October 04, 2021

Fugitive Cockatoos Today, there are an estimated 200 yellow-crested cockatoos in Hong Kong. These birds have carved a niche for themselves in subtropical Hong Kong, some 1,700 miles from their habitat in Malesia—a botanical region that encompasses Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. But though they’re not native to Hong Kong, the city’s feral flock is thriving, while the global cockatoo population is under threat. Could they be a source of hope for the future of their species?  READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Inside Conveyor-Belt Restaurants Automated systems are a feature of what are usually called conveyor-belt restaurants. You know the type—where food comes to you slowly, rotating around a track around the restaurant. Often associated with Japan, they arose as both a way for restaurateurs to save on labor costs and for busy city workers to order quickly without too much human interaction. But the idea of replacing waiters with tiny transportation systems has a long history, and has spread around the world. READ MORE → DUNDONALD, NORTHERN IRELAND Kempe Stones County Down has an abundance of ancient standing stones, with this rare example standing in the north of the county. This particular example, known as the Kempe Stones, or occasionally Greengraves, is a portal tomb or dolmen. The name Kempe Stone may derive from the Norse word Kampesten, which means big stone or prehistoric tomb. READ MORE → Wanted: Stunt Skunks Meet the charismatic, but sometimes stinky, spotted skunk. While all skunks douse would-be predators with a noxious spray, only the spotted skunk announces its intention to do so in a wholly ostentatious fashion: on its front paws, in a dramatic handstand with its tail skyward. Despite these theatrics, spotted skunks have remained a mystery to scientists—until researchers came up with the idea of creating “wanted” posters, which helped the scientists collect scores of the critters and redefine spotted skunk species with greater accuracy than ever before. READ MORE → CHILE Fog Beer The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is the world’s driest non-polar desert, receiving less than 0.004 inches of rain each year. In some coastal communities, the main source of fresh water comes in the form of thick cloud banks, known as camanchaca, that roll inland off the Pacific Ocean. Enter: fog-catching nets, which catch condensation and droplets that drip into piping leading to barrels and reservoirs. Using this same principle of fog capture, brothers Miguel and Marco Carcuro started the Atrapaniebla brewery, which produces 24,000 liters each year that get distributed around Chile in bottle and on tap. READ MORE → FROM THE ARCHIVES The Man Who Lives in a Ghost Town Welcome to the abandoned railroad town of Lucin, Utah: population 1. Lucin’s sole resident is Ivo Zdarsky, an Iron Curtain escapee, DIY aviator, and thriving entrepreneur. He’s set up his home in an airplane hangar and spends his days alone, tinkering with projects and pulling himself off the grid. Social distancing probably takes on a whole new meaning here. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA EXPERIENCES Calling All Bird Nerds! Join Megan McGrath for a session of learning all about our avian cousins and how to draw them. We’ll explore feathers, wing-shape, beaks and talons, and all the sky- and sea-faring adaptations our feathered friends have evolved across the many branches of their family... and maybe even a dinosaur or two. READ MORE → ALLENWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA Bunkers of Alvira After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the United States was determined to ramp up production of necessary war materials, at all costs. So in spring 1942, the federal government seized the small village of Alvira, Pennsylvania, and razed almost every building in the village to build the Susquehanna Ordnance Depot. One of the most interesting features of the depot were the 149 concrete, “igloo-style” bunkers used for stable storage of explosive materials. These bunkers are all that remain of that Pennsylvanian village. READ MORE → FROM THE ARCHIVES Virtual Castle Restoration Though a semblance of their former glory remains, today, whether through combative slights or mere neglect, once-fortified sites from Ireland to Romania have degraded. The ruins sit on hilltops and abut cliffs—whatever best gave them dominion over the surrounding lands. Now you can envision how these once-great fortresses may have looked in their heyday, before the ravages of time took hold. Seven European castles have been virtually rebuilt, with architects digitally restoring them from their keeps to their baileys. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS: NEW TRIP Slovakian Castles and Cold War Relics Explore Slovakia's ever-evolving identity on this journey from the bustling capital in the west to mountain villages of the east. Discover Cold War relics, World War II secrets, and medieval castles worthy of movie sets. We'll trace mining innovations and social movements and find eerie reminders of the past along the way. VIEW FULL ITINERARY →