jessicahester1's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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lightning

Cracking the Mystery of the Atmosphere's Dazzling Red and Blue 'Lightning'

Sprites, elves, and jets look like special effects, but they're electrical discharges.
April 9, 2018
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subways

The Man Sketching the Surprising Details of Every New York City Subway Station

He has spent 40 years chronicling overlooked mosaics, plaques, and other decorations. Only 362 stations to go.
April 6, 2018
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funeral cars

The Curious Afterlives of Hearses

When they no longer carry caskets, some of these vehicles end up in museums—or even pawn shops.
April 5, 2018
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survivalism

Can Octopuses Teach Us How to Hide?

Some researchers think their skin holds the key to ducking infrared cameras.
April 3, 2018
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everyday objects

Why the Sewer Is the Most Wondrous Everyday Invention

The votes are in, and the winner of Mundane Madness is right beneath your feet.
April 2, 2018
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garbage

Exploring a Hidden Archive of New York City's Historic Trash

A museum's basement holds a trove of fascinating castoffs.
April 2, 2018
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everyday objects

Paper or Sewer: Which Is the More Wondrous Invention?

Mundane Madness, our search for the most overlooked everyday marvel, nears its conclusion.
March 30, 2018
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garbage

No Matter What, Do Not Touch the Space Junk

You almost certainly won't encounter any pieces of the falling Chinese space station, but if you do—keep your distance.
March 30, 2018
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trash

Meet an Amateur Astronomer Tracking the Falling Chinese Space Station

Marco Langbroek spends a lot of time at his computer, following Tiangong-1's every move.
March 29, 2018
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manuscripts

Deciphering an Ancient Medical Text With the Help of X-Rays

It was hidden under an 11th-century manuscript full of hymns.
March 28, 2018
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fungus

Found: Fungus in NASA's Clean Rooms

Meteorites, meet Penicillium.
March 27, 2018
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cartography

The Cartographers Who Put Water Where It Didn't Belong

From a distance, European mapmakers documenting North America often perpetuated strategic myths of oceans, lakes, and rivers.
March 26, 2018
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everyday objects

Vote in the Final Four of Our Search for the Most Wondrous Everyday Inventions

Who will make the finals?
March 26, 2018
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plankton

DIY Tech Is Helping Scientists Keep Up With Marine Life

Marine biologists are engineering creative new ways to ride along with whales, bob with jellies, and drift with plankton.
March 23, 2018
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names

The Beautiful Complexity of Naming Every Living Thing

After two centuries of binomial nomenclature, scientists are nowhere close to running out of things to document.
March 22, 2018
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climate change

Where Will Palm Trees Grow in a Warming World?

As temperatures rise, fronds will fan out in unexpected places.
March 21, 2018
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everyday objects

Vote in Round 2 of Our Search for the Most Wondrous Everyday Inventions

The Elite 8 of easily overlooked marvels.
March 20, 2018
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garbage

Harpooning Space Junk Isn't as Crazy as It Sounds

It's not going to clean up every piece of orbital trash, but it could be useful.
March 19, 2018
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lightning

Prepare Yourself for the Sound of Volcanic Thunder!

The first-ever recording of the phenomenon sounds a little like a typewriter.
March 16, 2018
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missiles

The Most Dangerous Things You Can See in Museums

From a V-2 rocket to arsenic wallpaper.
March 15, 2018
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research

Female Birds Sing, Too

But researchers haven't necessarily been listening.
March 15, 2018
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rare

How a Rare Book Appraiser Passes Judgment in 30 Seconds or Less

A discerning eye often means a disappointed collector.
March 14, 2018
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everyday objects

Vote for the Most Wondrous of These Everyday Inventions

The Sweet 16 of workaday wonder.
March 13, 2018
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software

The Quest for a Universal Translator for Old, Obsolete Computer Files

To preserve bygone software, files, and more, researchers are working to emulate decades-old technology in the cloud.
March 8, 2018