oceans
Mystery Beach Creature Is Just a Delightfully Freakish Clump of Barnacles
Goose barnacles only look like aliens.
All Stories
linguistics
The Unsolvable Mystery of the Word 'Hoosier'
No one seems to know how we got this nickname for people from Indiana.
biblical
The Evolving Art of Well-Dressing
Tissington's famed plant-based installations have moved beyond traditional biblical scenes.
eclipse madness
To Take an Eclipse Photo Like This at Home, You Have to Build Your Own Observatory
Your next chance is in 7 years.
eclipse madness
Photos From Atlas Obscura’s Total Eclipse Festival Capture a Celestial Event
One last look at the great American eclipse of 2017.
eclipse madness
Simple Rules for Making Giant Geometrical Stars
The math behind the magic.
eclipse madness
What Makes Helado Negro's Tinsel Mammals So Mezmerizing
The musician performs with shimmery beings of a species not quite our own.
dolphins
The Brief, Bright Life of New Zealand's Beloved Celebrity Dolphin
In the summer of 1955, the friendly Opo charmed beachgoers with tricks and devotion.
cows
The Unexpected Result When a Cow Faces Down a Pride of Rare Asiatic Lions
Exit, pursued by a heifer.
eclipse madness
The International Space Station Had Two Views of the Eclipse
And cast a shadow of its own.
loneliestroadseries
Creating Stop-Motion Earthworks on 'The Loneliest Road in America'
Follow along as the land artist Paul Johnson embarks on "The Fellowship of the Loneliest Road."
loneliestroadseries
Humans Have Interacted for Centuries on 'The Loneliest Road in America'
On days three and four of the "The Fellowship of the Loneliest Road," a conversation with history unfolds.
loneliestroadseries
Making Art in Extreme Conditions
How Pony Express ruins and singing sand dunes influenced day two of "The Fellowship of the Loneliest Road."
names
Help Name This Rare White Baby Koala
The youngster was born in January, but just emerged from her mother's pouch for the first time.
loneliestroadseries
An Artist's Animations Collapse Millennia Into Seconds
On the last day of "The Fellowship of the Loneliest Road," Paul Johnson fulfills a lifelong dream.
sheep
The Uncertain Future of North Ronaldsay's Seaweed-Eating Sheep
Concerned islanders are rethinking old traditions to ensure the survival of this very special breed.
events
On Seeing the Eclipse With a Crowd
What I learned while camping out with hundreds of people in the middle of the Oregon desert.
warnings
Tech Leaders Ask the UN to Outlaw Robot Weapons
Let's try not to automate our own destruction.
