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the year in wonder 2021

Flying Rhinos and Divine Tigers: Atlas Obscura’s Year of Awe-Inspiring Critters

Looking back on 2021's stories about amazing animals and the people helping to protect them.
December 23, 2021
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the year in wonder 2021

Our Favorite Science Projects of the Year, From Fake Leopards to a Torture Orchard

A look back at the ingenious ways scientists advanced our understanding of the world in 2021.
December 22, 2021
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twins

Are Twin Volcanoes Double the Trouble?

They come in pairs more often than you might think, but generally aren’t twice as dangerous as the solo acts.
December 8, 2021
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deep sea

A Deep Dive Into the Intersection of Art and Science With an Artist-at-Sea

Ale de la Puente collaborates with researchers to explore new ways of understanding our universe.
December 3, 2021
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abstract wonder

How to Find ‘Comets’ and Other Wonders Just Around the Corner

A nature photographer uses clever camera work to turn his own neighborhood into a visual wonderland.
November 19, 2021
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dust

Massive Dust Devils Leave Their Mark Across Eerie Dunes

Often associated with Earth’s hottest places, these whirling columns show up on all seven continents—and beyond.
November 5, 2021
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creepy from above

Is This a Scene From a Sci-Fi Horror Flick a Rare Atmospheric Phenomenon?

What looks like a ghostly blue hand creeping up on a spaceship is actually a special edition of one of nature’s greatest light shows.
October 26, 2021
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forgery

Was René Descartes a Victim of Skull Blasting?

Centuries after the philosopher’s death, lingering controversy over his remains highlights a macabre practice of profiting from the dead.
October 25, 2021
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dragons

The Historian of Hell and the Undead Takes on Dragons

Medieval expert Scott Bruce delves into the darker—and sometimes more hopeful—corners of human imagination.
October 20, 2021
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creepy from above

Is This a Forest or Ghostly Hands From the Great Beyond?

Bad weather and dazzling white poplars helped create this spooky shot.
October 19, 2021
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forgery

The Curious Case of Norway’s Disturbing Demon Wall

A respected conservator restoring a centuries-old church mural saw the devil in the details—and created a wholly imagined, diabolical scene.
October 13, 2021
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creepy from above

Is This an Australian Salt Lake or a 'Beating Heart Laid Bare'?

Iron-rich springs generate intense color in a stark landscape that, from above, might be mistaken for a crime scene.
October 12, 2021
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creepy from above

Is This an Erupting Volcano or the Eye of Sauron?

An award-winning image, taken via drone, captures the dreadful beauty of one of nature's violent shows of power.
October 4, 2021
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sense of place

Meet the Afghan Kurdish Poet Who Finds a Sense of Place in the ‘Silences’

Born in Pakistan and raised in Michigan, Hajjar Baban’s roots come through in her words—and the spaces between them.
September 23, 2021
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microscopes

To Imagine a 39-Million-Year-Old Forest, Start Small—Very Small

Decades of work has revealed a "megadiverse" ancient landscape in northern Peru that was destroyed in a volcanic eruption.
September 16, 2021
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coral reefs

What Do You See in This Spiral of Color and Light?

A researcher says her award-winning image of a swirling school of fish is also a metaphor for the oceans' health.
September 9, 2021
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abstract wonder

An Australian Lake Returns to Life Amid Controversy and Hope

The revival of Lake Menindee is the latest chapter in a battle over water management, environmental protection, and indigenous rights.
May 5, 2022
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abstract wonder

Ghostly Satellite Image Captures the Arctic ‘Losing Its Soul’

In the aftermath of an extreme melt event, what do scientists see in the Greenland Ice Sheet’s swirls of white, blue, and ominous gray?
August 27, 2021
Gastro Obscura
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extinct eats

The Quest to Recreate a Lost and ‘Terrifying’ Medieval Mead

Bochet vanished for centuries, but meadmakers are bringing it back—at least in spirit.
August 12, 2021
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jellyfish

See an Ordinary Jellyfish From an Extraordinary Perspective

An underwater photographer captured the stunning side of a barrel jelly, usually seen washed up on the beach as a pile of goo.
August 9, 2021
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abstract wonder

The Curious Past and Uncertain Future of the Original 'Meander'

In southwestern Turkey, the winding Büyük Menderes River shaped human history. Now, it's humans who will carve its future course.
August 4, 2021
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research

The ‘Swell’ Job of Sorting Out New Zealand’s Unusual Earthquake Patterns

Researchers braved storms and monstrous underwater mountains to learn why one region’s earth-shaking is so peculiar.
August 2, 2021
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satellite

Sun Glint, Bane of Scientists, Has a Silver Lining

This beautiful, satiny optical phenomenon can wreck satellite imaging, but it can also reveal hidden aspects of our planet.
July 16, 2021
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abstract wonder

This Nighttime Drone Shot of a Futuristic City Is Actually a Sea Urchin

Studying the animal’s nerve network may help scientists understand our own.
July 12, 2021