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Your Weekly Escape

Extraordinary people, discoveries, and places

ILLUSTRATION BY AMANDA SMITH

A mystery object blotted out a giant star for 200 days

Roughly a decade after something huge and opaque caused a star in our galaxy to dim, astronomers have sifted through a variety of possible explanations—and they still have no idea what's responsible. But a number of theories are still on the table.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BEVERLY JOUBERT, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

The long-simmering debate over where modern humans arose

A controversial recent study pinpointed an ancient wetland in Botswana as the birthplace of all modern humans—and reignited a fascinating debate over just where in Africa our species emerged.

EXPLORE THE SCIENCE

PHOTOGRAPH FROM STANFORD UNIVERSITY

These secret Japanese military maps were captured by the U.S.—then forgotten

To the Japanese, these maps are known as gaihōzu—maps of outer lands. To the Americans who confiscated them in the waning days of World War II, they were a valuable source of intelligence, not just on a recently defeated foe, but also on a newly emerging one.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CARLTON WARD JR.

This photo was 20 years in the making

He trekked more than 2,000 miles through Florida's wild places, hoping to bring attention to the endangered—and extremely elusive—Florida panther. Finally, this photographer got to look one of them in the eye.

SEE MORE PHOTOS

PHOTOGRAPH BY TOM MACKIE/AWL IMAGES

Archaeologists are finally starting to piece together the secrets of Stonehenge

The iconic monument is surrounded by a wealth of Neolithic rings, tombs, and dwellings. Recent discoveries have shed new light on how this ancient landscape fits together, and the people who built it.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

QUOTE

When the panther sat down 20 yards away and looked straight at me, I was ready.

Carlton Ward Jr.

Conservation photographer

From: A rare face-to-face encounter with the elusive Florida panther

PHOTOGRAPH BY NICOLAS RUEL

See the many sides of a city in a single picture

In an eight-second exposure, Nicolas Ruel captures the motion, color, and energy of some of the world's busiest cities. Why eight seconds? "Eight is the number of infinity," he says.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

PHOTOGRAPH BY ERICH LESSING

Was this masterpiece painted with ground mummy?

From at least the 16th century until as late as the early 1900s, European artists prized "mummy brown" for its rich, transparent shade. As a result, an unknown number of ancient Egyptians may be spending their afterlife in museum galleries around the world.

Need a distraction?

Humble waiter or son of a king? A royal mystery piques Spain. (NY Times) ››

Welcome to Bite Club, where shark-attack survivors find solace (Outside) ››

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