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SHINY AND SPARKLY, BUT ...

Monday, February 26, 2024

In today’s newsletter, we learn of the earth’s vast reservoir of a ‘precious’ jewel, discover how ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramids … and follow a rise in demand for death doulas.

A white gloved hand reaches for several diamonds on a black background

PHOTOGRAPH BY YURI KADOBNOV, AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Yeah, they last forever. Yeah, they cost a lot.

But no, they are not rare.

In fact, the earth may hold a quadrillion tons of diamonds below your feet. That’s a thousand times more diamonds than researchers previously thought. There is one problem, however. (Pictured above, a 51.38-carat round-cut diamond called the Dynasty in 2017.)

WHAT’S THE CATCH?

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A fragment of Merer's journal on papyrus

WITH THANKS TO PIERRE TALLET/ARCHAEOLOGICAL MISSION TO WADI AL-JARF

The Red Sea Scrolls (fragments pictured above): This ancient diary reveals how Egyptians built the Great Pyramids

Alcohol is killing more women than ever before. Why?

The Devil: A hellish history through the ages

Leap Day coming, but we may have lost Leap Second forever

When did the calendar get an ‘extra day’? And why?

Can science predict your next migraine?

Here’s how to keep your memory sharp as you age

Preparing for ‘Shōgun’: The three samurai who unified medieval Japan

Who will be the first woman to walk on the moon?

The end of trash: What would that look like?

Artemis has landed on the moon: what does this mean for U.S. space travel?

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A woman's hand gently resting atop the hand of an older man who is in a wheelchair.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ARMAN ZHENIKEYEV, GETTY IMAGES

Going with grace: The demand for end-of-life doulas is rising as they help patients and families understand what it may mean to have the “best possible death.” Also called “death doulas,” these professionals have dedicated their time to offering all kinds of non-medical, compassionate support for patients with terminal diagnoses.

WHO IN THE WORLD?

Photographed in 1973, ruins of this society's first city-state after thousands of years beneath the desert sands.

GEORG GERSTER/AGE FOTOSTOCK

In their debt: We owe so much to these enterprising people who developed writing, laws, cities, and science some 5,000 years ago. (Pictured above, ruins of a community in this society.) Who were they?

A. The Greeks
B. Babylonians
C. Assyrians
D. Sumerians

HERE’S THE ANSWER

Today’s soundtrack: Diamonds, Rihanna

Today’s newsletter was curated and edited by Jen Tse, Nancy San Martín, Nishita Naga, and David Beard. Let us know if you have any suggestions for us.

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