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The Batavia's Tale of Mutiny and Murder Gets a New Chapter

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Archaeologists have unearthed new details of the 400-year-old bloodshed on a remote Australian island.

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Hidden Wonders

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Place of the Day

Mothman Statue

Point Pleasant, West Virginia

This red-eyed chrome beast pays homage to the popular modern myth of West Virginia's insectoid monster.

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  • Seoul, South Korea

    National Hangeul Museum

    Celebrating the history of Hangul, the Korean writing system invented by King Sejong to improve his realm’s literacy.

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    Fred Cherrygarden
  • Kneževo, Serbia

    Spomenik Mramor

    A neglected spomenik overlooking the beautiful Kopaonik Mountains.

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  • Page, Arizona

    Boiler Tube Slot Canyon

    This unique art installation used boiler tubes from a decommissioned power plant to resemble Antelope Canyon.

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  • Yazoo City Main Street

    Yazoo City, Mississippi

    Yazoo City Main Street

    A downtown filled with nearly deserted historic buildings was revived as a pastel paradise.

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    Added By
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  • Asakusa Underground Street.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Asakusa Underground Street

    Stuck in a bygone era, the oldest subterranean shopping street in Japan hides beneath the popular Asakusa district of Tokyo.

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  • Urania Observatory

    Zurich, Switzerland

    Urania Observatory

    Switzerland's oldest public observatory is an important part of the Zurich cityscape.

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  • Ashland Bridge

    Wilmington, Delaware

    Ashland Bridge

    The smallest and oldest covered bridge in Delaware.

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  • A paper lantern.

    Malacca, Malaysia

    Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum

    This gorgeous Peranakan mansion’s family heritage includes a century-old baby gate, which was also used to keep out irresponsible husbands.

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All Illustrations by Molly Magnell

law

The Extremely Enchanting, Totally Perplexing, Possibly Never-Ending Quest for the Golden Owl

For 30 years, this labyrinthine treasure hunt has had thousands of players cracking codes and digging up the French countryside. After a sudden death and bitter disputes, will the prize ever be found?

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Written By
Phil Hoad
September 18, 2023
  • In late June, weeks after the catastrophic destruction of Ukraine's Kakhovka Dam, lowered water levels upriver revealed this ancient boat.

    rivers

    The Kakhovka Dam Disaster Revealed an Archaeological 'Goldmine'

    By Roman Cherevko

  • Red means higher than average anomalies, and blue means lower than average ones.

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    Uneven Gravity Makes You Weigh More in Illinois Than in Indiana

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  • Cartographer Antonio Zatta included Lake de Fonte on this 1776 map. It never existed.

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    7 Maps That Can Change How You See the World 

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  • This vintage map, published in 1864 by H.H. Lloyd of New York, reflects anti-secession sentiment by taking secession to an extreme conclusion.

    history

    A Map of the 'Disunited States' Shows the Fears of Civil War–Era America

    By Frank Jacobs, Big Think

  • Brigadier General Benedict Arnold lost the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain in 1776—as well as several of the young navy's ships, including the gunboat Spitfire—but the skirmish bought the Continental Army much-needed time in the war.

    lakes

    Benedict Arnold's Lake Champlain Gunboat Is the Last Shipwreck of Its Kind

    By Hope Hodge Seck

  • For perhaps thousands of years, local Cappadocians retreated underground when enemies approached. Their subterranean city, illustrated here, was rediscovered by accident.

    history

    The Mysterious Underground City Found in a Man’s Basement

    By Frank Jacobs, Big Think

  • Caraway and candied citrus flavor the buttery sponge.

    livestock

    Welsh Sheep-Shearing Cake Is a Forgotten Pastoral Pleasure

    By Jamie Ellis

Hell Gate, as seen from over Queens, connects New York Harbor to Long Island Sound, resulting in chaotic currents.

ships

Is There Sunken Treasure Beneath the Treacherous Currents of Hell Gate?

In the heart of New York City, a centuries-long hunt for Revolutionary War–Era gold.

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Written By
Joaquim Salles
September 27, 2023
  • The center of the Milky Way glows in various colors, an effect invisible to the naked eye, in this time-exposure photo from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Northern Chile.

    astronomy

    The Milky Way's Heart Is Disappearing—For Now

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  • Costumes and cheap beer are staples of most weird sports, says photographer Sol Neelman, but no one takes dressing up quite as seriously as one of his all-time favorite sports events: Kaiju Live Monster Wrestling (formally known as the Kaiju Big Battel) in Queens, New York. “Kaiju monster wrestling has always been my favorite,” says Neelman. “Mainly because I don't know what's happening. There are a lot of people that follow the storylines and follow the characters. It's kind of like a mix of pro wrestling, Godzilla, and daytime soap opera.”

    monsters

    Monster Wrestling And Other Weird, Wonderful Sports from Around the World

    By Roxanne Hoorn

  • A Devil's Dinner, from The Satanic Temple.

    cults

    How Cults and Religious Groups Forever Changed American Food

    By Diana Hubbell

  • A Calabrian citron in Michele Cirelli's orchard. A perfect etrog like this one, with its characteristic bumps and ridges and a skin free from blemishes, can fetch hundreds of dollars in New York or Montreal.

    food

    Every Year, Rabbis Search Calabria for the Perfect Etrog

    By John Last

  • In late June, weeks after the catastrophic destruction of Ukraine's Kakhovka Dam, lowered water levels upriver revealed this ancient boat.

    ships

    The Kakhovka Dam Disaster Revealed an Archaeological 'Goldmine'

    By Roman Cherevko

  • Marzipan was originally flavored with toxic bitter almond.

    poison

    How Poison Fruit Pits Became Irresistible to Humans

    By Andrew Coletti

  • The Ancient Greeks often decorated pottery used during parties with scenes from those events, like this symposium (drinking party) attendee getting sick from too much wine.

    food

    Eat Like an Ancient Greek Philosopher

    By Andrew Coletti

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