June 23, 2022

THERE’S A JOB FOR THAT  Who Looks For Unexploded Bombs?  Brave folks, for one. There are 30-odd private companies in Italy specializing in the detection of unexploded bombs. Some 77 years after the end of World War II, old bombs, ammunition, and weapons continue to disrupt civilian life in Italy (and across Europe). The country recovers some 60,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance a year—shrapnel bombs, grenades, bullets, airplane bombs, and the like. The actual detection of ordnance still falls mostly to private companies, and the work is surprisingly manual.  READ MORE → SHH, QUIET PLEASE Why Tennis Crowds Have to Be Quiet “Ladies and gentlemen, quiet please. Players are ready. Thank you.” This is a common refrain at tennis matches, especially rowdy ones, which are not particularly rowdy by the standards of almost any other major sport. It’s a line delivered by the chair umpire, the lead on-site official. But silence among tennis spectators, however well established, is not an official rule. How did this get so embedded in the unspoken etiquette rules? READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Make A Tiny Ecosystem Modern terrariums sprouted from a spectacular accident—a fern unexpectedly thriving inside of a glass bottle. In this 3-part seminar, led by Austin Colter of The Terrorium Shop, trace the history of terrariums, learn the basic science of designing and maintaining them, and build one of your own. ENROLL NOW → HONOLULU, HAWAII Site of the Japanese WWII Surrender On September 2, 1945, the USS Missouri was anchored in Tokyo Bay when it hosted representatives from the Empire of Japan and the Allied Nations to sign the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. The signing of this document marked the end of hostilities in World War II, and now, the public can visit the site of this historic moment at a museum permanently anchored in Pearl Harbor. READ MORE → TRANSPORTATION AFTERLIFE Retired Tube Trains Vintage rail cars hide in plain sight on the Isle of Wight, located just a few miles off England’s southern coast. For years, the island’s train line’s rolling stock has consisted exclusively of former London Underground carriages from the 1930s, making them Britain’s oldest passenger trains in regular operation. But after 82 years of service, the time for retirement has come. From April 2021, the Island Line’s vintage 1930s fleet will be replaced with “new” trains—former Tube carriages from the 1980s. READ MORE → FREE MEMBERS-ONLY EVENT An “Illegal” Lego Workshop We're going off-book with a master Lego brick bender to learn some "illegal" moves. In this live virtual workshop, Lego artist Jeff Sanders will reveal and demonstrate five "illegal" LEGO moves that helped him unlock a whole new world of shapes and patterns, and allowed him to create his own set of rules. If you aren't a member yet, you can sign up during the RSVP process for this event. RSVP TODAY → GREAT GREEN THUMBS! Giant Vegetable Growing We’re here to tell you about the hottest competition right now: growing giant vegetables, a uniquely British sport. For years, competitors—including Peter Glazebrook, who is the proud grower of the world’s heaviest cauliflower (60 pounds) and potato (10 pounds)—have enthusiastically participated, with contenders coming from every continent. But the sport has evolved beyond just a fun competition, with government researchers around the world now taking a serious look at leviathan produce. READ MORE → PARIS, FRANCE Grave of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier If you amble through Paris’s popular Pere-Lachaise Cemetery, among tombs of celebrated philosophers, singers, and playwrights, you may discover a grave surrounded by potato plants. If an admirer has stopped by recently, there may even be a tuber resting atop the tombstone. You have found the final resting place of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, history’s greatest potato promoter. READ MORE → TICKETS ON SALE NOW Atlas Obscura Day Tripper with Angel Olsen A California live oak rises through the center stage of Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga, California, and much like that tree, this outdoor venue has deep roots. Celebrate the release of Angel Olsen’s new album Big Time in this exclusive livestream from our new Day Tripper series. Tickets on sale now on Veeps to see the entire album performed in full at this iconic venue on Tuesday, July 19. BUY NOW→ GEOLOGY IS COOL Glowing Rocks You’d be forgiven if you thought that the rock depicted here is from outer space, deposited by an extraterrestrial being. Of course, the truth is a little closer to home, though no less otherworldly—the rock is part of Erik Rintamkai’s collection of syenite rocks rich in the mineral sodalite, dubbed “Yooperlites.” And believe it or not, these are hardly the only rocks that go bananas under UV light. READ MORE → ABANG, INDONESIA Tirta Gangga Water Palace Construction on these gardens began in 1948. Built as a labor of love by the last Raja of Karangasem, the carefully arranged garden emerged out of the rough hillside surrounding a holy natural spring. But when Mount Agung erupted explosively in February 1963, the earthquakes and smothering ash devastated the gardens. The property was abandoned and declined into further ruin until 1979, when they were returned to their former glory. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY DISCOVER PUERTO RICO 9 Places to Experience History in Puerto Rico Puerto Rico’s long and vibrant history can be intimidating to the uninitiated. Luckily, everywhere you turn here, there are relics, ruins, and historic buildings to really spell out the Island’s many stirring chapters. Here are nine places that present a century-spanning introduction to this one-of-a-kind Island. LEARN MORE →