All Stories

This 1962 cover of Official Detective features a Halloween candy poisoner at work.

sociology

Why Halloween’s ‘Poison Candy’ Myth Endures

Even though we know better.

Podcast: The Wishing Tree

wishing trees

Podcast: The Wishing Tree

Portland's hopes and dreams can be found hanging from its branches.

The most famous Viking was actually a woman.

runestones

New Discovery Uncovers a Forgotten Viking Queen More Celebrated Than Kings

Her legacy is being restored, thanks to runestone forensics.

Podcast: The Golem

playgrounds

Podcast: The Golem

The story of a a strange but wildly popular playground sculpture in Jerusalem.

The Cailleach shrine can determine if locals have a good year or not.

harvest rituals and celebrations

Moving Stones Has a Magical Effect at This Secret Shrine in Scotland

Don't let the Cailleach curse your autumn.

It may look like a typical grocery store, but this shop in an old farmhouse in rural Norway has been the scene of unexplained activity, from power failures to flying potatoes, for years.

sociology

At a Haunted Grocery Store, Trying to Explain the Unexplained Has Consequences

In rural Norway, flying potatoes and other strange events troubled staff and customers for years. What happened when people shared their stories?

By the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC), both royals and non-royals were buried with dozens of figurines known as shabti, which would serve them in the afterlife.

human sacrifice

In Ancient Egypt, Human Sacrifice and Shabti Figures Ensured an Afterlife of Servitude

Clay figurines and murdered retainers provided plenty of company—and a workforce—for the dead.

Much of the soundtrack from the 1973 classic horror film, The Exorcist, has become canon for fans of Halloween music.

albums

The Best Halloween Songs To Usher in the Spooky Season

From The Exorcist's "Tubular Bells" to a murder ballad by Tom Waits.

Podcast: Robot Saints

automata

Podcast: Robot Saints

What can medieval automata teach us about the age of AI?

A platter of chow mein with jerk chicken references the history of Chinese immigrants in the Caribbean.

diaspora

The Joy of Third-Culture Cooking

Chef Jon Kung wants you to make spaghetti with lion's head meatballs.

After you die, bacteria harvest your body for the nutrients that help push daisies.

microbes

When You Die, Your Necrobiome Recycles You

An environmental microbiologist explains why an individual's death is a new lease on life for an entire ecosystem.

The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the first widespread adoption of color television, as seen in this 1962 BBC test pattern from an early satellite television broadcast. Late Night Horror was an innovator in the field.

media

The Twisty Tale of the BBC Show Supposedly So Terrifying That It Was Destroyed

"Late Night Horror" was weird, innovative, and—mostly—will never be seen again.

Podcast: Nasothek Noses

noses

Podcast: Nasothek Noses

As clear as the nose on your face.

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

crosswords

The Atlas Obscura Crossword: Monster Mashup

The city of Pontianak was named after a ghost.

protest

The Time a Town Was in an Uproar Over a 300-Foot Ghost Statue

Cast your votes on the “nightmare Statue of Liberty.”

"Cheese of all kinds make delicious and nourishing spreads, too," Adams wrote in her column.

food history

Make This Fallout Shelter–Friendly 1960s Ham Spread

The author of this recipe hoped you would never need it.

Where Humans Think Aliens Are Most Likely to Land

strange maps

Where Humans Think Aliens Are Most Likely to Land

Will extraterrestrials try to see the city or the countryside?

A wild vervet monkey, native to Africa, dines near the Fort Lauderdale International Airport rental car area in 2021.

cards

Wonder Is Everywhere: An Accidental Mummy, a Murdered Tree, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.