April 22, 2022

CALLING OUTLANDER FANS  Scotland’s Enchanting Standing Stones  Throughout Scotland, strange clusters of stones spike up from the earth. Built thousands of years ago, their purpose and significance remain lost to time, transforming the stones into monuments to mystery. They may not transport you to 18th-century Scotland like the fictional Craigh na Dun in the Outlander series, but these seven sites still maintain their magic, making it easy to imagine you’ve slipped into the distant past.  READ MORE → FROG FACTS Adorable Frogs Hi, cutie-pie. Behold, the Puerto Rican rock frog, also known as a cave coquí, or coquí guajón. This particular species of coquí frogs is rare and difficult to study, though researchers have been persistent in learning as much as they can before it’s too late. The coquí guajón is currently listed as endangered, with the population trending downward. Threats to the little frog include habitat loss, climate change, and pollution, but perhaps the biggest challenge to its survival—also the least understood—is disease. READ MORE → MYSTERY WORMS The Uncertain Future of Washington’s Oysters From Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico, it’s common to find oyster shells in the United States marred by dark blisters and burrows — the scars of shell-boring mud worms. The most commonly recorded is Polydora websteri, whose origins are unknown. Measuring roughly three-quarters of an inch, P. websteri makes its home by burrowing into oyster shells and creating a bubble that gradually fills with its own waste and seafloor sludge. Mud worms don’t typically kill oysters or poison the meat for humans. But they can curb oyster growth—and tank market value. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY YOUTUBE Celebrate Earth Day With Us This year, YouTube and Atlas Obscura are celebrating Earth Day by visiting some of the world’s greatest natural wonders. Dive into the beauty of our planet with eleven YouTube creators taking us into hidden natural wonder from around the globe, from South Korea’s deserted island turned botanical paradise to a lush, untouched Ecuadorian rainforest. Open your eyes, expect the unexpected, and join us in the obligation we all share to protect the place we call home. Happy Earth Day! LEARN MORE → BOLD BREWS Wrangling Wild Yeasts In 2013, Jeff Mello was a homebrewer who had just left nonprofit fundraising. But a trip to Brussels, Belgium, launched him on a new career in yeast innovation. That same year, he opened Bootleg Biology, a yeast manufacturing lab that cultivates yeast and bacteria, unlocking new flavors for professional brewers and hobbyists. READ MORE → ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS Cube House In these houses, it would be very easy to box yourself into a corner, because they… look like literal boxes. With 38 regular units and two “super-cubes”, each slanted cubic residence is held up by a hexagonal pillar, some of which are located atop a pedestrian bridge spanning the four-lane Blaak Street. If you’re looking for unusual residences, well—this is for you. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS 10% OFF SELECT TRIPS Save 10% on over ten of our trips departing before the end of June. Space is limited, so book today! Offer expires Sunday, April 24, 2022. VIEW ALL DISCOUNTED TRIPS → COFFEE, PLEASE The Brilliance of the Moka Coffee Pot The moka pot is a symbol of Italy: of postwar ingenuity and global culinary dominance. It is in the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, and other temples to design. It is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most popular coffee maker, and was for decades commonplace to the point of ubiquity not only in Italy but in Cuba, Argentina, Australia, and the United States. It’s also widely misunderstood and maligned. READ MORE → BODEGA BAY, CALIFORNIA Children's Bell Tower In Northern California’s Bodega Bay, a poignant chiming of bells can be heard on the wind from the nearby ocean. The Children’s Bell Tower was erected as a memorial for a boy named Nicholas Green, who died in a botched armed robbery during a visit to Italy in 1994. Nicholas’s parents donated his organs and corneas, and their decision stirred a lot of attention in Italy, resulting in a dramatic increase in organ donation levels that had been among the lowest in Europe. This increase and everything else good that came from the tragedy has come to be known as l’Effetto Nicholas, the “Nicholas Effect.” READ MORE →