The Atlas Obscura Podcast

Casey Killian, a toilet industry executive with firsthand experience of South Korea's toilet reforms, shares colorful anecdotes about Shim Jae-duk. They explore Shim's origin myths, his push to upgrade public restrooms for the 2002 World Cup, and why he built a house shaped like a toilet. The conversation highlights Suwon's toilet museum, quirky exhibits, and modern Korean restroom innovations.

A century-old bank robbery that turned into a town legend. A mysterious unidentified body laid to rest under the name XYZ. Reports of a woman in black who returns each year to leave flowers. How rituals, dares, and offerings transformed a real crime into local folklore.

Eliot Stein, journalist and author of Custodians of Wonder, who documents traditional crafts, visits a Kerala village to explore the Aranmula Kannadi mirror. He describes how these metal-front mirrors are made by hand and why they are believed to reveal a truer reflection. He also discusses the craft’s legends, secrecy, cultural role in ritual, and threats to its survival.

Mark van Heukelum, an urban ecologist who studies how wildlife navigates cities and invented Utrecht’s livestreamed “fish doorbell.” He explains how migrating fish get trapped by city locks and the quirky idea to alert a lockkeeper. The story covers designing the camera and tech hurdles, then a surprising viral response that helped free fish and raised awareness.

Jerome Campbell, a producer and field reporter who covered Rukan, Norway, talks about inventive ways communities chase sunlight. He narrates Arizona’s tangled time 'donut' and its effects on daily life. He also describes Rukan’s gondola history and Martin Anderson’s mirror system that restores winter sun to the town square.

Mandy Neglich, author and advanced Cicerone (beer expert), digs into the lore of Ruthie Fontanini. She traces the origin of a famous beer tap figure and Ruthie’s balancing-pint stunt. Conversation covers how Mandy uncovered the story, Ruthie’s showmanship and legal troubles, and the wider history of women in brewing.

Angela Pelster, writer whose short story 'The Boys of Karachay Lake' reimagines a secret Soviet site. They explore the lake's radioactive history, covert nuclear dumping and containment, and how mystery fuels art and fiction. Short readings and a conversation blur fact and imagination.

Marisa Scheinfeld, a photographer and author who documents forgotten Borscht Belt resorts. She explores abandoned Catskills hotels, recalls summers working at famed resorts, and describes the region’s scale, entertainment scene, and unique mid-century design. The conversation covers why the circuit thrived and why it faded, and how photography helps preserve its memory.

Roger Dickey, traveler who documents remote, extreme places, recounts his hunt for the elusive Moose Boulder on Isle Royale. He explains why the nested-lake geography drew him in. He details planning, a multi-leg journey, getting lost on a rock field at night, and a ranger-assisted return. The tale ends with mystery, a keepsake, and the place listing removed.

Gwen Moore, curator of urban landscape and community identity at the Missouri Historical Society, shares the story of John Barry Meacham, a freed tradesman who built schools and led his community. The conversation covers Meacham’s rise from slavery, his clandestine educational efforts, the 1847 Missouri ban on Black education, and the creation and contested evidence for a steamboat school anchored on the river.