Frank Jacobs's User Profile - Atlas Obscura

Frank Jacobs

Journalist, writer, blogger, and Big Think's "Strange Maps" columnist.

https://twitter.com/VeryStrangeMaps

2023
joined atlas
obscura

countries
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places
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places
I want to go

places
published

natural disaster

Not Even Minnesota Is Safe From Earthquakes

Was the recent New York quake really all that uncommon? Here's a state-by-state map.

Why Jesus Never Ate a Banana

About 69 percent of the global diet is "foreign," says a study that pinpoints the origin of 151 food crops.

The U.S. Thinks It’s Harder to Learn Polish or Greek Than Swahili or Malay

Here are the difficulty levels of most European languages for Americans.

Which States in America Have the Oldest and Youngest People?

Either way, everywhere in the U.S. is seeing a common trend.

territorial dispute

The U.S. Just Expanded the Size of Two Californias

It’s like another Louisiana Purchase.

The Most Remote Place on Earth Has Space Junk and a Sea Monster

Eerie things happen at Point Nemo.

alternate history

New York City and London Could Have Looked Very Different

An airport in midtown? See alternate versions of the cities based on real proposed projects.

Swiss Maps Are Full of Hidden Secrets

Find the Easter eggs—or the naked lady.

February 23, 2024

fantasy locations

For Hundreds of Years, People Thought California Was an Island

Dozens of maps show cartography's most persistent mistake.

February 16, 2024

The First Viking Woman to Sail to America Was a Legendary Traveler

Back when the Icelanders called a part of Canada the “land of grapes.”

February 9, 2024

Europe’s Most Active Volcano Is Also the World’s Only Decipoint

The many eruptions isn't the only reason Mount Etna is unique.

February 2, 2024

buried treasure

The WWII Treasure Map That Caused A Modern Day Hunt

The question remains: Where is the loot?

January 26, 2024

disappearing world

The Frenzy About the Weirdest Continent That Never Existed

Forget Atlantis, the lost land of lemurs had people in a tizzy.

January 19, 2024

hot air balloon

Flying Circuses Led to the First Aerial Maps of Earth

There was vomiting, crashes, fire, and an abandoned cat.

January 12, 2024

A Map of Which States People Want to Stay In, Move To, or Leave

The population data of locals versus new comers is more easy to see than ever.

January 5, 2024

Most States Start School Too Early in the Morning

This map shows which parts of the U.S. ignore the science.

December 29, 2023

This Prohibition-Era Map Is a Love Letter to Alcohol

See dozens of 1920s cocktails from a time when alcohol was illegal in the U.S.

December 22, 2023

Christianity Is Disappearing in England, As Seen in These Maps

See what's taking its place for the first time in almost 1,500 years.

December 15, 2023

Most Canadians Live South of Seattle and Other Map Surprises

We're wrong about directions and locations of many countries.

December 8, 2023

The Strange Case of Antarctica’s Red and Green Snow

It’s not a Christmas trick, but the colorful effect could change everything.

December 1, 2023

Why We Couldn’t Describe a Flavor We Taste Every Day

The human tongue detected it long before it could say it.

November 24, 2023

Do Colder or Warmer Places Eat More Spicy or Bland Food?

The correlation between temperature and flavor is obvious across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

November 17, 2023

Your Personality Depends on Which U.S. State You Live In

A map of confidence and kindness from California to New York.

November 10, 2023

The Mystery of the World’s Largest and Deepest Gravity Hole

The sea level here is hundreds of feet lower than the rest of the ocean.

November 3, 2023