Sarah Laskow's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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objects of intrigue

The Tale of the Toad and the Bearded Female Saint

European women used to leave toad votives in holy places as pleas for divine help.
May 10, 2017
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presidents

Found: A 1937 Recording of JFK as a Harvard Student

It’s the earliest known recording of him.
May 10, 2017
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rivals

The Battle of the Golden Toilets

When art collectives feud, we all win.
May 9, 2017
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treasure

Found: A Treasure Buried by a Teen in 1981

After three decades, someone finally dug it up.
May 9, 2017
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holidays

Get in on the Conspiracy: Celebrate Pynchon in Public Day

Today is the author's 80th birthday.
May 8, 2017
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wind

Found: Rare, Bizarre ‘Dragon-Skin Ice’

It's "evidence of a darker chaos," one scientist says.
May 8, 2017
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weapons

Found: An 18th-Century Asian Sword Fished From a Welsh River

It's in surprisingly good condition.
May 5, 2017
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obscura day 2017

The Wild Legacy of America's Most Eccentric Roadside Attraction

Wild Bill came from a family of die-hard Republicans and clowns, and he created a destination where the only rule is "faster, wilder."
May 4, 2017
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exploration

Found: A Rare, 17th-Century Map of Australia

Created around 1659 by a Dutch cartographer, it's the first map to show Tasmania.
May 4, 2017
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found

Found: A Giant Wave of Gas Twice the Size of the Milky Way

It's 200,000 light years across.
May 3, 2017
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bathrooms

Found: Hidden Golden Toilets With a Political Message

Some puckish politico has placed them across Indiana.
May 3, 2017
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obscura day 2017

The Twisted History of IUD Design

Before doctors settled on the T-shape, these contraceptives came in all shapes and sizes.
May 3, 2017
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napoleon bonaparte

Found: The Hoof of Napoleon’s Horse, Hiding in a Cottage Drawer in England

It was in a plastic bag.
May 1, 2017
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money

Found: Mystery Safe Unopened for 40 Years

Who leaves a mystery safe unopened??
April 28, 2017
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anatomy

The World Needs a Vagina Museum

One woman in London is dedicated to starting the world's first physical space wholly dedicated to vaginas.
April 28, 2017
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radio

How FDR Used Famous Immigrants to Extoll America’s Greatness

"I’m an American" was the U.S. government's attempt to promote tolerance in the run-up to World War II.
April 27, 2017
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bathrooms

Found: An Unusually Beautiful Bathroom Hidden Beneath a Factory Floor

They are nice sinks.
April 27, 2017
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found

John Lennon Left This Sketch Behind When He Moved House in the 1960s

Imagine finding this in your new home.
April 27, 2017
Gastro Obscura
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cows

Found: A Cow-Smuggling Tunnel Under a Tea Garden

Where's the beef?
April 26, 2017
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luck week

Online Poker Players Are Exiled in Paradise

When will the party end for online poker's refugees?
April 25, 2017
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tunnels

Found: World War I Training Tunnels Full of Live Grenades

Also, toffee tins, mess kits, and a 1930s sports car.
April 25, 2017
Gastro Obscura
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farms

Found: ‘Extraneous Golf Ball Materials’ in Frozen Hash Browns

Golf balls have been haunting potato fields for decades.
April 24, 2017
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founding fathers

Found: A Unique, Handwritten Copy of the Declaration of Independence

It contained a puzzle of sorts.
April 21, 2017
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luck week

Colonial America Was Built on Lottery Revenue

Roads, colleges, war—all funded by lottery tickets.
April 21, 2017