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Some of the most powerful photos from National Geographic’s 2021 ‘Year in Pictures’

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via National Geographic

Nat Geo's 'Year in Pictures 2021'

Even though 2021 was a year marred by a global pandemic, National Geographic still found a way to add 2 million photos to its vast archives this year. The publication is commemorating the tremendous work its photographers have done in 2021 by sharing some of their most remarkable shots in the January issue as part of its Year in Pictures campaign.

National Geographic hopes its readers will see it as more than “a collection of pretty photographs,” Whitney Johnson, director of visuals and immersive experiences, told National Geographic. 

The images were chosen as powerful examples of human resilience in the face of a pandemic and climate crisis.

“In many ways, there are messages of hope, there are messages of compassion for one and another,” said Kathy Moran, deputy director of photography at National Geographic. “A number of the images featured show that there is hope, resilience, and there are solutions to many of the problems that we are facing as a society.”

National Geographic was kind enough to share some photos with Upworthy that embody 2021’s turbulence—from political rancor and climate change to COVID-19 developments and conflicts around the globe.

You can see more images on its Year in Pictures site. (You just have to provide your email.)


Dar Yasin/AP PHOTO

With a cooler of COVID-19 vaccines in hand, Nazir Ahmed looks for shepherds and nomadic herders in the meadows of Tosamaidan, southwest of Srinagar in the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In the race to vaccinate against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, healthcare workers have gone to extreme lengths to reach remote communities.

From Srinagar, it took Ahmed and a half dozen colleagues three hours driving and then walking to reach this isolated spot. They spent four hours searching for people and vaccinated more than 10.

Photo by Lynsey Addario

Firefighters spent months in 2021 battling to contain California's Dixie fire, which burned nearly a million acres and destroyed most of Greenville, a town with population of around 1000. The number and size of wildfires across western North America have increased in recent years, driven in part by climate change, which intensifies hot, dry conditions that suck water from living and dead plants, making them likelier to burn.

Part of the solution, scientists agree, is more widespread use of "good" fire: controlled, low-intensity burns that clear leaf litter and brush from the forest floor, reducing the fuel for wildfires.

Photo by Mel D. Cole

Police officer Michael Fanone struggles against Trump supporters after they dragged him down the steps of the U.S. Capitol. At a rally earlier that day, then President Donald Trump falsely claimed that he'd won the 2020 presidential election "in a landslide" and urged supporters to go to the Capitol, where the House of Representatives was certifying the election results.

"You'll never take back our country with weakness," Trump said. Five people died as a result of the attack. Some 140 police officers were injured. More than 600 people have been arrested. The assault on the Capitol is the focus of a congressional investigation.

Reuben Wu/National Geographic

Stonehenge, built some 5,000 years ago in southern England, first underwent conservation work in 1901 after one of the sarsens and its lintel fell—a concern for public safety. Preservation this past September involved repairing cracks and repacking joints with mortar to stabilize the stones and protect them from erosion.

Two months earlier, a judge had ruled that plans to move the nearby highway underground to reduce traffic and noise were unlawful, suspending a project many archaeologists worried would destroy undiscovered artifacts. Photographer Reuben Wu layered 11 exposures taken over 30 minutes to create the lighting effects in this image.

Photo by Kiana Hayeri

The U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in August, after a 20-year occupation, ended what’s been called America’s longest modern war. But the war there goes on for Hafiza, 70, seen here. She has lived near the city of Faizabad since the Taliban took over her home village in 2019.

Her sons’ choices leave Hafiza grieved and on uncertain ground: Two of them fought with the Afghan National Army, one with a militia and one with the Taliban. The fighting in Afghanistan was among dozens of ongoing conflicts around the world in 2021—recent to ancient, international to regional, stoked by greed, creed or history.

@yourejustliz/TikTok

“Nice is different than kind."

It might have been pretty universally accepted during our childhood for daughters to be expected to reciprocate affection from adults, whether they liked it or not. A non consensual kiss to grandparents here, a forced “thank you” there. But times have changed.

However, this change in parenting style can sometimes make for some, well, awkward or even downright uncomfortable situations as moms and dads try to advocate for this kid’s autonomy.

Recently, a mom named Liz Kindred detailed just such an incident with her six year old daughter, which has a whole lotta other parents discussing how to navigate these unideal interactions.


As she recalls in a video posted to TikTok, Kindred was waiting in line with her daughter when a grown man turned around and said “My goodness, you sure are pretty” to the child.

“My six-year-old is gorgeous, yes, but she is also very in tune and perceptive, and she's an introvert so she grabbed my leg really tight,” Kindred said.

Doubling down, the man repeated himself, saying “You sure are pretty. Look at those blue eyes,” which only made her shy daughter grab her leg harder.

Noting that being in a 12 step program has taught her to be less “knee jerk reactionary,” the mom bit her tongue and offered a polite smile to the man, hoping that would be the end of it. It wasn’t.



“He's a boomer and, God love him, he said, ‘I guess your mom didn't teach you manners.’ And I let out an uncomfortable little [chuckle], and the pause was long. It was long. And under his breath he said, ‘Guess not,’” she said.

In what she called the most ”Jesus loving way” she could muster, while still bluntly making her point, Kindred told the man "If you assume that I didn't teach my six-year-old daughter to say ‘thank you’ to a grown, consenting man when he compliments her appearance, then you would be correct."

What followed was the “longest silence” of Kindred’s life.

The video, which has been viewed over 6 million times now, prompted a ton of parents to share how their own kids have established boundaries in similar situations—with their support, of course.

“An old man called my 4 yr old daughter a sweetheart at the store…she boldly responded ‘I am NOT YOUR sweetheart!’ I was so proud,” on person recalled.

Another added, “My 3 year old says ‘NO THANK YOU MY BODY DOESN’T LIKE TAHT.’”

Still another said “My 2 yo knows the boundaries song and just starts singing that anytime someone talks to her.”

While the response to Kindred’s video was overwhelmingly positive, there were a few comments defending the man as simply being “kind.” This prompted Kindred to do a follow-up video doubling down on her decision.

In the clip, she shared how she herself has dealt with seemingly innocent compliments in her life from men, which later turned into something else. Feeling like she “didn’t have a voice” to say something, “because I’m a nice Christian, Southern girl,” Kindred ended up being in unsavory situations (she didn't explicitly say what those situations were, but it's easy enough to piece together). She doesn’t want her daughter to have the same issues.


“Nice is different than kind. The kind thing to do is to teach our daughters and our children in this next generation that when you are uncomfortable with something you listen to your body and you set a firm boundary with that and you provide language around that. And you start that really really young.”

Yep. Well said.


This article originally appeared on 8.8.24

Science

43 monkeys escaped from a lab and are playfully enjoying their freedom

These unexpected escapees appear to be living their best lives just outside the facility.

Horshadeep Saikia

A representative image of a young rhesus macaques as it enjoys its time in a tree

If you were told that monkeys involved in genetic research had escaped a facility run by a company called Alpha Genesis, you might be forgiven for thinking it was the plot of a new sci-fi horror movie. But that's the reality in Yemassee, South Carolina, where 43 young rhesus macaques have been playfully exploring the area around their research facility since they escaped on November 6, 2024. So far, the monkeys are making the most of their freedom, and their joyful antics are winning hearts across town and online.

According to the Yemassee Police Department, the primates appear to be in a playful mood, sticking close to the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Facility’s perimeter fence and “exhibiting calm and playful behavior.” Locals are advised to keep their doors and windows shut, but authorities emphasize that these young escapees pose no risk to public health and are free of diseases. Meanwhile, Alpha Genesis staff members are doing their best to coax the monkeys back, offering food and monitoring them closely, though the monkeys don’t seem in any hurry to return.


A lighthearted escape draws smiles and raises questions

The monkeys’ escape from Alpha Genesis, a research facility housing around 6,000 primates, is an unexpected adventure for the community—and for the monkeys themselves, who were caught in a “playground-like” environment, according to CEO Greg Westergaard. “They’re just being goofy monkeys jumping back and forth, playing with each other,” Westergaard told CBS News. The breakout happened after a caretaker accidentally left a door unlatched, giving these curious macaques a chance for some unscheduled fun.

"They’re just being goofy monkeys jumping back and forth, playing with each other."

— Greg Westergaard

On Reddit, the story has sparked plenty of reactions, blending humor with a dash of skepticism about Alpha Genesis and its track record. “I definitely trust a biotech company named Alpha Genesis,” quipped one user. Many joked about the seemingly sci-fi nature of the scenario, with Cardie1303 saying, “I’m pretty sure I watched this movie…” and Neat-Detective-9818 adding, “Planet of the Apes. And so it begins.”

One Redditor pointed out the financial and logistical strain this escape could cause, estimating that the “half a million dollars’ worth” of monkeys would create serious setbacks for the facility. Meanwhile, H_Salams reflected on the work awaiting the person responsible for reporting the breakout to the USDA and OLAW, commenting, “I’d hate to be the one to write that report.” Another commenter who works with primates highlighted just how many safety protocols are typically in place, noting that such an escape could only happen through “gross negligence.”

"I’d hate to be the one to write that report to OLAW and USDA."

— @H_Salams

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Alpha Genesis has had monkeys slip through its fences. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) fined the facility $12,600 in 2018 for a series of incidents between 2014 and 2016, including a breakout of 26 monkeys in 2014, most of whom were returned within 48 hours. In another incident, one monkey escaped and was never found. This history of escapes has brought scrutiny to the company and renewed criticism from animal welfare advocates.

Ongoing concerns from animal rights activists

A young Macaque in a tree.A young Macaque in a tree.Dr. Raju Kasambe

Animal rights groups have kept a close eye on Alpha Genesis, with the Ohio-based organization Stop Animal Exploitation NOW! (SAEN) among the facility’s most vocal critics. SAEN’s Executive Director Mike Budkie has called for greater accountability, arguing that the USDA’s fines don’t go far enough to ensure proper containment and animal safety. Budkie, whose organization uses official records to track animal facility violations, contends that Alpha Genesis’s penalties should have been closer to $370,000 given the history of incidents.

“We’re not going away, we do not intend to let this issue rest.”

— Mike Budkie

While the monkeys’ current escape might seem lighthearted, it brings up larger ethical questions about the facility and animal research in general. The monkeys at Alpha Genesis are bred for biomedical research, particularly in immunology, and animal rights activists argue for more oversight or alternatives that could reduce animal testing. The USDA inspects Alpha Genesis regularly, and Westergaard claims that the facility has been compliant with federal standards in recent years.

Will the playful macaques go home?

As the weekend continued, Alpha Genesis staff kept a close watch on the monkeys, hoping to usher them back to safety. The macaques have been happily socializing with their peers inside the facility, cooing and calling to one another from the fence line. It seems these young escapees are content to make the most of their little adventure.

For now, residents are advised to keep their windows and doors closed just in case a curious monkey decides to visit. Alpha Genesis’s runaway troop may serve as a reminder of the curiosity and spirit of animals—and the responsibilities of the humans entrusted with their care. Whether or not the macaques’ adventure continues into the week, it’s been a story that’s offered locals a smile and invited broader reflection on how we interact with our primate relatives.

The many faces of an empath.

A few years ago I had an office job where I sat in a row of cubicles with about a dozen other people. One morning when a coworker walked into the office to start his day, a feeling of dread bubbled up from my subconscious. He was angry and I wasn’t going to be able to escape his feelings.

His desk was about 10 feet from mine and like waves, I could feel his emotions seeping into my body. He wasn’t bothering anyone and was always pleasant to me, but I knew he was angry about something deep down, and I could feel it.

As far as I knew, no one else in the office was having the same experience that I was. I was the only person who found it emotionally exhausting to be in the same room as this person.

I wasn’t sure what to make of this bizarre, unintentional attachment to the emotional states of others until I was listening to a podcast featuring Dr. Drew Pinksy where he mentioned that he was “an emotional sponge” who sucks up other people’s emotions and referred to it as being an “empath.”

That powerful revelation struck me in two ways. I realized that I was probably an empath as well and that I experience emotions differently than others. "One of the hardest things about being an empath is learning not everyone is,” Hannah Ewens at Vice wrote.

PsychAlive describes being an empath as exhausting at times, but not without its benefits.

“Empaths are highly sensitive individuals, who have a keen ability to sense what people around them are thinking and feeling. … often to the point of taking on the pain of others at their own expense,” PsychAlive says.

“On the bright side, empaths tend to be excellent friends,” PsychAlive continues. “They are superb listeners. They consistently show up for friends in times of need. They are big-hearted and generous. Empaths also tend to be highly intuitive and emotionally intelligent.”

via Pexels

As I started to look into the idea that I may be an empath, I began to consider the emotional sway my wife has over me. If she is stressed or tired, it makes me uncomfortable because I cannot escape her emotional state. It’s not that she’s overly emotional, but that I lack the force field that shields me from people’s emotional states, especially people close to me.

That’s why I get a huge feeling of relief when my wife transitions from being in a negative mood to a positive one. But, on the other hand, she doesn’t seem to be swayed one way or the other by my emotional state. It’s not that she’s callous, it’s just that she has a healthy emotional distance from me.

The problem is that it's nearly impossible to explain what this feels like to someone who isn’t an empath, and attempting to do so makes me seem a little unstable. So I keep these disturbances to myself, which probably isn’t healthy.

Caroline Van Kimmenade, who runs courses for empaths who want to understand their power, explained what it’s like to be an empath. "It's like a football match where everyone gets hyped up and starts waving and then the mob things start sweeping you up, and you barely know you're doing it," she explained.

"We can all experience that, but it doesn't mean you're an empath. But for an empath, it's that multiplied and applied to everything all of the time. Empaths are constantly in a giant football stadium where they're reacting to bigger things going on from all directions,” said Van Kimmenade.

When I realized I was an empath it helped me make sense of a part of myself that always felt contradictory. I am a person who has no problem being alone for long periods of time, but I’m also totally comfortable in social situations.

Tod Perry's solitary workspace.

via Upworthy

I work for Upworthy as a writer and the host of its podcast, “Upworthy Weekly,” and do it all from home. Honestly, I love being alone all day because I have a lot more power over my own emotional state than when I'm in an office getting bombarded by other people’s “stuff.”

I also enjoy going to movies, concerts and bars alone, too.

On the other hand, I am an extrovert who’s very comfortable in social situations. Empaths can be very social people because they have the superpower of being attuned to others' emotions and they have a great intuition for other people. We are experts at reading the room and are great at relating to all sorts of people.

Dr. Judith Orloff, the author of “The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People,” says that extroverted empaths “crave the dopamine rush from lively events. In fact, they can’t get enough of it.”

One of the strangest things about being an empath is having a heightened sense of smell. My sense of smell is so keen that I can’t wear cologne because I never go nose blind to the scent and it’ll bother me the whole night. The same goes for scented lotions. The interesting thing is that this isn’t just in my head; researchers have found that the part of the brain that recognizes emotions overlaps with the brain areas associated with smell.

So what causes someone to be an empath?

“It can be both nature and nurture. Some empaths are born empaths the minute they come out of the womb they are these sensitive creatures feeling the world with the palm of their hands,” Dr. Orloff told Upworthy.

Dr. Orloff says that research shows empaths have different brain chemistry.

“Research is suggesting that the mirror neuron system in the brain is on overdrive with empaths—meaning their compassion is hyperactive versus narcissists who have hypo-active mirror neurons and empathy deficient disorder,” Orloff said.

Orloff adds that even though men and women are both empaths, it can be harder for men to come to terms with their sensitivity. She runs an empath support community where men are much more reluctant to share.

“When the men do share, they express the shame about being sensitive, how it isn't masculine and how they were bullied as children and made to feel ashamed to be crybabies rather than beautiful sensitive beings,” Orloff told Upworthy.

I had never heard of the term empath until about five years ago, but after coming to the realization that I probably am one and learning about the positive and negative aspects of this psychological trait, I feel that I’ve become better at navigating my emotional life. I'm getting better at seeing the difference between my emotions and those of others and making sense of the difference.

On the positive side, I’ve developed greater trust in my own intuition knowing that, as an empath, when I get a sense about someone, I should go with it because there’s a good chance I’m right. I’ve also learned to be less judgmental of those around me who I think aren’t as sensitive as they should be. They’re just not experiencing life the same way.


This article originally appeared 2 years ago.

Americans voting in the 2024 election

The 2024 election was an emotional rollercoaster for millions of Americans. Those who voted for Trump have reason to celebrate, while those who supported Harris or a third-party candidate are probably deflated and need a while to recover emotionally.

The election was notable because there was a significant shift in voters from the Democratic to the Republican ticket over the 2020 election. So many people may now find themselves on opposite ends of the aisle with friends or loved ones with whom they previously agreed.

A lot of folks have to deal with the fact that their friends or family members voted differently than them, and, honestly, it can sting a bit, especially when hot-button issues are on the table, such as women’s rights, immigration, the economy, health care, LGBTQ rights and more.

2024 election, mental health, trump, harrisA woman displaying her "I voted" stickervia Flickr/Bethraebel

Regardless of who you voted for, you may feel a twinge of animosity toward a loved one who chose someone different and may not be sure how to get over your feelings. Upworthy spoke with Jessica McCarthy, Psy.D., a clinical neuropsychologist, clinical psychologist and certified school psychologist, to help our readers repair their relationships after the election.

McCarthy is also the Founder and Clinical Director of Elements Psychological Services.

“What’s interesting is that regardless of the political spectrum, people’s emotions are the same—frustrated, angry, passionate, betrayed, dismayed, scared, hopeful, determined, bewildered,” McCarthy told Upworthy. “People’s personal values and viewpoints are something that they hold near and dear to them—and if it’s a deal-breaker issue, the reactions are more extreme in scale if the opposing view is from a loved one.”

In the aftermath of the election, you may want to distance yourself from the people who voted differently than you, and McCarthy believes that’s acceptable. However, it would be best to communicate how you’re feeling, instead of mysteriously dropping out of their lives without notice.

“Sometimes, people need space to sit and process—this, again, can be done through communicating about readiness and willingness to connect,” McCarthy told Upworthy. “Space and silence should never be weaponized in a relationship, but that need for space can also be honored in a way through effective communication about limits and when both parties can reconvene and communicate.”

2024 election, mental health, trump, harrisA man displaying her "I voted" sticker.via Jimmy Zo/Flickr

Instead of disappearing from your friends’ lives altogether, text them, saying, “I need time to sort through my emotions after the election. I'm looking forward to talking with you when I am ready.”

McCarthy says that maintaining relationships with people you disagree with can be challenging because people need to have their viewpoints heard. It can be stifling for people to feel forced to keep their mouths shut around loved ones.

However, some relationships can thrive when firm rules of engagement are in place. For example, you and your friend can agree that you shouldn’t talk about politics to preserve the relationship.

“I have plenty of patients in my practice who have friends who have differing stances in the aforementioned areas, and the health of the relationship is determined by the ‘rules of engagement’—either directly or indirectly agreed upon rules that serve as guidelines for how to navigate these topics (and often, it’s agreed upon not to discuss them),” McCarthy says. “These relationships work because there is tremendous value and enjoyment in other areas of the relationship from which both parties mutually benefit.”

There’s nothing wrong with feeling let down by a loved one who voted differently in the election. People’s political views are closely tied to their moral values, so it’s understandable to have big emotions over people you love making a different value judgment. The key to keeping the relationship going on a new, healthy path is to share how you feel, listen to your loved ones and agree on the best path forward. “Anytime there has been a rupture in a relationship, there needs to be communication as to how to proceed and what repair might look like,” McCarthy says.

Saturday Night Live/Youtube

We've all had these types of conversations with our dad, apparently.

While Saturday Night Live is normally meant to produce laughs, every so often a sketch comes along that unexpectedly tugs on the heartstrings. “Calling Dad” is one of those sketches.

The scene, as part of the November 9, 2024 episode featuring comedian Bill Burr, shows two grown men (Andrew Dismukes and Devon Walker) attempting to call their fathers (Burr and Kenan Thompson) and establish an emotional connection. Unfortunately, they struggle to talk about "anything real.”

Thompson’s dad character can’t seem to delve into anything deeper than surface level sports chat—primarily how the Philadelphia Eagles were doing—while Burr barely gets out two sentences before saying “Well, I’ll let you go.”

Dismukes decides to call his dad back for another attempt, which doesn’t prove much better as Burr is solely focused on whether or not his son has had the oil changed in his car.

As the scene progresses, however, both sports and cars become metaphors for something else weighing on the dads’ minds. Thompson wistfully shares how, even though the Eagles have “been around for a while,” he was “starting to feel like maybe the Eagles don't got much time left.”

On a much more blunt note, Burr admits the real reason behind his oil change concerns, saying “my car just wants to be closer to your car because my car’s car died around the age your car is now.”

When Dismukes tries to suss out whether his dad is trying to share something a little more vulnerable than auto maintenance, Burr insists they’re only talking about cars…just before suggesting that their “cars” go to Ireland together to see where “our cars’ family is from.”

And the pièce de résistance: when Dismukes says “I love you” to dad, he is met with “Well, I’ll let you go.”

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Though the scene did have some funny moments, it clearly struck a deeper emotional chord with viewers who have clearly had these exact same types of conversations with their own fathers.

“This made me CRY. And then laugh. And then cry,” one person commented. “Make those calls. You truly will not know when they’re gone.”

“The older you get the more you will understand how real this is. Made me cry~my dad exactly!” another added.

One viewer called it “oddly profound and sentimental,” adding, “Didn’t think SNL had this kind of father/son messaging up their sleeve.”

Quite a few were compelled to revisit memories of their own late dads.

“My dad died last year. He was from Boston and when I called him he ALWAYS said ‘what's going on, buddy?’ And now I'm in tears,” said one person.

Another wrote, “My dad always asked if I've checked the oil lately and always told me to drive safe when I left my parents' house. ‘I love you’ is said in many ways. <3”

And of course, many were inspired to call their own dads immediately, even if they knew the conversation would be about the same old trivial subjects. Because maybe they're not so trivial after all. Maybe in a world where men being affectionate is still a somewhat novel concept, we cherish being told “I love you” in whatever way they can manage. After all, we won’t hear those messages forever.