The Joy of Eating in Utopia
The early socialist Charles Fourier had grand ideas about food. The pleasure of eating was right up there with sex.
What’s Behind the Pandemic Puzzle Craze?
Puzzles, or “dissected maps,” were invented in Georgian-era England, probably by a mapmaker named John Spilsbury in the early 1760s.
Nittel Nacht: The Jewish Christmas Eve
'Twas the night before Christmas, and an undead Jesus walked the earth. No wonder early modern Jews played games and sang songs to scare him off.
The COVID-19 Vaccines Arrived at Warp Speed
Are they safe if they were developed so quickly? Research-backed answers to your virus questions.
Murderous Elves, Silent Moths, and Modern Phrenology
Well-researched stories from Atlas Obscura, Physics World, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
You, Too, Can Screen an Experimental Film
In the 1960s and '70s, where and how a film was shown was often as important as the work itself.
The Rise and Fall of Montana’s Christmas-Tree Harvest
Douglas firs weren't great for lumber, but they once made the small town of Eureka the Christmas-tree capital of America.
Ione Quinby, Chicago’s Underappreciated “Girl Reporter”
She started off as a "stunt" journalist and moved into covering stories about women and crime in the Roaring Twenties.
How the Fascists Rewrote Spanish National History
National origin stories can be the stuff of fancy. Francoist Spain also showed how quickly those stories could be rewritten.
How Do Archaeologists Know Where to Dig?
Archaeologists used to dig primarily at sites that were easy to find thanks to obvious visual clues. But technology—and listening to local people—plays a bigger role now.