kategolembiewski's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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dreams

Inside Montréal’s ‘Dream and Nightmare Laboratory’

In a century-old hospital, a team of “dream engineers” investigates the science of uneasy sleep.
November 8, 2024
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fungus

A Cemetery's Immortal Residents and the Scientist Who Studies Them

Lichens growing on gravestones appear immune to aging. What does their life cycle teach us about death?
October 24, 2024
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paranormal

A Haunted Chamber, a Quivering Blade, and Other Spooky Science Experiments

Could infrasound, electromagnetic blips, gas leaks, and mold explain why some places just give us the creeps?
October 26, 2023
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sociology

At a Haunted Grocery Store, Trying to Explain the Unexplained Has Consequences

In rural Norway, flying potatoes and other strange events troubled staff and customers for years. What happened when people shared their stories?
October 17, 2023
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orchids

What Stories of Scary Plants and Other Botanical Horrors Say About Us

From bloodthirsty orchids to body-snatching pods, fictional flora are often symbols of societal fears.
May 4, 2023
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future

Can Glowing 'Ray Cats' Save Humanity?

There are some strange ideas about how to send a warning to our descendants 100,000 years from now.
October 25, 2022
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gender

How Sexism Haunts the Haunted House Industry

And the sociologist and actors trying to exorcise the gender stereotyping demon.
October 17, 2022
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mirrors

The Spooky Science of Why Mirrors Can Freak Us Out So Much

We reflect on what these shiny surfaces reveal, from the curse of Narcissus to an experiment you can try at home—if you dare.
October 14, 2022
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poop

An Ancient Croc Stepped in Poop and Created a Portal to the Past

Scientists braved rain, mud, and a close encounter at a crocodile farm to learn what fossilized feces reveal about life 33 million years ago.
February 28, 2022
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egyptian collections

The Secret Egyptian Chapel Hidden Inside a Chicago Break Room

The sealed-off chamber is 4,300 years old.
June 8, 2016