Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

Today in 1945, the birthday of singer/songwriter Van Morrison. His biggest fans and his loudest critics can agree that the guy does not like being told what to do, and he proved it by recording one of the strangest albums in the history of music. Plus: a program at MIT offers a certificate in piracy! Shelved: Van Morrison’s Contractual Obligation Album (Longreads) One of The Country’s Most Competi...

There’s new research about a very complex water system built in China around four thousand years ago. And this very complex system was apparently built in a very uncommon way. Plus: this week in Hoopeston, Illinois, it’s the start of the National Sweetcorn Festival. China’s oldest water pipes were a communal effort (University College London)   The National Sweetcorn Festival Join us on Patreon an...

There’s an urban legend floating around the web that claims today in 1968, the television industry was briefly stopped in its tracks by the devil. We'll unpack this wild story. Plus: in space, no one can hear you scream, except that two physicists in Finland say they've found a workaround. Did American TV Viewers Hear the Devil's Voice on Aug. 29, 1968? (Snopes)  Physicists Figure Out...

Today is, thanks to a long-ago calendar change, one of two birthdays in 1896 of Leon Theremin. He invented a very unusual musical instrument that you play without touching it. Plus: a UK woman pranked her husband by pretending she'd won the lottery, only three weeks later, she really did. Leon Theremin’s two birthdays: his official biographer speaks (Moog Foundation) Theremin (Quartz) Woman wi...

Today in 1958, eaters looking for a quick, inexpensive and tasty option got what they were looking for: it was the birthday of instant noodles. And the man known as the Father of Instant Noodles was Momofuku Ando. Plus: today in Askov, Minnesota, the Askov Rutabaga Festival and Fair is starting up! The Humble Origins of Instant Ramen: From Ending World Hunger to Space Noodles (Gizmodo)  Askov Ruta...

TranscribeGlass is a new set of glasses powered by artificial intelligence that can transcribe speech in real time and create captions for people who need them. Plus: in August 1930, an architect told Modern Mechanix magazine that banks could foil robbers if everything was made of transparent glass.  Stanford Students Create AI Glasses That Transcribe Speech in Real-Time for Deaf People (My Modern...

Today in 1974, John Lennon said he saw a UFO while looking out the window. Whatever it was that actually happened, he was far from the only famous musician to say they'd encountered something in the skies. Plus: we pour some water on the claims that Alexander the Great claimed to have seen UFOs too. John Lennon says he saw a UFO  (Songfacts) 11 pop stars who claim to have seen UFOs (BBC)  16 F...

This month in 2001, a self-described “sign guy” decided to solve an issue on southern California highways by adding his own road sign. Plus: today in 1851, the very first America's Cup competition, won by - as you might guess from the name - a ship named America .  How an Artist Helped Millions of Drivers With a Counterfeit Highway Sign (The Drive) U.S. wins first America’s Cup  (History.com)...

There’s new research out that suggests that for those trying to eat healthy, bigger is better - at least when it comes to font sizes on parts of the menu. Plus: the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest has announced this year’s winner of the worst opening sentence to an unwritten novel.   Font size can ‘nudge’ customers toward healthier food choices (Washington State University) 2023 Grand Prize Winner (...

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite past episodes about some delicious between-meal treats. In this episode from October 2019, we find out why candy corn has fans, not just detractors. After all, someone's eating those 9 billion pieces produced each year. Plus: a haunted house in Utah with an unforgettably creepy name.  The Saccharine History of Candy Corn (National Geographic) 2019...

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite past episodes about some delicious between-meal treats. In this episode from May 2020, authorities in Belgium call on citizens to do their duty and help the country's potato farmers by ordering frites twice a week - fitting, since Belgium is home of the world's only Frietmuseum and considers itself the birthplace of the fried potato. Plus: tod...

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite past episodes about some delicious between-meal treats. In this episode from December 2020, we take a closer look at the amazing and frequently disturbing history of gingerbread, including how one of the most famous royals of all time helped bring gingerbread people into the world. Plus: a lesson in patience from a musical great who made herself into...

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite past episodes about some delicious between-meal treats. In this episode from February 2021, the makers of the cheese curl (or one of them, there are several origin stories) end with a creation that was supposed to be something entirely different. Plus: LEGO City is a bustling place, and some fans are hoping it will add bike lanes for LEGO riders.  Jun...

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite past episodes about some delicious between-meal treats. In this episode from April 2021, we mark National Pretzel Day with a deep dive into the history of this near-perfect snack. Plus: if you're hungry for pretzels, we'll tell you about a pretzel-themed restaurant in Maryland.  The Religious History of Pretzels (Food and Wine) History of Pret...

The second Friday in August is an exciting time in the Scottish community of South Queensferrry. That’s when the town holds an event that takes some explaining: the Burryman’s Parade. Plus: today in North Plains, Oregon, it's the annual Elephant Garlic festival. 'Not many people can say they are the Burryman' (The Scotsman) North Plains Elephant Garlic Festival How about a parade of b...

Today in 1995 one of the most unusual endings to a big league baseball game ever: an umpire called a forfeit after the fans showered the field with souvenir baseballs. Plus: starting tomorrow in Williston, North Dakota, it's the 2023 North Dakota Chokecherry Festival. The crazy story behind MLB’s last forfeit (MLB.com)  2023 North Dakota Chokecherry Festival You can have a ball as one of our b...

This month in 1912, the community of Bisbee, Arizona decided to gamify its anti-bug response by offering rewards for the most avid fly-swatters. Plus: starting tomorrow in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, it’s the US Open Chainsaw Sculpture Championship. The Bisbee fly-catching contest of 1912 (Boing Boing) US Open Chainsaw Sculpture Championship Build the buzz around our show as a backer on Patreon

For National Dollar Day, the story of the time a guy overseeing the printing of US money decided the best person to feature on that money was… himself. Plus: for International Cat Day, a look at a 19 foot long fiberglass cat in Pine Island, New York. A Treasury Official in 1866 Put His Own Face on U.S. Currency (Atlas Obscura)  The Biggest Cat In The World (WeirdNJ via YouTube) For just 20 Spencer...

This week in 2019, the president of Turkmenistan got the world’s attention with a very unusual drive around a flaming gas crater that's become an attraction for some tourists as well as a big headache for environmental scientists. Plus: this week in 2018, a woman in Oklahoma asked if she could borrow an orange cat so her two kids could have a Garfield lasagna party. And it worked! Turkmenistan...

Today in 1991, the luxury cruise ship Oceanos sank while traveling around the coast of South Africa. Fortunately everyone who was on that ship survived, and, surprisingly, the people who made sure everyone made it to safety were the ship’s musicians. Plus: today in 1914, the birthday of Hubert Blaine Wolfe­schlegel­stein­hausen­berger­dorff Sr., whose full name was a record 747 characters long. Th...

Some of us plan our trips so we can visit all 50 states. If you’re one of these travelers, the state of North Dakota has a club just for you. Plus: today in 1907, a woman in Paris, Madeleine Ravier, received a patent for what she called a "bicycle for animals." Are we doing summer road trips again? If so, consider the Best For Last Club in North Dakota (Fargo-Moorhead Welcome Center) Mad...

Around this time in 1935, the US government was making a big decision about some small amounts of money: there was a push to create a kind of currency worth a tenth of a cent. Plus: the story of a silver certificate issued in 1899 that featured the likeness of Tȟatȟóka Íŋyaŋke, a Hunkpapa Lakota chief who is, to date, the only Native American to appear on US paper money. What are Sales Tax Tokens?...

Today in 1911, the birthday of Jackie Ormes, the first Black woman to have syndicated comic strips in newspapers. Plus: today in 1935, the release of a Three Stooges short that has a scene where Moe crashes through a table and breaks three ribs. Probably goes without saying that injuries weren't in the script. Found in the Collection: Jackie Ormes! (1911-1985) ( Billy Ireland Cartoon Library &...

Today in 1935, singer Kitty Burke got up from the crowd at a major league game and took an at-bat. To date, she's the only woman to bat in the majors. Plus: it's SPAM Day, and if you're at one of the company's facilities, make sure that you don't call junk email "spam." They use a different term. THE WOMAN WHO BATTED DURING A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME (Today I Found...

Today in 2017, a news report in the Sunday Post about something known as the “League of Extraordinary Communities.” Its three members: the communities of Dull, Bland And Boring. Plus: today in Frankfort, Indiana, the Frankfort Hot Dog Festival begins. ‘Bland’, ‘Dull’ and ‘Boring’ team up to create ‘League of Extraordinary Communities’ (Sunday Post) Boring, Oregon and Dull, Scotland: Sister Cities...