Sarah Laskow's User Profile - Atlas Obscura

Sarah Laskow

Former Atlas Obscura staff writer

2015
joined atlas
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Why the King Owns All the Swans in England

Only wealthy landowners were allowed to feast on these royal fowl.

The Surprising History of Swimming's Suffragists

To bring attention to their cause, these pioneering women had to get physical.

What a Spring Bloom Looks Like at Sea

Phytoplankton get busy.

Why Hawaiians Place Plants Before a Wall of Hot Lava

Ti leaves have long been thought to have powers of protection.

Plants Are Communicating With Each Other Using Underground Signals

A new report shows that touching one plant can affect the behavior of its neighbors.

How to Tell If You Have Spring Fever

Symptoms include: listlessness and energy, laziness and glee.

The Cartoon Goat From Poland Who Wandered the World in Search of Shoes

Koziołek Matołek resonated with generations of Polish children.

The Underground Nuclear Test That Didn't Stay Underground

The fallout cloud from the Baneberry test was never supposed to exist.

The U.S. Once Dropped Two Nuclear Bombs on North Carolina by Accident

By sheer luck, neither detonated.

What Happens When a Giant Nuclear Missile Accidentally Falls Back Into Its Silo

In 1960, a test of a Titan I missile went smoothly until the very end.

Every Library Has a Story to Tell

Three new books for bibliophiles dig into the hidden human side of book collections.

When the U.S. Kept Losing Nuclear Bombs

In the 1950s, military accidents meant that nuclear warheads went missing.

The Nuclear 'Demon Core' That Killed Two Scientists

After World War II ended, physicists kept pushing a plutonium core to its edge.

objects of intrigue

Go Medieval by Attaching a Book to Your Belt

They're incredibly rare today, but portable girdle books were once very handy.

Why Antarctica's Prehistoric Forests Might Foreshadow Its Future

Hidden on the frozen continent are clues to its greener past.

The Strange Magic of Forest Thaw Circles

As snow melts, a mysterious pattern appears around tree trunks.

Watch a Single Snowflake Melt

A 3D model shows how snow transforms into water.

The Lost Tradition of Playing Ball in Church to Celebrate Easter

Priests danced around a labyrinth and played a symbolic, ritual game of catch.

The First U.S. Census Asked Just Four Questions

Over the 230 year history of the census, its questions about national origin tracked attitudes about race and nationalism.

It's Soul-Crushing, But Don't Take the DMV for Granted

When rich, reckless drivers started tearing up streets, authorities needed a way to keep people safe.

How to Create an Interstellar Network of Planets

Could a megastructure help us start a conversation with an alien civilization?

Bookplates Hold the Secrets to Books’ Past Lives

The mysterious marks owners leave in their books tell stories of their own.

natural springs

On the Hunt for the Lost Wonders of Medieval Britain

Does a millennium-old manuscript hold the key to hidden, awe-inspiring places?

Welcoming Spring by Burning the Goddess of Winter