June 06, 2022

SOARING, FLYING  Amazing Arches  The classic shape of the arch comes in many forms, all over the world. Some are natural; others, triumphant. From the world’s largest arch, forgotten for 50 years, to one that hosted sermons to plague victims, here are some of our favorites from the annals of the time, scattered around the world.  READ MORE → SHIFTING LANDSCAPES The Future of the Dead Sea Over the last decade, the northern Dead Sea coast, nicknamed “Sinkhole Country,” has undergone an economic collapse as sinkholes yawn all along the coastline. According to geologist Eli Raz, the Dead Sea region already has roughly 7,000 sinkholes, and that number is expected to double in the next few years. But perhaps there’s a glimmer of hope: the inhabitants and scientists in the region are developing various initiatives to turn this ecological catastrophe into a powerful tourist attraction. READ MORE → NEFTA, TUNISIA Lars Homestead Lars Homestead—the home of Luke Skywalker—is one in a series of Tunisian relics from a galaxy far, far away. First constructed in 1976 when the film crew for Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hopearrived in Tunisia, it was left to decay in the middle of the desert once filming wrapped. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES | STARTS TONIGHT Soil Science In a handful of soil, there are more individual microbes than there are humans on Earth or visible stars in the sky. In this three-part lecture series with Annie Novak, you’ll dig into the composition, ecology, health, and restoration of soils. You'll learn hands-on skills to care for the soils around you, best practices and methods of composting, and how to improve your own soil landscape. ENROLL NOW → GASTRO OBSCURA Kurdish Clove Apples Behold: This is the Sêva mêxekrêj, or the Kurdish clove apple. Pierced with a layer of cloves, with only glimpses of the fruit underneath, these fragrant apples are used to express only the deepest of feelings, from love to grief. Tradition holds that the practice of making these spice-preserved apples has existed for hundreds of years across Kurdistan, a region that spans parts of modern Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria—but with its sparse written history and modernity edging out old traditions, the 20th century saw sêva mêxekrêj on the verge of becoming obsolete. READ MORE → JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA Hicksville Trailer Palace Down a long dirt road at an undisclosed location deep inside Joshua Tree, artistic types needing inspiration can find an unlikely oasis. As you arrive at the tall, maroon-colored wooden fence, you will see a curious assortment of personalized parking spots: “The New World,” “The Integratrailor,” “The Pioneer,” “The Sweet,” “The Lux,” “The Pony,” “The Fifi,” and “The Sideshow.” These are the puzzling names of the eight trailers in which you can reside at Hicksville Trailer Park Motel and Artist Retreat. READ MORE → FREE MEMBERS-ONLY EVENT TOMORROW! Handcrafted Cartography Get a behind-the-scenes look at the globe-making process in action during this one-hour virtual tour at the private North London studio of Bellerby & Co. Globemakers, where artisans from around the world handcraft and hand-paint a dazzling array of bespoke globes! SIGN UP → THE MEANING OF TITLES The History of ‘Esquire’ The idea of attacking someone in power by attacking a title is not a new phenomenon. These days, kerfuffles may arise over whether someone should or shouldn’t be referred to as “Dr.,” but in the late 20th century, there was a different contentious title in play: the title “Esquire,” one of the more common but most unusual ways a person can ask to be addressed. In fact, one of the weirder movements in modern American political action attempted to attack this title so vigorously that it would have essentially collapsed the entire history of the American government. READ MORE → MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN ‘Welcome to Cleveland’ Sign On an otherwise unremarkable Wednesday in 1978, photographer Mark Gubin was a bit bored at his studio. He decided to take a tub of white paint and write out “Welcome to Cleveland” in big block letters on his rooftop—nevermind that Gubin and his studio both reside in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It’s been confusing passengers looking out their window ever since. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY DISCOVER PUERTO RICO La Piedra Escrita La Piedra Escrita translates to “the written stone” and resides in Jayuya, covered in Taíno petroglyphs from the pre-Columbian era. The petroglyphs on the rock reflect the lifestyle and beliefs of the Taíno people that inhabited different parts of Puerto Rico before the Spaniards reached the Island in 1493. LEARN MORE →