YOUR WEEKLY ESCAPE: The true story of the man who created the Illuminati

Plus: The world's largest bee isn't extinct after all, 40,000 years of London's history, and meeting a Russian spy whale [MEET THE FLYING CHOLITAS]( [VIEW ONLINE]( [MEET THE FLYING CHOLITAS]( [National Geographic]( Your Weekly Escape Extraordinary people, discoveries, and places in a time of turmoil Take a deep breath. In this crazy time, there are still amazing tales of purpose and dedication, exploration that leads to discovery and understanding, and a natural world that often astounds us. Here are a few of those stories: PHOTOGRAPH BY JONATHAN IRISH [This land is your land]( From pearly glaciers to sun-soaked beaches, get dazzling views of every U.S. national park. [SEE ALL 61 PHOTOS]( SHARE [F]( [T]( IMAGE COURTESY LEEMAGE/PRISMA [Meet the man who started the Illuminati]( This 18th century Bavarian professor would have been stunned if he had known his ideas would fuel global conspiracy theories, and inspire best-selling novels and blockbuster films. [SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE]( SHARE [F]( [T]( PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDRIA LO [How Alan Turing helps explain the dizzying beauty of these flowers]( Genetic specialists are using an old math formula to discover surprising clues behind the mystery of the monkeyflower's many varieties. [ENJOY]( SHARE [F]( [T]( PHOTOGRAPH BY CLAY BOLT [The world’s largest bee was thought extinct—until it was filmed in the wild]( Wallace’s giant bee—which can have a wingspan of up to 2.5 inches—disappeared for more than a century. Now it's back. "We yelled and screamed and hugged each other." [SEE IT]( SHARE [F]( [T]( [QUOTE] Be strong Bernadette Nobody will ever know I came here for a reason Perhaps there is a life here Of not being afraid of your own heart beating Do not be afraid of your own heart beating Look at very small things with your eyes & stay warm Bernadette Mayer Poet; from “[The Way to Keep Going in Antarctica]( PHOTOGRAPH BY LUISA DÖRR [Meet the women wrestling their way to equality in the High Andes]( Bolivia's stylish Flying Cholitas have merged modern wrestling with their community's history of activism. [GET READY]( SHARE [F]( [T]( PHOTOGRAPH BY JIM BEASLEY [Wildlife abounds in these abandoned places]( Studies of Korea's DMZ and radioactive zones around the Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plants show how animals respond when humans flee. Now that humans are holed up because of the pandemic, "nature has issued a sigh of relief." [TAKE A PEEK]( SHARE [F]( [T]( PHOTOGRAPH BY AUDUN RIKARDSEN [I swam with Russia's 'spy beluga']( Marine biologist Audun Rikardsen made this underwater portrait during his visit, and the whale even rescued one of the photographer’s flippers from the deep. "I was most struck by his friendliness—and his loneliness," Rikardsen says. [SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE]( SHARE [F]( [T]( [This is 40,000 years of London’s history—made entirely of paper]( Thousands of artifacts were unearthed when the Crossrail transportation system was built in London. These paper animations will take you on a journey through the city's history—from the Stone Age to the present day. [WATCH IT UNFOLD]( SHARE [F]( [T]( Need a distraction? [Unexpected movie masterpieces to watch in quarantine (The Atlantic)]( ›› [Books to help your brain escape the pandemic (Refinery 29)]( ›› This newsletter was edited and curated by Janey Adams and David Beard. [Sign up here]( to receive Your Weekly Escape and/or our daily newsletters—covering History, Travel, Science, Animals, and Photography news. See you next week. Blue skies, green lights! [SHOP]( [DONATE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [TRAVEL]( [READ OUR LATEST STORIES]( [SHOP]( [DONATE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [TRAVEL]( [FB]( [Twitter]( [IG]( Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply. This email was sent to: {EMAIL}. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored. This email contains an advertisement from: National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036 You are receiving this email because you elected to receive marketing communications from National Geographic under the terms of our [Privacy Policy]( [Manage all types of email preferences]( with National Geographic Partners. [Unsubscribe]( this type of email. If you reside in the EU/European Economic Area and wish to exercise all other data subject rights, [click here.]( © 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.