National Geographic | National Geographic

National Geographic

HOW LONG HAS CANNABIS BEEN USED?

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

In today’s newsletter, we discover the world’s oldest supernova, explore just how old cannabis use may be ... and meet one of the world’s biggest freshwater fish. And ask: Why is the U.S. so afraid of the metric system?

skeleton and funeral objects

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF HONGEN JIANG

When it came time to meet his maker, the 35-year-old man was laid out on a wooden bed, with a reed pillow—and 13 three-foot-tall cannabis plants draped across his body (remains, pictured above).

The discovery of the “cannabis shroud” gives researchers 2,500-year-old plant remnants to study—and yields a clue to the popularity of the herb along the desert trading routes of the Eurasian steppe. How was it used?

AN ANCIENT SPARK

Related: Do you smoke weed recreationally? Here’s what experts want you to know.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Detail of arapaima scales

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDRE DIB

A rare win: One of Earth’s biggest freshwater fish (a close-up view, pictured above) is bouncing back

Biggest health challenges for this decade: Get off your parent’s plan. Take control of your own medical records.

If these tiny ‘handprints’ aren’t human, then what are they?

Searching for the Lost City of Z

Endless scrolling through social media can literally make you sick

Astronomers have discovered the oldest and farthest supernova ever

Love summer but hate pesky bugs? These predators are nature’s pest control. Related: You really are a mosquito magnet. Here’s what you can do about it.

Meet Catherine Parr—The queen who survived Henry VIII

Why doesn’t the U.S. use the metric system?

Are we in a post antibiotic era?

How to organize any closet, big or small

ON THIS DAY

Musicians at 1900 Juneteenth celebration in Austin, Texas, pose before the U.S. flag

IMAGE COURTESY OF HISTORY AND ART COLLECTION/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Two years after establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday, we remember the battles that paved the way for a free future—and continue a tradition with roots that extend back to its first celebration after the end of the Civil War. (Pictured above, musicians at a Juneteenth celebration in Austin, Texas.) What are the centuries of history behind this holiday and why do we commemorate it?

Related: Why Juneteenth is America’s second Independence Day
Also: The search for lost slave ships led this diver on an extraordinary journey

Watch: The Nat Geo documentary Clotilda: The Return Home is streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

An arial image of a man walking past an abandoned canoe at San reservoir amid drought in Vilanova de San, Barcelona.

PHOTOGRAPH BY EMILIO MORENATTI/AP

Mexico City’s water reservoirs are at an historic deficit. From record-breaking heat waves and drought conditions (as seen above, in Spain) to last year’s El Niño winds, the consequences of the extreme summer heat have been devastating. If heavy rains don’t arrive soon, the city could see its “Day Zero,” a doomsday estimation that marks the moment the reservoirs will stop pumping. What other water-starved cities are grappling with their own Day Zero fears?

RUNNING OUT OF WATER

Today’s soundtrack: I Try, Angela Bofill (R.I.P.)

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

Clicking on the Facebook, 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.