Also, plummeting sperm; Pilgrims' true story; amazing Nat Geo photographs
|  | Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY TODD HEISLER, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX | |
American tall tales don’t get any taller than Paul Bunyan. Sitting around frontier campfires, loggers and traders swapped stories about the lumberjack whose mighty ax carved the Grand Canyon. And how his sidekick, Babe the Blue Ox, dug out Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes.
That said, a road trip from Maine can find the twists and turns of these tales (above, the “World’s Largest Animated Talking Bunyan”). Along the way, Nat Geo discovers, surprisingly, little bits of truth.
| | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY PAOLO WOODS | | Michelangelo’s hidden artwork? There’s a trapdoor hidden beneath a wardrobe at a chapel in Florence. Below it, stone steps lead to an oblong room. On the walls, unsigned sketches (above) are believed to be the handiwork of famed Renaissance artist Michelangelo.
The room beneath the Medici Chapel has been largely off-limits, but it will now open to the public on a trial basis. Read more. | | | |
| Beavers and desserts: As holiday season—and dessert recipes—kick into high gear, so does the demand for the beloved vanilla ingredient. But does vanilla flavoring really contain a goo called castoreum that comes from beavers?
Don't toss out that vanilla ice cream yet! Nat Geo talks to the experts to sort this out. | | | |
| Pictures of the Year: We’re out with our top photo picks for 2023, from more than 2 million selections around the world. Among them, this stunning image of a braided sea krait swimming toward the Pacific surface in Palau. See our other top picks.
Related: Top wildlife photos of the year
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Today’s soundtrack: Hey There Delilah, EZ Band
Thanks for reading today’s newsletter! It was curated and edited by Jen Tse, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. Have an idea for us? Let us know! See you tomorrow! | | | |
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