jessicahester1's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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plastic

Found: The Last Traces of Unspoiled Ocean

They're few and far between.
July 30, 2018
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landmarks week

In a Historic Building, Your Feet Might as Well Be Jackhammers

Museums want visitors, but many must also grapple with the vibrations they cause.
July 27, 2018
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landmarks week

The Second Death of Long-Submerged Shipwrecks

Climate change is coming for underwater archaeological sites.
July 27, 2018
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bones

How to Make a Fossil in a Single Day

The recipe calls for fresh feathers or lizard feet, clay, heat, and a whole lot of pressure.
July 25, 2018
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plastic

Trawling Through the Murky World of Microplastics

In waterways around the globe, the teeny tiny shreds are a big problem.
July 24, 2018
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planets

How a Desert Mountain Telescope Revealed Jupiter's Odd New Moon

Meet Valetudo, a moon that doesn't just go with the flow.
July 17, 2018
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constellations

The Dazzlingly Colorful Atlases That Brought the Night Sky Within Reach

Detailed maps of the heavens weren't just for scholars.
July 16, 2018
Gastro Obscura
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diets

Revelations From a Wine Barrel Filled With Renaissance Poo

Centuries-old latrines in Denmark drop big hints about diets, trade, and health.
July 11, 2018
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whales

Narwhals Are Real, And They Could Be in Real Trouble

As Arctic waters warm, shipping traffic is rapidly increasing in their favored habitats.
July 10, 2018
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planets

Listen to the Mournful Wails of Planets and Moons

A saturnine soundtrack.
July 10, 2018
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constellations

The Lost Constellation Meant to Honor a King’s Escape

The oak tree that sheltered Charles II once had a place in the night sky.
July 9, 2018
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paleontology

A Museum's Treasured Tradition of Identifying Fossils for the Public

Including the occasional turd.
July 6, 2018
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earth

How Comparisons Help Us Understand the Universe

And ourselves.
July 3, 2018
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fire

Why Medieval Monasteries Branded Their Books

The fiery marks were a way to keep track of tomes on the move.
June 22, 2018
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garbage

The Surprising Practice of Binding Old Books With Scraps of Even Older Books

For centuries, bookbinders commonly used whatever materials they could get—including entire manuscript pages.
June 11, 2018
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lightning

Why Is It So Hard to Paint Lightning?

Capturing lightning on a canvas is just as difficult as it sounds.
June 8, 2018
Gastro Obscura
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debate

When Two Economists Scientifically Ranked New York's Best Deli Sandwiches

The Madansky-Shubik experiment settled one beef and started many more.
June 7, 2018
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genetics

A Gorilla Poop Treasure Hunt Through Central Africa's Virunga Volcanoes

How researchers collect genetic info without disturbing the majestic primates.
June 6, 2018
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california

Revisiting the Heyday of California's 'Crazy' Novelty Architecture

Giant hats, portly pigs, and drive-thru donuts.
June 4, 2018
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fairytales

Where Are Europe's Last Fairytale Forests?

Mapping the oldest and least-disturbed tracts of trees is easier said than done.
June 1, 2018
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world's fair

Glass Dresses, The Fairytale Fashion Trend That Never Quite Took Off

The World's Fair showstopper highlighted the appetite for mingling science and apparel.
May 25, 2018
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future

The Artist Who Imagined Zaire as a Miniature Utopia

In his multimedia sculptures, Bodys Isek Kingelez offered a fantastical vision for the freshly independent country.
May 24, 2018
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earth

The Incredibly Tricky Task of Measuring All Life on Earth

Humans make up just 0.01 percent of the biomass on the planet—the same as termites.
May 22, 2018
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biodiversity

Cold, Damp 'Sky Islands' Are Hotspots for Unusual Plants and Animals

Exploring an ecological oasis high up on the Philippines' Palawan Island.
May 21, 2018