Sarah Laskow's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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poison

Found: 3 Poisonous Books in a University Library

Their green covers meant danger.
June 29, 2018
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ghosts

Explore the Sound of Islands That Never Existed

Sailors would sometimes come back with stories of imaginary isles.
June 27, 2018
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magic

An Insider's Tour of New York's Disappearing Magic History

Peek behind the curtain of once-magnificent venues and the back rooms where magicians share their secrets.
June 26, 2018
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birds

Medieval Trade Routes Brought a Cockatoo From Australia to Italy

Long before Europeans reached Australia, the two continents were connected.
June 25, 2018
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music

Coming Soon: A Giant Bronze Statue of Nick Cave on a Horse

The musician's hometown plans to raise money to make this dream a reality.
June 25, 2018
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volcanoes

How Forests Rebound From Being Covered in Lava

It all starts with algae.
June 19, 2018
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african-american

The Forgotten Black Pioneers Who Settled the Midwest

Before the Civil War, free black settlements grew in the Northwest Territory.
June 14, 2018
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time

Get Lost in a Cold Warrior's Illustrated Calendar History of the 1980s

Find Reagan side-by-side with pagan holidays.
June 14, 2018
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ski

The Pioneering Mountain Climber and Skier Who Filmed Her Own Exploits

Her work is now available as part of a project to digitize home movies made by women.
June 12, 2018
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rats

One District in Paris Is Creating a Map of Rat Sightings

The rodent map marks reports of animals both dead and alive.
June 12, 2018
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printing

Rediscovering Lost Literary Treasures of the American Midwest

A small press is reviving forgotten—but newly relevant—writing about a complex region and its people.
June 8, 2018
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disease

The Mysterious Illness Affecting U.S. Diplomats in Cuba Has Spread to China

Scientists still haven’t figured out why or how the symptoms started.
June 7, 2018
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ice

The Impending Doom of the Largest Iceberg Anyone's Ever Measured

One of the last pieces of the chunk known as B-15 is cracking up.
June 6, 2018
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urban planning

Meet the Boosters Celebrating the World's Best Bollards

These pieces of infrastructure can be an unexpected source of delight.
June 5, 2018
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ice

Finding the Hidden Mountains Beneath Antarctica's Ice

How researchers revealed the continent's undiscovered topography.
June 1, 2018
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trees

Europe's Oldest Tree Lives in Italy

At least, it's the oldest that's been scientifically dated.
May 31, 2018
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airplane graveyard

Where Airplanes Go When They Die

Under the right circumstances, it's possible to visit an aviation boneyard.
May 30, 2018
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microbes

There Is a Whole World Inside Every Plant

Plants have microbiomes, too, and they're full of untapped secrets.
May 29, 2018
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volcanoes

What Makes a Lava Lake Stick Around?

There's one at Kīlauea.
May 25, 2018
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volcanoes

How to See Lava Most Clearly

You'd think it would be simple enough to see bright-red molten rock.
May 22, 2018
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weddings

The Tower of London's Ravens Can Be Dismissed for Bad Behavior

"Conduct unbecoming to Tower Residents" is not tolerated.
May 17, 2018
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weddings

In England, Certain Royal Appointees Get to Carry Special Rods and Wands

They're all different colors, too.
May 16, 2018
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antarctic

Shedding New Light on the Mysteries of Antarctica's Long, Dark Winter

The continent's winter months present one of the most challenging—and surprising—research environments on Earth.
May 15, 2018
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weddings

The Queen Uses a Special Silver Needle to Select High Sheriffs

This tradition includes a "pricking ceremony."
May 15, 2018