This reptile was found somewhere it shouldn’t be

Asian culinary comics, a podcast retrospective, and more.
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	March 23, 2023

The History of Species

An Ichthyosaur That Shouldn’t Exist

For more than a century, fossil hunters have come to what’s known as the Vikinghøgda Formation in Norway in search of bones. Benjamin Kear and his team were no different—though their find was certainly something that stood out from historical record. The fossil vertebrae they found here belonged to the earliest known ichthyosaur, a kind of marine reptile found the world over during the Mesozoic (sometimes called the Age of Dinosaurs). But there was a problem. The 250-million-year-old fossil vertebrae don’t fit Earth’s timeline as we know it—or, at least, as we thought we knew it.

Asian Culinary Comics

Across North America, a generation of Asian cartoonists have picked up their pen to bring their culinary heritage and favorite dishes to life. The last decade has seen a flurry of illustrated Korean cookbooks, one-panel satirical comics about South Asian chai, and graphic novels about Japanese-American culinary history. And these food cartoons do more than visually stun—they can also fight stereotypes, share memories, and tell forgotten histories.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Pudu Prison Gate

For over 100 years from 1895 to 1996, the Pudu Prison complex served as one of Kuala Lumpur’s main prisons. Originally built by the British colonial government, the prison was notorious for its harsh environment, and was eventually demolished in 2012. Almost all of it, that is. Only the gate remains today, standing on the edge of a fountain park.

Atlas Obscura Courses

Designing Walking Tours

Walking offers a unique way to experience place—one in which storytelling, history, sensory detail, and human interaction come together to form a layered topography of past and present. In this five-session course with tour guide and historical journalist Hadley Meares, you’ll learn how to create your own walking tour, curating one for a park, graveyard, historical home, neighborhood, or any place that you really care about.

A Fond Look Back

7 Beloved Podcast Episodes

Over the last two years—and almost 400 episodes—the Atlas Obscura Podcast has visited every continent in search of wonders big and small. To celebrate this milestone, we’re taking a tour through some of our recent stories—from the Korean DMZ to Times Square.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Remember slot car racing? The hobby is alive and kicking at Slot Car City, where the miniature indoor raceway has survived more than two decades thanks to a dedicated base of returning fans. Heads up: driving speeds are around 21 mph for newcomers and close to 30 for professionals.

History’s Most Successful Pirate

Ching Shih, who lived and pillaged during the Qing Dynasty, has been called the most successful pirate in history. Following her husband’s death, she commanded over 1,800 pirate ships, and an estimated 80,000 men. In comparison, the famed Blackbeard commanded four ships and 300 pirates within the same century.

Asheville, North Carolina

Biltmore McDonald's

Built in 1895, Asheville’s Biltmore Estate is the largest private home in the United States—by a long shot. The estate is open to the public, drawing in nearly two million tourists annually who wish to take in its bewildering scale (and secrets). It’s no coincidence, then, that the closest McDonald’s is, by some subjective measure, “the world’s fanciest McDonald’s.” But it wasn’t always.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Explore Japan’s Sado Island

Japan is well known for its thriving, modern cities and an incredible array of cultural and culinary experiences. On this tour, we set out to experience another side of Japan, one that includes beautiful coastal scenery and a slow pace of life. We’ll dive into its history, exploring how Sado Island has sheltered political exiles, birthed a gold rush, and preserved thriving cultural traditions.

The definitive guide to the world's hidden wonders.