Could this replace opioids for chronic pain?

Friday, January 20, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we explore an emerging alternative to opioids, discover whether fungi can control humans, meet siblings who transformed astronomy and impressed a king … and celebrate a charismatic flightless bird.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT CLARK

For the tens of millions of adults who suffer from chronic pain, early research suggests that there may be an alternative to effective but often frighteningly addictive opioids.

That search for safer and longer lasting relief is focusing on monoclonal antibodies, the same type of proteins developed during the pandemic.

Read the full story here.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN D. LILES, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

The biology of pain: Scientists like Vitaly Napadow, at top, are unraveling the mystery of pain. He discovered that a patient’s relationship with their doctor can affect how much pain they feel. At bottom, hydrocodone, a prescription opioid painkiller. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY MALCOLM P. CHAPMAN, GETTY IMAGES

A growing search for traces of the ancient Chola dynasty(Above, a temple built by a Chola king in A.D. 1010)

These musician siblings became rock stars—in astronomy

California may experience an increasingly rare ‘superbloom’

Preservation or pillage? How the Parthenon lost its marbles

How traditional mud homes keep remarkably cool

This ancient Himalayan kingdom has been isolated from the world—until now

Cancer vaccines are showing promise. Here’s how they work.

How sugar and fat affect your brain

The true origins of Rome

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX HYDE, NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

The fungus is real: In the new television show The Last of Us, a warming planet births a fungus that turns humans into parasite-controlled zombies. This concept isn’t entirely sci-fi, Nat Geo’s Sarah Gibbens explains. Parasitic fungus already exists (like the fungi emerging from a moth, above) but it might take millions of years for it to make the leap to humans. In the meantime, there are a few hundred fungi that are already dangerous to people.

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY RUBÉN SALGADO ESCUDERO, @RUBENSALGADOESCUDERO

The goal: to pass the ball using only your feet and legs. Oh, and don’t let it drop. The game chinlone, also called caneball, is the national sport of Myanmar and has been played for more than 1,500 years. Nat Geo Explorer Rubén Salgado Escudero photographed these farmers playing after a day in the field in Pa Dan Kho Village in Myanmar.

WHO INVENTED SOCCER?

WHAT TYPE OF BIRD?

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEFAN CHRISTMANN

Do you know this bird? Huddling is a key survival skill for these penguins that live in colonies around the coast of Antarctica. For chicks though, it takes time to get the hang of the heat-sharing shuffle. Instead of waiting their turn to reach the warm center, impatient chicks often jump right in. What type of penguin are they?

To mark Penguin Awareness Day today, some recent stories:
–What shifting penguin populations reveal about the Antarctic Peninsula
–The fight to protect Africa’s only penguins
–These penguins are marching towards extinction

WHAT KIND OF PENGUIN?

Today’s soundtrack: Take On Me, Ashley Johnson from The Last of Us Part II

This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Sydney Combs, and David Beard. Have feedback? Email david.beard@natgeo.com. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

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Could this replace opioids for chronic pain?

Could this replace opioids for chronic pain?

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