how essential the ecosystem is. (Above, a blue-spotted mudskipper jumps during a mating dance at low tide.)

Related: How Florida reversed an ecological disaster

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

An expedition member is seen silhouetted as they stand in a tunnel of smooth, wavy-textured ice.

PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANCOIS-XAVIER DE RUYDTS

Can climate change melt the world's biggest glaciovolcanic ice caves? Hidden within the snowy peak of Washington's volcano Tahoma (or Mount Rainier) are the world's largest ice caves. A new study offers a detailed map of these formations that may be key to scientists understanding more about formations of their kind, providing an essential reference point for monitoring volcanic activity. What is the delicate balance that keeps these caves intact? (Pictured above, an expedition member stands in a tunnel of textured ice.)

LAST GLIMPSE

Genghis Khan and his wife Börte sit on their thrones before courtiers in this artistic rendering from the book Jami' al Tawarikh (Universal History) by Rashid ad-Din.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

Who was really in charge? Genghis Khan didn't rule alone. His wife Börte (both pictured above in an artistic rendering from the book Jami' al Tawarikh) played a significant part in keeping his massive camp in order and advising him on all matters from politics to the military. Here's how the first Mongol empress exerted her influence—and why she and many others like her are among the empire's unsung heroes.

THE EMPRESS THAT RULED

Today’s soundtrack: Jericho, Jacob Banks (from the National Geographic series Genius: MLK/X)

Happy weekend! This newsletter has been curated and edited by Nancy San Martín, Jen Tse, Nishita Naga, and David Beard. Know someone who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup.

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