Author: Ms. R.

Just outside of the city of Toluca can be seen the impressive ruins of Teotenango, an ancient citadel built by a little-understood civilization. It is believed by scholars that the city of Teotenango was founded in the centuries that preceded the collapse of the mighty civilization of Teotihuacan around the year 900. The true identity of the ancient peoples who constructed the city remains something of a mystery. But several compelling theories regarding the identity of the Teotenanca have been……

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It’s often said that if it were on its own, Brooklyn would be the fourth-largest city in the United States. But it’s actually only one borough out of the five that make up the city of New York. Before that, what we know as Brooklyn today wasn’t just one city: Many of Brooklyn’s iconic neighborhoods started off as their own villages, and the “city” of Brooklyn wouldn’t properly exist until 1834. But even then the area of Flatbush retained……

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Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we visit Lake Nyos in Menchum, Cameroon. In 1986 an unknown natural disaster left more than 1,700 people dead in one night—and puzzled scientists. We learn how they solved the mystery. 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 along the……

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This story was originally published on The Conversation and appears here under a Creative Commons license. In the Wasatch Mountains of the western United States, on the slopes above a spring-fed lake, there dwells a single giant organism that provides an entire ecosystem on which plants and animals have relied for thousands of years. Found in my home state of Utah, “Pando” is a 106-acre stand of quaking aspen clones. Although it looks like a woodland of individual trees……

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On February 26, 1945, a B-24 Liberator bomber named the Beautiful Betsy went missing on a flight across Australia from Darwin to Brisbane. Onboard were six Americans and two British soldiers. The bomber, which had been damaged in previous combat missions, was now only used for short transportation flights and was slated to be retired once it could be replaced. The reason for the Beautiful Betsy‘s crash remains unknown, both mechanical failure and stormy weather could have been factors…….

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Tucked behind the equally interesting, castle-like Christ the King Cathedral in the city of Tagum is considered the largest rosary in the world. The 280 foot (85.5 meters) long rosary is made of linked beads that each weigh around 77 pounds (35 kilograms). The beads were cut and sculpted from Magcono trees that are native to the mountains around this region. The rosary is laid out in the park with a giant sculpture of Jesus. The giant rosary was……

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When the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor headed to the Gulf of California recently, it carried a typically wide-ranging crew. An international, multidisciplinary team of scientists planned to study the deep-sea environment of a depression known as Pescadero Basin, with depths of more than 12,000 feet. The basin’s unique hydrothermal vents—accessed by the team using the underwater ROV SuBastian—form elaborate calcite spires and spew clear fluid, unlike the “black smoker” vents found in the Atlantic and elsewhere. Life……

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This piece of public art stretching over three kilometers long stands just outside of Paris. Construction began on the immense work of art in 1980 and was not finished until the early 2000s—some pieces are still considered works in progress. Axe Majeur (Major Axis) was created by Israeli sculptor Dani Karavan. Working with Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill, Karavan designed a piece of art that combined large-scale sculpture and urban planning. The piece is divided into 12 stations, which include the 36-meter……

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Like an athlete, Juan “Nochi” Coffie maintains a strict diet for two weeks before his big event. He shuns alcohol, goes to bed early, and starts collecting dried cactuses. He is preparing for a marathon—the 26 hours of gleeful musical mobs and soul-cleansing fire jumps that mark the festival of San Juan on the tiny, turquoise-fringed Caribbean island of Bonaire. Every June 23 four villages on the island—Nikiboko, Nord Saliña, Antriol, and Rincon—erupt in song at 8 pm and……

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