August 17, 2022

PRESERVING ARCHITECTURE Saving Casablanca’s Iconic Buildings  Historically, Casablanca had only played only a minor role in Moroccan history. But after France strong-armed its way into making Morocco a protectorate, Casablanca became a French laboratory for imagining what the modern city should be. Fast forward to the present day, and many of those buildings are in danger of disappearing, though a small group of Casablanca-born architects and intellectuals of both French and Moroccan descent—the founders of the non-profit, Casamémoire—are pushing for their preservation as part of their own history.  READ MORE → THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST The Guy Who Sings Is there a song for your town? If you live in the United States, the answer is probably yes, and it’s probably written by Matt Farley, who has written dozens of albums about cities and towns across the United States. And he’s done it all without breaking a sweat—or even leaving his hometown. What drives him to write about places he’s never been? We investigate. LISTEN ON OUR SITE →    LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS →    LISTEN ON SPOTIFY →    LISTEN ON STITCHER → GASTRO OBSCURA 6 Treats For The Adventurer Whether it’s a flaming goblet of booze or a Norwegian KitKat döppelganger candy bar, treats just taste better when you feel like you’ve earned them. From gin poured into the mouths of skiers slaloming between trees to a syrupy, peach-flavored elixir earned at the end of a successful trek, here are 6 treats that you have to ski or hike your way to. READ MORE → FRUIT HISTORY Rescuing Forgotten Fruit The epicenter of America’s tech industry was once orchards as far as the eye can see. California’s Silicon Valley, as it happens, used to be known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight. The campuses of Google, Facebook, and other businesses have pushed out most fruit growers, but some are left, like C. Todd Kennedy, whose four-decade dedication to fruit has been remarkably important in preserving and adding to America’s agricultural legacy. READ MORE → BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND Black Sabbath Bridge A bench and a bridge pay tribute to Birmingham's favorite heavy metal band. The city credits musical pioneers such as Black Sabbath with helping raise the cultural profile of the city and surrounding borough, and as such this bench—which is literally made of heavy metal—is adorned with etchings of the individual band members’ faces and their signatures. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Playing Ancient Games In this course led by Game Master and mythologist Dr. John Bucher, we’ll dive deep into the world of ancient games, exploring the symbols, cultural context, and uses of games played over 1000 years ago. We’ll look at the history and mythology that gave rise to them, as well as basic tenets of game theory and human psychology as they apply to game playing. ENROLL TODAY → ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN Longest Known Mastodon Trackway In 1992, while dredging a pond, a farmer in Saline, Michigan, discovered the prehistoric tracks of a mastodon, a hairy relative of elephants once found throughout North America 11,000 years ago. While mastodon bones are relatively common in North America, trackways are rare. These Saline prints (preserved in a cast) are the longest known trackway made by a single individual. READ MORE → ARCHAEOLOGICAL PUZZLES Mysterious Stone Orbs Sail to the island of Sanday in the Orkney archipelago in northern Scotland, and you’ll see white, sandy beaches that trail into rough, once-agricultural terrain. Nestled there, on a shallow cliff, is a mound of earth and rocks: a prehistoric tomb dating to around 3500 B.C. In August and September 2021, archaeologists excavated the tomb and discovered two polished stone balls, each about the size of a tennis ball. These two balls aren’t exactly a unique find—they’re part of a widely distributed mystery left by the Neolithic inhabitants of the British Isles. READ MORE → SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Grave of Sandra West and Her Ferrari The crane operators were careful not to mow over the existing graves as they maneuvered the 17-foot long, gray wooden box toward the 19-foot hole in the middle of the Alamo Masonic Cemetery. Inside the box lay the perfectly manicured corpse of the 38-year-old socialite and heiress, Sandra West, who was positioned as if reclining in the driver’s seat of her beloved 1964 powder-blue Ferrari 300 America. READ MORE → FREE MEMBERS-ONLY EVENT | TONIGHT! Member-Only Trivia Night Our online trivia experience offers members of our community from all across the globe the chance to get together, and engage in an evening of brain-teasing, fact-finding, and curiosity-sparking competition. Teams of up to 5 players can join in for a two-hour contest of wits, knowledge, and general guessing, with a chance to win a first-place prize that will be mailed right to their home. And of course, bragging rights! If you aren't a member yet, you can sign up during the RSVP process for this event.