February 03, 2023

ABSTRACT WONDER  A Fight for Loktak Lake  You’re looking at an aerial view of some of the famous floating islands of northeast India’s Loktak Lake. The image is also a snapshot of a moment in the story of a wondrous and unique environment that’s undergoing enormous change. Loktak is one of the largest lakes in South Asia, covering about 100 square miles—but that was not always the case. READ MORE →   COLOR HISTORY ‘Haint Blue’ Beaufort County, South Carolina, a marshy world of low-lying coastal islands, is awash in blue. Dozens of antebellum mansions still line the streets, restored to the opulence of their plantation days. The ceilings of their broad summer porches are painted almost universally in just one color: a soft, robin’s egg blue. This “haint blue,” first derived from the dye produced on Lowcountry indigo plantations, was originally used by enslaved Africans, and later by the Gullah Geechee, to combat evil spirits. But even though it had the power to protect, it was also the source of incomparable suffering. READ MORE →   GASTRO OBSCURA From Moonshine to NASCAR In the early 20th century, some of the most thrilling car races to watch were the ones where trippers raced illegal liquor to cities and mill towns, outrunning authorities in the process. The stakes of these races against the law were high, but many early NASCAR drivers got their start tripping whiskey down dirt roads in the South. While NASCAR downplayed it for generations, these are the sport’s roots. Names like Junior Johnson or Lloyd Seay are almost as synonymous with NASCAR as they are with white lightning and bootlegging. READ MORE →   TOKYO, JAPAN Japanese Sword Museum Katana, or samurai swords as they are often referred to, are not only weapons of the past but also considered the pinnacle of Japanese art and craftsmanship, as well as a symbol of worship and authority. However, this ancient weapon gradually lost its place in Japanese society once modernization began and the long age of the samurai came to an end. The Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords was founded in 1948 to prevent the art of Japanese bladesmithing from going extinct. READ MORE →   ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES How to Grow a Dye Garden Design your very own dye garden, sowing the seeds for a diverse palette of color. Over the course of three weeks, textile artist Aaron Sanders Head will walk us through the process of planning, planting, and maintaining the garden, as well as mechanisms for harvesting and storing dye materials you can use in your craft. ENROLL NOW →   SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA Olympic Black Power Statue Perhaps no image from the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City is more recognizable than the silent protest of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who raised their black-gloved fists in a Black power salute on the medalist podium, and removed their shoes to symbolize Black poverty. The African-American athletes intended to draw global attention to the plight of people of color in the U.S., spotlighting the injustice and inequality endured by millions of Black Americans. In 2005, Smith and Carolos were honored by their alma mater, San Jose State University, with a sculpture depicting their famous gesture. READ MORE →   EHLANZENI, SOUTH AFRICA Adam's Calendar Known to only a select few and accessible solely by rough dirt roads past the wild horses of Kaapschehoop, this megalithic stone calendar is dubbed Adam’s Calendar. With the shape of a circle and a diameter of 100 feet, it is nicknamed the “Birthplace of the Sun” and dubbed “Africa’s Stonehenge.” But what is its true purpose? READ MORE →   A BIG DILL Missouri’s Pickle Mystery We all have objects that ground us in our communities. Sometimes it’s a particular mailbox, or a nice street tree. Sometimes, it’s a pickle jar, perched on a concrete wall next to a highway ramp. That’s the case for many who drive through Des Peres, Missouri. On the ramp that leads from I-270 North to Manchester Road is a quiet and mysterious jar of pickles. When it falls, breaks, or disappears, it is always replaced. It is the highway’s warty lodestar. READ MORE →