January 06, 2023

PRESERVED HISTORY  A Lost Ancient City  Benjamin Simpson arrived in Qandahar, Afghanistan, in late 1880, at the end of what would become known as the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Simpson, a British surgeon assigned to the Indian Medical Service, had been sent to the strategically located city not only as a military doctor, but also as a documentary photographer, tasked with creating a visual record that would serve a bevy of purposes, including for surveillance, military intelligence, and propaganda directed at the British public. When he left the following April, along with the rest of the British Army, he carried with him images of an ancient city under siege, rare glimpses of a place now lost to time—and to decades of conflict.  READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Pennsylvania Chip Domination The small, central-east Pennsylvania town of Hanover (and a few surrounding counties) is the biggest producer of America’s favorite guilty pleasures. It is tempting to be scornful of any place that calls itself the “capital of the world” of any particular product, but it’s hard to argue with Hanover’s claim on this one: More potato chips (and pretzels, candy, ice cream, and chocolate) are produced over these few counties than anywhere else on Earth. READ MORE → ARNHEM, NETHERLANDS Eusebius Church When this church was restored after the destruction of World War II, it was adorned with artwork from Dutch artist Arno Coenen. The existing statues were all biblical in nature, so Coenen decided to add some new features devoted to religion and science. He chose to magnify some microscopic creatures not normally visible to the naked eye, like the amazing microscopical animal known as a water bear or moss piglet, a gleaming virus particle, and a sperm cell. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES The History of Color In this course, we’ll explore the ways in which color is social—a direct product of history and culture. Join historian Carolyn Purnell in tracing the long history of colors in an attempt to learn more about the present, and ultimately, about ourselves. From the ancient world to the “color anarchy” of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, we’ll develop a more nuanced understanding of the exceptional power colors have held across societies, and see how the meanings given to them aren’t as universal or timeless as we may have been led to believe. ENROLL NOW → MYSTERIOUS PLACES Mexico’s Zone of Silence There’s an area in the Chihuahuan desert in northern Mexico where radio signals don’t work, and compasses spin out of control when placed near stones on the ground. It’s called the Zone of Silence. It measures only 50 kilometers across, and it is located in the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve, a huge, mostly uninhabited expanse of almost 400,000 hectares, where the flat and desolate terrain is interspersed with lonely mountain outcrops. READ MORE → GREECE The Oracle of Delphi For ancient Greeks, Delphi was the center of the world: a site sacred to the god Apollo, where all Greeks united to worship. But at its heart was a dark, strange place: the mysterious sanctuary where the priestess of Apollo prophesied. The priestess, called the Pythia, sat above a chasm in the earth, which belched forth possibly hallucinogenic fumes, and offered prophecies that were opaque, often frantic. This was the Oracle of Delphi: the Greeks’ most famous and most feared window into the will of the gods. READ MORE → ARCHITECTURAL WONDER A Life-Saving Feature How does an island with no lakes, rivers, or streams provide water for 65,000 people? Look up. Bermudians are some of the most water-conscious people in the Western world, and this consciousness is built into their homes. The blindingly white, limestone Bermuda Roof—an architectural rain-catch concept with roots dating back to the 17th century—is singularly responsible for making human life possible in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. READ MORE → DENVER, COLORADO Meow Wolf Convergence Station Once upon a time, four universes collided, converging at a point in Denver, Colorado. The disaster erased the memories of the inhabitants of these universes. Memories are bought and sold on the open market, and travel is controlled by the bureaucratic Quantum Department of Transportation. This is the lore behind Denver’s most unique art installation, Meow Wolf Convergence Station. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST Medical Clowning Program In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we visit a medical clown school. The history of medical clowning extends back to Ancient Greece and the time of Hippocrates and is taught today in workshops throughout the world. Laughter truly is the best medicine. LISTEN ON OU