The Atlas Obscura Podcast

We follow one man’s journey down an internet rabbit hole that becomes a search for a one-of-a-kind forest and its mysterious creator. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At one time, sea otters had an enormous historical range—from Baja California, up the West Coast, through Alaska, Russia, and Japan. But these days, their levels are low. In this episode, we get an inside look at a groundbreaking program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is helping to reverse that by getting rescued sea otter pups back to the wild.  We produced this episode in partnership with t...

We follow a man’s quest to find the remains of a shipwrecked slave ship off the coast of the Florida Keys, and learn about its forgotten history, mysterious remains, and vital legacy. LEARN MORE: Check out a documentary Karuna Eberl made about the ship – called “ The Guerrero Project .”  She wrote an article about it. A local Florida historian named Gail Swanson wrote a book about the ship, called...

These trees sprang from seeds that were brought to outer space.   Moon Tree Website: https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/moon_tree.html READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/categories/moon-trees Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We go to New Hampshire – but not for politics. Instead, we visit Goffstown, the pumpkin boat capital of New England, and meet the man who came up with an annual, improbable regatta. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: See a video of the annual pumpkin boat race here Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We go to Houston, where a gigantic underground vessel that used to be a water source is now an enchanting – and echo-filled – part of the downtown park system. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/buffalo-bayou-park-cistern Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We get out our passports and visit The Republic of Slowjamastan, a nation built on good vibes, good music and a dream of eliminating one very popular type of footwear. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We go to Safety Harbor, Florida – where two artists have made their house into a magnet for creativity and culture, and where Troll Dolls, Jello molds, and bowling balls reign. This episode was produced in partnership with Visit St. Pete/Clearwater. LEARN MORE: Visit kiaralinda.com to see pictures of some of the art at Whimzeyland and for information about getting a tour. And go to visitstpeteclea...

This forest in Oslo, Norway will provide the trees for paper as part of a century long art project featuring famed contemporary authors.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/forest-of-the-future-library Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Forty-two school buses have been buried in Horning’s Mills, Ontario - covered in concrete, they can house up to 500 people in case of nuclear fallout.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ark-two-shelter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Congo Square in New Orleans is the heart of where African drumming found its way into American music and the birth of Jazz. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/congo-square Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Turns out, complaining about bad service really is as old as time. Hear the story of an ancient Babylonian clay tablet that has launched a slew of modern memes. Click here  for more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An archeological site in the country of Georgia, which features the oldest, human skull fossils found outside of Africa, challenges what we think we know about our deep past. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/dmanisi-hominins-brain-shape Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advert...

An island off the coast of Puerto Rico is home to more than 1500 imported monkeys, which have been studied by researchers for decades. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cayo-santiago-monkey-island Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea has become an accidental bird sanctuary for one of the world’s most endangered crane species. Learn more about the International Crane Foundation at savingcranes.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A grand library in Portugal has some unexpected nighttime caretakers -- tiny bats.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mafra-palace-library-bats Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

These Argentinian parrots have made an unlikely home in a Brooklyn, NY cemetery. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki has had an infestation of Chilean recluse spiders for more than 50 years. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Take a trip to Micropia, the world’s only museum dedicated to microscopic organisms and learn about our invisible life companions. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/micropia Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join host Dylan Thuras, a satellite scientist, and a ship captain in search of gigantic swaths of bioluminescence that radiate up from the surface of the sea over thousands of square miles.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A toxic lake high in the Andes mountains in Argentina is home to microbes that provide a window to our planet’s past — and a key to securing its future. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/laguna-del-diamante Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There’s an everlasting lightning storm in Northwestern Venezuela that appears in the night sky nearly every night. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/relampago-del-catatumbo Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Science writer Peter Brannen takes listeners on a tour of the world’s five major mass extinctions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Where does space stuff go after it dies? To this spot deep, deep in the Pacific ocean. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/spacecraft-cemetery Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Author Mary Roach takes us into the hidden corners of the scientific world. From training to poop in space to the surprisingly pleasant Common Cold Unit, all the way to the inside of Elvis’s colon. If you want to check out her work, we recommend starting with Packing for Mars .  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal d...