These underwater beasts inspire fear, superstition—and searches

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we escape the Kraken, reconsider our sleep aid, frolic through a California superbloom … and avoid food poisoning while traveling.

ARTWORK BY PIERRE DENYS DE MONTFORT

Let’s get Kraken. The mythological giant octupus or squid (illustrated above) presumably lurking in the ocean between Norway and Greenland, was said to rise to devour any ship foolish enough to get in its way.

Scientists and adventurers have searched for such creatures in the deep—megamouth sharks, Japan’s umibozu, merpeople, lake monsters—and discovered beings like the dinosaur-era coelacanth, still among us. What else have they found? What are they still hunting for?

Read the full story here.

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ARTWORK BY UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI

A different monster: This eerie image by Edo-period Japanese artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi depicts the umibozu rising from the sea. Depicted with a giant dark head with prominent eyes, legend says the monster creates brooding stormclouds and causes a storm in otherwise calm seas. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Magnesium (pictured above) is touted as a sleep aid—but its benefit is debatable. Here’s what we know.

Plants can talk, really! Here’s how.

Avoid food poisoning on your travels

Eat these foods to keep your brain strong and healthy

Your eyes may be a window into early Alzheimer’s detection

The impacts of fast fashion on the environment (it’s not good)

How does a magician trick other magicians? We went to find out.

Early America had no laws against abortion

The forgotten (and adorable) history of cats in the navy

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY KENNEDY WARNE

It keeps coming: Our seas have absorbed more than 90 percent of the heat from greenhouse gases we’ve put in the atmosphere. Part of the result? Rising sea levels, which can cause devastating effects (pictured above, flooding from a high tide in Kiribati). New studies show higher-than-expected sea rises along parts of the U.S. coast.

WHAT TO KNOW

THE NIGHT SKIES

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW FAZEKAS

A giant spiral: Without a moon in the night sky this week, use the Big Dipper to guide you toward to a pair of bright galaxies. Binoculars and backyard telescopes easily reveal the giant spiral galaxy of Messier 81 and the cigar-shaped Messier 82. Both appear to ride the back of the great bear constellation, Ursa Major. The two islands of stars lie about 12 million light years from Earth. Meanwhile, at dawn Sunday, early risers looking toward the east will witness a pairing between the crescent moon and yellow-hued planet Saturn in the constellation Aquarius. — Andrew Fazekas

NIGHT SKY HIGHLIGHTS

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDRIA LO

The hills are alive! California’s rain has this spring poised to be filled with superblooms—including the playful-looking monkeyflower above. Some already have begun. Where can you find these fields of flowers? And how many species can you spot?

SEE THE SUPERBLOOMS

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ASOME-UNIVERSITAT AUTÒNOMA DE BARCELONA

A historic hallucinogen: In a “hidden” collection of hair-containing tubes buried within a Mediterranean cave dating back to 1,600 B.C., it’s affirmed what archaeologists have long suspected: People have been taking psychedelics for thousands of years. (Pictured above, hair samples from the cave.)

LEARN MORE

Today’s soundtrack: Evan Finds The Third Room, Khruangbin

This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. Want to say hello? We’d love to hear from you: david.beard@natgeo.com. Thanks for reading!

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RJ Hamster

These underwater beasts inspire fear, superstition—and searches

These underwater beasts inspire fear, superstition—and searches

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