Thursday, October 31, 2024

In this week’s Discovery newsletter, we celebrate Halloween and the Day of the Dead, find out how much time people think about food, suggest going easy on the trick-or-treat leftovers ... and track down Dracula’s inspiration and the man who created the Illuminati 

PHOTOGRAPH BY LOESKIBOOM, GETTY IMAGES 

It’s not a Mexican version of Halloween. Sure, there are skeletons, but instead of a dark night of mischief, the Day of the Dead is an explosion of color and joyful remembrance. Let our best photographers take you there. 

Related: 
--Top 10 things to know about Day of the Dead 
--How broomsticks, cauldrons, and pointy hats became Halloween essentials 
--Why do trick or treaters haunt your home? Here’s the history.

PHOTOGRAPH BY EDWIN TAN, E+ VIA GETTY IMAGES 

It’s not hunger. Nor is it fear of a lack of food. Food noise is about simply thinking about food, and for some people with a lot of that noise, much of their day is spent thinking about food. How much? 

A. A quarter 
B. A half 
C. Three quarters 
D. 80 to 90 percent 

Related: How these new diet drugs quiet the noise 
Also: What ultra processed foods do to you

PHOTOGRAPH BY ERICH LESSING, ALBUM 

ILLUSTRATION BY GABRIEL LÍO 

A new Halloween monster? Paleontologists have unearthed a massive tadpole fossil in Patagonia—it's the oldest of its kind ever found. How old is it? 

A. 50,000 years 
B. 1 million years 
C. 66 million years 
D. 160 million years

Today’s Soundtrack: Remember Me, Gael García Bernal, Gabriella Flores, Libertad García Fonzi

Today’s newsletter was edited and curated by David Beard and produced by Alisher Egamov. Sign up here to get tomorrow’s Top Ten stories of the week or catch Sunday’s Photo of The Week. Got a suggestion for upcoming newsletters? Let us know.