Where are the happiest places in the world? Plus, ketamine and its risks

RJ Hamster

11 months ago

Thursday, November 16, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we explore lands that minimize stress and bring joy, explore when Niagara Falls was turned off, profile the peacemaker with the Pilgrims … and examine the risks of ketamine therapy.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATTHIEU PALEY

Diving into a pool. Partying in the tropics (above). Is there such a thing as the happiest places on Earth?

Nat Geo went on a hunt—and we have found a few lands where people feel secure, have a sense of purpose, and enjoy lives that minimize stress and maximize joy. What can we learn from them? Oh, and where are they?

TAKE ME THERE

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE THEISS

In 1969, the U.S. turned off Niagara Falls. Here’s what happened next. (Above, an aerial view looking straight down at the American Falls portion of the Niagara Falls.)

Why zinc or a vitamin C supplement isn’t a magic bullet as the weather gets colder

At 32, she was a single mom with two kids. Joséphinebecame empress of France.

Sperm counts have taken a dive worldwide. Is there a looming global fertility crisis?

Can we ever extinguish the brain fog that COVID caused?

How did this Roman emperor handle loss—and try to become a better person? Even today, people are reading his journal.

The real story of the man who kept peace with the Pilgrims

Add the olive oil. It’s really good for you.

Searching for Paul Bunyan—and the truth behind the legend

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

MICROGRAPH BY M. I. WALKER, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Ketamine therapy may fight severe depression and suicidal thinking. But last month the U.S. FDA outlined potentially serious risks from using the prescription anesthetic without proper medical supervision. Health experts are alarmed by the growing and widespread use of ketamine (pictured above is a microscopic view of crystallized ketamine). Here’s what you need to know.

POTENTIAL DANGERS OF KETAMINE THERAPY

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

PHOTOGRAPH BY LUISA DÖRR

The Flying Cholitas: Stylish and ready to wrestle, these fighters mix modern wrestling with a history of activism. Most, like Angela (above), are members of a highland Indigenous nation. Where are we?
A.
Peru
B. Ecuador
C. Bolivia
D. Mexico
E. Colombia

CLICK HERE FOR THE ANSWER

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY KATIE ORLINSKY

The last free-range herd: That’s how this group of 4,000 reindeer are known in Canada. Above, in one of our pictures of the year, they are being herded to the animals’ calving grounds. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation took over the herd in 2021.

SEE MORE PHOTOS

Today’s soundtrack: Happy, Pharrell Williams

We hope this newsletter brightened your Thursday! It was curated and edited by David Beard, Nancy San Martín, and Jen Tse. Know someone who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup. See you tomorrow!

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