In the collection of the Lyme Regis Museum in England is a beautiful 19th century tabletop made of delicate, inset stones. The rub is that these stones are… (spoiler alert)... coprolite, or fossilized feces. Amanda and Johanna discuss the man who had this table made, an eccentric scientist named William Buckland, who was a key figure in the early history of paleontology.

For more information about William Buckland’s table, see:

• https://www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk/related-article/bucklands-coprolite-table/
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-father-and-son-who-ate-every-animal-possible
• “The man who tried to eat everything on Earth” from the Royal Society https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-fcaKO_5sk
• https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/history/unusual-diet-18th-century-geologist-william-buckland
• https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2016/05/19/me-and-my-monkey/
• On the Kirkdale Cave: https://scarboroughmuseumsandgalleries.org.uk/object/kirkdale-cave/
• For more on Buckland’s son, Frank, see: “The Man Who Ate the Zoo” by Richard Girling

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Caroline Mazel-Carlton has visited over 1000 Atlas Obscura Places. But the project was about more than ticking off a list – she says it helped save her life. 

This episode contains discussion of suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know is struggling, contact the Suicide Crisis Hotline by calling or texting 988. 

Explore the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/all-places-in-the-atlas-on-one-map

Learn more about Caroline’s organization, the Wildflower Alliance: 

https://wildfloweralliance.org/

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Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring us two charming stories of some very special canines who have been (literally) preserved for the ages. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: Learn about Sergeant Stubby here and Owney here

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In July of 2024, Greg Eskridge was released from San Quentin Rehabilitation Center after 30 years in prison. We hear what it’s like to see the Bay Area with new eyes, and what places in his life have made him feel the most free. 

The Uncuffed podcast empowers people in prison to tell their own stories. Listen here: https://www.uncuffed.org/

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On December 12, 1925, the first motel in America opened its doors. It had Spanish Mission style architecture, a red roof, and an orange tree outside each door. We trace the rise and fall (and second rise) of motels over the past century: the good, the bad, and yes, the seedy. 

Check out Megan McCrea’s timeline tracing the rise of the motel: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/insider/motels-history-road-trips-travel.html

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In California, a rare specimen of sequoia produces ghostly white leaves. Reporter Alexa Lim ventures into the forest to get a look at albino redwoods. 

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The staff of Atlas Obscura share their new year’s travel resolutions – the things we want to change about how we travel or see the world this year.        

Plus, we want to hear stories about the interesting or unusual places where you’ve stayed the night. How did you find it? Who did you go with? What made the experience of staying there good… or bad? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Our mailbox will cut you off after three minutes so please call again if you get disconnected. Or better yet, you can record a voice memo and email it to us at [email protected].

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One man in Brooklyn, New York - armed with a homemade boat and an artistic vision - helped transform one of the most polluted industrial waterways in the US.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/newtown-creek-nature-walk

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 Today, Sea View Hospital on Staten Island is largely abandoned. But it was here, in this forgotten place, staffed by people who were shunned and segregated, where medical workers eventually found a cure for a disease that had plagued humanity for nearly 500,000 years: tuberculosis.

Learn more in Maria’s book, The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Angels-Untold-Nurses-Tuberculosis/dp/0593544927

The Staten Island Museum has an exhibit about the nurses called Taking Care: The Black Angels of Sea View Hospital: https://www.statenislandmuseum.org/exhibitions/takingcare/

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The new year is just around the corner. And the Atlas Obscura staff look back on the lessons and experiences they learned this year throughout their travels. 

Plus, we want to hear about your New Year's travel resolutions. What are you hoping to change about the way you travel or move through your existing world? What inspired this resolution? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Our mailbox will cut you off after three minutes so please call in if you get disconnected. Or better yet, you can record a voice memo and email it to us at [email protected].

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