PDF version of this release available here.
This month, a special issue celebrates the 125th anniversary of the National Geographic Society on Jan. 13. The issue, themed The New Age of Exploration, focuses on risk takers and new frontiers. For the first time in the magazine's history, the issue features five covers, representing different extremes of exploration: the wildest, the smallest, the highest, the deepest and the farthest.
A photo portfolio looks at different moments of exploration; restless genes and the compulsion in some to see what lies beyond are explored; various risk takers are profiled; the viability of humans traveling to the stars is discussed; the diversity of Ecuador's Yasun National Park, as it faces threat from oil development, is documented; a scientific expedition to Antarctica in 1912 is recalled; and the microscopic world of microbes is examined.
Look for the January issue on digital newsstands (iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire and Nook) Dec. 14 and on print newsstands Dec. 25.
Exclusive content for the digital edition includes:
Human Migration map - Take a look at the generalized route humans took when they began their migration out of Africa some 60,000 years ago until they had spread to all corners of the Earth (route includes migration dates).
Reaching for the Stars video - Tour a futuristic spaceship with sci-fi artist Stephen Martiniere what would a starship built to carry generations of colonists beyond our solar system look like?
How to Propel a Starship interactive - Learn about different ways to propel a starship; included are pros, cons, maps and diagrams.
Amazon Adventure video - Follow a team of our photographers as they document the astounding diversity of Ecuador's Yasun National Park, one of the wildest places on Earth.
Camping in the Antarctic video - See footage of how a group of explorers pitched a tent in 1912 and bundled up to survive the Antarctic nights.
Bacteria and the Body's Neighborhoods graphic - Tap on the different regions of the human body to learn about the unique populations of bacteria each contains.
Rain Forest Sale, by Scott Wallace, photographs by Tim Laman, Ivan Kashinsky, Karla Gachet, David Liittschwager, Steve Winter (Page 82)
The diversity of life in Yasun National Park, a 3,800-square-mile pristine rain forest in eastern Ecuador, is almost incomprehensible: nearly 600 species of birds, 10 confirmed species of monkeys, and more insect species in a single hectare as are known in all of the U.S. and Canada combined. But the number that has brought greatest attention to the park is the estimated 850 million barrels of oil in untapped reserves inside Yasun 's northeastern corner in a tract known as the ITT Block, ground zero of the oil controversy. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, in a proposal first put forward in 2007, has offered to leave untouched the oil inside the ITT Block in return for $3.6 billion in compensation from the rest of the world. Hailed by supporters as a milestone in the climate change debate, the so-called Yasun -ITT Initiative also has its critics. By mid-2012, only about $200 million had been pledged. Author Scott Wallace and a team of photographers journeyed into the heart of the Amazon to document what may be the most biodiverse spot on Earth.
Small, Small World, by Nathan Wolfe (Page 136)
Microbes in your body outnumber your own cells by 10 and can weigh in total as much as your brain - about 3 pounds in an average adult. The microbial tenants our bodies play host to make survival possible: They help digest our food, guide our immune system and ward off deadly germs. But what happens when helpful microbes get caught in the line of fire between an antibiotic and its intended target? Only in the last few decades have we come to realize how ubiquitous microbes are, flourishing from the tops of clouds to miles below the Earth's surface; and we've only just begun to understand how vital they are to our health and the health of the planet. Yet we still know precious little about them.
Restless Genes, by David Dobbs (Page 44)
The compulsion to see what lies beyond that ridge or that ocean - or this planet - is a defining part of human identity and success. Scientists are studying whether mutations within our genes predispose us to exploration in a way that is unique to our species. These mutations, combined with changing environments, our large and slow-developing brains, dexterous limbs and long adolescence, may combine to nudge Homo sapiens toward imagination, adventure, risk - and the unknown. Soon the combined results of relatively young fields of study like anthropology, genetics and developmental neuropsychology may provide a clearer picture of why humans continue to venture toward new frontiers.
Crazy Far, by Tim Folger (Page 68)
Will interstellar travel ever be possible? Tim Folger looks at the technologies needed to propel a starship: nuclear pulse, nuclear fusion, antimatter and beamed solar sail. Some scientists believe that some form of interstellar exploration could be achieved within 100 years; others believe 500 years is more realistic. Folger profiles the players whose dreams extend beyond our planet.
Risk Takers, by Pat Walters, photographs by Marco Grob (Page 58)
National Geographic magazine begins a yearlong series profiling men and women who press the limits in the name of exploration, even when it puts them in jeopardy. An extreme kayaker, a snake hunter and a war zone doctor are just three of the brave individuals who have felt compelled to seek out and embrace the unknown, redefining the concept of an explorer for the 21st century.
Ultimate Trek, by David Roberts, photographs by Frank Hurley (Page 120)
Overshadowed by the British and Norwegian teams racing for the South Pole, the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1912 was pursu
Most recent headlines
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Sequins, chat shows, live sporting action, ground-breaking docuseries and brand-new Irish drama to kick off 2026
New Year, New Content Coming Soon across RT
...
01/01/2026
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...
01/01/2026
New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high fr...
31/12/2025
Back to All News
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-V...
30/12/2025
As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...
30/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...
30/12/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...
30/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
30/12/2025
Your live countdown to 2026 with Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon...
30/12/2025
It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace
The flight demonstrated HAP...
29/12/2025
San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...
29/12/2025
The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...
29/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
29/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
P...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's The Great Flood and Culinary Class Wars 2 Top Gl...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things By the Numbers: How the Global Phenomenon Shap...
23/12/2025
Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...
PDF version of this release available here.
