National Geographic | Weekly Escape

GRAPPLING WITH GHOSTS

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

In today’s newsletter, we travel along the haunting ‘Road to Nowhere’, examine new deterioration of the Titanic, discover how we endure two bursts of accelerated aging, debunk a Babe Ruth legend ... and learn the true story of an ancient warrior beloved by modern video gamers.

Lakeview Drive in North Carolina was meant to connect areas affected by a dam’s construction, but only 6.5 miles of it was built, leading to this dead-end tunnel.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID HAAS

Appalachia is filled with wondrous places—some that can give you the jitters. Generations of people have grappled with ghostly tales along the legendarily haunted "Road to Nowhere" and its dead-end tunnel in North Carolina (pictured above).

You see, the road has a tragic backstory.

TAKE A RIDE (IF YOU DARE!)

GOOD READS

The Monkey King inspired comics from DC and Marvel. Here, an 1824 woodblock print from Japan depicts the character.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK,H. O. HAVEMEYER COLLECTION, BEQUEST OF MRS. H. O. HAVEMEYER, 1929

Comic-book fans—and now video gamers—have discovered China's Monkey King. Here’s the real story.

Watch out for this brain-eating amoeba. It’s on the rise—thanks to climate change.

Aging accelerates in two bursts as we age. When exactly?

‘Titanic’ deterioration discovered at the wreckage site of the doomed luxury liner

Weird weather phenomena: What the heck is ‘corn sweat’—and is it getting worse?

The hidden hiking paradise in India’s remote north

Flashback: When we swam with the ‘Russian spy whale’ (R.I.P.)

How do gold nuggets form? Earthquakes may be the key

PHOTOS: How these fascinating animals prepare for fall

MYTH OR FACT?

Babe Ruth during a season opener at Yankee Stadium.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BETTMANN, GETTY

Did Babe Ruth really ‘call’ a legendary homer? The story: He pointed his bat to a spot beyond the centerfield wall, and then the king of home runs sent the next pitch right there. True? A recent buyer spent $24 million on the jersey Ruth wore in the World Series game where it was said to happen.

BUT DID IT?

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

Jessica Long of Team United States competes during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NAOMI BAKER, GETTY IMAGES

Games for all: The Paralympics are underway in Paris. These competitions have grown from humble beginnings, starting as events in a single sport for 16 veterans. What sport?

A. Archery
B. Javelin
C. Shooting
B. Swimming

CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

Today’s Soundtrack: My Love Mine All Mine, Mitski

Today’s newsletter was curated and edited by David Beard and Nancy San Martín. Let us know if you have ideas or suggestions for stories—or a song of the day.

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GRAPPLING WITH GHOSTS