April 20, 2022

TRY THIS ON YOUR NEXT DATE  An Eye-Catching Mating Dance  At first glance, you might think you’re looking at a tunnel on the set of a sci-fi series, or a cranny of a coral reef, or maybe a piece of digital art. Focus your gaze a bit, though, and you’ll notice an intent gaze coming right back—from an argus pheasant, also called a great argus. This image, taken at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo, captures the impressive and unusual finale to a courtship ritual that’s equal parts stomp and showmanship—but one that starts with a display of domestic tidiness.  READ MORE → UNEGGSPECTED Giant Eggs Round the World Northern Sweden isn’t exactly the first place you’d expect to find a massive golden egg gleaming in the winter sun like a dragon’s prized possession. Nor would you expect to see enormous eggs teetering atop a Spanish museum, ready to topple to their Humpty Dumpty fates at any moment. But there are oversized eggs scattered across the world. Scrambling to track them down would make for an epic Easter egg hunt—though you’d need a pretty big basket. READ MORE → MEXICO CITY, MEXICO Temple of Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl Underneath the historic center of Mexico City lie the remains of a temple dedicated to the Aztec god of the wind. The site, which lay under a colonial building, was uncovered in 2014 and two constructions were identified: the remains of the north side of the pre-Hispanic ball court and the base of the temple of Ehécatl, the Aztec wind god. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS Forgotten Greece: Ghost Cities & Sinking Ships Explore the unusual side of Greece! Discover hidden shipwrecks, unique caves, wartime bunkers, underground tunnels, ancient catacombs, ghost cities, and more. Save 10% on the May 30–June 7 departure when you book before April 24. BOOK YOUR TRIP → SCIENCE IS COOL Understanding the ‘Skin of the Earth’ Whatever you do, don’t call soil ‘dirt’. It is so much more—soils grow the food that provides an estimated 98.8 percent of our daily calories, according to a 2019 paper in Environment International, and house more than 25 percent of the world’s biodiversity. Soils also store massive amounts of both fresh water and carbon. But soils are also in trouble. READ MORE → MANHATTAN, NEW YORK Game Boy that Survived a Bombing When Nintendo debuted the Game Boy in 1989, it revolutionized the gaming industry. Gamers could now take their favorite game anywhere they wanted. This new level of portability meant that the handheld system needed to be durable to survive whatever damage it may encounter. While the manufacturers in Japan may have prided themselves on how tough the Game Boy was, even they must have been shocked to find out that it could survive an actual bombing. READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA COURSES Tropical Mixology In this four-part lecture series, trace the history of the Tiki drink, learning the backstories and recipes of the early cocktails that brought the category international fame. We’ll dive into the history and recipes behind iconic, quasi-ubiquitous, and often underrated drink templates. ENROLL TODAY → CULINARY DELIGHTS 7 Extraordinary Jewish Restaurants Around the world, the Jewish diaspora has created new culinary delights. The resulting global menu is an incredible hybrid of heritage and new, local flavors. Whether it’s the warm comfort of matzoh ball soup or the beauty of perfectly-braided challah, here are seven restaurants, bakeries, and delis that showcase the delicious variety of Jewish cuisine. READ MORE → PORTLAND, OREGON Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden To some in Portland, this garden remains a secret, overshadowed by the city’s famous International Rose Test Garden. But to those in the know, this garden has more than 2,500 rhododendrons and other plants, with meandering trails that diversify the many ways to see the flowers. At the Rhododendron & Daffodil Show in April and the Mother’s Day Show in May—peak blooming time for rhododendrons—local gardeners pit their flowers against each other in a showcase. Now you know. READ MORE → TONIGHT - FREE MEMBERS-ONLY EVENT A Game of Curious Missions Join us tonight to test the limits of your creativity and resourcefulness in our new interactive, live virtual game, The AO Challenge! How fast can you build a replica of the Eiffel Tower? What's your interpretation of a Woofus? How many countries can you name in 60 seconds? A bit trivia, a bit arts and crafts, and a whole lot of fun! If you aren't a member yet, you can sign up during the RSVP process for this event. RSVP NOW →