From the Archive

6 of History’s Nastiest Jobs

Somebody had to do them, and we're just glad it wasn't us.

Hoangvantoanajc via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

The Vietnamese Festival Where Ex-Lovers Reunite

What might be some people's worst nightmare is a beloved, local tradition in the village of Khau Vai.

The Alternate-Universe Careers of 5 Celebrities

Vincent Price, Candymaker? It could have happened...

This Company Sends Imperfect Fruits and Vegetables to Your Home

A startup helps reduce food waste by rescuing misshapen—but still delicious—fruits and veggies.

Oddly Calming GIFs of Tattooing in Slow-Motion

Ancient Whistling Language Uses Both Brain Hemispheres

Here's Some Concept Art for the Ghostbusters Ride that Never Happened

Kids of the ‘80s would have killed to be a Ghostbuster—and they almost got the chance.

Learn the 18th Century Rules of Proper Dueling

You never thought a showdown could be so full of particulars.

Spiders Weave Quarter-Mile Web in Dallas Suburb

If you visit, please leave your arachnophobe friends at home.

A Brief History of 6 Useful Hand Gestures

Including why people decided the middle finger was offensive.

15 Final Countdowns That Weren't So Final

Sometimes the end of the world isn't the end of the world.

Tolkien Fans are Trying to Build a Crowdfunded Lord of the Rings City

15 Highly Unconventional Sneaker Designs

For the Lady Gaga in all of us.

Married Women In Ancient Egypt Were Protected By Prenups

12 Odd Facts and Stories About Armadillos

Armadillos are strange. Very strange.

Bill Nye Film is the Highest-Funded Documentary Ever On Kickstarter

Wouldn't you love to watch a documentary about Bill Nye The Science Guy? Of course you would. And so would at least 16,374 other people (and counting).

An external view of the abandoned Ellinikon airport in Athens

10 Amazing Abandoned Airports and Airbases

These commercial airports and military airbases lie abandoned, their once state-of-the-art equipment now rusting into ruins fit for cows, car races, and intrepid Instagrammers.

The White Deer of the Finger Lakes Are in Trouble

There are around 200 ghostly deer living near Seneca Lake in central New York. And pretty soon, the herd’s days might be numbered.

A New and Improved Peanut Is Coming

Newsburst via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

The Tallest Building Never Built

Sometimes it's possible to dream too big.

London Stereoscopic Company/Getty Images

15 Ripsniptious Faux-Educated Words of the 19th Century

Most of the terms came and went in the way that slang does, but a few were so melodious and apt that they became a part of our permanent vocabulary.

College Professor Discovers Tape of Martin Luther King Jr.'s First "I Have A Dream" Speech

The recording spent the past five decades buried in a box in a local library.

All Photos: Anja Hitzenberger, courtesy of Atlas Obscura

Beijing's Olympic Park Is Now Full of Tiny, Technicolor Food Stalls

From our friends at Atlas Obscura.

12 Foreign Travel Tips for Visiting America

Advice people around the world give their fellow citizens about navigating the peculiarities of American culture.