Author: Ms. R.

Humans are one in a trillion, give or take. That’s about the max number of species believed to inhabit our planet, according to biologists’ best estimates. That number does, however, include microbes (and among them, viruses), and we can probably agree that we’d rather read about something else right now. Fortunately, this year our writers fanned out around the world to find lesser-known species that deserve our attention, and novel projects that humans are undertaking to make the world……

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Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this installment of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we bring you a classic episode: a visit to Kongthong, India, where every person’s name is a unique song, composed by their mothers within a week of birth as part of a centuries-old tradition. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, we’ll take you to an incredible site,……

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In the 2002 movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, during the first meeting of the Portokalos and Miller families, Harriet Miller brings a Bundt cake as a gift. Maria Portokalos, the family matriarch, accepts it, then asks politely, “What is it?” “A Bundt,” Miller replies with confusion. “A bund?” Portokalos asks. “A Bundt,” Miller replies crisply. To her, just the word explains everything: a tall, usually homemade cake with a hollow center, baked for everything from potlucks to sympathy……

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Indigenous communities have kept alive some of the world’s oldest traditions for ringing in a new year. In Hawai‘i, there’s the months-long new year celebration known as Makahiki, which begins in November when the constellation Makaliʻi first appears in the night sky. For the Hopi, there’s the 16-day Soyal Ceremony, where ritual dances revive the sun from its winter sleep. For Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese people, the new year, Avurudu, in mid-April, begins with the lighting of the hearth and……

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Given the time and weather, visitors to this area of Scotland should invest a few hours and take the walk up the path of the Rosemarkie Fairy Glen. Legend has it that the glen was inhabited by fairies, who would keep the water flowing through the glen clean and available for the villagers. Local children would collect flowers and place them in pools of the glen to keep the creatures happy while doing their important work.  The carpark is……

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Located just outside Margaliot and less than a kilometer from the Israel–Lebanon border is Hunin Castle, an ancient Crusader castle with a colorful history. Now referred to as Hunin Fortress, this site was initially known as Château Neuf or Castellum Novum. It was once a Crusader fortress that was later destroyed and reconstructed as various peoples left their mark and legacy on the land of Israel. Today, a dry moat and ruins are all that remain. There is also a……

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Small towns can be surrounded by beautiful scenery and nature, but are rarely known for their landmarks. This can lead to disappointment when one decides to randomly visit such a place, as was the case with the town of Tondi for vlogger Benjamin from Bald and Bankrupt. During his first visit to the town, Benjamin was not impressed and complained about a lack of things to do in the location. This resonated with his fanbase, and became a meme……

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They came, they saw, they scienced. In a year when most science coverage seemed focused on the continuing global pandemic, there were plenty of other stories to be told about researchers carrying on important, fascinating, and sometimes dangerous work all over the world. From recreating prehistoric cave art by torchlight to turning apples into ears, these unsung scientists labored in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of climate, animal behavior, booze, and more. Here are some of our favorite……

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An island country in Asia’s farthest east, it was not until 1543 that Japan was first reached by Europeans, half a century after Christopher Columbus’s controversial “discovery” of the New World. These were Portuguese traders, the only Europeans to have a connection to Japan for some time thereafter, along with the Spaniards. The Dutchmen, on the other hand, first came to Japan in 1600, when the VOC ship De Liefde was stranded in Bungo Province while on her way to the……

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While arguments continue across the world regarding the fate of various racist monuments, one sculpture has been a source of discussion since its unveiling back in 1922, uprooting it from its home twice. Civic Virtue Triumphant Over Unrighteousness was created by Frederick William MacMonnies between 1909 and 1922, commissioned by Mayor George McClellan to stand in front of City Hall. It was sculpted in France, and had to be buried twice to avoid being destroyed during World War I. The main……

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Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this installment of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we bring you a classic episode: when a listener’s voicemail sends us searching for the story of a very special—and giant—oak tree Peoria, Illinois, and the family of arborists who cared for it. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, we’ll take you to an incredible site, and……

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