jessicahester1's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place
story
scotland

The Female Archaeologists of the Scottish Orkneys Were Hiding in Plain Sight

The women in this century-old photo weren't visitors—they were probably scientists.
March 27, 2019
story
wildlife

Roadkill Is Sad and Gross—And Can Be Useful for Scientists

It can help researchers track diet, reconstruct food webs, and identify threats to wildlife.
March 26, 2019
story
pigeons

Sold: A Pigeon, for $1.4 Million

Meet Armando, a champion racer.
March 20, 2019
story
fantasy locations

For Sale: A Historical Map of the Imagination

Bernard Sleigh's dreamland mashes up myths, fairy tales, and nursery rhymes.
March 18, 2019
Gastro Obscura
story
bogs

How Much of Ireland’s ‘Bog Butter’ Is Actually Buttery?

The chunks look and smell like rancid dairy, so scientists set out to confirm it.
March 15, 2019
story
chickens

Meet the 'Comet Egg,' Which Definitely Did Not Come From Space

Investigating the old myth that cosmic events can have a fowl impact.
March 14, 2019
story
coyotes

What, Exactly, Are Southern California's Coyotes Eating?

Piles of poop are helping researchers dissect the diet of urban and suburban canids.
March 13, 2019
story
bibliomania

How to Take a Literary Pilgrimage in the Real World

First get lost in the pages, then get lost in the places.
March 12, 2019
story
ice

Icebergs Can Be Surprisingly Colorful

Scientists have a new theory about why they sometimes look like frosty green gemstones.
March 11, 2019
story
entomology

The Tiny Sticker That Traveled More Than a Thousand Miles on the Wing of a Butterfly

Tracking these insects takes a little adhesive and a lot of luck.
March 7, 2019
story
pools

See Iceland's Stunning Glacial Kettles From Above

An abstract view of a changing world.
March 7, 2019
story
forensics

Every Dead Whale Has a Tale to Tell

An introduction to cetacean forensics.
March 5, 2019
story
europe

Look at Everything Beneath Europe’s Clouds

When the infamously cloudy continent got a February reprieve, satellites got a clear view.
March 4, 2019
story
endangered animals

A Visual Guide to the Creatures That Could Disappear From Each U.S. State

If you're endangered, it helps to be famous and cute.
March 1, 2019
Gastro Obscura
story
fatberg

Please Stop Stuffing Yorkshire Pudding Down the Drain

A bunch of them clogged a sewer in England, like little fatbergs made from flour and eggs.
February 27, 2019
story
wind

What Is an 'Ice Shove'?

“This is an impressive display of the power of wind and water!”
February 26, 2019
story
bathrooms

The Medieval Toilet Seat That Let You Poop With Friends

This latrine had room for three.
February 21, 2019
story
beach

Found: A 50-Year-Old Scientific Message, Stuffed in a Bottle

Thousands were cast into the waves in the 1960s, and one turned up in Texas decades later.
February 18, 2019
story
contentious demolitions

Archaeologists Dismantled a Maya Pyramid in Guatemala and Never Put It Back Together

They tore it down in the 1960s to solve the puzzle below.
February 14, 2019
story
contentious demolitions

During the Taiping Rebellion, a Stunning 15th-Century Pagoda Met Its Demise

Centuries after the Porcelain Tower was torn down, it was built up again—and this time, made of steel.
February 13, 2019
story
contentious demolitions

The German Church Smashed to Smithereens to Make Room for Coal

The town sat atop a trove of rock that was irresistible to fuel companies.
February 12, 2019
story
contentious demolitions

Mourners Once Held a Sidewalk Funeral for a Restaurant Named for a Hat

On Valentine’s Day 1994, protestors in Hollywood turned out to eulogize the Brown Derby.
February 11, 2019
story
king tut

Our Breath and Sweat Almost Ruined King Tut’s Tomb

But a new circulation system is making things better.
February 8, 2019
Gastro Obscura
story
cards

The Handy Playing Cards That Taught 17th-Century Cooks to Carve Meat Like a Pro

The decks suggested proper technique, and were a path to class mobility.
February 6, 2019