August 29, 2022

TOOLS OF THE TRADE A Handmade Amusement Park  When, in 1968, Bruno Ferrin first set foot in the poplar forest on a hill near Treviso, Italy, he knew he had found a good spot to work on in his spare time. Fifty-three years later, that patch of woods on Montello hill is home to something a fair bit larger and more unexpected. Walk into the woods to find an amusement park, which operates on human effort and the laws of physics and feels like a cross between an abandoned theme park frozen in time and a gigantic outsider art installation.  READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Eating in Antarctica In 1916, when a Chilean ship rescued a group of shipwrecked British explorers on a failed attempt at the first land crossing of Antarctica, the men were on the brink of starvation. They’d resorted to gathering limpets and seaweed to eat with stewed seal bones. Antarctic cooking has come a long way since then; just ask Carol Devine and Wendy Trusler, the authors of The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning, a cookbook-memoir that recounts their Canadian–Russian cleanup expedition from 1995 to 1996, with a combination of recipes, journal entries, and photos. READ MORE → CHIUSDINO, ITALY The Sword in the Stone This sword belonged to Galgano Guidotti, who experienced visions of the Archangel Michael, leading him to God and the twelve apostles on the hill of Monte Siepi. In one vision, Michael told Guidotti to renounce all of his earthly possessions. He responded that this would be as difficult as splitting a stone, and to prove his point, thrust his sword into a rock. To his surprise, the sword went through the impenetrable surface as though it was water. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Design Wearable Circuits Explore the world of e-textiles alongside artist and tinkerer Linh My Truong. We'll cover everything from the basics of circuits to hand-sewn sensors, all while working on designing and crafting a wearable project of your own. ENROLL TODAY → HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 17 Park Wonders It was the National Park Service’s birthday last week! From a shrine to tea that’s made up of actual teakettles to the largest active sand dunes in the Arctic, there are hidden wonders near and far in the National Parks across the country. Here are 17 wonders to start with—and if you have any others you’d like to add, let us know! READ MORE → TORONTO, ONTARIO Winter Garden Theatre You may have heard of audience plants in theater productions, now get ready for actual plants in theaters. In Toronto, a botanically themed auditorium blooms within the world’s only example of a double-decker Edwardian theater still in operation. The theaters were painstakingly restored, including cleaning of the original paint work with raw bread dough and weaving of over 5,000 beech branches back into the garden ceiling. READ MORE → LINGUISTIC LESSONS The Journey to ‘Dagnabbit’ Among the most hilarious words in the English language is “dagnabbit.” It’s full of very funny hard syllables and, for most Americans, it’s most often heard coming out of the cartoon mouth of Yosemite Sam. But the way the word evolved isn’t as funny. It is dark and ominous and paved with fear. “Dagnabbit,” along with the English words “bear” and “wolf,” are creations of a terrified populace, scared of beings visible and not. READ MORE → BARCELONA, SPAIN The Güell Pavillions Dragon Gate Modernist architect Antoni Gaudí was commissioned to remodel this summer house, gardens, and adjoining farms located on the outskirts of Barcelona that his patron, Eusebio Güell, had inherited from his father. The Catalan genius designed the gatehouse, the stables, and the brick walls—as well as this dragon, which is actually a symbolic tribute. READ MORE → FREE MEMBERS-ONLY EVENT The Secret Arts: Listening to the Cosmos For this episode of The Secret Arts, our guest is Dr. Wanda Díaz-Merced, an astronomer and the leading proponent of the sonification of astrophysical data. Join us to learn what drew her to astronomy and the exciting projects she’s working on now! If you aren't a member yet, you can sign up during the RSVP process for this event. SIGN UP TODAY →