This new test could save the lives of pregnant mothers; a culture-changing tsunami; the world’s first super predator

RJ Hamster

1 year ago

Friday, July 14, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we learn about a test that could save pregnant mothers’ lives, visit foregone natural wonders, think twice about stepping on bugs … and figure out ways to laugh more. Oh, and happy Bastille Day!

PHOTOGRAPH BY LYNSEY ADDARIO

There’s no reason so many mothers should die giving birth. A new FDA-approved test should make a difference.

The test identifies patients early in a pregnancy who are at risk for pre-eclampsia, a dangerous blood pressure disorder that affects about 1 in 25 pregnancies. Notoriously hard to diagnose, it is one of the biggest causes of maternal mortality, making the headlines with the death of Olympic athlete Tori Bowie at age 32.

Will this make a significant dent in a stubbornly high death rate for new mothers? (Above, a midwife team checks on a pregnant mom and her family.)

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID LIITTSCHWAGER, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION, ROMIP SPECIMEN 62543A. PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM

They were the world’s first super predators. They were shrimps. Two-foot-long shrimps (pictured above).

3,600-year-old tsunami ‘time capsule’ sheds light on one of humanity’s greatest disasters

This toad can get you high—really, really high

These three kings ruled Rome. Their bloody reigns sparked a revolution.

Is malaria making a comeback in the U.S.?

What exactly is lab-grown meat? Here’s what you need to know.

How Oppenheimer guarded WWII’s biggest secret

Mistaken bug identities: Is that really a black widow?

Are your hormones unbalanced—and what does that even mean?

Science says aspartame may cause cancer—here’s why low-calorie sweeteners might not be as good for us as we thought

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

PHOTOGRAPH BY STACY GOLD, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Laughter is key: Research of our emotions shows that laughter can play a key beneficial effect. It is, however, not the first emotion a baby expresses. What is it? (Pictured above, children staring in awe at a lizard.)

A. Shock
B. Awe
C. Wonder
D. Interest

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY NIKOLA RAHMÉ

Think before you squash: It is, after all, National Be Nice To Bugs Day. Above, the dazzling colors of the jewel beetle under a microscope, likely formed by proteins bonding with chitin. See more beautiful bugs.

BE NICE

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY HARALD SUND, GETTY IMAGES

Just like that: The above Jeffery pine was one of the world’s most photographed trees, appearing in glass plate images as early as the 1860s. Like many other breathtaking natural wonders, the picturesque California tree no longer exists.

SEE MORE LOST WONDERS

Today’s soundtrack: Fast Car, Tracy Chapman
Happy Friday! This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. What’s on your travel bucket list? Email
david.beard@natgeo.com to let us know. Thanks for reading!

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