Plus, why are cougars fighting wolves (no ones knows); the strange history behind the Pledge of Allegiance
| Saturday, August 26, 2023 | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPHS BY LUCA LOCATELLI | |
Only 17 million people live in this precious and fertile land, chunks of which were reclaimed by the sea. Its innovative farmers have sharply cut water use, chemical fertilizers, and the use of antibiotics in livestock.
Yet their yield is often twice the global average, and their scientists (one shown testing the best light for tomatoes) are trying to increase it. The densely populated Netherlands already is the world’s No. 2 food producer, behind only the United States, which has 270 times the land mass. How do the Dutch do it?
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Always growing: Furrows of artificial light lend an otherworldly aura to these round-the-clock, all-year, climate-controlled Dutch farms. Read more. | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY ANTHONY B. STEWART, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION | | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY SETH CASTEEL, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
| | Perceptive pets: Today we honor our beloved pups in recognition of National Dog Day. Some of our furry family members love to swim, like the exuberant black Labrador Retriever chasing a tennis ball (above) photographed by Seth Casteel as part of his famous series on dogs underwater.
You know what else dogs can catch? Their owner’s emotions. Studies show that canines can pick up chemical and physiological cues from people that allow our moods to become “contagious.”
Related: What are animals thinking? They feel empathy, grieve, seek joy just like us.
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 | | R. CHIPAULT/RMN-GRAND PALAIS | |
Ancient influence on modern day: This ancient tablet, which bears a religious text, comes from land that sits between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The land is called Sumer. And its people gave birth to human civilizations' first cities—and to innovations in transportation, literature, and monumental architecture.
Sumerian culture flourished for more than 2,000 years and was the dominant power in Mesopotamia. Discover more about these enterprising peoples and their numerous innovations, including the above tablet, which was created using cuneiform, the world’s first writing system.
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 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY KHALED DESOUKI, AFP/GETTY IMAGES | |
How to spot a fake: At the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar in Cairo, Egypt (above), tourists walk past shops selling colorful stained-glass lamps. What used to be a strong economy for artists to sell their craft has become increasingly inundated with knockoffs. Can you tell the difference in the souvenirs you purchase? And what are the impacts if you can’t?
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Today’s soundtrack: Picking Flowers on the Moon, Glenn Yoder and the Western Stars
This newsletter has been curated and edited by David Beard, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and Jen Tse. Amanda Williams-Bryant, Alisher Egamov, Rita Spinks, and Jeremy Brandt-Vorel also contributed this week. Thanks for reading! | | | |
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