Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

When it comes to sweets, words matter. Research from the Ohio State University just found that the words we use to describe food can affect how we perceive its taste. Plus: artist Tatsuya Tanaka posts images of worlds he’s created by transforming everyday objects.  How to ruin the taste of a cookie with just 2 words (Ohio State University) Ordinary objects used to create a miniature world (Me...

Today in 1990, a high school basketball player scored 101 points in just 16 minutes. That was Lisa Leslie, who would become one of the biggest names in the WNBA. That One Time: Lisa Leslie Scored 101 Points in a High School Game (24/7 Live Culture) Olympians That Win Silver Tend To Live Longer Than Those That Win Gold (UNILAD) Let's set some records together, join our show as a backer on Patreon!

For the next two weeks, Winter Olympians will be going for the gold. That's what javelin thrower Bruce Kennedy tried to do in 1972, 1976 and 1980, but that's not quite how things played out. Plus: you know how some medalists bite their prizes? As one medalist proved, this should be done with caution. With the Tokyo Olympics Facing Uncertainty, Bruce Kennedy Knows The Landscape (Cal Sports Report v...

Today in 1945, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, began heading to England for deployment. These 855 servicemembers, all Black women, took on a mission that may not have been glamorous but was considered absolutely essential to the war effort. Plus: today in 1947, TIME Magazine reported on a trip by a BBC crew that didn't go quite so well.  The Black Female Battalion That Stood Up...

Today in 1970, an Air Force pilot had to eject from his fighter jet during a training exercise. So the plane just sort of got itself back onto the ground, mostly successfully. Plus: in 1974, the "Hibernating Groundhog Lodge" of Quarryville, PA built a contraption intended to get weather predictions from not just one groundhog, but thousands of them.  “Gary, You Better Get Back In It!” (Air Fo...

Today in 1939, the birthday of Wally Funk. She first passed astronaut training in her 20s and could have been one of the first US astronauts, but after some 60 years of trying, she finally got into space. Plus: today in 2016, ScreenDaily reported on the ten hour movie “Paint Drying," which shows just what the title suggests.  Who Is Wally Funk? Photo Reveals "Mercury 13" Aviator Is Third Blue...

There's a new way to use the leftover shells from hazelnuts to make wood-like panels and furniture. So you might want to get yourself some Nutella while we explain how it works. Plus: today in 1997, the last message in Morse Code before the world moved to the more high-tech Global Maritime Distress and Safety System for distress calls. And the message was kind of a bummer.  Hazelnut shells ge...

Villas Las Estrellas is a tiny community run by Chile on Antarctica's King George Island. And it's so remote that one of the rules is that everyone who lives or works there has to have their appendix out before they show up. Plus: an art exhibit in DC celebrates TV legend Betty White, as we all should.  The Antarctica outpost where every resident must remove their appendix (News.com.au) Māori...

For many Native people in the U.S. and beyond, this is a time of year to tell stories with string. Here's a little about how they work, and why in many places they're only told in winter. Plus: Forest Grove, Oregon is home to the world’s tallest barber pole. 'String games' arrive with the snow (Indian Country Today) Forest Grove, Oregon: World's Tallest Barber Shop Pole (Roadside America) Help us...

Today was the birthday in 1925 of actor and entrepreneur Paul Newman, who made some very popular and very acclaimed movies. But there was one movie he made that he loathed so much, he actually took out ads to convince people not to watch it. Plus: meet Hoss, the world’s largest ball of human hair. THE SILVER CHALICE, Paul Newman and a $1200 ad… (By The Gods) Meet Hoss, the World’s Largest Human Ha...

Today in 1890, Nellie Bly finished her trip around the world. She was trying to do what Jules Verne's character Phineas Fogg had done in 80 days, and she took just 72. Plus: today in 2021, a butcher in Scotland marked Burns Night in a stellar way.  Nellie Bly: Around the World (Heinz History Center)  Haggis launched to the edge of space in celebration of Burns Night (Sky News) Our backer...

Today in 1975, one of the best selling jazz albums of all time was recorded - a live concert in Cologne, Germany by pianist Keith Jarrett. And it almost didn't happen at all. Plus: the Instagram account Brik Font showcases some of the biggest and best typefaces, all in LEGO form. Keith Jarrett: The Cologne Concert (BBC For One Night Only) Typeface Studies by Designer Craig Ward Recreate Fonts and...

Today in 1942 the city of New York decided to take on the scourge of the time, the invention that had been the ruin of so many people… pinball. Here's a look at why what's considered a pretty harmless hobby in our day was such a menace back then. Plus: this weekend in Minneapolis, it’s the Lake Harriet Winter Kite Festival. That Time America Outlawed Pinball (History.com) The War On Pinball (Slate...

A team at the University of British Columbia has come up with a way to make durable, stretchy and waterproof batteries that could be useful in wearable devices. Plus: three crew members on the International Space Station try out what they call orbital badminton. Scientists create the first stretchable and washable battery (designboom) Video: Orbital badminton in 360 degrees (Phys.org) Our Patreon...

Today in 1942 was the birthday of Bob Heft, who designed a 50-star US flag for a high school class project as Alaska and Hawaii were on their way to statehood. Plus: it's the birthday of Edgar Allan Poe, who was almost portrayed on the big screen by a pretty big Hollywood star.  A Boy Scout designed the 50-star American flag (Scouting Magazine) Robert G. Heft (Ohio History Central) Stallone S...

Today in 1882 author A.A. Milne was born. His most famous character, Winnie the Pooh, was named partly for a real bear who lived at the London Zoo. And yes, the real Winnie had a sweet tooth as well. Plus: the new book "Do Not Erase" features the artistic side of math professor's chalkboards.  The True Story of the Real-Life Winnie-the-Pooh (History.com) 90 weird and wonderful facts about Win...

On this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, we look at how music legend Stevie Wonder and his song "Happy Birthday" helped raise awareness in the effort to create a national holiday in Dr. King's honor.  Signed, Sealed, Delivered: How Stevie Wonder Fought—and Won—for MLK Day (VH1) Flashback: Stevie Wonder Sings ‘Happy Birthday’ at 1986 Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute (Rolling Stone)

Traffic jams are becoming more and more common on the roads heading to ski country. A new app called Treadshare could help people carpool to and from the mountains. Plus: this weekend in Ely, Nevada, the Fire & Ice Winter Festival brings fireworks to the coldest part of the year.  Can carpooling help congestion on I-70? (Vail Daily) Fire & Ice Winter Festival (Travel Nevada)  We'...

Today in 1968 Johnny Cash recorded “At Folsom Prison." Today it's arguably his most acclaimed album ever, but it only came about as a last resort. Plus: musician Andy Thorn recently gave a concert to a very different kind of audience. Johnny Cash’s ‘At Folsom Prison’ at 50: An Oral History (Rolling Stone) The Fox and the Banjo (The Awesomer) Our Patreon backers are the ones who make all of our per...

Today in 1961, the Chicago Cubs announced they wouldn't hire a manager for the new season, and would instead use a rotating "College" of coaches. You can probably guess how well that worked out. Plus: the Author Clock shows you the time not simply as a set of numbers, but as part of a quote from a well-known book. P.K. Wrigley and the College of Coaches (The Hardball Times) The literature clock te...

Today in 1880 was the birthday of Washington Phillips, a musician who made some astonishing music in the 1920s, but we know very little about his life and his music - we aren't even completely sure what instrument he played. Plus: if you're looking for a new career path, why not become a pizza butler?  Exhuming the Legend of Washington Phillips (MinerMusic.com)  Some Of Us Are Haunted By...

Today in 1992, the Pacific Ocean filled up with rubber duckies, thanks to a storm that knocked some shipping containers off a cargo boat. We'll explain how the Friendly Floatees went from accidental oceangoers to the stuff of movies and picture books. Plus: today in 1976, C.W. McCall's "Convoy" hit #1 on the Billboard chart, telling the story of a trucker with the CB handle Rubber Duck.  The...

In early 1970 President Richard Nixon introduced new uniforms for the guards at the White House - European-style suits that Americans mocked as looking like they were better off for movie ushers or marching bands. Plus: today in 1978, the birthday of Emilio Marcos Palma, the first person born in Antarctica. Pomp and Circumstance (Nixon Library) A Brief History of Antarctica (TIME) Our Patreon back...

Today in 1706 was, at least by the old calendar, Benjamin Franklin's birthday. Here's the story of how he once invented his own musical instrument, one for which great composers wrote music. Plus: Ben Franklin invented lots of things but patented none of them.  Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica (Franklin Institute) Ben Franklin’s Killer Instrument: The Glass Armonica (Ripley's) 11 Surprising...

The start of a new year can be time for us to get going on our goals, start moving forward. Then again, maybe it’s better to wait a little. That was the attitude of the Procrastinators’ Club of America, a real organization that for decades promoted the benefits of putting things off. Plus: today in 1895, Jeannette Piccard was born, the first woman to fly to the stratosphere.  The art of keepi...