National Geographic | Your Weekly Escape

National Geographic

Your Weekly Escape

Extraordinary people, discoveries, and places

THE COUSTEAU SOCIETY

The man who taught humans to breathe like fish

Jacques Cousteau's invention of the aqualung opened the undersea realm to scientists and the public. "The best way to observe a fish," he wrote, "is to become a fish."

ILLUSTRATION BY MATTHEW TWOMBLY

The 21 most fascinating scientific discoveries of 2021

New additions to the human family tree. Vaccine milestones. Finding a lost city. A break in the laws of physics. From the microscopic to the cosmic, 2021 brought important revelations and historic advances in human knowledge.

PHOTOGRAPH BY SEAN GALLUP/GETTY IMAGES

Who is Krampus, really? The horrific Christmas beast, explained.

If, on the evening of December 5, you weren't beaten with a bundle of birch sticks by a half-goat, half-demon beast and dragged to the underworld, congratulations: You're on the nice list.

BETTER WATCH OUT

BRIDGEMAN/ACI

The true story of Semiramis, legendary queen of Babylon

She was the only woman ever to rule the mighty Assyrian Empire, titillating writers and painters from the Roman period to the 19th century. But the true story of the flesh-and-blood woman who turned into a myth remains elusive: What did she achieve 2,800 years ago that so fascinated the world?

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

QUOTE

Always I rebelled against the limitations imposed by a single lungful of air.

Jacques Cousteau, explorer

From: The man who taught humans to breathe like fish

PHOTOGRAPH BY HULTON ARCHIVE, GETTY IMAGES

How a pagan symbol morphed into a Christmas tradition

Several countries claim to be the birthplace of the Christmas tree, and there are competing mythologies that seek to explain what it all means. Here's a look at where it may have originated and how it evolved into a modern icon.

COURTESY OF SETI INSTITUTE

Why alien hunters have spent 60 years finding new solutions for the Drake Equation

Astronomer Frank Drake came up with the famous formula as he prepared for a last-minute meeting in 1961. It still guides the search for intelligent life beyond Earth.

MORE GREAT READS

The ancient people who burned their culture to the ground (Atlas Obscura) ››

The Great Salt Lake is desolate. It’s also divine. (Outside) ››

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.