The floating ocean island of trash is actually full of life. Plus, female hunter upending gender role assumptions, copperhead snake bites

And, the newest Nat Geo quiz. Do you know the answer?  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

A LAKE OF BONES VIEW ONLINE

A LAKE OF BONES

ONE ANIMAL’S TRASH IS ANOTHER ONE’S HOME Wednesday, July 26, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we discover an entire ecosystem living in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, ask if human empathy is in a deficit, learn more about copperhead snake bites ... and discover how a prehistoric female hunter upended gender role assumptions.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DENIS RIEK A dynamic group of sea life, like above violet snail, has made their home in an area dubbed the Great Pacific Garbage Patch—the biggest cluster of floating marine debris in the world. Creatures that float near the surface suffuse the rubbish in much greater quantities than ever realized. What other life exists in this garbage island? And what does it say about our use (and disposal) of plastic? LIFE SUSTAINED BY TRASH?

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY KIRN VINTAGE STOCK, CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

If you’ve felt like people are getting crueler, you may be right. (Above, a laughing crowd of teenage boys throws another boy into a pond) DNA study deepens mystery of lake full of skeletons Was Napoleon Bonaparte a ‘good’ dictator?

How did Death Valley gets its name? Not from the heat. Omega-3s are more critical for your health than we thought What is the Feast of the Seven Fishes?

What you need to know about copperhead snake bites Iceland has entered a new volcanic era How did iconic composer Antonio Vivaldi go from superstar musical genius to has-been icon? Prehistoric female hunter discovery upends gender role assumptions

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION What’s in a name? Moths or butterflies. Bison (above) or buffalo. Possum or opossum. Do you know the reason behind different names behind similar-looking animals? A. Climate B. Creature habits C. Bad spellers CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIAN J. SKERRY, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION They can do it all: Mangroves can stabilize coastlines against erosion and cleanse toxins from waters. They act as a nursery for birds, fish, shellfish, and sharks by providing food, shade, and protection from predators, tidal surges, and heat. On this International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, these protectors need protection. (Above, red mangroves in Belize.) Related: Can restoring mangroves protect Miami from rising seas? Understanding the invaluable purpose of mangrove forests Growing up in Ecuador’s mystical mangroves LEARN MORE

WHO’S A GOOD BOY??

PHOTOGRAPH BY ERIKA LARSEN, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION You're a good boyyyy: One of the main reasons Americans relinquish their dogs to shelters is due to behavior problems—so some dog breeders are looking past coat color and size and focusing on health and friendliness. (Above, a woman hugs a retired greyhound that she adopted in Florida.) PUPS, PLEASE!

Today’s soundtrack: Closer to Fine, Indigo Girls This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. Want to say hello? We'd love to hear from you: hannah.farrow@natgeo.com. Thanks for reading!

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