deep sea
The Ocean's Eerie Twilight Zone Is in Murky Legal Water
Scientists are trying to keep one of the world’s last great wildernesses intact.
All Stories
destination southern africa
Found: Fossilized Tracks of Baby Sea Turtles in South Africa
Prehistoric squee!
plastic
More Than Half a Century of Microplastics Are Buried in Layers of Sediment, Like Synthetic Fossils
The teeny menaces turned up in a core taken from the floor of the Santa Barbara Basin.
inventors
How Prohibition Tossed a Wet Blanket on America’s Inventors
New research reveals the link between bars and new inventions.
giant
18 Great Big Things That Are Both Big and Great
Atlas Obscura readers recommend their favorite oversized attractions.
contests
See the Winning Cakes From Melbourne's Architectural Baking Contest
The city's iconic buildings inspired some monumental desserts.
refugees
The Founder of America's Earliest Lesbian Bar Was Deported for Obscenity
Eve Adams was eventually murdered at Auschwitz.
wool
In the Pyrenees Mountains, It’s Bears vs. Sheep vs. Humans
A bear named Claverina has stoked an age-old debate about where predators belong.
ecology
How to Bring a Pond Back From the Dead
Norfolk's ghost ponds project wants to help biodiversity, one small wetland at a time.
vinyl
Found in a Record Store: Kurt Cobain's Royalty Check
He never even cashed it.
imaginary world
Zoology’s Favorite Hoax Was an Island Rat That Hopped on Its Nose
Harald Strümpke didn’t just create a lost archipelago, he created a sensation.
culture
Has the Afghan Box Camera Finally Met Its Match?
The unique portrait-maker has survived wars, invasions, and fundamentalist tyranny. But digital photography may be too much to overcome.
train stations
15 Stunning Train Stations Worth Arriving Early to Enjoy
Atlas Obscura readers recommend their absolute favorite rail hubs.
fruit
When Royalty, Scientists, and Gardeners All Wanted Fake Fruit
One collection of fake produce is a reminder of both ingenuity and loss.
black markets
Should the Clearly Extinct Woolly Mammoth Be Reclassified as Endangered?
Maybe, if the goal is to protect elephants from the ivory trade.
immigration
The Dark Past and Unsettled Present of a Paris Housing Project
“Drancy is like the French bad conscience.”
beach
On the Midway With the Carnival Game Investigators Out to Protect Your Summer Fun
Step right up!
rescues
Saving the World’s Last 14 Loa Water Frogs
The endangered amphibians were found camped out in a lonely brown puddle in Chile.
