Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

On this day in 1973, a couple in Murphysboro, Illinois reported seeing a tall, hairy, extremely smelly creature that over time became known as The Big Muddy Monster. But what the heck was it? Plus: today is the anniversary of Elvis Presley's final concert. And yes, there's a historic marker on the site.  Chasing Monsters: Big Muddy Monster still has Murphysboro residents wondering (The Southe...

It was on this day in 1894 that Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, aka Annie Londonderry, set off on a bike trip that, over the next fifteen months, would make her the first woman to ride a bike around the world. Plus: meet a contraption that can hit a home run about twice as far as the ones in the big leagues.  A Woman to Know: Annie Londonderry Cohen (A Woman To Know) First woman to cycle the globe be...

Today at the 2010 Wimbledon tennis tournament was the first day of the longest professional tennis match ever played. John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played for more than 11 hours over three days! Plus: since Wimbledon 2020 has been canceled, what are they doing with all those strawberries they usually sell?  Wimbledon 2010: John Isner beats Nicolas Mahut in epic (BBC) When Isner beat Mahut 70-6...

Bees are running into a lot of challenges lately, and while there are efforts to help the bees get their buzz back, scientists are testing out systems that might give us other ways to pollinate. One, at the Washington State University, involves cameras and robot hands - while another, in Japan, involves soap bubbles.  Robotic crop pollination awarded $1 million grant (Washington State Univers...

This is about the time we were all supposed to be gearing up for the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. Since that's on hold, let's instead talk about the Inter-Allied Games, which began in Paris on this day in 1919. Plus: if you'd like some fierce sporting competition from this century, try out the American Hedgehog Bowling Association (and don't worry, the hedgehogs aren't bowled down the lan...

One of the many special places you can mark Juneteenth is at the George Washington Carver Museum in Austin, Texas, with an art installation that has five statues and six pedestals. Plus: the summer solstice is this weekend, and while crowds won't be on hand the usual way at Stonehenge, they can take in the whole event virtually. Juneteenth Memorial Monuments Find a Home (AustinTexas.gov) You Can W...

It's the birthday of Roger Ebert, a great film critic, TV host and author, and a pioneer in developing realistic-sounding electronic voices. Today we have the story of how he worked to create a voice called "Roger Jr." Plus: how about teaching the electronic voices to read some of Ebert’s hilariously devastating negative movie reviews? Remaking my voice (TED Talks) Roger Ebert's New Voice (CBS Sun...

Video games are now as artistically and technically challenging as any other art form. But now they've really leveled up: the FDA has just approved a video game-based treatment for ADHD. Plus: a school librarian in western Virginia just found a clever way to get books to her students while schools and libraries are closed.  Children with ADHD can now be prescribed a video game, FDA says (CNN)...

Sometimes you go into space to land on the moon, and other times it’s for maintenance purposes. NASA is planning a mission to replace the toilet on the International Space Station. Plus: this is Waste and Recycling Workers Week, are you paying tribute to those who collect all the stuff we toss out?  The International Space Station is getting a new toilet this year (Space.com) The Week of June...

It was on this day in 1954 that one of the most important monster movies most people have never heard of was released: "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 hug, so start practicing.  11 Fun Facts About Them! (Mental Floss) Hug...

Today's the anniversary of a pretty unusual moment in the history of human flight: on this day in 1979, an airplane flew over the English Channel that was entirely powered by its pilot. Plus: watching the heaviest airplane ever built take off is a sight to see.  Pedal-Driven Plane Flies Channel (Washington Post) Gossamer Albatross' famed flight 33 years ago today (Hartford Courant) Good Lord:...

Our planet is sometimes called the big blue marble, but Professor Shiladitya DasSarma of the University of Maryland-Baltimore has a hypothesis that suggests if you look way back in time, Earth may have once been bright purple. Plus: meet a guitar with LEDs built into its body that can flash in time with the music. Why Early Earth May Have Been Mostly Purple (Real Clear Science) The LED Guitar (Imm...

Scientists at the University of California - San Diego are trying to help robots walk better on uneven terrain - and, amazingly, coffee is part of the solution. Meanwhile, a robot in Australia is learning how to lay bricks, and it's got a very appropriate name for its job.  Scientists Invent Coffee-Filled Feet That Make Robots Walk Faster and Better (Interesting Engineering) Hadrian X Breaks...

Hundreds of thousands of laborers toiled for decades to build Egypt's legendary Great Pyramid... or did they? Professor Emeritus Vaclav Smil of the University of Manitoba did the math and found a very different conclusion. Plus: it's the birthday of baseball great Dave Parker, who once hit a home run that stopped 150 miles away from the ballpark.  How Many People Did it Take to Build the Grea...

Researchers at the National University of Singapore have developed a "shadow effect energy generator" which can make the most of the contrast between bright and dark. Plus: many kickboxers can't compete or even train together now, so some have been taking part in a virtual shadow-kickboxing competition online.  A new device can produce electricity using shadows (Science News) Moroccan Maria O...

It was on this day in 1876 that the U.S. first fell in love with the banana, when it was introduced at the World's Fair in Philadelphia. Though, back then, eating a banana was quite a bit different than it is today. Plus: on National Doughnut Day, we mark the moment in 2012 when festival-goers in Ukraine proved doughnuts were as good for art as they were for snack time.  Banana: The Fate of t...

Many of us are getting ready for our weekly shopping trips over the weekend, figuring out what we want to put in our carts. Those carts, by the way, are all due to a guy in Oklahoma who, on this day in 1937, decided to take the shopping basket and give it wheels. Plus: on National Cheese Day we pay tribute to the hardest, chewiest cheese in the world: churrpi!  June 4, 1937: Humpty Dumpty and...

Today in 1967, the town of St. Paul, Alberta officially opened the world’s first UFO landing pad. So why is there a UFO landing pad in east central Alberta? Plus: on this date in 1941, a man called Richard Burgess received a patent for exercise wings - but don't worry, they weren't intended to get their users to fly.  Ready and waiting: Alberta town built world’s first UFO landing pad 45 year...

For a time the powers that be only named hurricanes after women. Roxcy Bolton spoke out for years to change that policy, arguing that women “deeply resent being arbitrarily associated with disaster.” Plus: roller coasters are fun to ride, but they're even more fun when the passengers are all teddy bears.  A Woman to Know: Roxcy Bolton (A Woman To Know) Knuffelberen in #UNTAMED (Walibi Holland...

The word "dinosaur" was coined in the 1840s, but people have been finding dinosaur fossils for thousands of years. So what did people think dinosaur bones were before we had an idea that dinosaurs existed? Plus: if your dream is to find a dinosaur-shaped waffle cone with a scoop of ice cream in its mouth, there's a place in southern California that can help you.  What Did People First Think W...

Most audio these days (including this show) is recorded digitally, but there are lots of ways to document sounds, including one that's built around a paper cup-turned-microphone. Plus: a programmer has designed a face mask with a lit up, virtual mouth!  An audio recording made using a cup. (Dust To Digital on Instagram) I have finished my face mask (Tyler Glaiel on Twitter) The sweetest sound...

Agent 007 is known for living as large as you can - fast cars, fancy clothes, expensive hotels, and fancy food and drink. But writer Ian Fleming once admitted that Bond was originally going to eat pretty much just one food. Plus: if you're going to stick with a single food, why not the extraordinary pies made by Karin Pfeiff-Boschek and their intricate, artistic pie crusts?  Ian Fleming Expla...

There are lots of human efforts to help bees out, but there’s also some new research out that says bees help themselves by taking steps to get plants to flower earlier than usual. Plus: a man in Canada ordered hair cream in 2012, and it just arrived this month. Patience is a virtue!   Bumblebees Bite Plants to Force Them to Flower (Seriously) (Scientific American)  Toronto man says...

Amazingly, the English alphabet added its last letter in 1524, and no, that letter wasn't Z. We'll explain how an Italian grammarian convinced the world to add one more letter to the list. Plus: Andoni Bastarrika is a Basque artist who works with sand, but we’re not talking about basic beach sand castles here. Do You Know the Last Letter Added to the Alphabet? (It Wasn’t Z) (Readers Digest) Meet T...

If you miss the speeches that often come at a Memorial Day ceremony, we have a story for you: the story of the speech future president James A. Garfield gave at the first Memorial Day event at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868. It was, shall we say, not a short speech.  10 Things To Remember About Memorial Day (Mental Floss)