National Geographic Magazine

Amazing discoveries and experiences await you in every issue of National Geographic magazine. The latest news in science, exploration, and culture will open your eyes to the world’s many wonders.

Connections That Keep Us Healthy

TRANSFORMING TRASH INTO PROTEST ART • LOOKING AT THE EARTH FROM EVERY POSSIBLE ANGLE

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How the Midwest Is Latin American • BIG EXTENDED FAMILIES. SMALL-TOWN HEART. TIES TO THE LAND, TO NEIGHBORS, TO HOME. HAVE YOU LIVED HERE BEFORE? NO, AND YES.

THE HIDDEN STRENGTH OF GIANT WATER LILIES • THEY LOOK LIKE THE STUFF OF FAIRY TALES, BUT THEY’RE AS SOLID AS THE WORK OF ENGINEERS.

‘Spines on sticks’ honor Andean dead

STEP INTO CLOUDS • The trek to Nepal’s Annapurna Base Camp gets close to Himalayan peaks—without Everest crowds.

To keep unwanted guests out of your yard, try our natureapproved tips.

WHEN SHE ATTRACTS HIM, AND HIM, AND HIM, AND…

Going Ever Deeper • FOR DECADES, HIGHLY SKILLED CAVERS HAVE COME TO MEXICO TO EXPLORE A LABYRINTH WITHIN A MOUNTAIN: CHEVE, WHICH MAY (OR MAY NOT) BE THE DEEPEST CAVE ON EARTH.

FEATURES

THE POWER OF TOUCH • It was the first SENSATION we felt as infants—the soothing caress of others. Now researchers are learning more about how crucial HUGS and handshakes are to our HEALTH, and our HUMANITY.

RESTORING TOUCH • Today’s most advanced experimental prosthetics are designed not only to move with precision but also to feel. This robotic arm, created by researchers at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology, is surgically attached to bone and interacts with nerves in the arm to relay touch to the brain.

AN UNDERSEA SPLENDOR, UNDER STRESS • SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST BRILLIANT CORAL REEFS ARE PROTECTED BY THE PHILIPPINES. BUT OTHERS THERE ARE BEING DAMAGED BY CLIMATE CHANGE AND DESTRUCTIVE FISHING.

THE COMEBACK CATS • TWO DECADES AGO IBERIAN LYNX WERE NEARING EXTINCTION. NOW THE CATS ARE REBOUNDING, THANKS TO CAPTIVE BREEDING IN SPAIN—AND THE ANIMALS’ KNACK FOR AVOIDING PEOPLE.

ANGLING TO SAVE A PASTIME • COLD-WATER RUNS OF TROUT, SALMON, AND OTHER FISH ARE BEING OVERHEATED BY CLIMATE CHANGE, HITTING FISHERS RIGHT WHERE THEY SPEND THEIR BEST DAYS.

NADIA SHIRA COHEN