Inside National Geographic's February 2025 issue

To those who say print is dead, I submit the evidence of National Geographic’s February issue, which is in subscribers’ homes now. This issue is such a joy—and, to me at least, a welcome diversion from the bombardment of today’s news cycle—that I wanted to share some of my favorite pieces.

Our cover story, with photographs by Justin Jin and Mark Thiessen and reporting by Brook Larmer , pieces together the latest evidence and thinking about human evolution, with a focus on what archaeological finds in Asia are telling us about the period of time when multiple species of humans roamed the planet, and the lasting impact of that on us homo sapiens. It’s a fascinating piece that reveals a more complex history than once thought, and features some great Nat Geo details, including a terrific graphic from our team that illustrates a new way to think about human evolution (less of a “family tree” and more of a “braided stream”) and an incredible facial reconstruction by John Gurche based on the Harbin skull from China, thought to be a Denisovan man.

National Geographic Explorer Laurent Ballesta takes us into the depths of the Mediterranean to solve the mystery of hundreds of perfect circles found on the sea floor there (spoiler: they’re alive!). Photographer Ingo Arndt gives us a close-up look at the industrious and highly specialized world of wood ants, one of the tiniest “keystone species” in the world, without which the forests of Europe would not be the same.

And a personal favorite of mine: a reexamination of Camp Century, a nuclear-powered US military base constructed underneath the ice in Greenland in the 1950s as part of the top-secret Project Iceworm. The base was designed to house missiles capable of striking deep into the Soviet Union, but its “cover” was scientific research—work that was mostly forgotten for decades but recently rediscovered, and that could hold new clues to understanding climate change. Incredible graphics in the print and digital versions by our own Jason Treat and Ben Scott with a great story by writer Neil Shea.

Those are just our longer features. We’ve also got a look at the craftsmanship behind Super Bowl footballs, an extraordinary bonsai (housed just down the road from our HQ in Washington, DC), and more.

Although you can find this issue in select Barnes & Noble locations in the U.S., if these kinds of stories interest you, please consider supporting our work with a subscription. National Geographic was founded in the 19th century with a mission of ensuring more people had a better understanding of the world around them, and that commitment to informing and educating through objective, science- and research-based stories feels more vital than ever. More than a million Americans still love what they get each month in print from National Geographic, and I bet you will too.

Of course, if reading in print isn't your thing, digital subscribers get everything we do at NationalGeographic.com, including these stories, which often include supplementary content: the digital version of our look at the “other humans,” for instance, includes a cool timelapse video of that facial reconstruction, and our interactive feature on Camp Century takes you under the ice on a visit through the camp, with archival images and video that bring the place to life. Some links below:

The Search for the Other Humans: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/other-human-species-evolution

The Mystery of the Mediterranean's Rings: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/mystery-circles-mediterranean-sea-floor

Camp Century: A Lost City Under the Ice: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/camp-century-nasa-greenland-us-military

Explore Camp Century: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/graphics/explore-camp-century-history-impact

The Hidden Lives of Ants: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/european-red-wood-ants-impact