YOUR WEEKLY ESCAPE: The science of the heebie-jeebies

Creepy clowns and twisted tales: Plus, would your dog eat you if you died? [THE TWISTED TALE OF A HALLOWEEN ICON]( [VIEW ONLINE]( [THE TWISTED TALE OF A HALLOWEEN ICON]( [National Geographic]( Your Weekly Escape Extraordinary people, discoveries, and places in a time of turmoil PHOTOGRAPH BY HULTON ARCHIVE, GETTY IMAGES [The real reason clowns creep us out]( "In many ways, clowns combine a perfect storm of freaky things," says the author of the first large study of creepiness. [OMG]( SHARE [F]( [T]( [FROM OUR ARCHIVES: Vintage photos of creepy clowns +]( PHOTOGRAPH BY NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND [The twisted transatlantic tale of American jack-o'-lanterns]( Celtic rituals, tricks of nature, and deals with the devil have all played a part in creating this iconic symbol of Halloween. [FREAKY FACTS]( SHARE [F]( [T]( PHOTOGRAPH BY JOEL SARTORE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO ARK [Would your dog eat you if you died?]( You might not look at your beloved Bella or Buddy the same way after reading this. [GNAW]( SHARE [F]( [T]( ILLUSTRATION BY ARMANDO VEVE [Hundreds of tiny arachnids are on your face right now]( Scientists aren't sure what microscopic face mites do, but they know where to find them: in the pores and hair follicles of most adult humans' faces. [SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE]( SHARE [F]( [T]( [QUOTE] Your hair is winter fire January embers My heart burns there, too Stephen King Author, from [It]( PHOTOGRAPH BY TOMAS BRAVO, REUTERS [10 things you may not have known about the Day of the Dead]( First thing's first: Día de los Muertos is not a Mexican version of Halloween. [SEE THE LIST]( SHARE [F]( [T]( [ SHORT FILM SHOWCASE ]( [This deserted town is filled with dolls]( Welcome to Nagoro, Japan. Human population: 37. Doll population: 350. [WATCH VIDEO]( SHARE [F]( [T]( PHOTOGRAPH BY ALAMY/CORDON PRESS [These terrifying bedtime tales were never intended for children]( Ever hear the one about the evil stepsisters whose eyes were pecked out by birds? [SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE]( SHARE [F]( [T]( PHOTOGRAPH BY ANAND VARMA, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION [Zombies are everywhere. You could become one too.]( In the wild, insects, worms, viruses, and fungi turn animals into hyper-specialized zombies. Some of them can also take over humans. [UGH]( SHARE [F]( [T]( Need a distraction? [21 underrated horror movies you can stream now (Time)]( ›› [A chilling new find about Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn (Guardian)]( ›› [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! [NGM]( [NGM]( [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. © 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.