belltowers
Big Ben Is Taking 4 Years Off
The famed clock will hush up for a while to facilitate repairs.
All Stories
bats
A Colony of Bats Has Moved Into a Triceratops
It's put the ancient herbivore in a bit of an awkward position.
time-capsule
Found: A Very Unusual Time Capsule
Usually you'd expect pictures or a note. Not morphine.
map monday
A Very Detailed, Interactive Map of Chicago’s Tree Canopy
It reveals some startling patterns.
hendrick's gin
A Garnished Glimpse Into an Unusual Night
Hendrick's Gin and Atlas Obscura joined forces to celebrate summer.
eclipse madness
Did Mooncakes Help the Chinese Overthrow the Mongols?
On the enduring power of myth and metaphor.
squirrel
The Squirrel Who Ruined 21,000 Gallons of Milk
Chewing on electrical equipment: always a bad idea.
language
How the Internet Changed the Meaning of 'Mamihlapinatapai'
An untranslatable word used among the few members of the Yaghan tribe has attained an odd sort of online fame.
bigfoot
Mesopotamian Shaman Mistaken (?) for Bigfoot in North Carolina
Some disagree.
llamas
Found: A Llama on the Lam
A brief story about a lost animal, a tweet, and a homecoming.
einstein
The 1922 Eclipse Adventure That Sought to Confirm the Theory of Relativity
It took 35 tons of equipment and a lengthy voyage to remote Western Australia.
eclipse madness
3 Corpse Flowers Are About to Bloom in Washington, D.C.
They're expected to open up right around the solar eclipse on August 21.
cake
Almost Edible, 106-Year-Old Fruitcake Found in Antarctica
Even the original owners didn't want to eat it.
marketing
Spain's Bright Blue 'Smurf Village' Is Being Forced to De-Smurf
Magic can't save you from royalties disputes.
wells
Found: An Old Well Was Beneath a U.K. Nightclub
It's a legacy from Burton-on-Trent's brewing history.
eclipse madness
The Unique Science Experiments Planned for the Eclipse
Scientists across the U.S. are set to take advantage of a rare set of conditions on August 21.
snakes
Found: A 6-Foot Boa in This Guy's Attic
He'd been hearing sounds for years.
bombs
A WWII Bomb Has Been Found at the Fukushima Nuclear Site
As if they didn't have enough to worry about.
