Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

Summer heat can leave a lot of us heading inside and cranking up the air conditioner. And yet, if you look at the history of this invention, you’ll find quite a few times where people said, are we sure this is a good idea?  Plus: today in 2019, the Tobe Zoo in Japan held a lion escape drill using a human in a lion costume as the escapee. The Unexpected History of the Air Conditioner (Smithsonian) ...

Today in 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, which put the document into effect across the US. That’s one notable fact about the Granite State, and here’s another one: a dog once climbed all 48 of the state’s 4,000 foot high mountains. Plus: a new invention uses a special sensor embedded in the zipper of a pair of pants to let you know when your fly is down. Pug...

Ten years ago today, a resort in Mt. Nebo, West Virginia dedicated a lighthouse. Which was really something, because West Virginia is landlocked. Plus: this week, Hampton, South Carolina is hosting the Hampton County Watermelon Festival. The reason why landlocked WV has a lighthouse (WVTourism) Hampton County Watermelon Festival Help build this show as a backer on Patreon

There are lots of traditions that come with Juneteenth, like the foods and drinks that end up on the table at Juneteenth parties. A lot of these refreshments include the color red, and that’s on purpose. Plus, confectionary marvel Amaury Guichon celebrates becoming a US citizen by making an enormous chocolate Statue of Liberty. My Juneteenth Table (The Spruce Eats) A Brief History of Red Drink (Sm...

Today we have a pro tip for you if you’ve got any heavy lifting in your near future: research says it's good for your health if you keep it positive! Plus: this weekend in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, a festival that celebrates two of the area’s most beloved summer treats: the Bell Buckle RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival. Your thoughts can harm your neck and back during lifting tasks (Ohio State Unive...

Today in 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state in the Union. It’s one of just a handful of states whose names sound different than they’re spelled. And if you’re wondering why it’s pronounced Arkan-saw instead of Ar-kansas, well, that’s what we’re here to explain. Plus: today is the second day of the Le Mars, Iowa Ice Cream Days.  How Did Arkansas Get its Name (Arkansas Secretary of State)  Why Ark...

It's Flag Day here in the US, and a good time to tell the story of the American flag that led to the writing of what is now our national anthem. Plus: in 2017, the community of Pocatello, Idaho raised a new flag to widespread relief, since its old flag had been called the ugliest in the country!  The Star-Spangled Banner (National Museum of American History)  East Idaho City Ditches 'Worst...

Today in 1922, a guy named Charles Osborne had an accident with a very unusual side effect: it gave him the hiccups for nearly seven decades. Plus: around this time in 2021 some travelers planned a trip to a spot well off the beaten path.  A Cure for Hiccups? Retired Farmer Charles Osborne Isn't Holding His Breath—He's Had Them for 60 Years  (People) Anthon's Charles Osborne had hiccup...

Happy belated National Knitting In Public Day. Hopefully it’s not too late to tell the story of how knitters have turned their abilities into secret codes to help their countries. Plus: today in 2020, explorer Vanessa O’Brien made a submersible dive to the spot in the Pacific Ocean known as Challenger Deep. Since she had already climbed to the top of Mount Everest, she became the first woman to re...

World Doll Day is tomorrow. And while the world has lots of amazing and well-loved dolls, there aren’t many like the 18th Century automata known as The Writer. Plus: today in 1928, the birthday of author and artist Maurice Sendak, who once sent a very tasty message to a young fan. Remarkable 240-Year-Old Doll Automaton Can Write Actual Programmable Text (My Modern Met) Maurice Sendak and childhood...

Today we’re looking at a new kind of solar project from Swiss company Sun-Ways, which is putting energy-generating panels in a new spot: in between train tracks. Plus: starting today in Peru, Indiana, it’s the Cole Porter Festival. Switzerland is turning the gap between train tracks into a ‘solar carpet’  (Fast Company) Cole Porter Festival Shine a light on this show as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1909, the birthday of Dr. Virginia Apgar, who created the short but important test known as the Apgar Score to make sure a newborn baby is getting off to a good start. Plus: we're just days away from the National Asparagus Festival in Oceana County, Michigan. Virginia Apgar May Have Saved Your Life (Hackaday) National Asparagus Festival in Michigan Our Patreon backers keep this short...

Today in 1933, truly a moment for the record books: a pitcher in a minor league baseball game got injured after being bitten by his own false teeth. Plus: on this day in 1942, Adeline Gray became the first person to test a nylon parachute, since silk was in short supply because of World War II.  Clarence Blethen (Society for American Baseball Research) Meet the Daredevil Parachutist Who Tested the...

Today in 1962, Spider-Man first appeared in comic books. He's had a huge influence on comics, movies, cartoons and really entertainment as a whole, but did you also know a Spider-Man comic helped lead to the creation of the first ankle monitor? Plus: Manhattan's Grolier Club is hosting an exhibit of vintage restaurant menus from the 1840s to the 1940s. How Spider-Man Led to the Invention o...

Today is one of several days the US commemorates its First Ladies. Some are well known, some are obscure. Some loved the job, others didn't want it at all. But only one First Lady had her own color: Mamie Eisenhower, the namesake of "Mamie pink." Plus: this weekend in Lewes, Delaware, it’s the Mid-Atlantic Sea Glass and Coastal Arts Festival.  How Pink Became a Color for Girls (Racke...

Today in 1992, it's said the first picture book featuring a sock monkey was published. But where did the sock monkey itself show up? That was decades earlier, in the Illinois city of Rockford - or, as it's sometimes called, Sockford. Plus: today in 1929, the UK newspaper known as The Sphere published an eye-catching photo of storefront mannequins melting in the London heat. Monkey shines i...

Wellington R. Burt, known as "The Lone Pine of Michigan," was once among the wealthiest people in America - but when he died in 1919, he made sure most of that anyone who expected to inherit a big chunk of his enormous fortune would have to wait a long, long time. Plus: in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it’s the Grand Rapids Lantern Festival. Wellington's millions: 92 years after his death,...

Inventors put wheels on suitcases and made it so much easier for travelers to get their bags through airports and terminals and lobbies. So why was there so much resistance to rolling luggage when it first went up for sale? Plus: this weekend in Ruston, Louisiana, the Louisiana Peach Festival. Mystery of the wheelie suitcase: how gender stereotypes held back the history of invention (The Guardian)...

Many of our servicemembers are laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. For Memorial Day, we tell the story of a group who makes sure every servicemember buried there is properly remembered. Arlington Ladies make funerals a time of comfort, honor and remembrance (Military Families Magazine) Arlington National Cemetery: Where Every Day We Remember (Library of Congress)

Today in 1951, Sally Ride was born. She was a worldwide sensation in the 1980s as the first American woman in space, but before that, she was a talented youth tennis player who once caught the attention of the legendary Billie Jean King. Plus: today is National Road Trip Day. If you’re in or around Sonoita, Arizona, check out their series of specially painted propane tanks. 20 Things You Might Not...

Today in 1986, Hands Across America! People were supposed to build national unity and help those in need by linking hands in a chain that stretched from sea to shining sea. And at least some of them did. Plus: this week in 2016, a teen in the Bay Area pulled off a pretty good prank at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.   Us: What Was Hands Across America, the Creepy Event That Inspired Jordan...

Today in 1879, the birthday of S.S. Adams. If you don’t know the name, you know the products: joy buzzers, sneezing powder, the dribble glass and hundreds of other novelties known all over the world all started with the S.S. Adams Company. Plus: a new website takes maps of the Roman Empire's extensive system of ancient roads and turns them into an interactive route planner.  Remembering the S....

Sometime on this night in 1920 the president of France fell out of a moving train. And the story got weirder from there. Plus: today in 1993, the first movie ever played over the internet - though the streaming was definitely more lo-fi than what we watch today. The Unusual French President (Danny Dutch) Cult Film Is a First On Internet

Today in 1455, it's said that the Wars of the Roses began in England. The civil wars over who should be king led to mostly battles but also the legendary story of Blanche Heriot, who found a creative way to keep her love from being executed. Plus: in 2021, artists in the Czech Republic created a crop circle in the shape of Pac-Man as a protest. Women of Runnymede (Chertsey Museum) Huge Pac-Man...

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about some of our favorite rock musicians. In this episode from April 2022, we look back at Aerosmith's landmark album “Toys In The Attic.” One of the biggest hits from that album got its name from an unusual source - the Mel Brooks movie "Young Frankenstein." Plus: New Mexico hosts the Las Cruces Space Festival.  How Aerosmith...