National Geographic | National Geographic

National Geographic

CAN WE STOP THESE HEADACHES?

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

In today’s newsletter, we discover how people can mitigate debilitating headaches, learn how vaccines rev up the immune system ... and question if ice facials actually work. Plus, how space made these twins unidentical.

A close-up of a woman with a headache pressing her temples.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KATE JACOBS, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

At least 1 in 10 people suffer from migraines, sometimes so paralyzing that light and movement are painful.

What if smartphone apps and diaries tracking sleep, behavior, and emotional states can predict headaches? If people with poorer sleep or lower energy levels are vulnerable—can they develop strategies to lessen the number and intensity of pain? It’s happening.

HERE’S THE FULL STORY

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

In this illustration, an mRNA vaccine messages cells to make the viral proteins that elicit an immune response.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NOBEASTSOFIERCE, SCIENCE SOURCE

How vaccines rev up the immune system (In the illustration above, an mRNA vaccine messages cells to make the viral proteins that elicit an immune response.)

This 2,200-year-old slab bears the world’s first mention of leap year

Long COVID can destroy your ability to exercise. Now we know why.

Who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls? Science may have the answer.

Do ice facials actually work? We asked experts.

Ultra-processed food isn’t just bad for you body, it messes with your mind

Want to keep your memory sharp? Here’s what science recommends.

Not today, Satan: The devil’s hellish history

Was Rome all-powerful? History tells a different story.

2 Nat Geo Explorers and filmmakers work to include African perspectives in Africa’s storytelling

How humans adapted to the Little Ice Age

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Astronaut Scott Kelly along with his brother, former Astronaut (and current U.S. Senator) Mark Kelly.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT MARKOWITZ, NASA

How do identical twins become unidentical? Yes, it happens, and you don't have to find out by being shot into space like Mark and Scott Kelly (pictured above, left to right). Scott, whose birthday is today, underwent changes to his body during his one-year mission in space.

Related: The amazing Kelly Brothers

WE ASKED, YOU ANSWERED

A donut being dusted with sugar

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT CLARK

Ending a toxic relationship: That’s how we put it in our article on cutting down on sugar. Readers pitched with in their own tips. “Instead of stopping all at once, which hardly ever works, give yourself, especially your body, time to adjust. I decided to give up desserts of all kinds, except for one day a week. ... After awhile, I noticed that I was not that excited about my special day,” wrote Suzanne Filbey. who confessed one lingering addiction: potato chips.

Today’s soundtrack: Sell Me Candy, Rihanna

We hope this newsletter brightened your Wednesday! It was curated and edited by David Beard, Nancy San Martín, Jen Tse, and Nishita Naga. Know someone who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup. See you tomorrow!

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.

© 2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.