Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

For Black History Month, we have the story of Rosa Graggs, a Black leader in Detroit who found a way around housing rules that tried to keep her from using her own property. Plus: Greg the Sorcerer is playing the open world survival game Valheim. Well, sort of. Detroit street that rejected Rosa Gragg will wear her name (Detroit Free Press) Valheim player keeps building Dollar Generals despite frie...

Today in 1969, the Beatles gave their famous "rooftop concert" in London. The police eventually shut it down, but no one got arrested... to the disappointment of at least part of the group. Plus: starting tomorrow in Florida, it’s the Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Beatles’ Famous Rooftop Concert: 15 Things You Didn’t Know (Rolling Stone) Gasparilla Pirate Fest   Get back to our Patreon page wh...

Today in 1861, Kansas became the 34th state in the Union. In the 1990s, a dispute over school funding led to a plan to turn part of the state into a new state of West Kansas. Plus: New York City has said goodbye to MetroCards as a payment system for bus and subway rides, but you can relive the glory days of those plastic fare cards in a new exhibit at the New York Transit Museum. Parts of Kansas o...

Today in 1971, the NFL began its annual draft. Back then, the drafts were strictly business, except for the moment when an NFL franchise appeared to draft one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Plus: today in 2021, a guy in Idaho won a big lottery prize, after having won smaller prizes five times earlier. Inside the 1971 NFL Draft, Where Atlanta Selected...John Wayne? (Sports Illustrated) Man wins...

Today in 1832, the birthday of Lewis Carroll, the author of “Alice In Wonderland.” One of the most memorable characters in Carroll's universe, the Mad Hatter, got his name from an actual medical condition that made those working in the hat industry seem to turn mad. Plus: today in 1937, the birthday of history-making broadcast journalist Nancy Dickerson. Poisons Part I: The Mercurial World of...

Today in 1892, the birthday of Bessie Coleman. She would break barriers in the sky, but only after she made a name for herself in another line of work: manicures. Plus: starting today in Elko, Nevada, it’s the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Bessie Coleman (National Women’s History Museum) 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering   Help this show keep flying as a backer on Patreon

Why have comedians been throwing pies at each other for laughs for so long? For National Pie Day, we investigate. Plus: Stacey Mei Yan Fong's project 50 Pies/50 States put the essence of each state in the Union into pie form. The messy history of the pie fight, from vaudeville to Nickelodeon (Hopes & Fears via Archive.org)  50 Pies/50 States For the cost of a piece of pie a month you can s...

Today in 1943, the community of Spearfish, South Dakota had some serious ups and downs in the weather, setting an all-time record for the fastest temperature change ever documented. Plus: today in 1997, Lottie Williams of Tulsa, Oklahoma went out for a walk and got hit with what was likely a piece of a Delta rocket falling to Earth.  History of Spearfish's World Record Temperature Change (Sout...

Today in 1910, the birthday of Károly Takács, a multi-time Olympic champion who won his medals without the use of his dominant hand. Plus: today in 1936, inventor Carl Brown obtained a patent for an unusual device meant to wake up drowsy drivers. Karoly Takacs, the Para athlete who achieved Olympic glory (World Shooting Para Sport) Staying awake at the wheel (Weird Universe) Help our show stay on...

Today in 1970, a strange moment in boxing history: two of the greatest heavyweights of all time faced off in a computer-simulated fight for a movie. Plus: today in 1946, the birthday of David Lynch, filmmaker, musician and occasional weather forecaster. How Muhammad Ali regretted his strangest fight ever (The Sporting News via Archive.org)   Watch 950 Weather Reports Presented by David Lynch, Stra...

For the holiday today, we're replaying an episode from January 2020 about the civil rights leader and his connection to Star Trek. A big reason why Dr. King was such a fan was the character of Lieutenant Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols. Star Trek’s Uhura Reflects On MLK Encounter (NPR’s Tell Me More)

Today in 1749 two British nobles decided to play a trick on London’s theatergoers. And their trick, known today as the Great Bottle Hoax, proved their point, while also managing to mostly backfire. Plus: police in Heber City, Utah are turning into frogs on the job! At least according to AI. The Great Bottle Conjurer Hoax (The Paris Review) Ribbit ribbit! Artificial Intelligence programs used by He...

Today in 2009, the "Miracle on the Hudson," in which an airplane in distress made an emergency landing on a river and everyone on board survived. While winning national acclaim for his piloting, the captain had to do some explaining at his local library. Plus: a car guy from Long Island gets a special ride for his dad and finds a bit of hip hop history. Library lets late fees fly for Hud...

Today in 1976 Tizi Hodson wrote a letter applying for what she called her dream job… and I don’t imagine that her dream included waiting almost half a century to hear back from the employer. Plus: today’s the birthday of track great Shawn Crawford, who won multiple Olympic medals but was just as well known for bringing a lighter side to sports.  Woman gets reply about job application - 48 years on...

Today in 1979, the YMCA filed a lawsuit against the Village People, for their song paying tribute to the YMCA! But don't worry, there's a happy ending for both sides here. Plus: Switzerland's Silvesterkläuse help ring in the new year and maybe maybe get a drink or two as they do. “Y.M.C.A.” (An Oral History) (SPIN)  Silvesterkläuse both beautiful and ugly (Swiss National Museum) It’s f...

Today in 2018, the closest of close calls for Brock Meister of Plymouth, Indiana: he survived a rarely survivable medical injury known as “internal decapitation.” Plus: for National Soundcheck Day, meet the Soundcube, a 1969 installation with loudspeakers in every direction.  Brock Meister's life was saved by his best friend — six months later, Brock was able to save his own brother's life...

This week we're replaying some of our favorite hoops-related episodes. In this episode from February 2022, a basketball story that’s almost too perfect for words: a high school team put its manager into the game, and not only did he play, he stole the show. Plus: the Glacier Express is called the “world’s slowest express train,” and its eight hour trip takes you through all the stunning scener...

This week we're replaying some of our favorite hoops-related episodes. In this episode from November 2021, a look at an NBA game in 1978 in which, thanks to some complications, four players are on the box score for both teams. Plus: two artists build an installation in Taiwan that resembles a stairway to heaven! Alert Led Zeppelin. In 1978-79 season, deal like no other happened at NBA trade de...

This week we're replaying some of our favorite hoops-related episodes. In this episode from July 2022, the story of Wataru “Wat” Misaka, who became the first non-white player to be drafted into what is now the NBA. And basketball wasn't the only sport in which he excelled. Plus: the Twin Cities hosts a "kick volleyball" competition at the Hmong International Freedom Festival. Jap...

This week we're replaying some of our favorite hoops-related episodes. In this episode from February 2022, Lisa Leslie, a high school basketball player who would later become one of the biggest names in the WNBA, had a record day, scoring 101 points in just 16 minutes. Plus: research finds a silver lining for Olympic runners up. That One Time: Lisa Leslie Scored 101 Points in a High School Gam...

This week we're replaying some of our favorite hoops-related episodes. In this episode from March 2022, we look at one of the most stunning performances in the history of pro sports: Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in an NBA game. Plus: a short film called “Donkey Baseball” featured fans in a baseball game where, yes, most of the players had to ride donkeys. The Legacy Of Wilt Chamberlain’s...

Today in 1910, the birthday of Charlie Douglass, who popularized the use of prerecorded laughter to help TV comedies seem more funny. Amirite folks? Plus: an astronaut uses microgravity to demonstrate a shape that we can't reproduce on Earth. Charles Rolland 'Charlie' Douglass (Variety via Archive.org )   The Art of Science: Soft Cell in Space (University of Oxford)  Laugh along with o...

A brand new year can be confusing for lots of reasons, but for Romans, the year 46 BC was when they tried to fix all the issues with their calendar and it made time literally drag on. Plus: a new wooden compass could help people with dementia find their way through the world. Why Julius Caesar's Year of Confusion was the longest year in history (BBC) wooden compass with single red arrow leads...

New Year’s Eve is full of traditions, including several in different parts of the world where people wear red underwear for luck as one year ends and the next begins. Plus: in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, the New Year's disco ball drop comes with a Pennsylvania Dutch twist. Grab Your Red Underwear and Get Ready for New Year’s Eve (Ripley’s)  PEEPS, PICKLES, AND PUCKS: Unique New Year’s celebrations...

ToFuel is a research project in Europe that aims to collect the stems, leaves and other uneaten tomato bits into an alternative and more eco-friendly fuel for jets. Plus: today in 1941, a photograph for the ages, thanks to a photographer with some gumption.   Scientists turn tomato waste into climate-friendly jet fuel to cut aviation emissions (Interesting Engineering) The Taming of Winston Church...