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WILL MOST MEN
BE ‘SUB-FERTILE’?

Thursday, November 17, 2022

In today’s newsletter, we find drastically lower sperm counts have experts talking about ‘sub-fertile’ men, follow a warrior queen who challenged Rome, discover you don’t need zinc supplements, learn Jane Austen’s secret ... and meet animals that freeze in the winter—and thaw in the spring. Plus, see our 2022 Pictures of the Year.

Microscopic sperm

MICROGRAPH BY DR TONY BRAIN, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

The most comprehensive study on falling male sperm counts conjures images of the kid-starved societies depicted in Children of Men or A Handmaid’s Tale.

A 62 percent drop on sperm counts—and a faster percentage drop in recent years—raises the threat of a time “when most men will be sub-fertile,” says medical epidemiologist Hagai Levine. Lower sperm counts may also be associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, testicular cancer, and early death. (Above, mature human sperm.)

Read the full story here.

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A basket of citrus fruit

PHOTOGRAPH BY PETE MULLER, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Why a zinc or vitamin C or D supplement during winter isn’t a magic bullet (Pictured above, citrus is a natural source of vitamin C)

U.S. arrests Cambodian official en route to wildlife conference; accused of being part of international monkey smuggling ring

Oh, Mr. Darcy! Why Jane Austen is enduringly relevant

See our 49 best photographs of 2022. Then: Meet 5 of the photographers who crisscrossed the world to make them.

What wild baboons are teaching humans about aging

A launch ‘that will inspire generations to come’

What’s next for NASA’s $93 billion mission to the moon?

These animals freeze in the winter and thaw in the spring

This successful warrior queen challenged the mighty Roman Empire

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A picture of two goats on a rocky ledge

PHOTOGRAPH BY XI ZHINONG, MINDEN PICTURES

An overlooked crisis: Despite humans keeping more than two billion domesticated goats and sheep, people are still poaching their wild counterparts—some to near extinction. Their declining populations, particularly in places like the Himalaya, could spell trouble for conservation’s more traditional stars like snow leopards. (Wild blue sheep, pictured above in northwest China, are declining in Myanmar.)

WAKE UP SHEEPLE

PHOTO OF THE DAY

A picture of a bright turquoise beach

PHOTOGRAPH BY @AMRITACHANDRADAS

Azure and turquoise: That’s what photographer Amrita Chandradas saw while driving above Myrtos Beach on Kefalonia, the largest of Greece’s Ionian islands. Although you can escape much of the crowds between October and April, be warned: the water will still be freezing in late April. You may also recognize Myrtos Beach (above) from the movie Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

GREEK ISLAND HOPPING

LAST GLIMPSE

A grid of images of misty trees

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ORSOLYA HAARBERG

Pick your favorite: Could you be a Nat Geo photo editor? Photographer Orsolya Haarberg snapped 522 misty images of the laurels of Madeira—but Photo Editor Kurt Mutchler only published two pictures in our magazine. Which of Haarberg’s photos above would you have published? Click here to see if your pick made the cut.

Related: See Haarberg’s photos come together in the magazine story

WHAT'S YOUR FAVE PHOTO?

This newsletter was curated and edited by David Beard, Sydney Combs, Jen Tse, and Heather Kim. Do you have an idea or a link for the newsletter? Let us know at [email protected]. If you want our daily newsletter, sign up here. Thanks for reading!

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