Why our mental image of Earth is all wrong. Plus, the face transplant; watch a bee hatch

Why our mental image of Earth is all wrong.…

CAN WE GET BETTER AT GEOGRAPHY THROUGH BETTER MAPS?

Friday, August 18, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we rethink how we view the Earth, question if drinking raw milk is worth the risks, wonder how this tiny country is an agriculture giant … and avoid microplastics in our homes. Plus, how much protein do we really need?

COURTESY DAVID RUMSEY MAP COLLECTION

Is most of Africa north or south of the equator? Should these two continents really be Northwest America and Southeast America (above)? Why do people think Greenland is so big?

Here’s why your mental view of the world is all wrong. And it’s not your fault.

WHAT’S WITH THESE MAPS?

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES

How to survive an encounter with wildlife—from bears to cougars (one above) to bison

How transplanting a face changed a life

How much protein do you really need?

Historian gives voice to 5 women targeted by Jack the Ripper

The EG.5 COVID variant is spiking in the U.S. Is it time to mask up?

Struggling to assess pandemic risks? You’re not alone.

‘Girl dinner’ broke the internet. Here’s what nutritionists think about it.

These 12 men shaped Christianity—but did they really exist?

Microplastics are hidden in your home. Here’s how to avoid them.

Reconstructing the face of a 700-year-old murder victim

The toll that sleep apnea takes on the body

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY REBECCA HALE, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

What’s up with raw milk? Millions of Americans are turning toward unpasteurized milk (aka, not treated with heat to kill disease-causing bacteria)—leaving some public health experts completely dismayed. But do the benefits outweigh the risks? (A glass of milk above.)

GOT (RAW) MILK?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANAND A. VARMA

Buzz buzz: Scientists believe more and more that farm chemicals thought to be safe for bees actually harm them. So they’re taking to the lab to measure the effects. (Above, a bee extends its proboscis to drink sugar water from a cotton applicator.) For World Honey Bee Day tomorrow we question: Can the world’s most important pollinators be saved?

HOW TO SAVE THE BEES

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY LUCA LOCATELLI

Crops around the clock: Seas of greenhouses cover the Netherlands, where farmers can in one acre produce as much lettuce as 10 outdoor acres. Or seek to answer the question: Do tomatoes grow best when bathed in LED light from above, beside, or some combination? (A plant scientist seeks that answer above.) Here’s how this tiny country has become an agriculture giant.

TINY NATION, BIG FOOD

Today’s soundtrack: Mi Verdad, Maná, Shakira

Happy Friday! This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. We’d love to hear from you: david.beard@natgeo.com.

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Why our mental image of Earth is all wrong. Plus, the face transplant; watch a bee hatch

Why our mental image of Earth is all wrong.…

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