Roxanne Hoorn

Freelance Contributor at Freelance

Environmental journalist ~ Fellow @AtlasObscura ~ @UCSC_SciCom '23 ~ words @MongabayOrg

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Articles

17 Golden Statues You Didn’t Know Existed

1 month ago | atlasobscura.com | Roxanne Hoorn

These gilded and glorious icons shine in unexpected places. Tweet Reddit At competitions ranging from the Oscars to the Olympics, gold is the color of excellence. Around the world, it can also stand for prosperity or enlightenment. And just about anywhere you see it, gold demands attention. Whether it’s a solid gold Buddha, a thousand-pound golden guitar, or a foam Statue of David coated in gaudy gold paint, these places capture the eye.
Sex Work Throughout History: Our Favorite Reads

1 month ago | flipboard.com | Roxanne Hoorn

NowCalling this an “ancient city of gold” is no stretch. Recently, archaeologists unearthed a 3,000-year-old Egyptian mining camp in the Sukari Mountains. • Crews found evidence of ancient gold mining, processing, and purification. • The archaeological discovery has been moved and used to recreate the camp …
Women’s Wrongs: Our Favorite Reads

2 months ago | flipboard.com | Roxanne Hoorn

8 hours ago 'Does Bannon sound like he's joking?' Trump ally's CPAC comments draw concern Donald Trump's ally Steve Bannon took the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference — and raised some alarm bells from onlookers with his … 10 hours ago NPR Host Adrian Ma Says He's Been 'in Emotional Hell' After His Girlfriend Kiah Duggins Was Killed in the D.C. Plane Crash Kiah Duggins, the civil rights attorney who was identified as one of the victims of the deadly D.C. plane crash, is...
15 Amazing Places Every Yarn Lover, Knitter, and Crocheter Should Visit

2 months ago | atlasobscura.com | Roxanne Hoorn

For true fiber-arts enthusiasts only. Tweet Reddit Find inspiration for your next knitting or crochet project, because these places are all about the fiber arts. You can get cozy with a crochet shawl at a quiet library, or make it a party at the Heavy Metal Knitting World Championships. No matter your style, these spots offer plenty of creative fuel.
Animal Courtships: Our Favorite Reads

2 months ago | atlasobscura.com | Eric Grundhauser |Ashley Stimpson |Gemma Tarlach |Roxanne Hoorn

Having trouble landing a date? Take some tips from the animal kingdom. In these stories, meet the peacock spider that shakes its electric-blue butt to Beyoncé, the squid that puts on a seductive color show, and the fish whose guttural mating call can wake up a city. Peacock spiders are particularly great dancers, shaking and shimmying their colorful abdomens to woo over mates.
13 Places for a Smooch

2 months ago | atlasobscura.com | Roxanne Hoorn

Depending on where you are in the world, a kiss can mean many things. In a cemetery in Barcelona’s Poblenou district, for instance, a winged skeleton gives a mortal man the kiss of death. Meanwhile, a Pittsburgh clock is a famous spot for telling an enemy to kiss your ass. Then there’s the rock in Chicago that marks where Barack and Michelle Obama first locked lips. Whatever the intent behind it, a kiss is a momentous expression. The 13 places below showcase exactly what we mean.
Bell Labs Holmdel Complex

2 months ago | atlasobscura.com | Roxanne Hoorn

This 2-million-square-foot, glass-exterior building in Holmdel, New Jersey, was once an epicenter for technological innovation. Constructed between 1959 and 1962, the building, along with its elaborate landscaping, was one of the last projects designed by the Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen. It originally hosted Bell Laboratories’ research division of AT&T.
17 Places to Watch a Superb Owl

2 months ago | atlasobscura.com | Roxanne Hoorn

They’re a hoot. Tweet Reddit They’ve been called symbols of wisdom, heralds of good fortune, even omens of death. Whatever you think of them, owls have inspired people around the world—and throughout the ages—to erect monuments, sculpt statues, and start collections in their likeness or honor. This has led to the creation of plenty of places, like the 17 listed below, where you can see, in some form or fashion, a truly superb owl.
24 Places All About Snakes

2 months ago | atlasobscura.com | Roxanne Hoorn

José María Morelos, Mexico Cave of the Hanging Snakes Look up (or don’t) in this cave, where bat-eating snakes hang from the ceiling. 19.3483, -88.8844
13 Places With Cannonballs Stuck in Them

Jan 24, 2025 | atlasobscura.com | Roxanne Hoorn

Usually, the well-aimed firing of a cannon ends in tragedy and destruction for the target, but on occasion, the building wins. In these cases, a lodged cannonball may stay put in a church wall, town home, or even a sturdy banister for decades, if not millennia. The sources of these abandoned balls vary—launched by Napoleon’s army, say, or the Union forces. In some cases, their origin remains a mystery.