The Atlas Obscura Podcast
SiriusXM and Atlas Obscura
An audio guide to the world’s strange, incredible, and wondrous places. Co-founder Dylan Thuras and a neighborhood of Atlas Obscura reporters explore a new wonder every day, Monday through Thursday. In under 15 minutes, they’ll take you to an incredible place, and along the way, you’ll meet some fascinating people and hear their stories. Our theme and end credit music is composed by Sam Tyndall.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 3, 2024 • 15min
Laguna Del Diamante (Winter Wonder Classic)
A toxic lake high in the Andes mountains in Argentina is home to microbes that provide a window to our planet’s past — and a key to securing its future.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/laguna-del-diamante
Jan 2, 2024 • 15min
Relampago del Catatumbo (Winter Wonder Classic)
There’s an everlasting lightning storm in Northwestern Venezuela that appears in the night sky nearly every night.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/relampago-del-catatumbo
Jan 1, 2024 • 20min
The Various Ends of the World (Winter Wonder Classic)
Science writer Peter Brannen takes listeners on a tour of the world’s five major mass extinctions.
Dec 29, 2023 • 19min
Spacecraft Cemetery (Winter Wonder Classic)
Where does space stuff go after it dies? To this spot deep, deep in the Pacific ocean.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/spacecraft-cemetery
Dec 28, 2023 • 18min
Fun and Funny Science with Mary Roach (Winter Wonder Classic)
Author Mary Roach takes us into the hidden corners of the scientific world. From training to poop in space to the surprisingly pleasant Common Cold Unit, all the way to the inside of Elvis’s colon. If you want to check out her work, we recommend starting with Packing for Mars.
Dec 27, 2023 • 14min
The Grave of Miss Baker (Winter Wonder Classic)
Visitors leave bananas on the grave of “America’s First Lady of Space,” an early astronaut whose incredible life was forgotten. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-grave-of-miss-baker-huntsville-alabama
Dec 26, 2023 • 11min
The Tunguska Event (Winter Wonder Classic)
Delve into the mysterious Tunguska Event in Russia, where a massive explosion devastated trees without a known cause. Hear eyewitness accounts and explore theories behind the catastrophic phenomenon. Learn about the risks of celestial collisions and the impact on humans and animals.
Dec 25, 2023 • 17min
Amir Siraj and the Interstellar Object (Winter Wonder Classic)
Amir Siraj, the student who discovered the first documented interstellar object to hit Earth, discusses the object's size and origin. They delve into the composition of meteors and how studying them helps us understand our solar system. The podcast also explores the audacious plan to search for meteorite pieces in the Pacific Ocean and the significance of finding material from another star. Additionally, the connection between music and science is discussed, highlighting Amir Saraj's unique background in astrophysics and piano performance.
Dec 24, 2023 • 13min
Tumbleweed Christmas Tree (Winter Wonder Classic)
Chandler, Arizona creates a Christmas Tree made entirely of the diaspore of this Western plant. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tumbleweed-christmas-tree
Dec 23, 2023 • 3min
A Holiday Announcement
Over the last two and a half years, the Atlas Obscura podcast has published well over 500 original episodes. For the next few weeks, we're taking a holiday break -- but not leaving you without wonder. Over the course of 20 episodes, host Dylan Thuras is going to take you on a journey starting in the cosmic reaches of space, to the earliest days of life on earth, through a tour of our fellow earthly creatures, and finally arrive at us, the great apes who record podcasts. We'll be back in late January with brand new episodes.
