MOST TRUSTED & MOST READ Is It Too Late? PAGE 58 On Board the HowtoSpot Friendship Online Bus Love Scams PAGE 26 PAGE 30 6 Silent Diabetes Symptoms You’re Missing PAGE 16 He’sGotaGun! The Hijack on Baldness Flight 918 Business PAGE 50 PAGE 116 Kindness of Strangers ................................. 12 News Worth Sharing ..................................130 1 FREE % PLUS 40OFF ISSUE + A SPECIAL FREE GIFT Every issue of Reader’s Digest offers only the best original writing on issues that MOST TRUSTED& matter to you. MOST READ Real-life dramas and uplifting stories, amazing NG THE health discoveries and human adventure. PANDA Long reads mixed Is It TooPAGE Late? 58 with short stories. HowtoSpot PLUS exclusive On Board the Online book excerpts. Friendship Bus Love Scams PAGE 30 PAGE 26 + Only $48 for 12 issues. 6 That’s just $4.00 per issue, Silent Diabetes instead of $6.50 at retail Symptoms You’re Missing PAGE 16 + EXTRA ISSUE FREE to He’sGotaGun! The enjoy with our compliments Baldness Hijack on DELIVERY included Business + Flight 918 PAGE 116 every month PAGE 50 12 ................................. PLUS a special free gift Kindness of Strangers + ..................................130 News Worth Sharing TO ORDER: ASIA: rdasia.com/get-the-magazine AUSTRALIA: readersdigest.com.au/subscribe NEW ZEALAND: readersdigest.co.nz/subscribe Contents FEBRUARY 2018 Heart 26 FRIENDSHIP BUS Kiwi filmmaker Julie Zhu takes a bus trip with grandparents who bond over bargains. INDIA HENDRIKSE FROM WWW.NOTED.CO.NZ Crime Watch 30 LONELY HEART SCAMS How online criminal networks defraud lonely people with false promises of romance and love. HELEN SIGNY Nature 40 THE TREES ARE TALKING Nature is networking in the forest via the ‘wood wide web’. CRAIG STENNETT First Person 46 LIFE’S THREE TRUTHS P. | Age-old certitudes can give you strength. 26 JULIA BAIRD FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES Drama in Real Life 50 “GET HIS GUN!” A gunman forces his way onto a flight. Can two young flight attendants negotiate the passengers’ release? NICHOLAS HUNE-BROWN Animal Kingdom 58 CAN THE PANDA BE SAVED? Creating new reserves are key to the species’ future. JENNIFER S. HOLLAND FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Life Lesson 68 CHOOSE YOUR MOMENT Timing is the difference between success and failure. SYDNEY LONEY P. COVER: iSTOCK COVER: | FROM BEST HEALTH 46 February•2018 | 1 Contents FEBRUARY 2018 Science 71 13 MIND-BLOWING DISCOVERIES Last year’s top research. MICHELLE CROUCH Relationships 74 FOR BETTER OR WORSE We celebrate love and marriage customs. LOUISE BASTOK FROM LONELYPLANET.COM Who Knew? 88 EIFFEL LIGHTS Here’s everything you didn’t know about the Eiffel Tower. SAM BENSON SMITH Humour 90 BAD PUNS ARE HOW EYE ROLL Wordplay competitions are seriously pun- derrated. PETER RUBIN FROM WIRED.COM P. | 108 Medical Breakthroughs 96 BACK FROM THE DEAD The new science of freezing may save your P. | 116 life. RENE EBERSOLE FROM POPULAR SCIENCE Health 102 SAFE-CATION Preparation is the best way to protect your health while on holiday. JODY ROBBINS Travel 108 DISCOVERING DRACULA COUNTRY Are you brave enough to visit a vampire castle in Transylvania? LUKE SPENCER FROM ATLASOBSCURA.COM Bonus Read 116 MESSING WITH OUR HEADS A balding writer in search of a solution. RHODRI MARSDEN FROM MOSAICSCIENCE.COM 2 | February•2018 THE DIGEST Health 16 Silent diabetes symptoms; bad foods for your belly; news you can use. Technology 21 Long-distance apps to stay connected to those you love. Travel 22 Travel tips for a successful and rewarding solo journey. News Worth Sharing 130 Positive stories that caught our eye. RD Recommends 133 All that’s best in books, films, podcasts and DVDs. My Discoveries Recommends P. | 140 Austria offers scenic beauty. 16 REGULARS 6 Letters 8 My Story 12 Kindness of Strangers 14 Smart Animals 82 Look Twice 129 Quotable Quotes 142 Puzzles, Trivia & Word Power CONTESTS 7 Caption and Letter Competition 5 Submit Your Jokes and Stories P. HUMOUR | 66 38 Life’s Like That SEE 66 Laughter, the Best Medicine PAGE 11 PHOTOS: ISTOCK PHOTOS: 86 All in a Day’s Work February•2018 | 3 Editor’s Note Rewarding Discoveries DISCOVERING NEW PLACES, PEOPLE AND CONCEPTS is what we thrive on, and ‘discovery’ is a theme that runs through much of this month’s magazine. From eye-popping scientific discoveries made in 2017 (page 71) to more private realisations about our own mortality (‘Life’s Three Truths’, page 46 and ‘Safe-cation’, page 102) and online vulnerability (‘Lonely Heart Scams’, page 30). It’s safe to say that there’s much to conquer, realise and enjoy in life – you just have to open yourself to the possibilities. While I’ve never been a big fan of scary movies, zombies or vampires, my favourite article this month is ‘Discovering Dracula Country’ (page 108) by Luke Spencer. Following the same route described by author Bram Stoker in his classic novel Dracula (1897), the vivid descriptions of travelling by train into Transylvania, with its misty mountains, graveyards and Bran Castle, could well have you making travel plans of your own. Certainly one for my bucket list! Thank you to our growing band of Field Editors, who this month gave feedback on the table of contents and sent in articles that will appear later this year. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you all and am pleased the idea has been a success. If you’d like to join, please email: fieldeditors@ readersdigest.com.au LOUISE WATERSON Group Editor 4 | February•2018 Vol. 194 RD SHOP No. 1153 For quality products, book sales and February 2018 more, visit Readersdigest.com.au/ shop and Readersdigest.co.nz/shop EDITORIAL Group Editor Louise Waterson Chief Subeditor Melanie Egan Art Director CONTRIBUTE Hugh Hanson Digital Content Manager FOR DIGITAL EXTRAS AND SOCIAL Greg Barton Digital Editor Michael MEDIA INFO, SEE PAGE 11 Crawford Content Editor Marc McEvoy Anecdotes and jokes Associate Editor Victoria Polzot Senior Subeditor Samantha Kent Subeditor Send in your real-life laugh for Life’s Like That or All in a Day’s Margaret McPhee Contributing Editor Work. Got a joke? Send it in for Helen Signy Laughter Is the Best Medicine! ADVERTISING Group Advertising Smart Animals & Retail Sales Director Sheron White Share antics of unique pets Advertising Marketing Manager Thomas or wildlife in up to 300 words. Kim Sales Support Manager Lucy Madden Kindness of Strangers/ REGIONAL ADVERTISING CONTACTS Reminisce Australia/Asia Sheron White, Share tales of generosity or an [email protected] event from your past that made New Zealand Debbie Bishop, a huge impact in 100–500 words. [email protected] My Story Do you have an inspiring PUBLISHED UNDER LICENCE or life-changing tale to tell? BY DIRECT PUBLISHING PTY LTD Submissions must be true, TRUSTED MEDIA BRANDS INC (USA) unpublished, original and 800– President and Chief Executive Officer 1000 words – see website Bonnie Kintzer for more information. Customer inquiries Letters to the editor, caption Online Checkyouraccount,payabill, competitions and other reader change your address and more at your submissions localRDwebsite. ONLINE Follow the “Contribute” link at the RD Moving? 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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED HOW YOU MAY ACCESS OR CORRECT INFORMATION THROUGHOUTTHEWORLD.REPRODUCTIONINANYMANNERIN HELD AND OUR PRIVACY COMPLAINTS PROCESS. WHOLE OR PART IN ENGLISH OR OTHER LANGUAGES PROHIBITED Letters READERS’ COMMENTS AND OPINIONS The Bright Side Whatabrilliantstory!Itisso pleasing to read that social media canhaveasunnyside.Itisusually thedarksideofsocialmediathat attracts attention. Amy Crerar (‘Finding My Father’, December 2017)wasveryluckytobeable touseFacebooktofindher dad: just like Saroo Brierley, who usedGoogleEarthtofindhis long-lost mother. ZARA AHMAD Three Wise Words AWalkinthePark Reading about the German girls (‘The Since reading ‘The Nature Cure’ English Lesson’, December) who (December),Ihavebeenmaking learned their first English words from a concerted effort to walk the long an American stranger brought years of waytotheshopsandtrainstation; memories back to me, including one thelongwayinvolveswalking involving your magazine. through our local park, which is On an oil rig in the middle of located by thewaterandisvery the Sahara in summer green. 2001, a gentle Canadian Ihavetosaythat mangavemeacopyof LET US KNOW the results have Reader’s Digest. I said Ifyouaremoved–or been calming and my English was bad; provoked – by any item mood-lifting – which in the magazine, share I understood only my does make for better your thoughts. See native Arabic. He said page 5 for how to join health. to ‘just try it’.Therestis the discussion. Thank you. history. N. REFAYEE PENELOPE BUTLER 6 | February•2018 KeepingUptoDate Reader’s Digest has provided me with laughs and thrills since I was agirl.Now,manyyearslater,Istill lookforwardtoreadingitall.I’ve become especially interested in thehealthcontent.Asaretired nurse,Iliketostayuptodate Quite a mouthful on developments in the world of We asked you to think up a medicine, and I rely on the Digest funny caption for this photo.