Topic

Geography & Places

A collection of 113 issues

Malört: The Vile Liqueur Chicagoans Love to Hate (and Force on Their Friends)

Malört, Chicago's infamous wormwood liqueur, is a true test of grit. Known for its shockingly bitter taste, this Prohibition-era spirit has become a cultural staple and a bizarre rite of passage, bonding friends and newcomers through the shared trauma of the notorious 'Malört Face'.

Food & Lifestyle History Geography & Places

The French Lawyer Who Crowned Himself King: The Bizarre, True Story of the Kingdom of Patagonia

In 1860, a French lawyer named Antoine de Tounens declared himself king of the indigenous Mapuche people in South America. His bizarre Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia, complete with a constitution, lasted just two years before he was arrested and declared insane by Chilean authorities.

History Biography & Personal Stories Geography & Places

Kiviak: Unpacking the Fermented, Bird-Stuffed Seal Delicacy of the Arctic

Kiviak is a traditional Greenlandic Inuit delicacy made by fermenting hundreds of seabirds inside a hollowed-out seal skin for months. This unique preservation method creates a pungent, cheese-like dish rich in nutrients, essential for survival and celebration in the harsh Arctic winter.

Food & Lifestyle Art, Culture & Design Geography & Places

The Ghost Mountain: Why the World's Highest Unclimbed Peak Will Remain Untouched Forever

Gangkhar Puensum in Bhutan is the world's highest unclimbed mountain. Four expeditions failed before Bhutan, viewing its peaks as sacred homes of spirits, banned mountaineering in 1994 and then completely in 2003, ensuring the summit remains a pristine, unconquered mystery.

Geography & Places Adventure & Exploration Religion & Philosophy

The Canadian Mountain Named After a Tyrant: Why 'Mount Stalin' Lasted Until 1987

From 1944 to 1987, a peak in British Columbia was named Mount Stalin to honor a WWII ally. This article explores why the name was given and why, despite the Cold War and knowledge of his tyranny, bureaucratic inertia and the mountain's remoteness caused the name to persist for decades.

History Geography & Places Wars, Conflict & Heroes

Vostok Station, 1983: A Journey to the Coldest Moment Ever Recorded on Earth

On July 21, 1983, Antarctica's Vostok Station recorded the coldest air temperature on Earth: -89.2°C (-128.6°F). This record-setting event was a product of extreme altitude, calm skies, and the polar night, pushing the limits of both nature and human survival.

Science & Nature Geography & Places

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