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BLOODY VOYAGE PROVED THE WORLD WAS ROUND

Thursday, August 1, 2024

In today’s newsletter, we learn about the cursed journey of the first ship around the globe, how a new test may end your need for a colonoscopy, learn about all six different types of depression … and find 700 staircases with breathtaking views.

A woodcut of three large ships off the coast of a mountainous land

AKG/ALBUM

It did not seem like a world-changing moment when one leaky ship with 18 emaciated sailors returned to Spain. Five ships with 240-some sailors had taken off on what would be a daring, first-ever circling of the globe.

A drive for nutmeg and cloves prompted Ferdinand Magellan’s mission. The world would never be the same.

WHERE WAS MAGELLAN?

Related: Magellan got the credit, but this was the first man to sail around the world

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Human colon cancer cells that have grown into a bulbous, cancerous organelle. The cancer cells are stained so that the surface appears purple

MICROGRAPH BY DR TORSTEN WITTMANN, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

New blood test could replace invasive time-consuming colonoscopy for many

Buzzed? Yes, these animals get high.

It’s not just Katie Ledecky: Why Olympians are going faster, higher, and farther

The Olympics chose Tahiti for its famous waves—but some surfers are not happy about it

6 new different forms of depression? What are they?

What do massive amounts of processed corn do to your body?

In the threatened Arctic, new animal hybrids are forming

A thawing Arctic prompts fears of a new Cold War

How to reduce the plastic in your kitchen in 7 easy steps

WATCH THE TRAILER

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

A view of Pittsburgh from the Mount Washington observation deck

PHOTOGRAPH BY CATHRINE STUKHARD, LAIF/REDUX

From 700 staircases, you can get great views of this waterside city, if you are willing to hike. Where are we?

A. Louisville
B. Pittsburgh
C. Seattle
D. San Francisco

CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

Related: Route 66: America’s most celebrated road trip

LAST GLIMPSE

A woman with pale skin in a bathrobe in front of a tub

LITHOGRAPH BY CARL LARSSON, THE STAPLETON COLLECTION/BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

Perfume has been a luxury item for centuries. But why did body perfuming and other grooming habits become so widespread in the modern world? If some body odor is a natural part of life, where did our body odor standards come from?

PERFUMED & PROPER

Today’s soundtrack: Ah! Leah! Donnie Iris

Tomorrow: Don’t miss our Top 10 stories of the week. And sign up here for our weekend Photo of the Week!

Today’s newsletter was curated by David Beard, Nancy San Martín, and Nishita Naga. Thanks for reading!

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