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DECODED LETTERS SHOW THE PLAN TO OUST THE QUEEN

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we examine just-decoded letters plotting to topple Queen Elizabeth I, get new insights about menopause, learn how drought felled a mighty ancient empire ... and luxuriate in the pleasure capital that gave us Casanova.

An oil painting portrait of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots

PHOTOGRAPH BY DEAGOSTINI, GETTY IMAGES

Enemies on all sides, Mary, the deposed queen of Scotland, resorted to complex coded messages as she tried to save her life and topple her cousin, powerful Queen Elizabeth I.

These letters, considered lost for centuries, have been uncovered by a trio of cryptographers. Years of hard work broke Mary's sophisticated ciphers, revealing her plots and plans to oust England’s formidable monarch and return to power.

Where were the letters hidden? How was this code broken? What happened to Mary (pictured above)?

Read the full story here.

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A picture of writing on a piece of paper

PHOTOGRAPH BY THE PICTURE ART COLLECTION, ALAMY

Discovered: Here's a section of one of Mary Stuart's complex cipher and code tables. The messages often made their way to French officials in Mary’s attempt to regain the throne. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A picture of a woman with bright red light on her

PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZABETH DALZIEL

New insights on menopause (Pictured above, 44-year-old Lisa Davis, who described ”a particularly hot flush ... a wave of heat rose from the pelvic floor ... to my cheeks.”)

The powerful Hittite Empire may have collapsed because of a crippling natural enemy: drought

China hid this 800-year-old shipwreck from the world for decades

The pleasure capital that gave birth to Casanova

What your lips tell about your health

The Titanic ignored warnings that could have saved the luxury liner—and 1,500 lives

In other news: Why wombat poop is cube shaped

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

An African elephant grazes in a Kenyan reserve

PHOTOGRAPH BY GIANLUCA COLLA, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Why do we age? Is aging predestined and coded into your DNA or more determined by wear and tear in the body? Scientists aren’t sure. Certain parts of the body age quickly, while others like the brain and spinal cord are among those least affected. Research is figuring out why this is. (Above, hands of a 104-year-old woman in Okinawa, Japan.)

Related: Meet the scientists trying to cure aging—and are testing theories on themselves

AGING, EXPLAINED

HOW MANY?

A picture of a green spider on a green leaf

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAVIER AZNAR

How many species? The world is full of spiders with surprising and beautiful adaptations. Some arachnids thrive in the arctic or live mostly underwater. Others cast their web like a net while some pounce on their prey. How many known spider species are there? Do you have a guess? Click here for the answer. (Above, a rarely seen crab spider in Ecuador.)

MESMERIZING SPIDERS

THE NIGHT SKIES

An illustration of comet ZTF

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW FAZEKAS

The Green Comet, and Virgo’s Groove: Last week we captured the best view in 50,000 years of Comet ZTF? Late Friday, however, you can see The Green Comet as it pairs up with Mars in the early evening sky. Binoculars are the best bet to see the receding comet. And if you stay up til midnight you can watch the gibbous waning moon glide by the bright blue-white star Spica in the constellation Virgo. — Andrew Fazekas

ALIEN SUPERSTAR

Today’s soundtrack: Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All), Omar Apollo

This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Sydney Combs, and David Beard. Have an idea or a link? We'd love to hear from you at [email protected]. Thanks for reading!

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