games
Taiwan Is in the Clutches of a Claw Machine Craze
In arcades across the land, at all hours of the day, people vie for both novel and practical prizes.
All Stories
records
Found: The Only Recording of Frida Kahlo’s Voice, Probably
In the recording, she likens Diego Rivera to a toad.
food festivals
The Elaborate Yam Houses of the Trobriand Islands
Years of drought have left them tragically empty.
extinct eats
When the Māori First Settled New Zealand, They Hunted Flightless, 500-Pound Birds
The magnificent moa is no more.
glowing
China’s Bioluminescent Blue Tears Are Beautiful and Associated With Toxic Blooms
And scientists are making new discoveries about them using satellite imagery.
bees
Minnesota Wants to Pay You to Care About Bees
Won't you please spare a thought (and some lawn space) for the rusty patched bumblebee?
mosquitoes
Inside Burkina Faso’s Mosquito Dome, Where Venomous Fungus Is Put to the Test
An innovative research center dedicated to blood, biting, and beating back malaria.
communism
The Struggling Vineyards That Helped Inspire Karl Marx’s Communism
Boozed-up intellectuals of the world, unite.
whiskey
Someone Donated His Frostbitten Toe to a Canadian Bar
The legend of the Sourtoe Cocktail continues.
wales
The Ancient, Sunken Forest That Rises From a Welsh Beach
When it does, researchers rush in to study the age-old stumps.
hemingway
Sold: A Letter Where Hemingway Complains That He Sucks at Bullfighting
At least it gave him lots of material.
ice
What's Up With Those Deep Gashes in Antarctic Ice?
Researchers just got a closer look.
uncrowded japan
Every Day at 5:00, Japan Tests Its Disaster Warning System With Folk Tunes
The "5 pm chime" has taken on many meanings over the years.
show & tell
27 Inspiring Bridges That Are Worth Going Out of Your Way to Cross
Atlas Obscura readers connected us with their favorite spans on the planet.
library
This Archive Captures Centuries of British Crime, From Cheese Theft to Murder
Eventually, these records will be made available online.
deep sea
To Make a Field Guide to Life on Mars, First Head to the Deep Sea
Some scientists believe this is how we'll know what to look for.
honey
The Zen Beekeeper Returning Hives to the Wild
By handling bees with his bare hands, Michael Joshin Thiele seeks to better understand them.
fungus
Could Your Clothes Be Made Out of Leftover Bread One Day?
Maybe, thanks to the magic of fungus.
