💡 The Strange Rise of Daydreaming

The latest from Nautilus, the top science news, and more. [View in Browser]( | [Join Nautilus]( Did a friend forward this? Sign up here Together with Hello there Nautilus readers, and thanks for dropping in. Today we’re back with more from The Reality Issue. Did you know Einstein had another theory of everything? He tried to do for matter what he did for gravity—explain it using spacetime. Plus, we explore why daydreamers can become addicted to their fantasy lives. And in the news: fasting-aging brain regions, “love blindness” in animals, the hot donut inside Earth, and more. Thanks for writing in with the wisdom your parents imparted to you. I remember my dad showing me how to downshift gears on my dirtbike, to scale a scarily steep boulder on a mountain trail. Check out today’s question (on your fantasies) and free story (on a thrilling geological mystery) below. Hope you enjoy the rest of the long weekend! — Brian Gallagher The latest from Nautilus Einstein’s Other Theory of Everything After Einstein explained gravity as a consequence of curved spacetime, he tried to explain matter the same way. [Continue Reading→]( The Strange Rise of Daydreaming Why people become addicted to fantasy lives. [Continue Reading→]( Don’t limit your curiosity. Enjoy unlimited ad-free Nautilus stories every month for less than $5/month. [Join now]( Tired of Battling Spam Calls on Your Phone? Here's How to Make Them Disappear. Every day, your personal data, including phone number, is sold to the highest bidder by data brokers. This leads to annoying robocalls from random companies and, worse, makes you vulnerable to scammers. Meet [Incogni](: your solution against robocalls. It actively removes your personal data from the web, fighting data brokers and protecting your privacy. Unlike other services, [Incogni]( targets all data brokers, including those elusive People Search Sites. Put an end to those never-ending robocalls and email spam on your iPhone now. Use the code NAUTILUS55 to get [55% off]( an annual plan. [Buy Now]( *Thank you for supporting our sponsors. The top science news this week • The regions of the human brain that grew the most during our species’ evolution are the most prone to aging. [Read on The New York Times→]( • “Love blindness”—the idea that romantic engagement can bias sensory perception—reflects a common behavioral principle across organisms, including fruit flies. [Read on Nature→]( • Scientists successfully detected a weak, planet-wide electric field as fundamental as Earth’s gravity and magnetic fields. [Read on NASA→]( • There’s a donut-shaped region in the Earth’s hot core that sits parallel to the equator. [Read on Phys.org→]( • Researchers discover that marmosets—little monkeys native to South America—refer to one another by name, an ability previously observed only among dolphins and elephants (and humans). [Read on CNN→]( *Indicates sponsor/partner content. Thank you for supporting our sponsors. WE ARE CURIOUS TO KNOW... What is a recurring fantasy you enjoy escaping into? Send us your answer! Reply to this newsletter with a brief explanation of your response, and we’ll reveal the top answers in a future newsletter. This question was inspired by “The Strange Rise of Daydreaming.” [Read on Nautilus→]( Top answers to our previous question: On Something You Learned from Your Parents One idea my mother imparted to me was that I should never let anyone tell me I can't do something. She was literally a “Rosie the Riveter,” welding ships during World War II. She put herself through welding school at 17 and took a bus from Virginia, 2,000 miles across the country, alone, to apply as a welder in a Portland, Oregon, shipyard. So when I retired and decided I wanted to be a wedding officiant, people said I wouldn’t be successful, there wouldn’t be enough customers, etc, I ignored them. I now have a very nice wedding business, voted the best in our area, and plenty of customers to keep me from being bored in retirement. Mom was right! – Sandra E. My mom told me, “I can get you everything you need, but I can’t get you everything you want.” I thought about that because I wanted more or different stuff, so I went out and got a paying job. – Jill H. After 27 years working for one of the biggest corporations in the U.S. my father told me, “They never forgive you for being right.” After decades of working for IBM and Northwestern Mutual Life, I realize how right he was. – Steve N. Find Out Why Mushrooms are Punk Find out why mushrooms are punk in [Mushroom Punks](, a zine/foraging guide by artist and designer Bella Lalonde. [Get your copy for just $15.]( [Buy now]( Today’s unlocked free story PALEONTOLOGY The Day the Mesozoic Died How the story of the dinosaurs’ demise was uncovered. BY SEAN B. CARROLL Built upon the slopes of Mount Ingino in Umbria, the ancient town of Gubbio boasts many well-preserved structures that document its glorious history. [Continue reading]( P.S. The Nobel Prize-winning American physicist Luis Alvarez died on this day in 1988. In 1980, with his son Walter, who was a geologist, and other colleagues, he published a paper in Science arguing that what killed the dinosaurs was an impact from a massive asteroid. “It is a remarkable, bold synthesis across different scientific fields, perhaps unmatched in scope by any other single paper in the modern scientific literature,” wrote Sean B. Carroll. “The idea of a catastrophic event on Earth was [not just disturbing, it was considered unscientific](. Until the asteroid impact papers, explanations for the disappearance of the dinosaurs usually invoked gradual changes in climate or in the food chain to which the animals could not adapt.” When the impact crater was identified, in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, the discovery was bittersweet for Walter, because his father had passed away just before the discovery. Thanks for reading! What did you think of today's note? 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 3112 Windsor Rd, Ste A-391 Austin, TX, 78703 Don't want to hear from us anymore? [Unsubscribe](