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HOW TO KNOW
YOUR WATER IS SAFE

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we ask experts if your drinking water is safe. Plus, Ramadan begins; Jackie Kennedy; the world’s biggest spider; a real Robin Hood?

A water sample

PHOTOGRAPH BY DONALD MIRALLE, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

Should we drink the tap water? Decades ago, a person might not have given it a second thought.

And for most Americans, the answer still is yes—in fact, the water might be better. But millions of Americans get contaminants in their water. On World Water Day, experts tell you what you should be aware of.

Read the full story here.

Please consider getting our full digital report and magazine by subscribing here.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALESSANDRO CINQUE

Harvesting fog: Clouds shroud the desert city of Lima half the year—and modest drizzle may be closest residents see to rain for months. Above, some of 100+ massive green nylon nets trap the condensation for badly needed water. At top, tap water in San Diego is tested for contaminants. Read more.

Related: A Nat Geo Society expedition examines the Andes and the Amazon, the world’s biggest watershed

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A woman's body

PHOTOGRAPH BY KAREN KASMAUSKI, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

How weight shaming often prompts weight gain

Can we delay death with tech? These advances hold promise.

Jackie Kennedy and a French archaeologist saved Egyptian temples from doom. Here's how.

These orcas are killing sharks—and removing their livers

These maps help find “hotspots” where the water gap between supply and demand are largest

This is the real Jesus, according to archaeologists

Colon cancer rates are rising in young adults. Look for these signs.

Why sleep is so important for our overall health

See the world’s biggest spider

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A Nigerian family of 7

PHOTOGRAPH BY YAGAZIE EMEZI

A baby boom: The world has met its 8 billionth person—and population growth in Nigeria is a contributing factor. With health care advances and reduced infant mortality rates—and a culture of favoring big families—Nigeria is expected to have 377 million people by 2050, a number just ahead of the U.S. on land that's one-tenth the size.

Pictured above, Foyeke Omage and her husband, Ewanle, welcomed quintuplets—three girls and two boys—after years of trying to conceive. Here's a look into life in Nigeria.

Related: China: Where population is shrinking

THE NIGHT SKIES

An illustration of the night sky

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW FAZEKAS

Catch the ‘earthshine’: Skywatchers across North America can watch the whisker-thin crescent moon in a dramatic pose with Jupiter moments after sunset. Because of the bright western horizon, try using binoculars to spot the super thin moon. By Thursday and Friday evenings the moon will have moved higher. Look carefully at the moon’s disk—and see if you can spot an ashen light faintly illuminating the Moon’s unlit, darker side. This is “earthshine,’ sunlight reflected off of Earth that reaches the Moon and then reflects back to our eyes. — Andrew Fazekas

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Women praying during Ramadan

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES NACHTWEY, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

The best we can be: Ramadan is the most sacred month in Islamic culture. During this ninth month—which starts the day after the new crescent moon sighting—Muslims aim to grow stronger relationships with Allah by praying and reciting the Quran, acting selflessly, and abstaining from gossiping, lying, and fighting, Nat Geo reports. (Pictured above, women pray during Ramadan at a mosque in Pattani, Thailand.)

Related: How do Muslims celebrate Ramadan? Here are 5 unique traditions

CELEBRATE RAMADAN

LAST GLIMPSE

A painting of Robin Hood and his Merry Men

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIDGEMAN/ACI

He took from the rich and gave to the poor: So goes the story of Robin Hood (depicted above). But how much was true? We track that down. Hint: Robin Hood WAS a common alias for an outlaw. But what about the Merry Men?

Today's soundtrack: Waves and Seagulls (at the beach in Port Pleasant, New Jersey) from the Nat Geo playlist, Water Sounds

This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. Have an idea? An opinion on your tap water? We'd love to hear from you at [email protected]. Thanks for reading!

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