National Geographic | Your Weekly Escape

National Geographic

Your Weekly Escape

Extraordinary people, discoveries, and places

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT CLARK, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

The remarkably unremarkable last meal of the enigmatic Tollund Man

A recent study of perhaps the most well-known of Europe's sacrificial "bog bodies" reveals what he ate and, more importantly, didn't eat, before his murder 2,400 years ago. But does that get us any closer to discovering why he was killed in the first place?

PHOTOGRAPH BY NOAA, THUNDER BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY

How the length of a day may be linked to the rise of life as we know it

Day length has increased dramatically over Earth's history. As the moon's tug on the ocean slowed the rotation of our planet, longer days may have helped photosynthetic microbes breathe new life into the world.

PHOTOGRAPH BY S. CAMPBELL

This 'spirit' mirror used in the court of Elizabeth I has mystical origins

A black mirror used by Queen Elizabeth I adviser John Dee—an accomplished alchemist, astrologer and occultist—to "speak" with angels was originally a prophetic Aztec artifact, new research reveals.

PHOTOGRAPH BY HORST FRIEDRICHS/ALAMY

Why Timbuktu's true treasure is its libraries

For some, the name Timbuktu might conjure up romantic visions of golden treasures hidden away in a so-called lost city in northwest Africa—but that doesn't capture the true wealth of the storied city, which grew from a nomads' camp into a wealthy cosmopolitan center of wisdom and learning.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVIDE BERTUCCIO

See how today's European Saxons are reconnecting with lost traditions

In these images, photographer Davide Bertuccio tries to unravel the complex history of a people whose fate has always been inextricably tied to the changes that continue to take place in Europe.

SEE MORE PHOTOS

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN STANMEYER

He's walked 11,000 miles from Africa to Southeast Asia. This is what he learned.

"My 8-year journey has offered lessons in navigating a troubled world," says writer Paul Salopek. "Tread lightly upon the Earth. Share what you can. But most of all, remember. "

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

QUOTE

For more than 3,000 mornings, I've been lacing up my boots to pace off a planet that seems to be accelerating, shuddering underfoot, toward historic reckonings. But until Myanmar, I'd never walked into a coup.

Paul Salopek, journalist

From: I've walked 11,000 miles from Africa to Southeast Asia. This is what I've learned.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NORBERT ROSING, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

The surprising ways that animals sleep

Dolphins shut off half their brains. Elephants snooze only two hours a night. Some birds nap while they fly. Here’s why animals have such different ways of getting shuteye.

MORE GREAT READS

One of the most egregious ripoffs in the history of science (Nautilus) ››

Why scientists have spent years mapping a fruit fly's brain (New York Times) ››

Sign up here to receive Your Weekly Escape and/or our daily newsletters—covering History, Environment, Science, Animals, Travel, and Photography news.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

{We'd like to hear from you! Tell us what you think of our emails by sharing your feedback in this short survey.

TAKE THE SURVEY

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, 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.

© 2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.