September 19, 2022

RECENTERING HISTORY  A Doomed Expedition’s ‘Ice Widows’  The tragic story of the Terra Nova Expedition has always centered around explorer Robert Falcon Scott and the four other men who trekked into the icy expanse of the Antarctic in November 1910, but never trekked out. The widows they left behind have long been relegated to the role of supporting characters, but author Anne Fletcher is out to change that with a new book that recenters the story around the wives of three of the explorers: Kathleen Scott, Oriana Wilson, and Lois Evans. READ MORE → MYTHS IN REAL LIFE 9 Places to See Merpeople For centuries, humans have been fascinated by the idea of fish people hidden beneath the waves, though the exact nature of these underwater hybrids has varied pretty wildly over the years. Even though the fantastical beings are clearly fiction, there are still places all over the world where you can find mermaids today. Here are nine to start with. READ MORE → GENEVA, SWITZERLAND John Calvin's Chair In the Cathédrale de Saint-Pierre in Geneva, Switzerland, a high-backed, fairly plain-looking wooden chair sits in a place of honor. There’s nothing wrong with it—it’s just roped off so that nobody can sit in the seat where French preacher John Calvin sat more than 500 years ago. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES | STARTS TONIGHT! Play Ancient Games Who said stones and runes can’t be all you need to have fun? In this course led by mythologist Dr. John Bucher, we’ll dive deep into the world of ancient games, exploring the symbols, cultural context, and uses of games from over 1,000 years ago—playing some of them along the way. ENROLL NOW → GASTRO OBSCURA The Rise of Giant Kale Up until recently, 12-foot kale was a common sight on the island of Jersey, the little island off the coast of France. It’s hard to say exactly where the crop originated or how it came to attain its ultimate towering form. But we do know that it was the Jersey growers who hit upon the bizarre innovation that guaranteed the plant’s fame: kale walking sticks. READ MORE → DANDENONG SOUTH, AUSTRALIA Hotel Eastlink Twenty meters high and unveiled in November 2007, this structure cost $1.2 million (AUD) to craft and was constructed of steel, concrete, and glass with solar panels that lit it up the building at night. The roadside sculpture is a large-scale model of a high-rise hotel. From a distance, the structure could be mistaken for an actual hotel. Check-in hours are…never. READ MORE → SPIRIT STORIES In Search of Nímbulos The nímbulos are child-like spirits that are said to live in the forests around Cerro de la Muerte, Costa Rica’s Mountain of Death. Rooted in Indigenous folklore, stories of the nímbulos have evolved in the telling. Spanish incursions in the 16th century tinged them with elements of Catholicism; more recently, concerns about climate change and deforestation have infused the tales with eco-activism. Now, stories told of the nímbulos echo the plight of the region’s endangered and threatened species—they must be actively protected or face extinction. READ MORE → WILDLIFE HISTORY Europe’s Last Wild Lions Archaeologists have long thought that there might be some truth to the existence of lions in Europe in ancient times. Why else do these creatures feature so prominently—and realistically—in art from the late Bronze Age, as well as myths and actual reports by later scholars from the Classical period, such as Aristotle and Herodotus? The answer, as it turns out, might lie in ancient bones. READ MORE → DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND Beverly Clock Considered one of the world’s longest-running experiments, the Beverly Clock is a clock that runs on atmospheric pressure and changes in the temperature. Running since 1864, this clock has yet to be wound and is the closest anyone will ever see to a “perpetual motion machine.” READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA TRIPS Morocco’s Sacred Granaries, Kasbahs, and Feasts Traditional craftsmanship continues to thrive in Morocco, and this is especially true of its rich culinary tradition. Join us as we participate in North African culinary traditions and see the historic sites that shaped them, including an overlooked wonder of the world: the Amtoudi Granary, a fortress-like food vault and an early form of banking. From Marrakech to the Sahara Desert, we’ll enjoy home-cooked meals and demonstrations that will bring the flavors of Morocco to life. READ MORE →