This supersonic jet chased a solar eclipse; the problem with a nightcap; the science of sleep

RJ Hamster

1 year ago

Friday, June 30, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we learn how alcohol and good sleep don’t mix; follow the supersonic flight that captured an eclipse; examine the cause of a mass child sacrifice, find out the effects of the Adderall shortage… and ask: would you eat a “super-banana”?

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEYSTONE-FRANCE/GAMMA-RAPHO/GETTY IMAGES

Imagine a window seat on a supersonic jetliner, racing against the sun in a one-of-a-kind scientific effort to extend the viewing of a total eclipse.

Fifty years ago today, at 58,000 feet, an experimental version of the luxury Concorde (shown above) flew at twice the speed of sound to give astounded scientists 74 minutes of total eclipse. What was it like? Will there really be another shot to do this next year?

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PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

The view: The Concorde raced against the sun to expand the viewing time. (Above, a total eclipse in Wyoming in 2017.) Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAGNUS WENNMAN

Biden and many Americans wear a CPAP to sleep better. Why is sleep so important? (Pictured above, an airtight chamber at a sleep institute)

ADHD patients risk job loss, self-harm in Adderall shortage

Want to keep your memory sharp? Here’s how.

How eating and drinking (alcohol) can disrupt your sleep

Stimulating a part of your neck could help migraines, PTSD

Tonga’’s volcano triggered the most intense lightning ever recorded

Peruvian mass child sacrifice associated with El Niño

Our honest, hidden thoughts on race, captured in just six words

New maps show how the South lost the pivotal Civil War battle of Gettysburg 160 years ago

Why were severed feet washing up on shore? How science solved this mystery.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ILLUSTRATION BY MARK GARLICK, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Colossal gravitational waves: A new discovery may yield clues about the origins of space. Scientists studying rapidly spinning dead stars have found giant ripples of spacetime trillions of miles long. They likely came from merging supermassive black holes (illustrated above).

WHOA!

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHANG W. LEE, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

A valuable stunt: What did funding from the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge deliver to the world? On World Social Media Day, it’s worth noting that the social craze nine summers ago resulted in funding for new gene discoveries, more treatment options, and improved care. Researchers say they’re closer than ever to finding a cure for the fatal disease.

CREATING A SPLASH

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY AGOSTINO PETRONI

Would you eat this banana? Yes, it’s orange-ish. But this experimental banana (above left) was developed for a reason—it contains extra vitamin A. Lack of that vitamin is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children in places like Uganda and it auses many other ailments.

Today’s soundtrack: Ella Baila Sola, Eslabón Armado and Peso Pluma

Happy Friday! This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. Have a story idea for us? Email david.beard@natgeo.com to let us know. Thanks for reading!

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