Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

Today in 1752, the birthday of the woman known today as Betsy Ross. The legend goes that after meeting with General George Washington, Mrs. Ross put together the very first version of what would become the flag of the United States. Historians are pretty sure that’s just a legend, but there are reasons why the story came to be. Plus: today in 2021, a village in Austria changed its name. When you k...

There are lots of winter sports, like snowshoeing, skiing, ice skating, sledding, hockey and curling. One sport that used to be a big hit around this time of year? Competitive barrel jumping. Plus: tomorrow in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the 9th annual Chile Drop for New Year’s Eve. The Wholesome Lost World of Competitive Barrel Jumping (Messy Nessy Chic) Las Cruces Chile Drop Thanks to our Patreon ba...

Taking plastic out of the ocean is hard, especially when it comes to microplastics. Now there’s a study out of Princeton that says we can get some help in that effort from egg whites. Plus: a group of college students in Malaysia has another system for removing tiny bits of debris from the ocean, known as Whalecro.  How Egg Whites Can Help Clean the Ocean (Cool Hunting) whalecro vehicle captu...

Researchers have a pretty good idea what all the chatter between crows is about. They seem to figure out when to launch a mass takeoff by discussing it. Plus: a very small ornament is also a fully functional IBM PC that can play the classic game Doom on its tiny, full color screen. Noisy jackdaw birds reach 'consensus' before taking off (Science Daily) The Christmas tree ornament of Doom (Boing Bo...

Maybe you had to pick up some batteries for some of the presents you bought this month. When it comes to toys, we’ve got AA, AAA, C and D batteries… but not B! Why not? Plus: a research team has demonstrated a “smart bandage" that can not only monitor how a wound is healing in real time, it can help speed that healing process along. Why Aren't There B Batteries? (Mental Floss) Wireless, closed-loo...

This week in 1996, a British sailor competing in a race around the world decided that winning the race wasn’t as important as helping a fellow sailor who was in trouble. Plus: if you’re looking for some fascinating reading at the end of the year, check out food writer Julia Skinner's piece about living with gustatory synesthesia.  HOW WE MET: PETE GOSS AND RAPHAEL DINELLI (Independent.co.uk)...

There are lots of classic holiday songs, but one of them didn’t get a warm welcome from some corners when it was first released. Here's why "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" was condemned and even briefly banned in some parts of the US. Plus: the time some parents had an aspiring drummer in the house and lost the plot for Christmas presents.  Jimmy Boyd: 1939-2009 (Chicago Tribune) This Reddi...

Anybody can put on a red suit and hat, don a white beard and say “ho ho ho” to passersby. But if you want to do Kris Kringle’s job properly, you can do what hundreds and hundreds of them have done: go to Santa school. Plus: a not so warm welcome for a holiday decoration in British Columbia.  How Professional Santas Are Trained (Insider via YouTube) Red-nose rage: Aggressive deer keep attackin...

There are quite a few sites from the ancient world that mark the solstice in pretty special ways. Stonehenge is probably the most famous one, but there’s another site that offers an amazing solstice experience, if you’re fortunate enough to see it: Newgrange in Ireland. Plus: if you’re still figuring out your holiday decorations, you might get some inspiration at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn,...

When most people mark Hanukkah with lights, they mean candles on a menorah. But Philip Grosman of Houston is bringing all the lights for the festival at Hanukkah House. Houston's famous Hanukkah house shines bright for the holidays (KHOU) This show is powered by our backers on Patreon!

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was first published today in 1843. The character of Ebeneezer Scrooge is said to be based on a real life person, though which person it was that inspired the story depends on who’s telling the story. Plus: what exactly was it that Scrooge had for his Christmas Eve dinner?  Campaign To Honour Real-Life Ebenezer Scrooge John Elwes (Huffington Post) Revealed:...

Today in 1892, an engineering team working on Chicago’s Columbian Exposition approved a design for a giant metal wheel that could give rides to passengers. Here's the story of the Ferris wheel and how it was partly intended to one-up a certain iconic structure from the previous World's Fair. Plus: today in 1962, Nepal adopted its national flag, the only non-rectangular national flag in the world.&...

Today in 1930, the inventor of the computer cursor was born. It’s one of those creations that’s so small and common that it’s easy to forget what a big deal it really is. Plus: in Chicago, transportation workers keep ice and snow from building up on train tracks in cold weather by… lighting the tracks on fire. 54 YEARS AGO, A COMPUTER PROGRAMMER FIXED A MASSIVE BUG — AND CREATED AN EXISTENTIAL CRI...

Engineers and enthusiasts are finding all kinds of great uses for drones, but this one may top them all: there are now drones with edible wings that can reach and then feed people who are in need of rescue. Plus: an artist known as Sunday Nobody has taken a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, covered it in resin and buried it in the Seattle area inside 3,000 pounds of concrete. Eat This Drone  With w...

It was around this time in 2006 that a Navy veteran named Don Karkos got headbutted by a horse… and it turned out great! Plus: today in 1938, the birthday of basketball great Gus "Honeycomb" Johnson, so we have a story about a mark he left on his old college town.  Knock on the head just what this paddock guard needed for Christmas (Seattle Times) The Monticello miracle: Freak racetrack accid...

Today in 1915, Frank Sinatra was born. He’s known today as The Chairman of the Board, Ol’ Blue Eyes… and he could have been known as New York Detective John McClane, the main character in the movie “Die Hard.” Plus: according to the Internet Movie Database, one of the actors the producers considered to play opposite John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever" was... tune in and find out!  8 thing...

Today in 1965, something happened in the community of Kecksburg in southwestern Pennsylvania. That something has had plenty of names - UFO Crash, Great Fireball, second Roswell - so let’s explain what we do and don’t know about it. Plus: today in 2021, sixth grader Davyon Johnson saves the day. Twice.  Five decades later, the Kecksburg UFO is identified (probably) (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) &n...

Today in 1660, for the first time a woman took to the stage in England and performed a role in a production of Shakespeare’s Othello . We know she was a trailblazer. We know she was a pioneer. We don’t know who she was. Plus: today in 2013, Metallica became the first band to play on all seven continents with a concert in Antarctica.  Who was the first Shakespearean actress? (British Library)...

Today in 2018, the release of the album “Triumphant Hearts” by guitarist Jason Becker. Not many people in music know as much about triumph over adversity as Jason Becker, who found new ways to create and share music decades after being diagnosed with ALS. Plus: for the holidays, Springfield, Illinois has a city bus covered in tens of thousands of festive lights.  Jason Becker’s Bio (JasonBeck...

Today in 1897 is said to be the day that London first licensed motor vehicles as taxicabs. They were nicknamed "hummingbirds" and they were battery-powered. Plus: today in 1945 a US sergeant sends a letter home from the front, and it gets there... eventually.  THE SURPRISINGLY OLD STORY OF LONDON’S FIRST EVER ELECTRIC TAXI (Science Museum) Science Museum exhibits London's 1897 electric taxi (...

Today in 2019, the sale of a portrait by 19th Century English miniaturist Sarah Biffin, a renowned artist who was born without full arms or legs and whose life and work are the subject of an exhibition now running in London. Plus: British Columbia-based artist Elspeth McLean turns round stones from the ocean into colorful and extremely ornate mini mandalas. Who Was Sarah Biffin? (Philip Mould and...

This week we're replaying some of our favorite monster-themed stories. In this episode from July 2019, the story of the Hodag. This fearsome folk monster has shown up in the Harry Potter universe and tangled with the Scooby Gang, but it first "appeared" in a town in central Wisconsin. Plus: in the community of Joensuu, Finland: the first-ever World Heavy Metal Knitting Championships! The Legend Of...

This week we're replaying some of our favorite monster-themed stories. In this episode from February 2021, the story of Milicent Patrick, who designed the monster featured in the classic movie “Creature From The Black Lagoon.” Plus: in Japan, the Telecube gives remote employees a work space inside a phone booth.  Movie monster maker Milicent Patrick finally gets her due in ‘The Lady From the...

This week we're replaying some of our favorite monster-themed stories. In this episode from September 2019, researchers try to finally solve the long-running mystery of the Loch Ness Monster, though they can agree that whatever is in there isn't shown in the famous photo of "Nessie." Plus: a study finds T. Rex probably had a kind of air conditioner built into its head?!? The Legend of Loch Ness (N...

This week we're replaying some of our favorite monster-themed stories. In this episode from June 2020, a look at one of the most important monster movies most people have never heard of. “Them!” (note the exclamation mark in the title) featured giant irradiated ants, James Arness, the Wilhelm Scream, Fess Parker, Leonard Nimoy and more! Plus: science has determined how to give  the perfect hu...