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The Definitive Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders

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Treasures of Egypt: Hidden Tombs, Ancient Pyramids & Old Cairo

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Art Detective Arthur Brand Is Like Indiana Jones but With a More Elegant Wardrobe

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Mysterious late-night visits, an undercover hunt for Hitler's horses, and a Picasso on the couch are business as usual for the Dutch sleuth.

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The World's Largest Coral, a Single Organism, Can Be Seen From Space

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Hidden Wonders

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The world's largest jellyfish collection is tucked away in a relatively small Japanese city.
Place of the Day

Kamo Aquarium

Tsuruoka, Japan

Marvel at the world's largest collection of jellyfish, including more than 10,000 undulating moon jellies.

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  • A close-up view of the Ancient Melancholy Man.

    London, England

    Ancient Melancholy Man

    This statue in Holland Park might be one of London’s oldest outdoor statues, but its exact origins are unknown.

    Added By
    Dark Nebula Deluxe
  • An elegant toilet on display.

    Gmunden, Austria

    Klo & So Museum of Historic Sanitary Objects

    These are probably the most beautifully crafted toilets you've ever seen.

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  • Witch Board Museum Baltimore

    Baltimore, Maryland

    Witch Board Museum Baltimore

    This small museum celebrates the history of the Ouija board and its connection to the city of Baltimore.

    Added By
    sandy7814 , Michelle Cassidy
  • Joan of Arc medallion

    Cedar Crest, New Mexico

    Sandia Medallion Trees

    Mysterious markers have been giving the public a lesson in dendrochronology for over a century.

    Added By
    Mike Walker
  • Original Nintendo Building

    Kyoto, Japan

    Original Nintendo Building

    The first location of the eventual video game giant.

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  • The Dome reborn

    Carbondale, Illinois

    Buckminster Fuller Dome Home

    The only dome home to be owned or occupied by dome inventor Buckminster Fuller.

    Added By
    Cary O'Dell
  • The original Heinz pickle charm could hang from a lady’s brooch or a man’s pocket watch.

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

    The First Heinz Pickle Charm

    The souvenir got the company’s founder out of a pretty pickle at the World’s Fair.

    Added By
    Rohini Chaki
  • Mouth of Truth reflecting off the water in the former quarry.

    Lipnice nad Sázavou, Czechia

    Národní památník odposlechu (National Interception Memorial)

    This trio of reliefs—an ear, a mouth, and a pair of eyes—carved into the walls of flooded quarries is a monument to spying.

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  • Tri-States Monument and Delaware River

    Port Jervis, New York

    Tri-States Monument

    A pair of 19th-century granite markers symbolically record where the state boundaries of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania intersect.

    Added By
    Anna Minster
  • Tulare County, California

    Mark Twain Stump

    The last remnant of a tree that helped prove to the world that sequoias are real—and they're spectacular.

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  • Erbil, Iraq

    Erbil Arab Quarter

    At the heart of an otherwise bustling city lies some oddly abandoned and ignored historical ruins.

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  • The Old School Privy in Genoa

    Genoa, Ohio

    Old School Privy

    This 19th-century outhouse has been recognized as a historic site.

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  • St. Paul's Island.

    Malta

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    This tiny island is recognized as the site where St. Paul landed after a shipwreck in the first century.

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  • Jacksonville, Florida

    Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing Park

    This park commemorates the birthplace and legacy of the brothers who authored a song that has come to be known as the Black National Anthem.

    Added By
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  • Waiting Adam

    Brno, Czechia

    ‘Waiting Adam’

    The smallest statue in Brno will keep you company under the clock on Česká Street.

    Added By
    Fred Cherrygarden
  • The Griffin Monument

    Silver Plume, Colorado

    Griffin Monument

    This cliffside memorial marks the final resting place of a lonely violinist.

    Added By
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Teach Yourself to Echolocate

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October 11, 2018
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    Romans Once Filled the Colosseum with Water and Staged an Epic Mock Sea Battle

    By Tao Tao Holmes

  • This Aplidium stellatum came ashore near Destin, Florida.

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    The Secret Life of 'Sea Pork,' The Organ-Like Blobs on Your Beach

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  • Lençóis Maranhenses provides a stunning array of colors.

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    The Brazilian Desert That Turns Into a Thousand Lagoons

    By Winnie Lee

  • A rural family cemetery on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation in Oklahoma.

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    In Search of the Origins of Native American Grave Houses in Oklahoma

    By Autumn Fourkiller

  • Oarfish sport red spine-like fins on their head and a long dorsal fin running the length of their body, as well as two oar-like pelvic fins, giving them their name.

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    The Legend of Japan's 'Earthquake Fish'

    By Roxanne Hoorn

  • In Pompeii, four individuals who perished together were long thought to be a mother, father, and their two children. New research says otherwise.

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    In Pompeii, the Dead Have New Stories to Tell

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    10 Places That Smell Like Nowhere Else

    By Atlas Obscura

Beeler in her studio.

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The 'Mushroom Color Atlas' Captures the Palette and Potential of Fungi

Julie Beeler's work presents a sustainable alternative to synthetic fabric dyes.

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Written By
Lily Stewart
November 20, 2024
  • Comet C/2023 A3, or Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, nearly 100 million miles from Earth, seen from the International Space Station on Sept. 22.

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    Long Seen as Omens, Comets Do Tell Us Something About Ourselves

    By Rebecca Boyle

  • Atlas Obscura: Wild Life: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Living Wonders.

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    11 Niche Gifts for Your Unconventional Loved Ones

    By Rachel Rummel

  • Sweet salads are an American holiday tradition.

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    The Glorious World of Sweet Holiday Salads

    By Anne Ewbank

  • Divers measure and document details of the world's largest coral, which could cover two basketball courts.

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    The World's Largest Coral, a Single Organism, Can Be Seen From Space

    By Benji Jones

  • Bear 409, “Beadnose,” a sow that won Fat Bear Week in 2018. GIS specialist Joel Cusick is pioneering a new technique for calculating the bears’ weight that doesn’t disrupt their normal activity.

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    Fat Bears and 5 Other Stories of Preparing for Winter

    By Roxanne Hoorn

  • Accusations around sex and race have caused controversy and change at a major LARP community.

    plague

    Racism and Sexism Claims Shake a Modern Fantasy Village

    By Ellery Weil

  • T'anta wawa, or 'baby bread,' is baked in Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, and Ecuador in honor of those who have passed away.

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    Bake 'Baby Bread' as a Celebration of Life and Death

    By Diana Hubbell

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