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drugs

In 2016, the 'First Legal Ayahuasca Church' Got Shut Down. Was It a Scam—or a New Religion?

A Canadian and a Brit had a vision to serve mind-expanding drugs in America.
Sarah Laskow September 16, 2016
cults

The Fascinating '80s Public Access Films Produced by a California UFO Cult

This love-filled collective and its compelling leader had quite the creative output.
Ella Morton September 15, 2016
features

The Lost Lesbian Bars of New Orleans

Bygone centers for activism, secret love, and glittery drag shows are being revived through story.
Natalie Zarrelli September 14, 2016
sports

The New York Cosmos Are American Soccer’s Past. Are They Its Future?

A team that was once the most glamorous in the world is making its comeback.
Erik Shilling September 13, 2016
nazis

The Bonkers Real-Life Plan to Drain the Mediterranean and Merge Africa and Europe

It's not just the plot of a Philip K. Dick book—a man spent his life trying to make Atlantropa happen.
Toon Lambrechts September 13, 2016
television

We Asked 32 Trekkies How They Would Create a Perfect Future

No one knows utopia like "Star Trek" fans.
Eric Grundhauser September 13, 2016
This depicts the unearthing of the god's image from the anthill.
temples

The Centuries-Old Shrine Where Indians Pray for U.S. Visas

It has a decent track record.
Michael Schulson September 13, 2016
farms

Why the Purple Skittle Tastes Different Outside America

The long-forbidden blackcurrant fruit is making a U.S. comeback.
Ella Morton September 9, 2016
robots

The Future of Animatronics, From Disney to the U.S. Military

The world's leading animatronics company is bringing us closer to an automated future.
Eric Grundhauser September 9, 2016
disasters

Disaster Response Now Includes Rapid Mapmaking

How data from satellites can help disaster response on the ground.
Sarah Laskow September 9, 2016
2007's Alabama sturgeon, the last one ever caught.
mystery

How Fish Forensics Uncovered the Long-Lost Alabama Sturgeon

Scientists discovered that this rare fish is still alive—without ever laying eyes on it.
Cara Giaimo September 8, 2016
parks

One of Brooklyn's Oldest Trees Could Live in Your Living Room

Most New York City trees go to the chipper, but this one will have a dignified afterlife.
Sarah Laskow September 8, 2016
dolls

The Mysterious Origins of This Unnervingly Life-like Japanese Doll from the 1800s

Happy early Halloween.
Juliet Bennett Rylah September 8, 2016
cemeteries

The Persistent Racism of America's Cemeteries

Not only is segregation still an issue but also America risks losing important history in its forgotten graveyards.
Jennifer Young September 7, 2016
politics

Election Fraud in the 1800s Involved Kidnapping and Forced Drinking

How roving "cooping" gangs got voters drunk and disturbed the democratic process.
Natalie Zarrelli September 7, 2016
amusement parks

Chronicling America’s Love of the Log Flume

Theme parks keep getting more incredible, but the log ride stays the same.
Eric Grundhauser September 7, 2016
objects of intrigue

The First Ever Stethoscope Was a Simple Wooden Tube

Happy 200th birthday, respiratory instrument!
Atlas Obscura September 6, 2016
toys

Exit Interview: I Played With LEGO for a Living

A former LEGO master model builder talks about taking toys seriously.
Ella Morton September 6, 2016