National Geographic May 2019

Sea of Plastic

Plastic waste washes into the oceans at an average rate of about nine million tons a year. Much of it eventually breaks down into barely visible bits – microplastics, which are so abundant that larval fish are eating them in their first days of life.

Leonardo’s Enduring Brilliance

Five hundred years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci’s stunning creativity and foresight in science, the arts, and engineering continue to amaze us – and to inform modern work in the fields he studied so long ago.

A New Day in Mozambique

Gorongosa National Park recovers from war.

Smokejumpers

These elite crews parachute into forests to keep small fires from becoming major ones.

Modern Girls, Ancient Rite

A village in Spain welcomes spring the same way it has for centuries, by placing a few chosen girls on flowery pedestals.

The Future of Dying in Style

We memorialize the dead with the tools of our times.

What’s Keeping Scientists From Vanquishing Ebola?

Four reasons that the extremely lethal virus is so hard to fight.

Toads’ Sex Life Hinges on Finding the Perfect Pool

Their choosiness may endanger them.

Finding Dignity in a Dirty Job

Bayakou perform an essential service that they hide from other Haitians.