The Compass: An incredible glowing creature, a mysterious human relative, and the strange histories of what we put on or inside our bodies.

This week, Compass gets a little strange.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

SEE BELOW, CAN YOU GUESS THE RIGHT ANSWER? VIEW ONLINE

SEE BELOW, CAN YOU GUESS THE RIGHT ANSWER?

THE COMPASS

This week, Compass gets a little strange. See the newly discovered trait of one of the planet’s strangest creatures, discover ancient footprints that hint at mysterious human relative with a strange walk, and learn the strange histories of the stuff we put in—and on—our bodies. Plus, top stories you may have missed.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF JONATHAN MARTIN/NORTHLAND COLLEGE; FROM ANICH ET AL. 2020 We knew platypuses were incredible. Now we know they glow, too The fur of the platypus glows under a blacklight—a finding that raises questions about its role in these strange mammals. ANOTHER ODD TRAIT

PHOTOGRAPHS BY AUSTIN C. HILL AND CATHERINE MILLER Ancient footprints hint at mysterious human relative with a strange walk Long written off as bear tracks, prints at a site in Tanzania suggest early humans walked on two feet in surprisingly diverse ways. But questions abound. A MYSTERIOUS UPRIGHT-WALKING HOMININ

GOOD READS

1. Noticing more cicadas this year in the U.S.? There may be a reason. 2. Counter or fridge? Here’s how to store fruits and veggies for maximum freshness. 3. The Mediterranean diet has stood the test of time for a reason: It works. 4. 10 million enslaved Americans' names are missing from history. AI is helping identify them.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAXAR VIA GETTY IMAGES Tonga's strange volcanic eruption was even more massive than we knew The ferocious 2021 explosion blew out 2.3 cubic miles of rock, unleashing a 35-mile-high plume and a global tsunami that sent scientists racing to understand the blast. Now they're finally putting together the pieces. WINDOW INTO THE DEEP

IN THE MOUNTAINOUS FORESTS OF NEW GUINEA, SCIENTISTS HAVE DESCRIBED A NEW KIND OF ANIMAL WHOSE MALES SPORT A SINGLE, FLESHY SPIKE ON THEIR NOSE. WHAT IS IT? A. RHINO B. MONKEY C. FROG CLICK TO SEE IF YOU'RE RIGHT!

PHOTOGRAPH BY FOODFOLIO/PICTURE PRESS/REDUX The strange histories of the stuff we put in—and on—our bodies What did the ancients use as deodorant? How did salsa become popular? The history of the everyday things we often take for granted is filled with happy accidents. THE HISTORY OF EVERYDAY THINGS

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOEL SARTORE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO ARK The strangest deep-sea creatures washed ashore by hurricanes Storms like Hurricane Florence take a toll on marine life and carry in surprises for beachcombers. RAISING THE DEEP

The 5 'Blue Zones' where the world's healthiest people live. + GET INTO THE ZONE Volcanoes don't just erupt on schedule—but they have been in Iceland. + LIKE CLOCKWORK Reconstructing the face of a 700-year-old murder victim. + UNSOLVED MYSTERY

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