MAP MYSTERIES  15 Strange Borders  Borders are one of the defining geopolitical concepts of the modern world—separating countries and people, crafted through conflict and cooperation, disputed in every way possible. In some places, borders seem to take a life of their own, with each one containing its own story. From an easy way to cross the Arctic Circle to visit Santa, to a little lost bit of Michigan in Ohio, here are some of our favorite weird borders.  READ MORE → WOMEN IN HISTORY History’s ‘Only Women’ For several years, documentary filmmaker Immy Humes has been collecting photos of what she calls “only women”—photographs that depict lone women as they made their way into a man’s world, breaking barriers along the way. Her passion has culminated in her first book called The Only Woman, a compilation of one hundred photographs spanning time, space, race, cultures, and occupation. READ MORE → SEDALIA, COLORADO Devil’s Head Lookout Tower This Colorado fire station has been in continuous operation for more than a century, and is the last full-time lookout in Colorado. Devils Head Lookout was also the first duty station in America to have a female fire lookout: Helen Dowe, who served from 1919 to 1921. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Explore Experimental Music In this course, Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu will guide us through approaches to creating and appreciating experimental music. We'll create new sounds, walk through experimental techniques, discuss musical philosophy, and enjoy some collective listening sessions together. ENROLL TODAY → GASTRO OBSCURA Eat Like a Medieval Saint Hildegard of Bingen was a 12th-century nun, mystic, prophet, and healer. In a series of books, she relayed messages from God that ranged from the metaphysical to the practical, along with divinely inspired recipes said to cure everything from leprosy to lung disease to the common cold. For matters of melancholy, try her “cookies of joy” (or “nerve cookies”), wielding the key ingredients of spelt flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves to “calm all bitterness of the heart and mind, open your heart and impaired senses, and make your mind cheerful.” Worth a shot. READ MORE → WIEN, AUSTRIA Stubentor Metro Station City Wall Remains This metro station was named after the city gate located in the area until 1858 when they were destroyed to free up land for urban development. Some relics of this gate, such as the remnants of the old structures of the city walls can still be found in the metro station. READ MORE → THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST The Lost Boys of Robber’s Cave It’s a hot summer night in Oklahoma in 1954. Two groups of boys are on the property of a state park. One group is called the Rattlers; the other, the Eagles. These two boys thought they were going to summer camp in Robber’s Cave State Park. But what they didn’t know was that they’d been recruited for a different kind of summer experience: a psychological experiment. LISTEN ON OUR SITE →    LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS →    LISTEN ON SPOTIFY →    LISTEN ON STITCHER → WILDLIFE BESTIES A Cheetah’s Emotional Support Dog Cheetahs and dogs weren’t always friends. And at first glance, the feline-and-canine couple seems an odd pairing—one that turns heads for its cuteness, if not its unconventionality. But the practice of rearing young cheetahs with a canine companion has become a major means of relaxing the notoriously nervous cats at U.S. zoos from New York to San Diego. READ MORE → WASHINGTON, D.C. Catacombs of Washington, D.C. Beneath Washington D.C., a dimly lit web of passages weaves throughout row after row of eerie wall graves, recalling early Christian burials in the catacombs of ancient Rome. However, these catacombs were built at the turn of the 20th century by a well meaning group of Franciscan monks who wanted to create a facsimile of the Holy Land for North Americans who couldn’t afford the trip overseas. READ MORE → FREE MEMBERS-ONLY EVENT Repairing Reptiles In this live, virtual experience with the Phoenix Herpetological Society, we'll learn all about limb regeneration, animal prosthesis, and other methods of caring for rescued reptiles! We'll hear the story of Mr. Stubbs, the first and only alligator in the world with a prosthetic tail, and get to meet some of the other fascinating reptilian residents of PHS including iguanas, snakes, and tortoises. If you aren't a member yet, you can sign up during the RSVP process for this event.