roxannehoorn's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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our favorite reads

Animal Courtships: Our Favorite Reads

Fish with bumping bass, disco-dancing spiders, and other extreme ways animals attract a mate.
February 14, 2025
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medical experiments

Questionable Cure-Alls: Our Favorite Reads

Powdered hair, bile beans, and other old remedies you probably shouldn’t try.
February 7, 2025
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our favorite reads

Snake Stories: Our Favorite Reads

Slither into the Lunar New Year with serpent-centered rescues, escapes, and celebrations.
January 31, 2025
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tiktok

As Seen on TikTok: Our Favorite Reads

Scary pies, twisted tree ladies, and other unlikely viral stories.
January 24, 2025
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chess

Masters of the Knight: The Art of Chess Carving in India

In Amritsar, artisans have hand-carved the most complicated pieces in the game for generations.
January 23, 2025
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our favorite reads

Presidential Pageantry: Our Favorite Reads

American presidents spare no expense when it comes to making an impression.
January 17, 2025
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our favorite reads

Antarctic Explorations: Our Favorite Reads

From “windsleds” to sled dogs.
January 10, 2025
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our favorite reads

Coming Home: Our Favorite Reads

Return trips, long treks, and smells that remind us of our roots.
January 3, 2025
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our favorite reads

Spooky Winter Holiday Lore: Our Favorite Reads

From Christmas goblins to a New Year’s ghost-horse, these creepy tales are sure to keep you in the holiday spirit.
December 27, 2024
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recycling

5 Unconventional Christmas Tree Stories

From the surprising connection between trees and toilet brushes to a guide for eating your Christmas tree.
December 24, 2024
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our favorite reads

Christmas Monsters: Our Favorite Reads

These creatures of lore are definitely on the naughty list.
December 20, 2024
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human sacrifice

5 Superstitious Stories for Friday the 13th

Explore these tales of death, sacrifice, and bad omens—if you dare.
December 13, 2024
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quidditch

Harry Potter's Favorite Sport Is Changing Lives in Rural Uganda

Peek behind the scenes of Atlas Obscura’s new film: <em>The Ugandan Quidditch Movement</em>.
December 11, 2024
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pope

5 Tales of Bizarre Holiday Gift-Giving

From elephants and hippos to fanfiction and sheep-shearing cake—what are you gifting this year?
December 5, 2024
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lichen

The Secret Sex Lives of Lichens

Researchers found these dusty clumps of green and brown may be hiding how they get it on.
November 26, 2024
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america

7 Surprising Stories About Thanksgiving

Raccoon for dinner, the woman who pitched Thanksgiving, and why turkey isn't even that good.
November 22, 2024
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fall foods

Fat Bears and 5 Other Stories of Preparing for Winter

From big-bottomed ants to gorging on salmon, there are plenty of ways to be ready for the cold months ahead.
November 15, 2024
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anthropology

In Pompeii, the Dead Have New Stories to Tell

What we got wrong about some of the ancient city's most famous victims.
November 11, 2024
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archive of wonder

5 Stories for Native American Heritage Month

Celebrating Indigenous artists, chefs, and conservationists this November and all year long.
November 8, 2024
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american presidents

7 Presidential Stories They Don't Teach in History Class

Learn the secrets of the Oval Office desks, who got stuck in an elevator, and why we give presidents their own libraries.
November 1, 2024
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grocery

7 Stories of Ghosts in Weird Places

From a Norwegian grocery store to a town hall in Spain, hauntings can happen where we least expect them.
October 25, 2024
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folktales

Mexico's Vampire Witch Has a Twisted Origin Story

The terrifying teyollohcuani is a shape-shifter of ancient indigenous lore, dark colonial history, and pop culture.
October 23, 2024
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autumn

Inside the Weird World of Corn Mazes

The a-maize-ing history of getting lost among the stalks.
October 8, 2024
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nordic

7 Stories That Show Just How Metal the Nordics Are

From Viking werewolves to snacking on pickled ram's testicles, Europe's northernmost countries are badass.
September 27, 2024