Innholdsfortegnelse for Jan-15 i National Geographic Magazine

Nominate someone for 3 Questions at nationalgeographic.com/3Q. How I Felt to Be First On November 14, 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges walked past an angry crowd to become the first child to integrate a public elementary school in the American South. Now a mother, grandmother, and activist, the lifelong New Orleans resident heads the Ruby Bridges Foundation and travels all over the United States to tell her story. DID YOU EVER TALK TO YOUR MOTHER ABOUT HOW SHE FELT, SENDING YOU TO SCHOOL THAT FIRST DAY? We never really spoke about it. My parents definitely displayed courage. I’m the mother of four. I’m very protective, but I just don’t think that I possess that kind of courage. I know it was a different time, but as African Americans, my parents knew…

Love them or hate them, genetically modified foods are making their way into grocery stores. Soybeans and corn have been for sale in the U.S. since the 1990s. Now, if the FDA gives the green light, the first GM edible animal , a farmed fish known as AquAdvantage salmon, could one day join their ranks. Developed by Canadian scientists, the fish (right) is an Atlantic salmon with two tweaks to its DNA: a growth hormone gene from the large king salmon and genetic material from the eel-like ocean pout, to keep that growth hormone activated. The fish, which is female and sterile, should reach maximum size quickly in the land-based tanks where it would be raised. To help feed a hungry planet, the GM technology could be used in other…

Hot off the presses in 1915, Alfred Wegener’s book The Origin of Continents and Oceans sent tremors through the foundations of earth science. The German meteorologist was the first to weave together multidisciplinary evidence to support a then controversial theory of continental drift. While perusing a world atlas in 1910, Wegener pondered whether the shapes of the continents corresponded by mere coincidence. He later pieced them into a single “primordial continent” he called Pangaea, Greek for “all Earth.” Wegener theorized that this massive landform had existed until roughly 250 million to 200 million years ago, when today’s continents began to creep apart. For biologists, this explained the related plant and animal species on lands divided by oceans. For paleontologists, the theory fit with mesosaur fossils found in both South Africa…

“ I love the visceral, youthful, and joyful feeling Ujjal captured [below]. The way he waited for a specific gesture adds emotional punch to what might have been an ordinary moment.” —Jessie Wender, National Geographic senior photo editor Bogdan Comanescu Caransebes, Romania Comanescu was in the Danube Delta and met an 86-year-old fisherman named Artiom. The man sat on his lejanca, a traditional bed that’s an extension of the oven. Comanescu framed the fisherman in a mirror surrounded by family photos. Ujjal Dey Hyderabad, India In a park in his hometown Dey liked to watch kids play in the water fountains. One summer day right before sunset, he went inside the fountain and pointed his camera toward the sun, then waited for one of the children to jump.…

In the late 1980s, when the crack cocaine epidemic was ravaging America’s cities, Hallam Hurt, a neonatologist in Philadelphia, worried about the damage being done to children born to addicted mothers. She and her colleagues, studying children from low-income families, compared four-year-olds who’d been exposed to the drug with those who hadn’t. They couldn’t find any significant differences. Instead, what they discovered was that in both groups the children’s IQs were much lower than average. “These little children were coming in cute as buttons, and yet their IQs were like 82 and 83,” Hurt says. “Average IQ is 100. It was shocking. The revelation prompted the researchers to turn their focus from what differentiated the two groups toward what they had in common: being raised in poverty. To understand the…

The first face of the first Americans belongs to an unlucky teenage girl who fell to her death in a Yucatán cave some 12,000 to 13,000 years ago. Her bad luck is science’s good fortune. The story of her discovery begins in 2007, when a team of Mexican divers led by Alberto Nava made a startling find: an immense submerged cavern they named Hoyo Negro, the “black hole.” At the bottom of the abyss their lights revealed a bed of prehistoric bones, including at least one nearly complete human skeleton. Nava reported the discovery to Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History, which brought together an international team of archaeologists and other researchers to investigate the cave and its contents. The skeleton— affectionately dubbed Naia, after the water nymphs of…

This issue of National Geographic is built around the idea of “firsts”—discoveries, innovations, and actions that changed the world. As a first, it’s hard to top the bravery of Ruby Bridges, who tells us in our 3 Questions feature what it was like to be the first child to desegregate an American public elementary school in the South. We also use the term less formally, as in a photo essay on America’s “first” bird (the bald eagle) or a vibrant story on Africa’s “first” city (Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial center, which is driving the biggest economy on the continent). So in an issue of firsts, how do we forecast what comes next? What will be the next “firsts” that will change us, our families, our communities, and our planet? In an…

Your watch shouldn’t cost more than your car. It should look and feel like a power tool and not a piece of bling. Wearing it shouldn’t make you think twice about swinging a hammer or changing a tire. A real man’s timepiece needs to be ready for anything. But that’s just my opinion. If you agree, maybe you’re ready for the Stauer Centurion Hybrid. Use your Exclusive Promotional Code below and I’ll send it to you today for ONLY $59. This is a LOT of machine for not a lot of money. The Stauer Centurion Hybridsports a heavy-duty alloy body, chromed and detailed with a rotating bezel that allows you to track direction. The luminous hour and minute hands mean you can keep working into the night. And the dual…

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A Geothermal First? Can the “Emerald Isle of the Caribbean” be the first to go green? Montserrat is trying. Nearly 20 years after the Soufriere Hills volcano began erupting—rendering much of the island nation uninhabitable and exiling two-thirds of the population—the same geological forces could provide reliable, renewable geothermal energy. Like much of the Caribbean, this British overseas territory runs on costly oil and gas imports. But as on other islands, plate tectonics and volcanic activity bring magma close enough to the surface for geothermal wells to tap into the heated reservoirs just below. A single well can cost several million U.S. dollars, though. Last year, with U.K. funding, University of Auckland researcher Graham Ryan and an international team of scientists and engineers mapped two promising spots. Initial findings suggest…

These captive Magellanic penguin chicks are pioneers: Theirs is the first penguin species to produce young via artificial insemination. Success took more than a decade, as researchers acquired detailed knowledge of Magellanics’ reproductive biology. The near-threatened species was an ideal candidate for artificial insemination trials, says Justine O’Brien, scientific director of SeaWorld’s reproductive programs. That’s because the birds are easy to work with, and they’re closely related to endangered species such as Galápagos and African penguins. Now that the method has worked with Magellanics, researchers hope it can one day be employed with endangered penguin species. The ultimate goal, says O’Brien, is to use it to maintain genetically diverse captive penguin populations and perhaps even replenish depleted populations in the wild. WHO SPLIT FIRST? The announcement jolted the gelatinous world:…

For humans, sexual initiation can be a big deal—obsessed about, romanticized. The loss of virginity, it’s said, leaves one forever changed. “Tell me about it,” says the male hump-winged grig. The first female he mates with takes not just his innocence but bites of his body. Grigs are cricket-like insects whose annual mating season involves what behavioral ecologist Scott Sakaluk calls “an unusual form of sexual cannibalism.” To entice a female grig, a male makes a call by rubbing his forewings together, an act called stridulation. The male then seals the deal by letting the female munch on his hind wings during sex and lap up the hemolymph, the bug version of blood. “One night he’s a virgin. The next night he’s been chewed on,” Sakaluk says. Why do some…

39,000 years ago Scientists scrape samples for dating from the polychrome ceiling in Spain’s Altamira Cave, festooned with animals painted 19,000 to 15,000 years ago. Abstract symbols on the ceiling can be traced back at least another 20,000 years. ALTAMIRA MUSEUM, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, CULTURE, AND SPORT 35,000 Uncovered in 2008, the Venus figurine from Hohle Fels Cave in Germany is the oldest undisputed image of a human being. The loop above her torso suggests the carving was meant to be worn as a pendant. 25,000 Delicately carved from mammoth tusk, the Lady of Brassempouy was discovered in southwest France in 1894. Whether a “lady” or a youth, it is among the oldest representations of a human face. HILDE JENSEN, TÜBINGEN UNIVERSITY, GERMANY (LEFT); SISSE BRIMBERG, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE, AT…

WHEN HE WAS 15 YEARS OLD, David Adeoti worked in an Internet café in bluecollar Satellite Town, where it was almost possible to see the gleaming towers of Lagos Island less than ten miles to the east. Satellite Town was a step up for Adeoti. His birthplace was off to the north in Orile, a wretched village of flooded streets and collapsing buildings. Technology had provided his way out. The Internet café in Satellite Town was run as a side business by a banker, who saw that the boy had a natural facility for computers—even the shop’s ancient desktops, which operated at lurching speeds. The banker paid Adeoti a little more than $200 a month to run the place. Adeoti spent his money on courses at a technical institute, determined…

The eagle is a national symbol, not just for Americans, but for Germans like me and many other people too. Photographers tend to portray the birds as these majestic animals, always soaring in a blue sky with their plumage perfectly in place. In the Aleutian Islands in Alaska I found bald eagles that were wilder and tougher than that. They were dirty, they were wet, and they fought with each other, which is not what we expect from our national symbols. But maybe a bird that can deal with strong weather and difficult comrades makes a better source of inspiration. Around the village of Unalaska and nearby Dutch Harbor, the largest fishing port in the United States, the eagles are very much used to people. Fish are everywhere, and the…

I was taking warfarin. But ELIQUIS was a better find. I TAKE ELIQUIS® (apixaban) FOR 3 GOOD REASONS: 1 ELIQUIS reduced the risk of stroke better than warfarin. 2 ELIQUIS had less major bleeding than warfarin. 3 Unlike warfarin, there’s no routine blood testing. ELIQUIS and other blood thinners increase the risk of bleeding which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. For people with a higher risk of stroke due to Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) not caused by a heart valve problem ELIQUIS® (apixaban) is a prescription medicine used to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in people who have atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: ▪ Do not stop taking ELIQUIS for atrial fibrillation…

Roofing Shingles Made Between 1998 and 2009, You Could Receive Benefits from Class Action Settlements Settlements have been reached with Building Materials Corporation of America (known as GAF Materials Corp.) (“GAF”) involving Timberline® roofing shingles (“Shingles”). The lawsuits claim a defect that might cause the roofing Shingles to prematurely crack, split or tear. GAF claims that the Shingles were not defective and that GAF’s warranty appropriately covers any problems. The Settlements include two Classes covering Shingles made: (1) between 1999 and 2007 at GAF’s plant in Mobile, Alabama and (2) between 1998 and 2009 at other GAF manufacturing plants. Am I included? You may be included if you own any property in the United States with Timberline® Shingles made during the relevant time periods. What do the Settlements provide? The…

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted, sending a column of ash and smoke 80,000 feet into the atmosphere. From that chaos, something beautiful emerged… our spectacular Spirit Lake Helenite Ring. Created from the superheated volcanic rock dust of that historic eruption, helenite has become the gorgeous green of choice for jewelry and fashion designers worldwide. Today you can wear this 4-carat stunner for only $99! Helenite’s vivid color and immaculate clarity rivals mined gems that sell for thousands per carat. Our exclusive design highlights this visually stunning stone with a concave cut set in .925 sterling silver loaded with brilliant white, lab-created DiamondAura®. Includes 60-day purchase price guarantee. Spirit Lake Helenite Ring — Offer Code Price Only $99 + S&P Save $250! You must use the insider offer…

If Jack Kerouac were writing today, he might title his book Off the Road. After six decades of growth in driving, America’s love affair with the automobile has hit a ditch. More teens and young adults are waiting to get their first driver’s license— or opting not to get one at all. In 2009 people ages 16 to 34 drove 23 percent fewer miles than in 2001. Some say they’re too busy to get a license. Others cite cars’ cost and hassle or the benefits of biking, walking, and taking mass transit. A 2013 study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found vehicle registration down 6 percent since 2008, when the recession hit. But the decline may be about more than economics. Online and mobile technologies— which fuel…

THERE’S A FIRST TIMEfor everything. In fact we are so inundated by “firsts” that it’s easy to lose sight of when the milestones took place. Some firsts happened earlier than you might think: The first successful cesarean in the United States was performed in 1794—by the patient’s husband. Others occurred in an order that seems unexpected: The moon was mapped centuries before the ocean floor. EARLIEST IDEAS 500 B.C. Fire One million years agoHumans learn to control fire. Wheel 3500 B.C. Early wheels are used as pottery turntables and to transport goods via sledges. Domesticated livestock 9000 B.C. Sheep and goats are tamed in the Middle East, then pigs and cattle. Olympic Games 776 B.C. Competitions are closely linked to festivals honoring the god Zeus. A.D. 400 MIDDLE AGES 1400…

Costa Rica Waking up on a tree branch near Guayacán de Siquirres, a redeyed tree frog peers through a gold-striped, semitransparent eyelid. The scarlet eyes on this toxic, three-inchlong amphibian might be an example of startle coloration—a defense strategy some animals use to ward off predators. PHOTO: INGO ARNDT Bulgaria Fatme Inus wears face paint, tinsel, and manyhued sequins on her wedding day in Ribnovo. The colorful tradition, which symbolizes status change, is called gelina. It’s practiced by Bulgarian-speaking Muslims—also known as Pomaks—whose wedding celebrations span two days and involve hundreds of villagers. PHOTO: SEAN GALLUP, GETTY IMAGES China Seen from a flowering hillside, the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces are a mosaic of color: green shrubs, red duckweed, and blue sky reflected in the irrigated fields. The Hani people have…

The first anatomically modern people evolved in Africa some 200,000 years ago, but undisputed evidence of modern human behavior—body ornaments, symbols scratched on ocher, more complex tools—does not begin to appear for another 100,000 years. Stenciled handprints, such as the one above from El Castillo Cave in Spain, at least 37,000 years old, send a timeless message: Like you, I am human. I am alive. I was here. MIDDLE PALEOLITHIC/MIDDLE STONE AGE When did art begin? Some scientists regard strikingly symmetrical stone hand axes produced at least a half million years ago as expreessions of style as well as function. But objects created purely for their symbolic or ornamental value are much younger, appearing first in Africa and the Middle East. Human and animal figures Objects like the volcanic rock…

It used to be said that cosmologists, the scientists who study the universe as a whole, are “often in error but never in doubt.” Nowadays they’re less often in error, but their doubts have grown as big as all outdoors. After decades of research involving new and better telescopes, light detectors, and computers, cosmologists can now state with some assurance that the universe was born 13 billion, 820 million years ago, most likely as a bubble of space smaller than an atom. For the first time they’ve mapped the cosmic background radiation— light released when the universe was only 378,000 years old—to an accuracy of better than a tenth of one percent. But they have also concluded that all the stars and galaxies they see in the sky make up…

A Failed First Though they planted the Union Jack (at far left) upon arrival at the South Pole in January 1912, members of Robert Falcon Scott’s British Antarctic expedition had found Norwegian flags already flying there. Roald Amundsen’s rival expedition had reached the Pole first—and then departed—a little more than a month before. But Edward Wilson, Scott, Edgar Evans, Lawrence Oates, and Henry Bowers (left to right) still marked their accomplishment with this photo. A look through the loupe reveals how they all made it into the frame: A string to trigger the camera is visible, grasped in Wilson’s mitten. The portrait was one of their last. None of them survived the journey home. Within a month Evans had died. A month later Oates, frostbitten, left the group and never…

In 1865, the American Midwest was a blank canvas, poised for transformation. Our founder saw the potential and began his trade business there, storing and moving grain on a revolutionary scale. It was the first milestone in our rich history of innovation, and 150 years later, our firsts have given way to new markets, new ingredients and new ways of transporting food. We’ve pioneered agricultural systems that yield sustainable crops and increase farmer incomes. And as we approach a future with even higher stakes, we’re behind the innovations that are shaping a nourished world that can thrive. Learn more at cargill.com/150 1865 The first grain warehouse Cargill was born into the uncertainty of post-Civil War America as a single storage site in Iowa. W. W. Cargill followed the construction of…

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