💡 Life Lessons from Hell-House Venus

The latest from Nautilus, this week’s Facts So Romantic, and your question of the day. [View in browser](| [Join Nautilus]( Together with Did a friend forward this? [Subscribe here.]( Hello there Nautilus readers, and thanks for dropping in. Today we hear out some life lessons from the hell-house of Venus. Plus, there’s reading through grief, polluting our forests (with noise), and predicting earthquakes in a new way. And in this week’s Facts So Romantic—a “squishy lid,” the most literal kind of bibliotherapy, and more. I was startled by the number of responses to our question on memorable voices—it clearly struck a chord. Check out today’s question (on hiking) and free story (on personal heroes) below. Hope today treats you well! —Brian Gallagher The latest in Nautilus ASTRONOMY Life Lessons from Hell-House Venus How our inhospitable neighbor can help us find life elsewhere. BY ELIZABETH FERNANDEZ Hold a grain of sand up to the night sky at arm’s length. [Continue reading→]( Become an Expert on Your Own Body The [Samsung Galaxy Watch FE]( is more than just a watch. It’s a sleep coach, a heart monitor, a personal trainer, and more—all in a stylish package. With the [Galaxy Watch FE](, you can keep an eye on your heart with ECG Monitoring, get data on body fat, and track your fitness goals. [Pick one up]( and start making healthier, more informed choices. [Shop Samsung]( More from Nautilus PSYCHOLOGY Reading Through Grief Trying to turn the page on my mom’s death. BY CODY DELISTRATY [Continue reading→]( ENVIRONMENT A New Way to Predict Earthquakes Using geometry to figure out where the next big one will strike. BY LISA S. GARDINER[Continue reading→]( The Art of Recycling Artist Matt Wilson transforms found utensils into recycled metal sculptures of birds. Visit [Colossal]( to see more of his wonderful winged creations. [Visit Colossal]( FACTS SO ROMANTIC The 5 Best Things We Learned Today Instead of having rigid plates sliding around, colliding with one another, and pulling apart, like on Earth, Venus appears to have what’s called a “squishy lid.” [Nautilus→]( In ancient Egypt, passages written on papyrus were sometimes dissolved in a solution and eaten, the most literal kind of bibliotherapy. [Nautilus→]( Many mammals in the African savannah are more scared of humans than lions. [Nautilus→]( The first 20th-century historical document to top $1 million was a letter Einstein wrote to U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt warning that the Nazis were pursuing a nuclear bomb. [The Guardian→]( More than 3,300 experiments have been conducted in the microgravity of the International Space Station. [NASA→]( WE'RE CURIOUS TO KNOW... What is a hiking experience of yours that you’ll never forget? Let us know! Reply to this newsletter with your response, briefly explaining your choice, and we’ll reveal the top answers. (This question was inspired by “[We’re Polluting Our Forests—with Noise](.”[)]( Top Answers to Our Previous Question(On Who Has a Memorable Voice) • Christopher Lee. His booming baritone was simply unmistakable—and legendary. – Joshua S. • I have the voice of Lawrence Welk imprinted deep in my brain. I can still hear him introducing dance couples and the pieces his orchestra played. – Tom A. • Vincent Price. It may be the fact that I’m an elder millennial who grew up with Scooby Doo, or that I have a thing for Tim Burton films. – Fallon C. • Marilyn Monroe. In her voice there was sexuality, of course; but there were also notes of vulnerability and longing. – Barbara S. • Morgan Freeman’s voice is so distinctive that I could probably identify it underwater. – Mike F. • James Earl Jones. His voice reaches right into your soul. – John Y. • Jeff Goldblum! His voice is his brand, and anything else is just icing on the cake. – Linda G. • Anthony Hopkins. His distinctive voice I could pick out with the first word. – Kathleen F. • Majel Barret Roddenberry—the voice of Star Trek. – Rob C. • Mae West. Even as a child I recognized the sassy, sexy, sultry, independent sound as a statement of something unexpected from a woman of her time. – Debbi B. • Rod Serling from the original Twilight Zone. – Sanda E. • Joni Mitchell, nobody can match her. The complexity and range of her songs… – Craig B. • Whitney Houston, hands down! – Sandy M. • It’s got to be Andrea Bocelli, the greatest gift Italy ever gave us. – Fletcher C. QUOTE OF THE DAY “I wanted to leave the confined world of imaginary disaster and misfortune I so easily and intuitively constructed, to instead see myself and my grief from above, hoping that in its new vantage, I might find fresh insight.” [Cody Delistraty writes about his foray into the ancient practice of bibliotherapy.]( Your free story this Thursday! COMMUNICATION It’s Personal: Five Scientists on the Heroes Who Changed Their Lives Meet the inspiring people—none named Einstein—who helped these scientists find their calling. BY ALAN LIGHTMAN, HOPE JAHREN, ROBERT SAPOLSKY, PRIYAMVADA NATARAJAN & CALEB SCHARF [Continue reading for free→]( Sometimes You Just Click Culture is what connects us. No one knows that better than childhood friends Olu and WowGr8 of the experimental hip hop duo EarthGang. That’s why they were the perfect choice to read Claudia Geib’s [story]( “Clicking with Your Kin” about the special sounds sperm whales use to identify their clans. “Music is one of the characteristics that distinguishes different cultural groups amongst us humans, and helps us to identify ourselves — a trait that, as this research suggests, we seem to share with sperm whales,” Geib told us. “As such, it feels particularly appropriate to have a musical duo reading this story. Thanks to EarthGang for this fantastic reading. I'd love to see your collab with the whales themselves next!” You can now [watch]( or [listen]( to EarthGang read Geib’s story on [YouTube]( or [Spotify](. P.S. The American author and disability rights advocate Helen Keller was born on this day in 1880. She lost her sight and hearing before she was two years old. “I got used to the silence and darkness that surrounded me,” she once recounted, “and forgot that it had ever been different.” [Keller is a personal hero of plant scientist Hope Jahren](: “Each time I read Keller’s work,” she wrote, “I am reminded that I should use all of my senses as I study the world, that I should periodically scour the corners of my imagination for hints that my subconscious may be dropping, fueled as it is by information that I cannot recognize as having consciously acquired.” Today’s newsletter was written by Brian Gallagher Thanks for reading. [Tell us](mailto:brian.gallagher@nautil.us?subject=&body=) your thoughts on today’s note. Plus, if you find our content valuable, consider [becoming a member]( to support our work, and inspire a friend to sign up for [the Nautilus newsletter](. Copyright © 2024 NautilusNext, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from [nautil.us](. Our mailing address is: NautilusNext 360 W 36th Street, 7S, New York, NY 10018 Don't want to hear from us anymore? [Unsubscribe](