A Geeky Guide to the Scientific Wonders of North America

To scientists and the curious-minded, the world can be a lot like a laboratory, with scientific wonders hiding in the most unexpected places.

In an inconspicuous, working fire station in Livermore, California, you can view a lightbulb that has been burning for 112 years. Along the cliffsides near Lake Superior, you can hike to a disappearing waterfall that baffles both researchers and Minnesotans. Standing in Chichen Itza, Mexico, you can bask before the ancient ruins of a Mayan astronomy observatory. These are a few scientific secrets highlighted by the public radio show Science Friday.

To add a spark of scientific wonder to your summer vacation, Science Friday spoke with Atlas Obscura’s Dylan Thuras and Ella Morton who shared some of their favorite nerdy spots in North America. SciFri staff and listeners also pitched in peculiar places in the Atlas, from radio silent zones to petrified forests.