steam
The Instant Pot of the 1600s Was Known as 'the Digester of Bones'
The pressure cooker led directly to the invention of the steam engine.
All Stories
waterfalls
Chicago’s Last Waterfall Is About to Disappear
It's four feet high and bad for fish.
mammal
The Only Mammals Reckless Enough to Eat Hot Peppers Are Humans and Tree Shrews
These little guys would share a bag of Takis with you.
whiskey
How Sherry Became the Secret to Great Scotch
Scottish and Spanish spirits have a symbiotic relationship.
secret society
Why Some Gravestones Are Shaped Like Tree Stumps
When nature and secret societies get together.
disease
One of New Zealand's Most Majestic Trees Is in Danger
Tāne Mahuta is one of the oldest kauri trees in the world.
planets
How a Desert Mountain Telescope Revealed Jupiter's Odd New Moon
Meet Valetudo, a moon that doesn't just go with the flow.
bread
Found: 14,400-Year-Old Flatbread Remains That Predate Agriculture
The burned crumbs shed light on prehistoric hunter-gatherers’ diets.
constellations
The Dazzlingly Colorful Atlases That Brought the Night Sky Within Reach
Detailed maps of the heavens weren't just for scholars.
volcanoes
A Lava Island Comes Into Being, For a Few Days
Hawaii's ongoing eruption created new land.
chili peppers
Inside the World's Only Chile Pepper Research Institute
The center has spread spicy knowledge for decades.
soccer
How One of Brazil's First Openly Gay Soccer Referees Changed the Game
The man known as Margarida refused to let prejudice affect his flashy officiating style.
show & tell
Spend Your Summer Hitting These Excellent Independent Ice Cream Shops
Atlas Obscura readers gave us the scoop.
pigeons
For a Brief, Glorious Moment, Camera-Wielding Pigeons Spied From Above
In the early 20th century, Julius Neubronner turned his birds into photographers.
bridge
Swarms of Summer Birds Are Lowering the Speed Limit on a North Carolina Bridge
When purple martins moved into the William B. Umstead bridge, the laws changed.
roman
A 2,000-Year-Old Mystery Papyrus Reveals Its Secrets
For centuries, no one could read it.
immigration
Why Clandestine Chinese Restaurants Are Crucial to Lisbon’s Culinary Scene
The underground "Chinês Clandestinos" have persisted throughout the years.
museums
Freud Gave Special Signet Rings to a 'Secret Society' of His Students
The seals depict Greek gods and—surprise, surprise—erotic scenes.
