March 18, 2021

Icy Secrets  In the 1960s, Camp Century was an American research base in Greenland that had served as cover for a secret—and failed—military project. It would have largely gone under the radar if not for an ice core sample from below the camp that was rediscovered and examined in 2019. Researchers discovered “freeze-dried fossils” and other direct evidence that Greenland was ice-free in the last million years. The finding is more than an academic curiosity: It has direct implications for our future.  READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Lanternfly Honey Well, you know what they say. When life gives you lanternflies, make lanternfly honey. For seven years, Pennsylvanians have been on high alert for an invasive species: the spotted lanternfly, which has caused an estimated $43 million in damage. Now, beekeepers have discovered that spotted lanternflies are affecting the region’s food supply in another way: They’re messing with its honey, creating a flavor profile that’s smoky, yet sweet.  READ MORE → ATTARI, INDIA  Pul Kanjri  Pul Moran, or Pul Kanjri, is located in close proximity to the India-Pakistan international border. This structure was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the emperor of the Sikh Empire in the Panjab region of India, and was used as a resting place for him and his troops. According to local legend, when Singh was crossing this location, his wife, Begum Gul Bahar, refused to cross by foot. Singh immensely loved his wife, so he had a Pul (translated into bridge) built for her to cross the canal.  READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA EXPERIENCES How to Make Subway Portraits  During next Wednesday’s edition of The Secret Arts, we welcome subway portrait artist Sarah Nisbett to discuss what it takes to create compelling portraits in between subway stops. Sarah’s project Drawn On The Way is dedicated to helping people find the extraordinary in the everyday and to see themselves and those around them as works of art. We'll find out how she finds her inspiration, learn some of her tips for getting started with live-sketching, and possibly watch her sketch someone in our audience. Don't miss it!  GET TICKETS → FROM THE ARCHIVES  The Tragic Roots of Bing Cherries The Bing cherry is America’s most produced variety, and instantly recognizable by their deep red color. But the man who helped propagate it, a Chinese foreman named Ah Bing, is largely forgotten. An accomplished representative of the Chinese workers and immigrants who labored to establish orchards in the American West, he also faced all-too-typical persecution: His time in the United States was cut short by racism.  READ MORE → FROM THE ARCHIVES  Preserving TV History  In 1975, Marion Stokes got a Betamax magnetic videotape recorder and began recording bits of sitcoms, science documentaries, and political news coverage. These recordings, made from 1975 until her death in 2012, are the only comprehensive collection preserving this period in television media history.  READ MORE → THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST The Museum of Bad Art  In this episode of the Atlas Obscura Podcast, we visit a basement museum in Somerville, Massachusetts, that is dedicated to collecting awful artwork. But what makes art bad, really?  LISTEN NOW → KECAMATAN PRAMBANAN, INDONESIA  Prambanan  Located on the island of Java, Prambanan is one of the largest Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia and the largest in Indonesia. It is not a single structure, but instead hundreds of stone temples in varying shapes and sizes. Several of those temples sit on an elevated courtyard, surrounded by more than 200 smaller ones.  READ MORE → PARIS, FRANCE  House of Nicolas Flamel  Strange symbols adorn the architecture at 51 rue de Montmorency in Paris, the oldest stone house in the city. The house was in fact built by the city’s most famous alchemist, Nicolas Flamel, who many believe achieved great wealth through his discovery of the Philosopher’s Stone.  READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS Tunisia Through the Sands of Time Join us in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia and once the heart of Africa’s Roman Empire, as we journey into the Sahara Desert and back. We'll loop through a myriad of unique landscapes, wander through winding medinas, relax by ancient oases, and cross a multicolored salt lake. Along the way, we'll explore relics of the many civilizations that once called this land home—from the ruins of Carthage to the remains of Roman amphitheaters.  LEARN MORE →