jessicahester1's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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letters

How a Team of Calligraphers Brought Jane Austen's Fictional Letters to Life

You can now hold Mr. Darcy's dispatches in your hands.
September 23, 2020
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pigeons

Fresh Concrete Turns Paw Prints and Bird Tracks Into Urban Fossils

Even a fleeting visit can leave an impression when conditions are right.
September 18, 2020
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fires

How Does an Archaeologist Keep Heritage Sites Safe From Wildfires?

It involves Twitter, maps, dozer lines, and luck.
September 16, 2020
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lichen

When Prehistoric Lacewings Disguised Themselves as Middle-Jurassic Lichens

Researchers recently found evidence of some very, very old camouflage.
September 10, 2020
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fires

To Protect a Recreated Native Village, California Firefighters Fought Fire With Fire

A slow, careful burn insulated Kule Loklo against a fearsome wildfire.
September 4, 2020
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cure-alls

A 1500s ‘Miracle Cure’ Made From Trees Probably Didn't Cure Syphilis

A new exhibit at the Newberry library touches on the history of guaiacum treatments.
September 2, 2020
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secret lives of museums

The Delicate Art of Identifying Bats By Their Penis Bones

They're roughly the size of a hyphen—which makes them extremely easy to lose.
August 27, 2020
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lightning

The Electrifying Science of Jellyfish Sprites, Explained

Here's why it sometimes looks like red tentacles are dangling in the sky.
August 25, 2020
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50 states of wonder

Tell Us About the Most Wondrous Things in Your State

As part of our "50 States of Wonder" project, we want to know what is surprising, astonishing, or wonderfully weird about where you live.
August 21, 2020
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beach

New York's Favorite Trash-Strewn Beach Is a Wee Bit Radioactive

The National Park Service has closed a portion of Dead Horse Bay.
August 20, 2020
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tardigrades

Get Lost in a Corn Maze That Looks Like a Microscopic 'Water Bear'

Here's what it takes to transform a field of corn into a truly enormous tardigrade.
August 12, 2020
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sold

Sold: A Famous Fossil-Hunter’s Letter That’s Totally Full of Crap

Mary Anning's correspondence helped kick off the study of coprolites.
August 6, 2020
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for sale

For Sale: Dozens and Dozens of Enormous Animatronic Dinosaurs

Nothing adds prehistoric flair to a decorating scheme quite like a moving T. rex.
August 5, 2020
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paleontology

The Cambrian Creatures That Grew Up Over the Course of 28 Bodies

Trilobites slipped out of one exoskeleton and built another, over and over and over again.
July 30, 2020
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reproduction

The Kingfishers That Shacked Up at the Start of the Pandemic Aren’t Sick of Each Other Yet

Before the birds moved in together, they had to learn to "howdy."
July 28, 2020
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sea otters

Sea Otter Teeth Are Gross but Really Useful for Scientists

You don’t want to look an old sea otter in the mouth—unless you want to tell how old it is.
July 27, 2020
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gas station

Fuel Your Imagination With Glorious Photos of Odd Gas Stations

This isn't a good time for cross-country car rides. Good thing John Margolies took a camera on his many road trips.
July 20, 2020
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50 states of wonder

Welcome to Atlas Obscura's 50 States of Wonder

Curiosity from coast to coast.
July 2, 2020
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citizen science

L.A.'s Insects Are Hairy, Iridescent, and Crazy Photogenic

The creatures are ready for their close-ups—in the name of getting a better handle on biodiversity in the bustling city.
June 30, 2020
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plastic

The West Is Being Won by Tiny Bits of Plastic

Natural landscapes are seeing huge amounts of microplastics tumbling from the sky.
June 26, 2020
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why is this like this?

The South Carolina Forest That Looks Like Melted Ice Cream

When conditions are right, the waters of Congaree National Park can look like bright scoops pooling on a sidewalk.
June 25, 2020
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garbage

How a Tiny Island's Trash Heap Is Revealing Its History

An old dump beneath the airport on Michigan's Mackinac Island was brimming with stories from summers past.
June 24, 2020
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travel

How an Agoraphobic Traveler Wanders the Earth

When anxiety set boundaries on her life, this adventurer found solace and excitement in Google Street View.
June 19, 2020
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construction

Have Archaeologists Found London's Lost Theater?

The Red Lion is considered to be the oldest Elizabethan playhouse—and it may have recently seen the light of day.
June 16, 2020