November 29, 2022

SEEING DOUBLE  The Psychology Behind Twins  Between nine and 12 of every 1,000 deliveries produces twins, and around four of those are identical, or monozygotic, twins. There are a lot of factors that make us who we are, but identical twins share the raw material. Why, however, many people find them interesting, unnerving, even scary, says more about general human psychology than it does twins themselves. Here’s a deep dive into the psychology behind why identical twins inspire fascination—and fear.  READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Meet Thailand’s ‘Happiness Farmer’ “Life is easy. Why do we make it so hard?” This is the question that drives Jon Jandai, Thailand’s self-proclaimed “happiness farmer.” In a country where more than 50 percent of the population now lives in cities and farmers face rising input costs, falling crop prices, and mounting debt, Jandai offers an alternative that has attracted more than 10,000 students: a life of self-reliance that consists of building earthen homes, learning to farm indigenous Thai fruits and vegetables, and growing more than enough food for yourself in a few hours of work a day. READ MORE → NORWICH, ENGLAND Grave of Thomas Gooding Meet Thomas Gooding, a mason of Norwich Cathedral who died in 1600. He paid a fair amount of money to be buried upright, believing that it would give him an advantage come Judgment Day. We’re not sure how effective it was, but hey—you have to give the man credit for trying. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY EUREKA SPRINGS, AK Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge One of the most respected and accredited rescue operations in the country, Turpentine Creek is a 460-acre facility cresting a wooded mountaintop just outside Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It’s home to about 100 animals that were freed from the illegal wildlife trade including lions, tigers, and bears, but also servals, bobcats, hyenas, and hybrid species. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA PUZZLES A New Crossword Good morning! If you’re looking for something to kick your day off with, try our latest crossword on for size. How fast can you solve it? Let us know! PLAY NOW → DRINKING SPOTS 19 Pubs Around the World There’s a lot to love about a 19th-century London pub with original stained glass windows, or a Scottish pub that continues to do brisk business, despite requiring a journey by ferry or steam train to reach it. But while the pub may be a quintessentially British concept, these charm-filled bastions of hospitality now exist far beyond the country’s borders. If you fancy a drink with plenty of stories on the side, these 19 pubs are perfect for you. READ MORE → THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST Moon Trees They came from space… or in this case, they went to space. The astronauts on the 1971 Apollo 14 mission were carrying unusual—and precious—cargo: hundreds of tree seeds. Join us as we learn more about the story of the ‘moon trees’, tracing what happened to them after their momentous journey. TRACING LANGUAGE Decoding the Italian New Jersey Accent “Mozzarella” becomes something like “mutzadell.” “Ricotta” becomes “ree-goat.” “Prosciutto” becomes “pruh-zhoot.” How did the Italian New Jersey accent evolve into this? The answer takes us way back through history and deep into the chaotic world of Italian linguistics. READ MORE → BELOVED DESSERTS Tiger Tail Ice Cream Canadians love their tiger tail ice cream—black licorice swirled into orange-flavored ice cream. Oddly enough, this retro favorite is almost impossible to find outside of the Great White North. Tiger tail doesn’t call for rare ingredients foraged from the Canadian Rockies, nor is it intellectual property of the government. It just doesn’t seem to appeal to anyone except Canadians. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Learn the Art of Lockpicking In this lockpicking workshop led by Schuyler Towne, we’ll familiarize ourselves with the tools in a lockpicker’s kit, learn how to pick a basic pin tumbler lock, and expand our skillset by tackling security pins. We’ll also study more advanced concepts, including keyspace reduction, decoding combination locks, and even designing a new lock from scratch. ENROLL TODAY →