Frank Jacobs's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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fantasy locations

For Hundreds of Years, People Thought California Was an Island

Dozens of maps show cartography's most persistent mistake.
February 16, 2024
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strange maps

The First Viking Woman to Sail to America Was a Legendary Traveler

Back when the Icelanders called a part of Canada the “land of grapes.”
February 9, 2024
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geometry

Europe’s Most Active Volcano Is Also the World’s Only Decipoint

The many eruptions isn't the only reason Mount Etna is unique.
February 2, 2024
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buried treasure

The WWII Treasure Map That Caused A Modern Day Hunt

The question remains: Where is the loot?
January 26, 2024
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disappearing world

The Frenzy About the Weirdest Continent That Never Existed

Forget Atlantis, the lost land of lemurs had people in a tizzy.
January 19, 2024
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hot air balloon

Flying Circuses Led to the First Aerial Maps of Earth

There was vomiting, crashes, fire, and an abandoned cat.
January 12, 2024
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data

A Map of Which States People Want to Stay In, Move To, or Leave

The population data of locals versus new comers is more easy to see than ever.
January 5, 2024
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teens

Most States Start School Too Early in the Morning

This map shows which parts of the U.S. ignore the science.
December 29, 2023
Gastro Obscura
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strange maps

This Prohibition-Era Map Is a Love Letter to Alcohol

See dozens of 1920s cocktails from a time when alcohol was illegal in the U.S.
December 22, 2023
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statistics

Christianity Is Disappearing in England, As Seen in These Maps

See what's taking its place for the first time in almost 1,500 years.
December 15, 2023
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globes

Most Canadians Live South of Seattle and Other Map Surprises

We're wrong about directions and locations of many countries.
December 8, 2023
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penguins

The Strange Case of Antarctica’s Red and Green Snow

It’s not a Christmas trick, but the colorful effect could change everything.
December 1, 2023
Gastro Obscura
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umami

Why We Couldn’t Describe a Flavor We Taste Every Day

The human tongue detected it long before it could say it.
November 24, 2023
Gastro Obscura
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strange maps

Do Colder or Warmer Places Eat More Spicy or Bland Food?

The correlation between temperature and flavor is obvious across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
November 17, 2023
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america

Your Personality Depends on Which U.S. State You Live In

A map of confidence and kindness from California to New York.
November 10, 2023
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earth

The Mystery of the World’s Largest and Deepest Gravity Hole

The sea level here is hundreds of feet lower than the rest of the ocean.
November 3, 2023
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strange maps

The Fight Between Cataphiles and Underground Police in the Paris Catacombs

Will the tunnels, host to many illegal parties, get filled with concrete?
October 27, 2023
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crypts

Which States Have the Most Dead Presidents?

The answer reveals grave robbing problems for America’s deceased leaders.
October 20, 2023
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strange maps

Where Humans Think Aliens Are Most Likely to Land

Will extraterrestrials try to see the city or the countryside?
October 13, 2023
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strange maps

The Loneliest Road in Every State in America

Find your state's quietest route.
October 6, 2023
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strange maps

This Map Shows a Divided and Conquered USA If America Had Lost WWII

Which parts of the East Coast and California might Germany and Japan have claimed?
September 29, 2023
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earth

Uneven Gravity Makes You Weigh More in Illinois Than in Indiana

A number of factors cause you to be lighter or heavier in different parts of the world.
September 22, 2023
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tolkien

Is Mordor Based on the Himalayas?

Much of Asia seems to be riddled onto the Lord of the Rings map of Middle Earth.
September 15, 2023
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buoys

The Center of the Earth Has an Imaginary Island and One Floating Soul

Fact and fiction blend together at zero latitude and zero longitude.
September 8, 2023