jessicahester1's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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everyday objects

How to Scavenge for Bits of History Like London's Mudlarks

A guide to scouting for humble treasures on the shore of the Thames.
January 2, 2020
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ecology

The Art and Science of Falling in Love With Joshua Trees

"HeyJTree" is built like a dating site, but it matches readers with the charismatic, threatened plants.
December 26, 2019
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laboratories

Watch This Yule Log Burn in the Name of Science

Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service's Fire Sciences Laboratory.
December 20, 2019
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fossils

Fossilized Roots Are Revealing the Nature of 385-Million-Year-Old Forests

Welcome to the ancient woods of Cairo, New York.
December 19, 2019
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christmas

Don't Blame Cities' Giant Christmas Trees for Being Droopy and Bald

If they're Norway spruce, that's just their nature.
December 17, 2019
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destination southern africa

World-Famous Waterfalls May Slow to a Trickle, But Tourism Doesn't Have To

When climate change comes for attractions like Victoria Falls, visitors can find new ways to appreciate them.
December 13, 2019
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neuroscience

Antarctica Is Stark, Beautiful, and Will Shrink Your Brain

The impact of 14 months at the edge of the world.
December 13, 2019
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corn

Endless Fields of Unharvested Corn, As Seen From Space

North Dakota's corn fields will spend the winter under a snowy blanket.
December 11, 2019
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hair

Found: Bottles of Hair Dye From a Civil War Photography Studio

When soldiers posed for portraits, they wanted to look their best.
December 10, 2019
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pollution

How Frothy Waves of Sea Foam Coated the Coast of Chennai

Don't play in the bubbles.
December 5, 2019
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ecology

On an English Estate, Reintroduced Beavers Might Make a Damn Difference

These ecosystem engineers have a good track record in helping restore wetlands.
December 5, 2019
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smoking

A Kiln That Fired Millions of Clay Pipes Was Unearthed Under a Montreal Bridge

Archaeologists recently dug it up—but now they're putting an end to its brief affair with open air.
December 2, 2019
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weather

Israel’s Stalagmites Have Climate Stories to Tell

Formed by dripping water over thousands of years, the rocky formations point to ancient monsoons.
November 29, 2019
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mammoths

How Radar Detected Prehistoric Footprints Beneath White Sands National Monument

Researchers have found Pleistocene-era proof of a human, mammoth, and ground sloth trundling along.
November 27, 2019
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black markets

In Museums, Real Rhino Horns Are an Endangered Species

Natural history collections are topping their specimens with replicas.
November 22, 2019
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photography

The Strange Emptiness of Egypt in 19th-Century European Photographs

John Beasley Greene photographed early European archaeology in Egypt—but he paid little attention to those who lived there.
November 21, 2019
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disappearing world

More and More Lighthouses Are Moving Away From the Shore

A Danish structure is the latest to evade erosion by migrating inland.
November 19, 2019
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garbage

Along the Remains of Route 66, Road Trip Trash Has Become Treasure

Welcome to the "throw zone."
November 15, 2019
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construction

Picturing Manhattan's Shortest Buildings From the Ground Floor

A photographer set out to document single-story buildings—the anti-skyscrapers.
November 11, 2019
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storms

Some Ships Keep Sailing Even After They're Wrecked

A century-old iron scow is inching closer to the brink of Niagara Falls.
November 8, 2019
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megafauna

The Founding Fathers' Favorite Mastodon Is Coming Home for a Visit

Here's how you ship the skeleton of long-dead megafauna across the Atlantic.
November 6, 2019
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real estate

For Sale: A Quaint Building Straight Out of a Norman Rockwell Painting

A Victorian storefront made famous in a 1967 painting is on the market—winter wonderland not included.
November 4, 2019
Gastro Obscura
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spirits week

Eat Your Sorrow With These Victorian Funeral Biscuits

Ingredients often included molasses, caraway seeds, ginger, and grief.
October 30, 2019
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legendary afterlives

The Spirited Afterlife of Detroit’s Little Red Demon

The Nain Rouge has been stirring up trouble—and maybe generating some goodwill—for more than 300 years.
October 28, 2019