Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson: Recent Episodes
Brady Carlson
Three minutes each weekday of cool facts, weird news and awesome discoveries with Brady Carlson. Back us at http://patreon.com/bradycarlson Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coolweirdawesome/support
Autonomous vehicles have high-tech systems to see “see” what’s around them on the roads. A project in Germany asks if these cars also need to be listening to what’s around them too. Plus: today in Oklahoma, it’s the Watonga Cheese & Wine Festival.
“Hearing Car” Detects Sounds for Safer Driving AI and microphones are helping vehicles detect unseen hazards (IEEE Spectrum)
Watonga Cheese Festival (TravelOK)
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As a Halloween week prank in 1998, DJs in Tennessee said people had to exchange their old $20 bills for the new ones, or they would become worthless. And some people ended up rushing to the bank. Plus: starting tomorrow in Kansas, it’s the Lenexa Chili Challenge.
Banks boo $20-bill radio hoax (The Tennesseean via Newspapers.com)
Lenexa Chili Challenge
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For World Octopus Day, the story of Otto, who proved that not only is an octopus clever, it can be a little too clever. Plus: starting today in Westfield, New Jersey, it’s AddamsFest.
The Story Of An Octopus Named Otto (NPR)
AddamsFest
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It's National Cookbook Month, and sometimes a cookbook is more than a set of recipes: it’s a window into a culture. Like a cookbook the USSR published that revealed what the ruling class wanted people to think of their country, even if that wasn’t anywhere near the reality. Plus: today in 1957, a newspaper article proclaimed “it’s raining coins!”
The great Stalinist bake off: Russia's kitchen bible (The Guardian)
It's Raining Coins! (The Stockman's Journal via Newspapers.com)
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Today in 1927, the release of The Jazz Singer, the first "talkie," though in Japan even silent films had voices thanks to live performers known as benshi. Plus: this month at Peddlers Village in Pennsylvania, it’s Scarecrows in the Village.
Think Again, Al Jolson: Japan’s Silent Movie Culture Is Still Going Strong (Peter Tasker)
Scarecrows in the Village (Peddlers Village)
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Today in 1932, the London newspaper The Times published its first edition with a brand new typeface: Times New Roman. And it's been a big deal ever since, even in the computer age. Plus: today in 2023, the end of a very long era for a book club in southern California.
Where Did Times New Roman Come From? (New York Public Library)
28 years ago, a book club began reading one novel. It’s finally reached the end (Orange County Register)
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Today in 1998, the debut of the Furby. This 90s phenomenon became so popular that it actually raised some concerns in the national security community. Plus: if you’re into toys cars, then you may want to head to the Matchbox Road Museum in Newfield, New Jersey.
How Old Is Your Furby? (Computer History Museum)
New Jersey’s Matchbox Road Museum Is Die-Cast Car Heaven (The Drive)
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Today in 2008, the state of Maryland formally recognized Smith Island Cake as its official state dessert. It’s yellow cake and chocolate frosting in layers and layers and layers. Plus: for inspiration on this National Homemade Cookies Day, you might try the cookie recipe that's inscribed on a gravestone in Brooklyn.
Maryland's Smith Island Cake Has A Romantic History (Southern Living)
Cemetery Recipes: Spritz Cookies (Chantal Larochelle)
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Today in 1861, the birthday of William Wrigley, Jr., who made a huge fortune selling a small product: chewing gum. But that wasn't originally the way he expected to make it big. Plus: a man driving home from a workout has a massive heart attack, but fortunately he crashed in front of a cardiologist's office.
How Wrigley Chewed Its Way to Gum Greatness (JSTOR)
Virginia man's 'miracle' survival after massive heart attack crashes car at cardiologist's doorstep (WTVR)
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Today is National Coffee Day, and there is a micronation in Sweden that has a cup of coffee on its flag, along with a cuckoo bird. Which should tell you that this is no ordinary place. Plus: a Chinese cafe chain makes a splash with a drink called Sweet Little Rain.
Önneköp (Arnold’s Cannibal Museum)
Republic of Önneköp (Atlas Obscura)
Magical Cup of Coffee Comes with Floating Cotton Candy Cloud That “Rains” Sugar (My Modern Met)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite pizza-themed episodes. In this episode from April 2019, a visit to Organ Piper Pizza, a restaurant just outside Milwaukee with a giant pipe organ. Plus: police in respond to reports of a man on a train, sharpening a big carving knife. Turns out it was just a professional ham cutter on his way to work.
Remembering the Dining Fad of ‘Pizza and Pipes’ (CityLab)
False alarm: Knife-wielding man on Metro revealed to be expert ham cutter (El Pais)
This week we're replaying some of our favorite pizza-themed episodes. In this episode from January 2020, a bold group of pizza researchers studies how to stretch your pizza budget to get the most pizza, and found that the answer is all about the geometry of circles. Plus: the Cocoa Press is a 3D printer for chocolate, freeing this popular dessert from bar shapes and other molds.
One 18″ Pizza Is More Pizza Than Two 12″ Pizzas, Math Shows Us Why – Primer Tackling the Serious Issues (Primer Magazine)
Evan and the chocolate factory (University of Pennsylvania)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite pizza-themed episodes. In this episode from February 2022, the delicious history of Detroit-style pizza, which got an assist from something else the city is known for. Plus: students in Japan build a system using lasers to scan a birthday cake and then tell the server the exact angle to use to cut slices.
How Detroit’s car industry helped shape its pizzas (Phaidon)
Detroit-Style Pizza Is Having a Moment. But Are Its Originators Getting Left Behind? (Eater)
A device that cuts cake evenly, invented by high school students (The Mainichi)
This week we're replaying some of our favorite pizza-themed episodes. In this episode from February 2023, the story of the first person to order a pizza on the internet, who also happened to be a giant in the tech world. Plus: Anchorage, Alaska hosts the annual Outhouse Races.
AppStorey talks with Steve Green about Steve Jobs, The Smithsonian and how a pizza with basil became the first food delivered via the web (AppStorey)
On a roll: At Alaska’s annual Outhouse Races, there’s no shame in being number two (Roadtrippers)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite pizza-themed episodes. In this episode from May 2021, the inside story of Charles Entertainment Cheese (yes, that's his real name), the only mouse anyone ever wanted to see in a pizza place. Plus: the past meets the future in 1905, when a film crew documents the funeral of the last known veteran of the War of 1812.
An Oral History Of Those Creepy-Ass Chuck E. Cheese Robots (Mel Magazine)
The surprising and horrifying backstory behind Charles Entertainment Cheese (Insider)
Funeral of Hiram Cronk (Library of Congress)
National Cleanup Day is tomorrow, so we'll tell you about a young person in the UK who’s made pretty much every day a cleanup day: Nadia Sparkes, who’s now known as “Trash Girl.” Plus: starting tomorrow in Rapid City, South Dakota, it’s the Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival.
'Trash Girl' Nadia Sparkes moves schools over bullying (BBC)
The Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival (Visit Rapid City)
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There have been a number of Muslim astronauts, including one who went to the International Space Station today in 2006. Scholars and scientists have tried to figure out how to adapt religious traditions astronauts practice on Earth when they're spending time far above our home planet. Plus: today in 1981, a world record moment for the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta.
Muslims in Outer Space (Harvard Divinity School)
Canada mall sets parking‑lot record (History.com)
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Today in 1967, The Who made their American TV debut, and it’s not an understatement to say that performance blew up. That’s just telling it like it is. Plus: New Haven, Connecticut may have held a world record-sized pizza party.
The Who literally spark an explosion on national television (History.com)
'New Haven ah-beetz can’t be beat!': City says it set world record for largest pizza party (FOX 61)
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For IT Professionals Day, the history of the screen saver, which was originally just supposed to keep monitors from getting overworked but eventually took on a whimsical style of their own. Plus: Warsaw, Poland is encouraging commuters to try something other than looking at their phones.
Saving One Screen At A Time (Tedium)
Warsaw opens metro station ‘express’ library to get commuters off their phones (The Guardian)
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Today we pay tribute to Maru the cat, one of web culture’s most beloved cats. YouTube cat fans and cardboard boxes will never be the same without him. Plus: today in 2015, a guy in Louisiana realizes he's in no condition to drive, so he finds a very different way home.
The World Will Always Remember Maru (Neatorama)
Drunk cowboy: 'Horse knows the way home' (WBRZ)
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Today in 1975, Pink Floyd released the album Wish You Were Here. It's a landmark both musically and visually, thanks to its cover featuring two men in suits are shaking hands… and one of them is on fire. Plus: starting tomorrow at the Nelson-Adkins Museum of Art, it’s the Kansas City Deaf Cultural Festival.
The Story Behind Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ Album Cover (American Songwriter)
Kansas City Deaf Cultural Festival (Nelson-Adkins Museum of Art)
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Today in 2001, as the world watched the horrific scene in lower Manhattan, and as those on scene faced all kinds of obstacles, a guide dog named Roselle stayed focused on her job, and helped her human get to safety.
Michael Hingson (911Memorial.org)
We have baths and we have showers, but now a company in Japan is offering a pod that it says will wash and dry a person in about 15 minutes. Plus: today in 1881, a big first for Major League Baseball.
Japan’s Innovative “Human Washing Machine” Can Clean up and Dry a Person in 15 Minutes (My Modern Met)
Grondahl: Historian finds first grand slam in MLB history - in Rensselaer (The Times-Union)
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It’s Teddy Bear Day. Kids of all kinds have loved and been loved by this OG stuffie, even if there was a time when Very Concerned People thought the teddy bear could imperil the nation’s future. Plus: a town in South Dakota used to be home to an enormous collection of teddies.
The Teddy Bear Was Once Seen as a Dangerous Influence on Young Children (Smithsonian)
The World’s Largest Indoor Teddy Bear Collection Is Right Here In South Dakota At Teddy Bear Town (Only In Your State)
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Today is Actors Day, and few actors have left an impression like Robert "Romeo" Coates, who was sort of the Florence Foster Jenkins of English stage stars. Plus: today in 2022, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II of England, which triggered a very old custom of notifying the royal bees.
The Amateur of Fashion: Robert "Romeo" Coates (Folger Shakespeare Library)
The Queen’s Bees Have Been Informed of Her Passing (Vanity Fair)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes when the world of sports went off course. In this episode from March 2021, Maryland was the first state to adopt an official state sport, and that official state sport is jousting. Plus: a woman in New York does “space clearing,” which removes the negative energy from a home that won't sell.
A look into Maryland’s curious state sport: Jousting (Shore Monthly)
Mary Lou Bartram (Maryland Jousting Tournament Association)
The Healer That Real-Estate Agents Call to Clear Their Cursed Apartments (Curbed)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes when the world of sports went off course. In this episode from June 2021, the story of a guy who took two sports and fused them into one: Ed Headrick, known today as the Father of Disc Golf. Plus: an exhibit highlights the original rainbow Pride flag, the one Gilbert Baker designed for San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day Parade in 1978.
The Father of Disc Golf (Disc Golf Association)
History of disc golf (part 1): the early days (Murray Ledger)
The Original Pride Flag Is Now on Display in a San Francisco Museum (Travel and Leisure)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes when the world of sports went off course. In this episode from June 2021, the winner of the prestigious 1934 U.S. Open golf tournament was sick as a dog the whole time. And the winner wasn’t the only golfer who had an odd time at the event.
Bobby Cruickshank – the war hero who became one of Scottish golf’s nearly men in United States (The Scotsman)
Olin Dutra overcomes bout of food poisoning to win by one stroke over Sarazen at Merion (U.S. Golf Association)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes when the world of sports went off course. In this episode from January 2021, a look at how one of the popular fads of the 1920s was flagpole sitting. Plus: for National Bird Day, a look at the shoebill, a bird for the record books.
St. Simeon Stylites (Britannica)
In the Netherlands Sitting on a Pole for Hours on End Is a Competitive Sport (Oddity Central)
The Shoebill: Or, the Most Terrifying Bird in the World (Audubon)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes when the world of sports went off course. In this episode from March 2021, about 200 runners in Los Angeles set out to run all the way to New York City. Plus: The Long Trail is a 272 mile hike through Vermont's Green Mountains, from the Massachusetts line to the border with Quebec.
Endurance Racing: First Leg, the Bunion Derby (New York Public Library)
The 1928 Bunion Derby: America’s Brush with Integrated Sports (BlackPast)
The Long Trail (Green Mountain Club)
We’ve got some big plans with our Patreon backers this month (but don’t worry, none of them are cross-country foot races)
Kids in my town are headed back to school next week. The buses they use will be very similar to ones dating back to 1939, when a bunch of experts chose a bright shade of yellow as the standard school bus color. Plus: starting today in Tilburg, in the Netherlands, it’s the Redhead Days Festival.
Why Are School Buses Yellow? (HowStuffWorks)
Redhead Days Festival
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Today, a report in the San Francisco Examiner about Paul Granveaud of France, who was training to become an astronaut. Two important notes here: the report came out in 1927, long before humans ever went to space, and Paul Granveaud was just six years old. Plus: starting tomorrow in Rollag, Minnesota, it’s the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion.
First Boy in Space: The 1927 Moon Shot Craze (Paleofuture)
WESTERN MINNESOTA STEAM THRESHERS REUNION
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Today in 1974, the US issued a patent to one Becky Schroeder, an extremely inventive kid. After all, not many of us have our very own patent at age twelve. Plus: starting this Friday in Indiana, it’s the Marshall County Blueberry Festival.
Girl Finds Way to Write in Dark (New York Times)
Marshall County Blueberry Festival
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It's National Dog Day, so let’s talk about a dog who definitely found a way to carry on during World War II: Rip the dog, who rescued Londoners from rubble after Nazi bombing raids. Plus: in Spartanburg, South Carolina there's a statue of Chaser, known as the "Smartest Dog In The World."
Medal for Dog Rip, Who Saved 100 People, Fetches 24,250 Pounds (Bloomberg via Archive.org)
Smartest Dog Ever Can Pick Out 1,022 Toys By Name (Popular Science)
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Today in 1835, the start of a six-part series in the New York Sun newspaper about fantastical creatures living on the moon. It wasn't true, but it was wildly popular. Plus: starting today, an auction of some rare US gold coins from the collection of an 80s rocker and avid collector.
The Great Moon Hoax of 1835: The Birth of Fake News? (Interesting Engineering)
Rick Springfield Collection of U.S. gold coins to be sold (Coin World)
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Today in 1865, newspapers published "Letter From A Freedman To His Old Master," Jordan Anderson's note perfect response to a guy who probably shouldn’t have written to him in the first place. Plus: starting today in Illinois, it’s the Dekalb Corn Fest.
How did ex-slave's letter to master come to be? (Salt Lake Tribune via Conifer)
Dekalb Corn Fest
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it’s World Goat Day, so we’re heading to a spot in Sister Bay, Wisconsin, where goats get to go on the roof. Plus: today in 2023, the start of a contest to find the laziest citizen in Montenegro.
Why Are There Goats on the Roof at This Swedish Restaurant in Wisconsin? (Thrillist)
Montenegrins vie for record in lying down contest (Reuters)
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Today in 1911, the birthday of Isabel Morgan, a scientist and researcher whose breakthroughs in polio helped protect millions of kids from that terrible disease. Plus: Pixply is a digital game board that can change its layout depending on which game you want to play.
Forging the Trail for Polio Vaccination: Isabel Morgan and Dorothy Horstmann (American Society for Microbiology)
Pixply Rollable Digital Game Board (The Awesomer)
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The potato’s influence stretches out well beyond French fries and tater tots. In fact, there was a study in 2017 that said the potato helped keep the peace in Europe for centuries. Plus: a Prince Edward Island town is home to the Canadian Potato Museum.
Potatoes helped keep peace in Europe for hundreds of years (Earth.com)
The Canadian Potato Museum
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Today in 1961, a news report in the Santa Cruz Sentinel about a strange bird event along the coast of California that ended up shaping an iconic movie about a strange bird event. Plus: this week in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania, the King Coal Show.
Here’s the real story behind Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’ (Popular Science)
King Coal Association
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It’s National Spork Day! The spork gets a lot of grief, but not as much as one of its parents used to get. At one time, eating with a fork was a scandal. Plus: Arcola, Illinois is home to a 62 foot long Hippie Memorial.
FORKS (California Academy of Sciences)
One and Only Hippie Memorial (Roadside America)
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Today in 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. Americans who pay into the system and receive benefits have Social Security Numbers, so who had the first one? The answer is kind of strange. Plus: starting tomorrow in Indiana, it’s the Elwood Glass Festival.
New Rochelle Man Was First Person to Get a Social Security Number (Talk of the Sound)
Elwood Glass Festival
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Today in 2024, Guinness announced a world record for most gaming consoles connected to a single TV, 444 in all. Here's how the record holder does it. Plus: this Friday at Georgia Tech University, it’s The Great Cardboard Boat Race.
Guy Plugs A Record-Breaking 444 Video Game Consoles Into A Single TV (Kotaku)
THE GREAT CARDBOARD BOAT RACE
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Today in 1938, the birthday of Paul Craft, an acclaimed songwriter and musician whose catalog includes probably the world’s best known religious country football song: “Drop Kick Me Jesus (Through The Goalposts Of Life).” Plus: starting this Friday in Glasgow, Scotland, it’s the World Pipe Band Championships.
Drop Kick Me Jesus (Through The Goalposts Of Life) (Songfacts)
World Pipe Band Championships
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If you’re near Moses Lake, Washington in the next couple days, you can try an iconic fair food: the Spaceburger. Plus: today in 1911, Hawaii's Duke Kahanamoku breaks a world swimming record by so much that the athletic organizers can't quite believe it.
History & Mysteries of the “Space Burger” in Moses Lake, WA (The Quake 102.1)
Duke Kahanamoku (Library of Congress)
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We've done a lot of shows about robots, and we've done a lot of shows about pizza. Now, we're doing a show about a robot that's learning to make pizza with help from a team at Virginia Tech. Plus: Baltimore is home to the world’s tallest five-sided building in which the sides are all equal length.
But first, pizza: Team creates assistive robotics that can make you a meal (Virginia Tech)
The World’s Tallest Regular Pentagonal Building Is In Baltimore And You’ll Want To Visit (Only In Your State)
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Sarah Winchester's decades-long renovation project turned an eight-room farmhouse into hundreds of rooms, and sparked endless rumors that at least some of those rooms are haunted. Plus: starting tomorrow in Ohio, it’s the Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival.
Everything you think you know about the Winchester Mystery House probably isn't true (SFGate)
TOMATO FESTIVAL REYNOLDSBURG, OHIO
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Today in 1928, the birthday of Andy Warhol. He made a mark with his paintings of Campbell's Soup cans, though the company wasn’t immediately thrilled with his work. Plus: starting tomorrow in Indiana, it’s the Van Buren Popcorn Festival.
Why Campbell Soup hated, then embraced, Andy Warhol’s soup can paintings (CNN)
Van Buren Popcorn Festival
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It's World Ant Day, so we’re looking at an ant species that got so comfortable living in New York City that it earned the nickname “ManhattAnt.” Plus: if you missed National Mustard Day over the weekend, check out a pizzeria in New Jersey known for making the "mustard pie."
Scientists identified the ‘ManhattAnt’ — and they have theories on why it’s taking over NYC (CNN)
Papa's Tomato Pies, the oldest pizzeria in NJ, is home of the mustard pie (NorthJersey.com)
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Today in 2018, a dad in Sydney, Australia saw his kid in danger and put himself on the line to make sure that kid was safe. Here's his story. Plus: today in 1922, a very quiet moment in the history of telecommunications.
Heroic father breaks skull leaping off 4m balcony to cushion son’s fall (News.com.au)
Telephones Were Silenced for One Minute After Alexander Graham Bell Died (Smithsonian)
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Today in 1981, the debut of MTV. It brought music videos to the mainstream, but it didn't invent them - in fact, there were proto-music videos almost a century before the cable channel first appeared. Plus: starting tomorrow in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the 4th Annual Youth Hoop Dance Championship.
The Complete History of the Music Video: From the 1890s to Today (Open Culture)
4TH ANNUAL YOUTH HOOP DANCE CHAMPIONSHIP
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Today in 1928, the debut of Leo, MGM's roaring lion. One of the lions that played Leo in the movies used up more than a few of its nine lives while traveling for the movie studio. Plus: starting today in Indiana, it’s the Jasper Strassenfest.
Meet ‘Leo The Lucky’—The MGM Lion Who Cheated Death 6 Times (Forbes)
Jasper Indiana Strassenfest
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Today in 1863, the birthday of Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company. The automaker has had a huge impact on the auto industry, but not all of its ideas worked out. Like the time it tried to reinvent the (steering) wheel. Plus: starting tomorrow in Brownstown, Indiana, it’s the Jackson County Watermelon Festival.
Mercury “Wrist-Twist” Steering Tried a Tesla Model S–Style Yoke in 1965 (Motor Trend)
Jackson County Watermelon Festival
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New research finds a way to take waste plastic that might end up in landfills and turn it into a common pain medicine. Plus: starting Friday in South Dakota, it's Clark Potato Days.
Microbes transform plastic waste into paracetamol (University of Edinburgh)
CLARK POTATO DAYS
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Today in 1934, a big day in the history of sending mail by rocket. There's a whole history of rocket mail that goes back two centuries. Plus: today in 2017, the birth of a calf in Kerrville, Texas. that looked a little like a certain fire-breathing member of KISS.
The rise and fall of rocket mail (Engadget)
Texas calf resembles Kiss rocker Gene Simmons (BBC)
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This week we're replaying our favorite shows about writers and the printed page. In this episode from September 2022, National Read A Book Day brings to mind an article from HowStuffWorks called “What is the oldest book in the world?” Plus: Ithaca, New York is home to a tribute to the world of growing, eating, sharing and decorating gourds of all kinds.
What Is the Oldest Book in the World? (HowStuffWorks)
Ithaca is ‘gourd-geous’: Welcome to Gourdlandia, where the world’s most versatile vegetable is transformed into art (Roadtrippers)
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This week we're replaying our favorite shows about writers and the printed page. In this episode from March 2020, Sri Lankan author Sybil Wettasinghe set a world record for the most alternative endings in a single book. Plus: in the early days of COVID-19, a pilot in Austria goes up in the air to do his part for social distancing.
Children’s book gets Guinness record with 1,250 alternative endings (UPI)
Pilot writes message for world in the sky: ‘Stay home’ (CNet)
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This week we're replaying our favorite shows about writers and the printed page. In this episode from May 2019, one of the most interesting moments of Walt Whitman’s life, the time he reviewed his own book in the newspapers. Plus: Plymouth, North Carolina hosts the North Carolina Black Bear Festival.
“Walt Whitman and His Poems” by Walt Whitman (Whitman Archive)
“Promoting Himself” (Library of Congress)
North Carolina Black Bear Festival
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This week we're replaying our favorite shows about writers and the printed page. In this episode from January 2020, the New York Public Library didn’t have a copy of one of the most iconic children's books of all time for decades, because a librarian didn’t like it. Plus: two pranksters added silent records to a jukebox, but customers decided they liked the quiet.
Top 10 Checkouts of All Time (New York Public Library)
The Quintessential Librarian Stereotype: Wrestling With the Legacy of Anne Carroll Moore (School Library Journal)
The Restorative Pause of Silent Record Week (New Yorker)
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This week we're replaying our favorite shows about writers and the printed page. In this episode from November 2020, we look at book dedications. Most are straightforward, but there are surprises. Plus: a scientific report sheds light on the pelagornithid, perhaps the largest flying bird ever.
Brilliant Book Dedications (Sad and Useless)
Scientists Reveal What May Be the Largest Flying Bird Ever (Smithsonian)
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A Harvard study finds that the thousands of dams humans have built over the last couple centuries have locked up so much water it's actually affected Earth's poles! We'll try to explain. Plus: starting today in Michigan City, Indiana, it’s the Singing Sands Sand Sculpting Festival.
Water storage in dams has caused minute shifts in Earth’s poles (Harvard's Advancing Earth and Space Sciences)
The Singing Sands Sand Sculpting Festival
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Today in 1972, a break-in at the Watergate hotel that kicked off a huge political scandal... and also, somehow, gave a gelatin dessert the name "Watergate salad." Plus: in 2022, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington hosted an exhibit called “Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue.”
Jell-O Journalism: Investigating the Origins of Watergate Salad (Mental Floss)
Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue (National Portrait Gallery)
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There's a new musical work that is, maybe, kind of, sort of from a composer who’s been gone three years. Plus: rice farmers in Gyoda, Japan turn their paddies into large-scale works of art.
Musical Composer’s Brain Matter Is Still Making Music Three Years After His Death (My Modern Met)
Tanjiro Emerges in the Fields as Gyoda Unveils 2025 Rice Paddy Art (Spoon + Tamago)
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Today in 1923, the birthday of Cordell Jackson, a guitarist who rocked out exactly the way she wanted to for over half a century. Plus: today in 2023, a Florida woman apparently took a fire truck out for a ride.
Jackson, Cordell (Women In Rock Project)
Woman accused of impersonating firefighter after stealing firetruck, Florida cops say (Miami Herald)
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A decade before Mariner 4 got to Mars (on this day in 1965), a company famous for its advertising jokingly offered its customers a chance to go to the Red Planet - and a very serious customer tried to get them to follow through. Plus: a design studio in France builds a walk-through installation out of nearly 800 old baguettes.
Did Burma-Shave Offer to Send a Contest Winner to Mars? (Snopes)
780 leftover baguettes turn into public pavilion by MERO studios in montpellier (designboom)
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Today in 1983, Quiet Riot released its massive hit single "Cum On Feel The Noize," though they kind of tried to tank the recording session at the time. Plus: for 7/11, a story about a 7/11 with a tree in the middle of the store.
Cum On Feel The Noize by Quiet Riot (Songfacts)
This 7-11 in Monterrey Mexico has a tree growing through it. (lostfoundartny via Instagram)
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Today in 1890, Wyoming became the 44th state in the Union. Its license plates feature a silhouette of a person, with cowboy hat in hand, riding a bucking horse. The story of which horse and which rider inspired that silhouette is a bit of a bumpy ride. Plus: starting tomorrow, it’s the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.
Wyoming’s Long-lived Bucking Horse (Wyoming History)
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix
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For Cow Appreciation Day, a look at the time in 2006 that news reports made it sound like scientists had proven that cows had regional accents like people do, only the story was a little more complicated than that. Plus: Solstice 2.0 is a kinetic clock that changes shape as the day goes on.
Cows also 'have regional accents' (BBC)
It's always silly season in the (BBC) science section (Language Log)
Mesmerizing Kinetic Clock Expands and Contracts With the Passage of Time (My Modern Met)
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It's National Ice Cream Sundae Day, which might be a good day to visit Potter, Nebraska, the birthplace of the Tin Roof Sundae. Plus: Roswell, New Mexico is very popular with UFO tourists, but it's also home to the Miniatures and Curious Collections Museum.
Why Is It Called Tin Roof Sundae? (Chowhound)
The Miniatures and Curious Collections Museum of Roswell, NM, is filled with wonderful things (Boing Boing)
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Lots of people have warned about robot invasions, but not like this: tiny bots that don’t want to take over the world, but want to help clear your sinuses of germs. Plus: a group of 15 monkeys living at Kyoto University's primate research institute figure out a way to escape their habitat.
Light-powered robot swarms may replace antibiotics for tough sinus infections (Interesting Engineering)
Monkeys use trees to catapault themselves out of Japanese laboratory (Daily Telegraph)
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America's second president once said that Independence Day should always feature "illuminations." We'll explain how those pyrotechnics illuminate the sky each July 4. Plus: Seward, Nebraska is a relatively small community, but it goes big every time this holiday rolls around.
The chemistry behind fireworks (University of Pennsylvania)
Seward Is A Small Town In Nebraska That Offers Plenty Of Peace And Quiet (Only In Your State)
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For National Tire Safety Week, the story of a character made of tires, one of the most famous mascots in advertising history… and one who was originally kind of a hot mess. Plus: starting today in Pittsburgh, it’s the World Beard and Moustache Championships.
Michelin Man: The Inside Story (CNN)
2025 World Beard and Moustache Championships
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This month in 1831, the Mediterranean Sea got a whole new island, one that European powers bickered over for a few months before the debate ended pretty abruptly. Plus: starting Friday in New Hope, Pennsylvania, it’s the Red, White & Blueberries BBQ Bash.
The Mediterranean's short-lived 'Atlantis' (BBC)
Red, White & Blueberries BBQ Bash
Here’s hoping we see a lot of backers rise up on Patreon (and that their support also doesn’t sink back a few months later)
Happy Canada Day! The flag you’ll see at events across the country today has quite an origin story: one guy, one red pen and a lot of potential roadblocks. Plus: for National Postal Worker Day in the US, the story of how the Postal Service set up an office in Antarctica.
A letter, a red pen and a hand-drawn sketch: How George Stanley created Canada's flag (CBC)
Little America, Antarctica, Post Office (US Postal Service)
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Today in 1867, the birthday of June Robertson McCarroll, a doctor in California who made a big difference for safety by painting a line down the middle of a road. Plus: starting today in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, it’s the American Jump Rope National Championship.
Dr. June Robertson McCarroll Was the Valley’s First Woman Doctor—but She’s Best Known for a Transportation Innovation (Coachella Valley Independent)
American Jump Rope National Championship
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We’re replaying some of our favorite shows about clothes and the people who wear them. In this episode from May 2019, the fascinating and unlikely history of the garment that got its name because it was the outfit of choice for people jumping out of airplanes. Plus: we know there’s no jumpsuit like an Elvis jumpsuit. Quartz noted that one of the King’s suits, the white peacock-themed one, sold at auction in 2008 for a record $300,000.
Jumpsuits (Quartz)
Elvis Hoodie (GearHuman)
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We’re replaying some of our favorite shows about clothes and the people who wear them. In this episode from August 2020, a research team in China invents a fabric that can transfer heat away from us and back into the surrounding air. Plus: for National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, the story of the biggest chocolate chip cookie of all time.
New fabric could help keep you cool in the summer, even without A/C (Science Daily)
Largest biscuit / cookie (Guinness World Records)
Nobody’s cooler than the Cool Weird Awesome backers on Patreon
We’re replaying some of our favorite shows about clothes and the people who wear them. In this episode from July 2021, a multi-country research project thinks old plastic bags might be useful to the fashion industry. Plus: Many of us spend a lot of our waking hours typing, but James Cook turns his typing into art.
Plastic Bags Could Be Recycled Into Wearable Fabrics, Says New Research (Designboom)
This Artist Draws Using Only Letters and Numbers on Old Typewriters (The Sifter)
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We’re replaying some of our favorite shows about clothes and the people who wear them. In this episode from May 2021, a research team at the University of Rochester and the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands makes some big advancements in bioprinting, which is 3D printing with living materials. Plus: a pro golfer and a race car driver set a world record for longest golf drive into a moving vehicle.
Will your future clothes be made of algae? (University of Rochester)
Watch a Pro Golfer Land a Golf Ball Into a Moving BMW M8 Convertible From 909 Feet Away (The Drive)
The future is here, and it’s all thanks to our backers on Patreon
We’re replaying some of our favorite shows about clothes and the people who wear them. In this episode from January 2021, the story of the debut of the top hat, and what a debut it was. Plus: the time in 1974 that a team at MIT built a 35 pound yo-yo and dropped it from a 21 story building.
History of the Top Hat (International Formalwear Association via Archive.org)
James H. Williams, Jr. and the world’s largest yo-yo, 1974 (MIT Black History)
Hats or not, we think our Patreon backers are tops
Today in 2005, the release of a study that found something interesting: monkeys appeared to have some of the same economic ideas that humans have, especially when it comes to something known as loss aversion. Plus: tomorrow in Illinois, it's the Great Galena Balloon Race.
Humans Rational and Irrational Buying Behavior Is Mirrored in Monkeys (Yale University)
Great Galena Balloon Race (Enjoy Illinois)
When you back this show on Patreon, everybody gains and nobody loses
Holidays don't just show up; people make them happen. Here's the story of how a commemoration of a key moment in ending the institution of slavery eventually became a national holiday across the United States.
Former State Rep. Al Edwards, Who Helped Make Juneteenth A State Holiday, Dies At 83 (Houston Public Media)
How 97-Year-Old Activist Opal Lee Became the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” (Biography)
This week in 2010, a classic movie gets a shout-out from a very unusual place: the Vatican was repping The Blues Brothers. Plus: starting tomorrow in Ingliston, Edinburgh, Scotland, it's the Royal Highland Show.
Vatican beatifies Blues Brothers ... well almost (Reuters)
World Highland Show
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For National Eat Your Vegetables Day, the story of the time a company tried to get kids to eat French fry-shaped versions of dinner table vegetables, but with a name that may not have done them any favors. Plus: this weekend in Washington state, it's Sumner's Rhubarb Days Festival.
Funky Fries and other foods that flopped (CNN)
Rhubarb Days 2025
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Today in 1893, the invention of the beloved snack Cracker Jack, though there was a time when its signature sweet blend of peanuts and popcorn was considerably different, and the prizes were nowhere to be found. Plus: today in 2006, the end to a more than a century-long war, one that was only ever on paper.
14 Classic Facts About Cracker Jack (Mental Floss)
Montenegro, Japan to declare truce (UPI)
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Tomorrow in Wales, a race where there are human runners and horses with riders on the same course, trying to get to the finish line ahead of each other. And it all started with an argument in a pub. Plus: starting tomorrow in Brooten, Minnesota, it’s Redhead Creamery Curd Fest.
44th MAN VERSUS HORSE
Redhead Creamery Curd Fest
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Today in 1971 that the magazine Record World published an article about a new and very chill radio format that was the precursor of Easy Listening. Plus: this Saturday in New York City, it’s Pigeon Fest.
Music Only for a Woman: The Birth of Easy Listening (JSTOR)
Pigeon Fest
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Today in 1841, a newspaper publisher from Belgium put out an article that included a mark he called “un point d’ironie.” The history of punctuation is full of efforts to choose a mark that would make it clear to readers when the writer is being ironic or sarcastic. Plus: a couple in Sweden finds a way to make their home more eco-friendly while keeping them warm during the country's very cold winters.
Can irony really be conveyed with punctuation? (Christian Science Monitor)
Swedish Family Encloses Entire Home in Greenhouse Glass to Create Year-Round Warmth (My Modern Met)
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Today in 2013, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling that put an end to something called the National Raisin Reserve. Here's why the US used to have a massive government stockpile of raisins. Plus: Memoria is a concept for a device for people with Alzheimer’s disease, prompting patients with information they might be trying to remember or use at that moment.
One grower’s grapes of wrath (Washington Post via Archive.org)
memoria home medical device and necklace help people with alzheimer's remember (designboom)
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Today in 1926, the birthday of Don Ritchie, a man who helped hundreds of people in the most difficult moments of their lives and helped them find ways to carry on. (If today's topic is uncomfortable for you, no worries, we'll talk with you again tomorrow.) Plus: now underway in Michigan, it's the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis, there is help available right now from the National Suicide Crisis Lifeline at 988
An angel walking among us at The Gap (Sydney Morning Herald)
Mackinac Island Lilac Festival
Our show is listener supported by our backers on Patreon
Today in 1944, D-Day, the largest invasion force ever. There were hundreds of thousands of troops, tens of thousands of vehicles, over 100,000 tons of equipment, and at least one guy playing bagpipes. Plus: today in Franklin, Indiana, it’s the Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival.
Bill Millin (The Economist via Archive.org)
Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival
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On any given day, anybody can defeat anybody else. Today in 1989, a not very well known American tennis player proved it with an upset for the ages against one of the top names in the sport. Plus: starting Saturday in Lincoln, Nebraska, it’s the Flatland Juggling Festival.
How Michael Chang defeated Ivan Lendl at the French Open in 1989 (The Guardian)
Flatland Juggling Festival
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It's National Cheese Day, and while cheese is one of the world’s most influential foods, that's not the whole story. Some people claim that they can tell the future through cheese. Plus: for athletes who get tired just thinking about triathlons now have a race of their own: the Nice Tri.
The Un-Brie-Lievable History of Tyromancy (Saveur)
The Nice Tri
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Researchers in Austria and Slovenia have been developing a set of living surfaces to apply to the sides of buildings, that can filter pollutants and capture carbon from the air, and maybe even repair cracks to the buildings' exteriors. Plus: this Friday in Indiana, it’s the Strawberry Festival in downtown Kokomo.
Living tattoos for buildings could turn city walls into pollution-fighting surfaces (Interesting Engineering)
Strawberry Festival in downtown Kokomo!
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A lot of people are trying to do something to help coral reefs these days. Now, those people can some help themselves from a robot. Plus: Texas-based artist Montrel Beverly is winning lots of attention for eye-catching recreations of famous artworks made of pipe cleaners.
Robots that can climb trees or restore coral reefs (ETH Zurich)
Montrel Beverly recreates the biblical and art history with pipe cleaners (It’s Nice That)
We get help on this show from our backers on Patreon, join them today
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about houses and the people who live in them. In this episode from September 2022, La maison dans la Loire, or “The House In The Loire,” which was a house built for an art installation. Plus: Baltimore is home to the Big Dill, otherwise known as the “World’s Largest Pickle Party.”
The Famous House in the Middle of the Loire River (Oddity Central)
The Big Dill
Our Patreon backers keep this show from getting all wet
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about houses and the people who live in them. In this episode from April 2022, beer magnate Alfred Heineken and architect John Habraken designed a house that could be built out of used Heineken bottles. Plus: it’s beer day every day at a spot in Taunton, Massachusetts.
100,000 Bottles of Beer in the Wall (Cabinet Magazine)
Did Alfred Heineken Invent Bottle To Function as a Brick To Build Houses? (Snopes)
Beer Can Museum & Beer Can Hall of Fame
We raise a glass to our Patreon backers, who support this show every day
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about houses and the people who live in them. In this episode from September 2021, a look at spite houses, structures that have been built to block other coveted views or for maybe even more ice cold reasons. Plus: an interesting fact about Michelangelo's David.
Five Spite Houses in New England (Boston Magazine)
10 Fun Facts About Michelangelo’s David (The Florence Insider)
Our Patreon backers help us build new episodes, but out of love, not spite
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about houses and the people who live in them. In this episode from June 2022, the story of a guy in Rockport, Massachusetts who made almost an entire house out of old newspapers. Plus: a visit to the Mentone Egg Festival in northern Indiana.
The Paper House—made of 100,000 newspapers—has a working fireplace, electricity, and running water (Roadtrippers)
Mentone Egg Festival (Visit Indiana)
Our Patreon backers always come first
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about houses and the people who live in them. In this episode from December 2019, the story of the full-size, three-dimensional replica of the old Simpson place in Henderson, Nevada. Plus: the closest real-life community to the Simpsons' hometown, Springfield, may not be a Springfield at all.
Duff beers, colorful walls and THAT saggy couch: Inside the real-life Simpsons house that was built as a competition prize in the 1990s … but the winner decided to take the money instead! (Daily Mail)
25 things you never knew about The Simpsons (Telegraph UK)
Twenty dollars can back many Cool Weird Awesomes! Explain how! Money can be exchanged for goods and services!
Today in 1984, the release of The Bangles' debut album, All Over The Place. For one of the videos to promote that album, these 80s icons got a little help from an icon from the 60s. Plus: starting today in Louisiana, it’s the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival.
Leonard Nimoy drove the Bangles to video stardom (Albany Park Press)
Gonzales Jambalaya Festival
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Today in 2019, a community in suburban Atlanta wanted to show its appreciation for mailman Floyd Martin, who had been a daily part of their lives for more than three decades. Plus: starting today in Springfield, Illinois, it’s the International Carillon Festival.
When their mailman retired, the neighbors along his route threw him one heck of a goodbye party (CNN)
63rd Annual International Carillon Festival (Visit Springfield)
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We're a few days out from World Baking Day, so here's the story of a woman who’s helped people find their way around the kitchen for more than a century… even though she isn’t a real person. Plus: starting tomorrow in Jeffersonville, Indiana, it’s Abbey Road on the River.
Who Was Betty Crocker? (PBS)
Abbey Road on the River
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Today in 2003, the filing of a lawsuit that led to a fascinating and significant phenomenon here in the Information Age: it’s known as the Streisand Effect. Plus: for World Bee Day, the story of a 2014 art project created in part by bees!
Streisand files $50 million lawsuit over aerial photos (SFGate)
Artist Aganetha Dyck Collaborates with Bees to Create Sculptures Wrapped in Honeycomb (Colossal)
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Today in 1953, Ohio became a state... which was weird because Ohio had already been a state for a century and a half. Technicalities can be that way. Plus: for National Pizza Party Day, the story of a guy in Nashville who used social media to connect people in need with donors willing to send a little pizza their way.
Ohio: The 48th State? (Ohio History Connection)
Nashville man helps hundreds of people in need get a free pizza every week (NewsChannel 5 Nashville)
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This month in 1927, Americans were fawning over an animal at the National Zoo in Washington: a presidential hippo named Billy. Plus: starting today in Elizabeth City, it’s the North Carolina Potato Festival.
The Presidential Hippopotamus at the National Zoo (WETA)
North Carolina Potato Festival
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Today in 1857, the birthday of Williamina Fleming, a big name in the world of astronomy but one who had a pretty low-profile start. Plus: starting tomorrow in Illinois, it’s the Long Grove Chocolate Festival.
Williamina Fleming, From Scottish Maid to Harvard Astronomer (New England Historical Society)
Long Grove Chocolate Festival
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There may be no more important part of road safety than the bright red stop sign, though in the early days, they weren’t red. Plus: Leonardo the tortoise went missing from his home in England; after nine months, he didn't exactly get that far.
Stop Signs Used to Be Yellow—More Recently Than You Think (Readers Digest)
Tortoise missing for months found a mile from home (BBC)
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Today in 1940, Life Magazine published a series of photos of a little boy in Liberty County, Georgia - photos that, two decades later, would inspire one of the most famous picture books ever published. Plus: this Saturday in South Bend, Indiana, it’s the Donut & Beer Festival.
The Enduring Footprints of Peter, Ezra Jack Keats, and The Snowy Day (The Horn Book)
Donut & Beer Festival
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It's United Nations Global Road Safety Week, so here's the story of a driver in Ireland who seemed to be breaking every traffic law on the books... until the authorities figured out there was something more to their story. Plus: underway this week in Washington state, it’s the Spokane Lilac Festival.
Dictionary helps crack case of notorious Polish serial offender (Irish Times)
Spokane Lilac Festival (Visit Spokane)
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Commencement season is here, which means a lot of people hearing a composition known as “Pomp and Circumstance.” Though that piece of music was not written with graduation in mind. Plus: today in 2023, a herd of cows help catch a guy who'd fled a traffic stop (!)
The Beautiful Irony of Pomp and Circumstance (WCRB)
After man flees traffic stop, cows lead officers "directly to where the suspect was hiding," North Carolina police say (CBS News)
Backing this show on Patreon would be a nice gift for a new graduate, just saying
It’s World Donkey Day, so we're visiting an Arizona ghost town that's visited by a nearby colony of wild donkeys. Plus: in 2018 a donkey sanctuary in Ontario started giving its donkeys pants!
How one town became infested with donkeys (ABC 10)
Dapper donkeys: sanctuary fights flies with tailored trousers (CTV News)
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Smart speakers can be really useful, but only if you have a voice to activate them. A new device called Scribe could help nonverbal users with their smart systems by letting them "write" commands into the air. Plus: RoboCake is, you guessed it, a robotic wedding cake featuring a series of dancing gummy bears.
An Alternative to Speech: Writing in the Air With ‘Sonic Ink’ (University of Maryland)
robotic wedding cake with dancing gummy bears moves using edible rechargeable batteries (designboom)
Tell your smart speaker to play our podcast, and then back the podcast on Patreon while you listen
Thanks to loads of security measures, no one has ever robbed the Bank of England. But if you ask whether anyone’s broken into the bank's famous gold vaults, the answer is a little more complicated. Plus: the English town of Burslem is about to dedicate a statue of a local rocker made good, Motorhead frontman Lemmy.
Has any gold ever been stolen from the Bank of England? (Bank of England)
Lemmy Forever Stoke-on-Trent statue unveiling ceremony and festivities announced (RadioX)
Backing our show on Patreon is golden
Many people like to get together from time to time for adult beverages. New research finds chimpanzees apparently also gather to imbibe and share alcohol. Plus: trading card fans in Japan are enjoying cards that feature... middle aged guys doing their everyday jobs and hobbies?
New Study Suggests Chimpanzees May Enjoy “Social Drinking” Just Like Humans (My Modern Met)
Middle-aged men are the new Pokémon and we’re here for it (Collector Club)
Let’s gather together over at our Patreon page and toast the success of this show
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about maps and geography. In this episode from July 2020, the story of Pheasant Island, which is administered by several sovereign powers but not simultaneously. Spain and France take turns with it. Plus: auto racing fans in Lublin, Poland found a way to root for their favorite drivers while still social distancing during COVID.
The island that switches countries every six months (BBC)
Fans Rent Cranes to Watch Car Race from Outside Arena During Pandemic (Oddity Central)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about maps and geography. In this episode from July 2020, the story of how Canada got its name, and a few of the country's most interesting alternates. Plus: several Canadian Tire stores in Ontario had to briefly shut down because a glitch made every item the workers scanned show up in the computer as a Mr. Potato Head toy.
What Canada was ALMOST named (CBC Kids)
Canadian Tire in Lindsay temporarily closed after every item scanned comes up as “Mr Potato Head” (Kawartha411)
Join us as a backer on Patreon for just $1 a month! Or, if you like, just C$1 a month!
Photo by Zombie Leah via Flickr/Creative Commons
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about maps and geography. In this episode from August 2019, the app what3words breaks down all the spaces on earth into 3 meter by 3 meter squares and assigns each of those squares a unique set of three words, giving us a new way to pinpoint our locations. Plus: Athens, Wisconsin is home to the center point of the northern half of the western hemisphere.
This Smartphone App Can Save Your Life with Just 3 Words (Interesting Engineering)
45 X 90 Geographical Marker (Atlas Obscura)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about maps and geography. In this episode from June 2021, a look at when the geographic powers that be recognized the Southern Ocean as its own entity, and also where the word "ocean" comes from. Plus: a South Korean designer develops a wearable “third eye” that watches for and warns you about any obstacles in your way so you can keep looking at your phone while walking,
How many oceans are there? (NOAA)
Dividing the Ocean Sea by Martin W. Lewis (Geographical Review via JSTOR)
National Geographic recognizes new, 5th ocean (WFLA)
A Wearable Robotic Third Eye That Alerts People to Look Up From Their Phones to Avoid Obstacles (Laughing Squid)
We’d sail on any of the oceans with our Patreon backers
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about maps and geography. In this episode from July 2019, a look at Sad Topographies, a site that collects the most bummed-out place names on the map. Plus: If places with depressing names aren’t your thing, we've got an upbeat event: the annual World Santa Claus Congress in Denmark.
21 Of The Saddest Places On Earth From Instagram’s sadtopographies (Brilliant Maps)
Shades of Death Road (Weird NJ)
Washington State’s bummer place names, mapped (Curbed Seattle)
World Santa Claus Congress
Feeling bummed out by sad place names? Backing Cool Weird Awesome on Patreon could help you feel better
Today in 1917, the birthday of Ella Fitzgerald, a towering figure in jazz, a legendary voice, a star among stars… especially when she became pals with movie icon Marilyn Monroe. Plus: starting today in Georgia, it’s the Thomasville Rose Show and Festival.
Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe: Inside Their Surprising Friendship (Biography)
THOMASVILLE ROSE SHOW & FESTIVAL
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Around this time in 1938, Washington state politics got really, really weird, when the Governor and Lieutenant Governor raced to return to the state to block each other. Plus: starting tomorrow in Houston, the World Coffee Roasting Championship.
Meyers, Victor A. (1897-1991) (HistoryLink)
2025 World Coffee Championships
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Today in 1982, Key West, Florida, decided it was time to do its own thing, declaring independence from the United States and forming its own country. We'll explain why. Plus: this week in Indiana, the Orleans Dogwood Festival continues.
The Founding of the Conch Republic (ConchRepublic.com)
Orleans Dogwood Festival
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Happy Earth Day. Our planet is the only one in our solar system not named for a Greek or Roman god. At the risk of sounding flip, the name Earth comes from… earth. Plus: this weekend in North Carolina, it’s the Asheville Bread Festival.
Why is Earth called 'Earth'? (BBC Sky At Night)
Asheville Bread Festival
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Today in 1926, the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning queen on record, and one that left a letter that she said shouldn’t be opened until the year 2085. Plus: for National Tea Day in the UK, a visit to the world’s largest collection of teapots (which is not in the UK).
The Queen Left Behind A Secret Letter That Cannot Be Opened Until 2085 (Elle)
The World’s Largest Collection Of Teapots Can Be Found At The Trenton Teapot Museum In Tennessee (Only In Tennessee)
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There’s a town in northern Japan that bills itself as the actual hometown of Jesus, and points visitors to a place named the tomb or grave of Christ. Not the Easter story most of us have heard. Plus: just outside the Austrian town of Gmünd, there’s a divided chapel, with parts on both sides of a road.
Weird Legend of Jesus in Japan (ABC News)
The Divided Church of Gmünd (Amusing Planet)
Wherever you call home, you can support this show on Patreon
We're just a few days away from Easter for many people around the world. For kids in Finland and Sweden, the Thursday before Easter is itself a pretty important time: it’s when they turn themselves into witches. Plus: today in 1967 was the last episode of the sitcom Gilligan’s Island. So we've got a story about a time the TV audience of the 60s stood up for the Skipper and his little buddy.
Easter in Sweden comes in many shapes and forms. But there's no getting around the eggs (or the witches). (Sweden.se)
Little witches in Finland cast good spells before Easter (Seattle Times)
‘Gilligan’s Island’: Secrets From the Set, Including Who Thought the Show ‘Would Never Be Picked Up’ (Yahoo!)
Thanks to our Patreon backers for all their treats
This is Money Smart Week, so we're going to look at what exactly money is and what it means, by looking at a kind of money on a Pacific island made out of huge stones. Plus: a shopping plaza in Greenfield, Massachusetts includes an ATM nestled inside a large fiberglass tree.
The Island Of Stone Money (NPR)
WOW: You Can Get Money Out of a Tree in This Massachusetts Town (WSBS)
It only takes a little money on Patreon to make a big difference for this show
It's National Ham Day, so we've got the story of a ham in Smithfield, Virginia that’s stood the test of time for over 120 years. Plus: if you build the LEGO Colosseum set, and you have a cat, that set could quickly turn into a cat bed.
Isle of Wight Museum adds a new historic ham to the collection (WTKR)
LEGO’s Colosseum Becomes a Regal Nap Spot for Cats Everywhere (My Modern Met)
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Lots of teams have fans try really difficult challenges to win big prizes. Nearly all of them fail, but today in 1993, a guy in Chicago stepped onto the Bulls' home court for a million dollar shot… and made it. Plus: today in 1983, the release of “Murmur,” the first full album by rock greats R.E.M. And during the making of that record, a member of the band helped a very different recording project happen.
The $1 million shot that changed sports contests forever (ESPN)
R.E.M. Share Memories Of Debut Album Murmur Released 40 Years Ago Today (Stereogum)
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It's National Board Game Day, so we’re going back in time to the very first board game in US history. Though explaining which game was the very first is slightly complicated. Plus: opening tomorrow in Kansas City, it’s the Museum of BBQ.
What America’s first board game can teach us about the aspirations of a young nation (The Conversation)
Museum of BBQ
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Today in 1849, the US issued a patent for one of the smallest big ideas of the century: the safety pin. And a big factor behind that little invention was paying off a big debt. Plus: today in 1921, the birthday of Robert Wade, a chess master who once proved that even top notch players can have a bad day.
Three Millennia of Safety Pins (The Atlantic)
Worst chess defeat (Generalist Academy)
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Today in 1843, the birthday of Samuel W. Pennypacker. When he was governor of Pennsylvania his supporters tried to make certain types of editorial cartoons a crime (!) Plus: today in 1942, a funeral for John Pecinovsky, known as “the Half-and-Half Man,” because he would wear clothes that were white on one side and black on the other.
When Cartoonists Were Criminals (Historical Society of Pennsylvania)
John Pecinovsky, the Half-and-Half Man (Weird Universe)
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This month in 1920, the magazine Electrical Experimenter featured the physiophone. It was a Hugo Gernsback invention that turned sound into electrical impulses, so Deaf people could feel the music. Plus: for National Library Week, a visit to the central library in Kansas City, where the building itself looks like a bookshelf.
This Invention From the Grandfather of Science Fiction Was Promoted as Music For the Deaf (Paleofuture)
Here’s The Story Behind the Kansas City Public Library’s Giant Community Bookshelf (Kansas City Library)
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Happy International Beaver Day! These toothy, flat-tailed rodents are some of the greatest builders on earth, and, as some scientific research has shown us, they build for the long term. Plus: for National Beer Day, the story of a beer receipt from ancient Mesopotamia.
Beaver Dams Can Last Centuries, 1868 Map Shows (Treehugger)
The Oldest Beer Receipt (Circa 2050 BC) (Open Culture)
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Spiders know what it's like to get distracted by excess noise. A new scientific paper finds certain arachnids in louder environments build their webs differently than those where it’s quiet. Plus: a film archive intern comes across a silent movie that researchers had long thought was lost to history.
Getting Annoyed at Your Noisy Neighbor? Spiders Are, Too. New Research Finds They’ll Build Webs Differently in Loud Conditions (Smithsonian)
Long-Lost Silent Film About Abraham Lincoln Discovered by an Intern (My Modern Met)
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Bike helmets have been more or less the same for many years, but there’s a new effort to make safer and more responsive headgear with 3D printing. Plus: for National Burrito Day, the story of the first restaurant to put the breakfast burrito on its menu.
Safer bike helmet with new design of material (University of Gothenburg)
The Breakfast Burrito Was Invented At This Restaurant In New Mexico In The 1970s (Only In New Mexico)
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It's National Ferret Day, so here’s the story of a ferret named Felicia who contributed to the field of physics as a kind of living pipe cleaner for some heavy-duty equipment. Plus: the Instagram account known as Chair of Virtue showcases and celebrates some of the wildest chair designs in the world.
Felicia Ferret (Fermilab History and Archives Project via Archive.org)
Bizarre True Story: Physicists Once Put a Ferret in a Particle Accelerator (Science Alert)
Take a seat! This online magazine is dedicated to the wackiest chairs out there (It’s Nice That)
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April Fools Day is when people try to mislead each other, sometimes the people you’d least suspect. Like how on this day in 1957, one of the world’s most steady and preeminent news outlets reported that spaghetti was growing on trees. Plus: today in 2015, someone played an April Fools Day joke on the community of Winters, California, installing an old parking meter in town.
BBC’s 1957 April Fool’s “spaghetti-tree hoax” is more relevant than ever (Ars Technica)
The Lonely Parking Meter (Atlas Obscura)
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Today in 1889, the formal opening and dedication of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. What a strange life it’s had, including a proposal in the 1930s to add two huge car ramps to the sides of the thing. Plus: the tower gets a fresh coat of paint about every seven years, but it hasn't always been the same color.
1936 Crazy Project to Make the Second Floor of the Eiffel Tower Accessible by Car (Vintage Everyday)
Painting the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel Paris)
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Today in 1899, the birthday of Gladys Ingle. She was called a “wing walker," which meant she could walk on the wings of a plane in mid-flight and perform some of the most daring and death-defying stunts you could imagine. Plus: there's an online collection of uniforms for stewardesses and flight attendants through the years.
Wing Walker Woman Climbs From One Plane to Another to Make a Mid-Air Tire Change in 1926 (Laughing Squid)
Cliff Muskiet's Stewardess/Flight Attendant Uniform Collection
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Today in 1912, the planting of two cherry trees along the banks of the Potomac River in Washington DC. There are now thousands of cherry blossoms in the nation's capital, and it all happened thanks to one very determined woman and a bunch of great minds all thinking alike. Plus: today in 1969, the birthday of singer Mariah Carey, who once threw herself a Mariah Carey-themed birthday party.
How the Cherry Blossoms Came to Washington (American Heritage)
Mariah Carey Threw Herself a Mariah Carey–Themed Party (Us Magazine)
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Today in 1944, the birthday of Diana Ross. In the 1960s she and the Supremes had hit record after hit record, and at one point, they were even the namesakes for a line of white bread. Plus: today in 1879, a newspaper article about an experiment in Belgium to see whether cats could be trained to deliver mail.
Loafing Around – The Supremes White Bread (Voices of East Anglia via Archive.org)
Mail-Delivering Cats
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Today in 1843, the opening of the Thames Tunnel in London, the first tunnel of its kind and one inspired by a mollusc known as a shipworm. Plus: today in 2024, a story from Cheshire Live about a woman who came to the local animal hospital with a baby hedgehog in need of rescuing. Or at least that’s what she thought.
The Epic Struggle to Tunnel Under the Thames (Smithsonian)
Woman mistakes bobble for baby hedgehog and rushes it to Cheshire animal hospital (Cheshire Live)
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Why have so many students spent so many spring breaks in our capital city? The story starts with a single teacher. Plus: today in 1944, the birthday of decorated Marine and actor R. Lee Ermey. In Palmdale, California, there's something called the R. Lee Ermey Musical Road.
This One Guy Made the Washington DC Field Trip a Middle School Rite of Passage (Thrillist)
City of Palmdale Opens Musical Road on R. Lee Ermey Avenue (City of Palmdale)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite agricultural episodes. In this episode from August 2020, a farmer in western New York finds something in his fields that he definitely hadn’t planted: a giant old safe. Plus: the British Antarctic Survey studies satellite images and spotted 11 new colonies of Emperor penguins.
What’s inside this mystery safe? Orleans Co. farmer says it should stay unknown (WHAM-TV)
Scientists Just Discovered 11 New Emperor Penguin Colonies. From Space (Popular Mechanics)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite agricultural episodes. In this episode from February 2020, dogs' amazing sniffing ability may be very useful for orchards as they try to head off a disease called citrus greening. Plus: police in New South Wales, Australia stop a man for using his cellphone while riding a horse.
Dog sleuths sniff out crop disease hitting citrus trees (KCRA)
Man riding horse stopped by police for using phone (Weekly Times Now)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite agricultural episodes. In this episode from June 2020, scientists at Washington State University are testing out a robotic system that might give us another way to pollinate as we try to help bees get their buzz back. Plus: researchers in Japan are testing out a pollination system using soap bubbles, like the ones kids like to create and pop.
Robotic crop pollination awarded $1 million grant (Washington State University)
Blowing bubbles: Soapy spheres pop pollen on fruit trees (BBC)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite agricultural episodes. In this episode from April 2019, a robotics firm in New Zealand is testing a robot that’s supposed to move through the rows of the apple orchard, spot ripe fruit, yank it from the tree with lasers and bring it back to the farmer. Plus: a strongman/YouTuber ordered literally everything on the menu at his local Taco Bell for a single meal.
Your Apples May Soon Be Picked By Laser-Shooting Robots (Wired)
Brian Shaw Devours Nearly Everything on The Taco Bell Menu (Muscle and Fitness)
This week we’re replaying some of our favorite agricultural episodes. In this episode from July 2020, in 1988, a whole bunch of people in Nebraska got together to lift a nine-ton barn, move it 110 feet uphill, and rotate it clockwise. Plus: Harrison McIntyre build a mechanical contraption to launch M&Ms at his face.
Nebraska family looks back on barn moving event (WOWT)
Guy Builds Machine That Shoots Chocolate into His Mouth on Command (Interesting Engineering)
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It's National Learn About Butterflies Day, so here’s the story of a guy who turned his backyard into a habitat for a rare type of butterfly, and it worked out pretty well. Plus: today is also National Save a Spider Day, and the community of Avoca, Iowa has saved a spider of a sort.
How one man repopulated a rare butterfly species in his backyard (Vox)
VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE SPIDER (Olio in Iowa)
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This month in 1962, one of the last appearances of a ship that would reappear from time to time off the western coast of North America, decades after it was abandoned. Plus: today in 1967, the state of Utah officially designated its state cooking pot.
Baychimo: The Adventures of the Ghost Ship of the Arctic (Manitoba Museum via Archive.org)
STATE COOKING POT (Utah.gov)
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This month in 1863, the founding of a town that made history: Mitchelville was the first town in the United States to be governed by formerly enslaved people. Plus: it’s National Girl Scout Day, and a scout troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma gets the credit for the first ever sale of Girl Scout cookies in 1917.
This Island in South Carolina Has the First Self-governed Town of Formerly Enslaved People in the U.S. (Travel and Leisure)
Statue commemorates first cookie sale (Muskogee Phoenix)
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Women’s History Month is here, and in 1920 a group of women made history in Jackson, Wyoming, as one of the first-ever all-female town councils in the United States. Plus: for National Worship of Tools Day, a visit to the world's largest chainsaw.
Petticoat Rulers: 1920 All Women Jackson Town Council Inspires Women Today (Wyoming Public Media)
Big Gus is the world's largest chainsaw (Boing Boing)
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It's National Landline Telephone Day. In the landline era, if you were out in the world and needed to call someone, you usually had to find a phone booth to do it - and at one time, college students tried to cram themselves into those booths by the dozens. Plus: the story of a stray cat who decided to start dropping flowers off at a lady's front door.
Cramming People Into A Thing: A Photo History (Mental Floss)
Thoughtful Pregnant Stray Cat Brought Pink Flowers to a Woman’s Door Who Then Let Her Inside to Give Birth (Laughing Squid)
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Today in 1998, a little-noticed line in a funding bill for the National Sea Grant Program led the United States to declare that there were not five but six Great Lakes. Plus: starting tomorrow in south Georgia, it’s the Valdosta-Lowndes Azalea Festival.
When Lake Champlain Became A Great Lake… For 18 Days (All That’s Interesting)
Valdosta-Lowndes Azalea Festival
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Today in 1945, George Nissen received the patent for a “tumbling device” which we now call the trampoline. And while most of the time that device has been used for tumbling, during World War II the trampoline became a key part of training fighter pilots. Plus: this month in 1929, the start of a high-flying advertising campaign known as the Baby Ruth Flying Circus.
Trampoline Training During World War II (West View Trampoline Community via Archive.org)
The day Baby Ruth candy bars rained down from heaven (Aerotech News)
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Today in 1884 was probably the birthdate of a pioneer in aerial photography, Edith Keating. Plus: today is the first day of the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival.
In 1920s New York, This Woman Typist Became a Pioneering Aerial Photographer (Smithsonian)
Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival
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In New Orleans, king cake is a Mardi Gras tradition, though it's one that started with an earlier holiday. Plus: this month in Janesville, Wisconsin, the Lincoln-Tallman Museum hosts the Gowns & Guns Exhibit.
The Tradition Behind The Mardi Gras King Cake (Southern Living)
Gowns & Guns Exhibit (Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau)
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Today in 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a bill that made “The Star-Spangled Banner” the national anthem of the United States, more than a century after it was written. Another fun fact about the anthem: there's an official Spanish-language version. Plus: today in 1920, the birthday of James Doohan. His Star Trek character, Mr. Scott, has a plaque in the town where he's supposed to be born in 2222.
Not Lost in Translation: The Life of Clotilde Arias (National Museum of American History)
LINLITHGOW FUTURE HERITAGE
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Earlier this week we had a story out of the community of Boring, Oregon, which is named for a guy named William Boring. In other words, it’s anything but boring in Boring, and today we have the story to prove it. Plus: it’s the last day of February everywhere except for a cemetery in Ashmore, Illinois, where a tombstone seems to say February has 31 days.
No, the town of Boring wasn't named such because it was a dull place to be (KGW)
St. Omer Cemetery Witch Grave (Atlas Obscura)
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Today in 1944, the end of a contest in which baseball’s Philadelphia Phillies decided to take on a nickname, briefly becoming known as "blue jays." Plus: today in 1980, a 70s icon wins the one and only Grammy for Best Disco Recording.
How the Phillies also briefly became 'Blue Jays' (MLB.com)
“I Will Survive” wins the first—and last—Grammy ever awarded for Best Disco Recording (History.com)
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Today in 1932, the birthday of Johnny Cash, a singer/songwriter who who seemed like he’d seen and done it all. And in some ways, that was true: for example, Johnny Cash is one of the few music stars who ever got in a fight with an ostrich. Plus: today in 1953, the birthday of singer Michael Bolton, who reportedly once auditioned to be the lead singer of the heaviest metal band of all time.
Johnny Cash once tried to fight an ostrich and, predictably, suffered a heavy defeat (Farout)
Tony Iommi says Michael Bolton once auditioned to be in Black Sabbath (NME)
Backing our show on Patreon is a lot more fun than getting kicked by an angry ostrich
Today in 1970, Ernie from Sesame Street first sang his signature song, “Rubber Duckie.” So it's a great time to talk about how so many people became awfully fond of rubber ducks. Plus: the town of Boring, Oregon didn't get its name because it's a boring place!
Rubber ducks (Quartz)
No, the town of Boring wasn't named such because it was a dull place to be (KGW)
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Today in 1978, pro basketball player Clifford Ray got to lend his extra long to help a dolphin named Mr. Spock caught in an odd situation. Plus: hot sauce maker Sauce Shed is partnering with Atari for a line of hot sauces inspired by (or at least sharing graphic design with) games from the old 2600 console.
Ray’s Flipper Saved a Dolphin (New York Times)
Atari Sauce Hot Sauces (The Awesomer)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the stuff painters use. In this episode from October 2020, the story of Fordite, a substance that looks just like the stuff of colorful jewelry, but it’s actually a byproduct of the automaking process. Plus: Make.com posts plans for how to make a special mold of your own face, and then use that to make your own face into a bread bowl.
Your Earrings Remind Me of Grandma’s Gran Torino (New York Times)
How To Make A Bread Mold Of Your Own Face (Make)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the stuff painters use. In this episode from October 2020, scientists at Purdue University find a way to help keep us cool even without air conditioning, and it starts with a fresh coat of paint. Plus: the community of Asbestos, Quebec, chooses a new, less carcinogenic-sounding name.
New ‘Super-White’ Paint Can Cool Down Buildings and Cars (Interesting Engineering)
Goodbye Asbestos, hello Val-des-Sources: Que. town changing infamous name (CBC)
Our backers on Patreon are really, really bright
This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the stuff painters use. In this episode from September 2019, paintings made with Day Glo paint, some made by well-known and influential artists, are losing their glow over time. Scientists are trying to keep the glo for as long as possible. Plus: a research team in Massachusetts figures out how to make a color that absorbs 99.995 percent of incoming light.
Day-Glo masterpieces are fading. A conservator and her team are racing to save them (Los Angeles Times)
How DayGlo Went From Utility Pigment to Design World Darling (AIGA Eye on Design)
Engineers Just Unveiled a New Blackest-Ever Material, Even Darker Than Vantablack (Science Alert)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the stuff painters use. In this episode from September 2022, a school near Atlanta finds a partial solution to scorching hot asphalt playgrounds, and it’s as simple as getting a fresh coat of paint. Plus: for National Bunny Day, a visit to southern California's Bunny Museum.
Thanks to an innovative new paint, this school’s playground just got 12 degrees cooler (Fast Company)
LA’s Bunny Museum will redline your rabbit-o-meter (Boing Boing)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the stuff painters use. In this episode from February 2022, the story of Mummy Brown, a pigment made by combining white pitch and myrrh with the ground-up bits of actual mummies. Plus: seventeen years after the opening of King Tut's tomb, a musician played a trumpet found there for a radio broadcast.
Mummy Brown (Florida State University Department of Art History)
A Pigment from the Depths (Harvard Art Museums)
Tutankhamun’s ‘cursed’ trumpet that stirs ‘deadly conflict’ has arrived in London (ClassicFM)
Our Patreon backers will be hailed as heroes for centuries and centuries
Today in 1964, Elvis Presley donated a historic ship to help a Memphis hospital raise money. That ship had once been a favorite hangout for President Franklin Roosevelt. Plus: today in 2018, authorities in Australia found a very odd situation involving a man, a pipe organ, and "remnants of a cheeseburger."
USS Potomac History
Former Brisbane Freemason Glenn Langford apologises after being found naked in broken pipe organ, surrounded by cheeseburgers (The West Australian)
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A team at the University of Guelph has developed a substance that can generate electricity and could help in a multitude of medical situations. What is it? High-tech slime. Plus:
tarting Saturday in Phoenix, Arizona, it’s the World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.
Walking could soon generate electricity with new slime that powers up when stepped on (Interesting Engineering)
World Championship Hoop Dance Contest
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Today in 1809, the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. The 16th President has been called the Great Emancipator, Honest Abe, The Railsplitter… and if you go far enough into his backstory, you could call him "Bartender In Chief." Plus: this Saturday in Clear Lake, Iowa, it’s the Color The Wind Kite Festival.
Bartender-In-Chief: Abraham Lincoln Owned A Tavern (Chicagoist)
Annual Clear Lake Kite Festival
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Today in 1833, the birthday of Melville Fuller. He would eventually become Chief Justice of the United States, but not before the country asked whether a member of the US Supreme Court could be fair and objective if he has a mustache (!) Plus: this Saturday in Devils Lake, North Dakota, it’s ShiverFest.
Chief Justice Melville Weston Fuller and the Great Mustache Debate of 1888 (W&L Law Scholarly Commons)
ShiverFest
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This week in 1945, a fascinating fact for anyone who didn’t have to live it firsthand: wartime airplane mechanic Margaret Horton accidentally ended up airborne on the tail of a plane. Plus: today is National Umbrella Day, so you could head to Portland, Maine and the Umbrella Cover Museum.
Riding a Spitfire: the story of Margaret Horton (Royal Air Forces Association)
The Umbrella Cover Museum
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Football fans will be watching this weekend for some of those spectacular passes that can change the course of a game. Amazingly, there was a time when the forward pass was against the rules of the sport. Plus: tomorrow in Morristown, New Jersey, it’s Mac & Cheese Mayhem.
How the Forward Pass Saved Football (History.com)
Mac & Cheese Mayhem
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There’s new research that shows just how powerful music can be: it found that classical music can have a positive physical effect on a baby before it’s born. Plus: a guy lost his watch, but four years later another guy found it and got it back to him.
Music can touch the heart, even inside the womb (EurekAlert)
Fratello Exclusive: Rolex Submariner Found By Australian Surfer In Pacific Ocean Is Reunited With Its Original Owner (Fratello Watches)
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Today in 1969 was the premiere of Turn-On, a show that the ABC network more or less turned off during its first episode. Plus: today in 1974, a really big game for a teenage basketball player in Sweden.
Turn-On’s Turning Point (Tedium)
Facts, Oddments for the Book (Los Angeles Times)
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Today in 2004, an important historic designation for a historic district in Wichita Falls, Texas. One of the buildings that makes that district so historic is the Newby-McMahon Building, also known as the "world’s littlest skyscraper." Plus: the story of an 18-foot tall statue of a hand holding a Cheeto.
Legend of the World’s Littlest Skyscraper (Texas Co-op Power)
Cheetos statue unveiled in Canada, an homage to Cheetle, the orange dust's official name (Boing Boing)
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Today in 1932, the start of a road trip you don’t see too often: a nine year old and his horse set off through Australia by themselves for more than 600 miles. Plus: around this time in 2020, an artist in Berlin decided to do a high-tech trick of sorts on Google Maps.
The nine-year-old who rode a pony 1000km to Sydney (Sydney Morning Herald)
Man Uses 99 Phones and a Handcart to Create a "Virtual Traffic Jam" on Google Maps (Interesting Engineering)
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The birth of André-Jacques Garnerin, a man who helped bring about the modern parachute. And his vision came to him at a very unusual time. Plus: tomorrow in Scottsdale, Arizona, it’s the Parada del Sol Parade & Trail’s End Festival.
1797 - The modern world's first parachute jump (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale)
Scottsdale Parada del Sol
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This week in 1819 was probably the first European sighting of Antarctica. It’s different from all the other continents in so many ways - including how, from a certain point of view, a big chunk of Antarctica is “ruled” by a guy who’s never even been there. Plus: today in Tomah, Wisconsin, it’s the annual Freeze Fest.
How a Pennsylvania man started an imaginary country in Antarctica and got 2,300 people to join him (The Times Leader)
Freeze Fest
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First responders in Kent, England have a powerful new tool: a remote-controlled robot for fighting fires. This is a slowly growing trend in firefighting, sending devices into a fire scene so there are fewer human firefighters at risk. Plus: starting tomorrow in Richmond, Indiana, it’s the Meltdown Winter Ice Festival.
Britain’s firefighting robot that can spray 2,000 litres of water a minute enters service (Interesting Engineering)
Meltdown Winter Ice Festival
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We’re learning more about how bees do what they do, and it’s thanks to a new study from Penn State that used bee-friendly QR codes. Plus: today in 1957, TIME Magazine reported on a newspaper in Ontario that put typos in the copy on purpose.
Scientists Strapped QR Codes Onto Thousands of Bees to Learn How Far They Actually Fly (Gizmodo)
Miscellany, Jan. 28, 1957 (TIME)
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This week in 1837, Michigan became the 26th state in the Union. Michigan is famous for having an upper peninsula and a lower peninsula, but it also has a Lost Peninsula. Plus: a soupmaker is now offering the flavor of chicken noodle soup in the form of a cough drop.
The story of Michigan's Lost Peninsula (Michigan Radio)
‘Progresso Soup Drops’, The Comforting Taste of Chicken Noodle Soup Captured in a Hard Candy Form (Laughing Squid)
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Today in 1999, a moment in the golf world that you don’t see everyday: a bunch of people moving a boulder for golf star Tiger Woods in the middle of a tournament. Plus: a movie star's new marriage comes apart in just days because of breakfast foods?
Throwback Thursday: That time Tiger Woods had his gallery perform manual labor and move a boulder (Golf Digest)
Refused $2,000,000 to Return to Her Husband - and Yet She Loves Him (Omaha Sunday Bee-News via Newspapers.com)
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Today in 2011, Rebecca Sharrock of Brisbane, Australia got a medical diagnosis: Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. It's a rare condition in which people can vividly remember virtually everything they've ever experienced. Plus: this Saturday in Florida, the Dade City Kumquat Festival.
The woman who can’t forget (BBC)
Dade City’s Kumquat Festival
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Today in 1925, a telegram sets off one of the most remarkable crossings of its time: the famous Serum Run to Nome, Alaska. Plus: this Saturday in New York, the Downtown Schenectady Soup Stroll.
The 1925 Serum Run To Nome (AlaskaWeb)
Downtown Schenectady Soup Stroll
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For Squirrel Appreciation Day, we visit a town in northeastern Kansas where black squirrels are number one. It's the law. Plus: Cedar Creek, Texas, is home to Ms. Pearl, a 14 foot tall squirrel statue.
From circus attraction to protected mascot to art project: How black squirrels took over a small Kansas town (Roadtrippers)
Ms. Pearl (Atlas Obscura)
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There are lots of ceremonies and events in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today, and there are lots of monuments you can visit too. Though some of Dr. King’s biggest fans might steer you away from some of those monuments.
In the city where the Kings met, ‘The Embrace’ memorializes their love and struggle (Boston Globe)
A Stunning New Boston Memorial Will Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King (Architectural Digest)
AirFarm is an inflatable container farm that could help people grow crops where there’s not a lot of water. The idea - pun intended- blew up at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Plus: today in 1931, the birthday of James Earl Jones. He did a little bit of everything in his long and distinguished career, though one of his most famous roles only took a short time.
World’s first inflatable farm uses 99% less water to grow vegetables in deserts (Interesting Engineering)
James Earl Jones Only Needed One Day to Change Star Wars Forever (Inverse)
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This week in 1964, the US Atomic Energy Commission presented a report to Congress on an eye-opening idea: clearing land for a highway in southeast California with nuclear bombs. Plus: the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Saskatchewan release their annual list of the weirdest reasons people have called 911 there.
America Almost Made a New Route 66 With 22 Nuclear Bombs (The Drive)
Mean cats, fox on the loose, math problems among calls to Sask. RCMP that 'missed the mark' (CBC)
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This month in 1920, the start of a slightly strange criminal case in which the jury didn’t just weigh the evidence… they drank it. Plus: a contractor in Illinois gets a very late Christmas present during a renovation project at his parents' house.
Prohibition: The jury tasted the evidence and found defendant not guilty (Delmarva Now)
46-year-old Christmas surprise: Lombard man finds decades-old gift hidden inside wall of childhood home (WGN)
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Today in 2020, Wausau, Wisconsin's long-running and notorious ban on snowball fights was finally off the books! Though there was actually more to the story than the uproar suggested. Plus: The Public Domain Review looks back through the history of snowball fights in art, going all the way to the year 1400!
Snowball fights are legal in Wausau after more than a century. You can thank the viral stories. (Wausau Daily Herald)
Snowball Fights in Art (1400–1946) (Public Domain Review)
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Today in 1997, the commissioners of Kleberg County, Texas voted to do away with the word “hello,” and replace it with a more positive alternative. Plus: today in 1931, an unforgettable night for some of the country's leading architects.
Say Goodbye to ‘Hello’ and Hello to ‘Heaven-o’ (Los Angeles Times)
Famous Architects Dress as Their Famous New York City Buildings (1931) (Open Culture)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about fascinating peaks. In this episode from June 2021, a look at the Niesen Stairway Run, a run up a world record staircase built into a mountain nicknamed the Swiss Pyramid. Plus: decades before Zoom and Skype meetings, Sony sold a Face to Face video phone.
Niesen flight of stairs (Niesen)
Video phone (Techmoan on YouTube)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about fascinating peaks. In this episode from June 2023, a dog in New Hampshire takes up a popular Granite State challenge, climbing all 48 of the state’s 4,000 foot high mountains. Plus: a handy invention will send your phone a notification if your pants zipper is down.
Pug deemed ‘too hyper’ channels energy into mountain climbing — and breaks barriers (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Man Invents App That Tells Him When His Fly Is Down (Neatorama)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about fascinating peaks. In this episode from August 2021, a strange story from 1947, when two climbers woke up at the summit of Oregon's Mount Hood and found a quart of milk and the morning newspaper, dropped off by a friend. Plus: a study out of the University of Greenwich finds that bees may be more productive when they ingest naturally-occurring caffeine.
A quirky little mystery from 1947 on the summit of Mount Hood is finally solved (The Oregonian)
Bumble bees show an induced preference for flowers when primed with caffeinated nectar and a target floral odor (Current Biology)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about fascinating peaks. In this episode from November 2019, Mount Chimborazo, in central Ecuador. It’s not nearly as tall as Mount Everest, but it's actually higher than the tallest mountain on Earth. Plus: why the community of New Baltimore, New York showed up in map searches with a spooky purple tinge to it.
Mount Chimborazo is Actually the Highest Point on Earth (CN Traveler)
The 20 Scariest Google Street View Images (Mashable)
Ain’t no mountain high enough for our backers on Patreon
This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about fascinating peaks. In this episode from September 2022, the story of a 10 month old cat that somehow showed up at the top of a mountain that’s over 14,000 feet high. Plus: the time in 1968 a group then known as the New Yardbirds played their first-ever show in Denmark.
The cat that climbed the Matterhorn (Weird Universe)
Commemorating the debut of Led Zeppelin in 1968
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The new year tradition of Mitaarfik in Greenland features a bunch of people in masks hanging out in your house without saying a word. Plus: Today in 2022, Preet Chandi became the first woman of color to successfully make a solo expedition to the South Pole.
Mitaartut – The silent masked performances (Visit Greenland)
Preet Chandi is the first woman of color to complete a solo expedition in Antarctica (NPR)
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About this time in 1910, a member of Congress thought the next big food trend would be hippo meat. Plus: Williams Lake, British Columbia designates every January 2 as Wrestling Day, but it's not related to a sport.
Lake Bacon: The Story of The Man Who Wanted Us to Eat Mississippi Hippos (The Daily Beast)
A city in B.C. has an actual civic holiday called Wrestling Day (Vancouver Is Awesome)
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We’re ringing in the new year (as well as marking National Ring a Bell Day) with the story of a bell that’s been ringing year in and year out for almost two centuries. Plus: a new year’s tradition on US Navy ships is to write up the first deck watch of a new year in verse.
This Battery Has Lasted 175 Years and No One Knows How (VICE)
Midwatch In Verse (Weird Universe)
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Watching TV on the last night of the year? That's fine; in fact, there’s a tradition on German TV of showing a classic comedy sketch every December 31. Plus: today in 2023, a Connecticut family has a baby a minute before midnight... and another shortly after.
How An Obscure British Comedy Sketch Became The World’s Most Repeated TV Program (Mental Floss)
Twins born in different years at Yale New Haven Hospital (FOX 61)
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Today in 1952, a double decker bus driver in London had to make a split second decision to protect his passengers… and realized the safest option was to gun it and jump a city landmark. Plus: today in 1999, the passing of Sarah Knauss, who at age 119 was the longest-lived American ever.
The day a bus jumped Tower Bridge (TowerBridge.org)
World's oldest person misses millennium (BBC)
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There’s a tradition around this time of year in Wales called Mari Lwyd. It starts with a knock at the door in the winter night, and it only gets spookier from there. Plus: feeling harried after the holidays? Tree.fm features the sounds of forests from around the world so you can commune with nature wherever you are.
The midwinter majesty of the Mari Lwyd (Wales.com)
Tree.fm
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Happy Hanukkah! The eight day Festival of Lights takes place toward the end of each year, but due to some unusual circumstances, there won't be a Hanukkah at all in 3031 (!) Plus: Untapped New York has some recommendations for NYC menorahs you might want to check out.
This Year's Dates for Celebrating Hanukkah are Odd—Here's Why (Newsweek)
9 GIANT MENORAHS THAT WILL LIGHT UP FOR HANUKKAH IN NYC (Untapped New York)
Merry Christmas! On this day of giving, you deserve a treat: a holiday favorite in Caribbean countries known as black cake. Plus: Christmastime in Budapest, Hungary means a chance to ride the Light Tram.
In the Caribbean, It's Not Christmas Without Black Cake (HowStuffWorks)
Long Exposure Photos of Budapest Trams Lit Up with 30,000 LED Lights (Colossal)
There are lots of different kinds of celebrations on Christmas Eve. In Iceland, book lovers take part in Jólabókaflóð , which means "the Christmas flood of books." And they're not exaggerating. Plus: Iceland may have a flood of books at Christmas, but New York City’s got a whole lot of unique outdoor Christmas trees.
Jólabókaflóð: the Christmas flood of books (Iceland Air)
Alternatives to the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in NYC (Untapped New York)
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Today in 1814, the incorporation of the city of Cleveland, Ohio. There’s a famous sign on top of a building so that people flying in airplanes can see the message “Welcome to Cleveland," though that sign’s not actually anywhere near Cleveland. Plus:
Today in 2021, an acrobat from Vietnam set a world record for most consecutive stairs climbed while balancing a person - his brother and fellow acrobat - on his head.
'Welcome to Cleveland' sign's 15 minutes of fame lasts 37 years (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Brothers reclaim record for climbing stairs with one balanced on other's head (UPI)
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Today in 1988, a report in the New York Times noted that restaurant chain Denny's was shutting its doors for Christmas Day, only to run into a little hiccup around those doors. Plus: Kazumasa Yamashita’s Face House was an attraction in Kyoto that looked exactly like what its name suggested.
Diner Chain Has to Buy Locks for First Holiday Closing (New York Times)
Face House in Kyoto, Japan by Kazumasa Yamashita (Architectural Review)
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Cuetlaxochitl, flor de Noche Buena, poinsettia, estrella federal… here’s the story of a plant with a lot of names. Plus: today in 1997, the US release of the movie “Titanic,” and there’s a guy in Florida who’s trying to collect a titanic number of VHS copies of the film.
The checkered history of the poinsettia’s namesake and the flower’s origins get new attention (Seattle Times)
A ‘Titanic’ Megafan Has 1,560 Copies on VHS. He Won’t Stop Until He Has 1 Million (Variety)
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Today in 1966 CBS first broadcast a holiday classic, “Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas.” It came to the small screen largely because a giant in the cartoon industry happened to be an old friend of the author. Plus: today in 1998, rocker Alice Cooper opened a rock and sports-themed restaurant and club in Phoenix, Arizona he called Coopers’town,
How Dr. Seuss Stole Christmas (Saturday Evening Post)
Alice Cooper'stown restaurant is closed after 18 years in downtown Phoenix (AZCentral.com)
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Today in 1960, Chas Newby of Liverpool got a temp job that would give him a story he could dine out on for the rest of his life: for two weeks, he played bass for the Beatles. Plus: today in 1985, a radio DJ in Iowa tried to ward off the holiday blues in an extremely repetitive way.
When Chas Newby Was With the Beatles for Two Weeks (Ultimate Classic Rock)
DJ`S RECORD EFFORT PULLS HIM OFF AIR (Chicago Tribune)
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Today in 1901, a newspaper article proclaimed 16 year old May Kaarlus as perhaps the greatest trick shot billiard player in the whole world. And she really could play that well, though the career of this pool table prodigy went on to take a surprise turn. Plus: around this time in 2020, a baker sent a friend some hot chocolate bombs as gifts, though the friend didn't quite understand how to use them.
Year 1901 - Lil' Miss May Kaarlus (Chicago Billiard Museum via Facebook)
Baker left cracking up after pal mistakes chocolate gift he made for bath bomb (The Mirror)
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If you’re doing an Advent calendar this month, you’re just over halfway finished opening up those little windows to see what’s inside. So let’s open up a few windows into where they came from. Plus: engineering students at ETH Zurich are trying to build robots that can drop little presents down scale model chimneys.
Advent calendars, explained: Where they came from and why they're everywhere now (NPR)
Robots help deliver gifts (ETH Zurich)
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Today in 1986, a newspaper column by film critic Gene Siskel helped to turn a local snack favorite in Chicago into a signature of the city. Plus: if you like holiday displays, there’s a pretty unusual one in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, a family of plywood moose.
Chicago’s love affair with popcorn goes back 150 years, from Cracker Jack to Garrett Mix (Chicago Tribune)
Hatfield Landmark ‘Nacho the Wooden Moose’ Welcomes New Calf ‘Salsa’ to East Orvilla Road Front Yard (NorthPennNow.com)
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Today in 1972, Apollo 17 landed on the moon. So far, it’s the last mission that put human beings on the lunar surface. And it was the only Apollo mission where the dust all over that surface gave an astronaut a strong allergic reaction. Plus: around this time in 2011, a cat in Italy named Tommasso kind of inherited a multi-million dollar estate.
The Apollo Astronaut Who Was Allergic To The Moon (Mental Floss)
Tommaso, the Italian cat, inherits $13 million from owner Maria Assunta (The World)
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Kids have been writing letters to Santa for well over a century. Those letters are a fascinating, hilarious and sometimes jaw-dropping window into our own history. Plus: iIf you’re looking for an attraction worthy of the holiday season, you might head to Williams Bay, Wisconsin, to see the World’s Tallest Glass Tree.
A Brief History of Sending a Letter to Santa (Smithsonian)
WORLD’S TALLEST GLASS TREE
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Today in 1965, CBS broadcast “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” It's one of the iconic TV holiday specials today, but pretty much everyone who put the TV special together thought it was going to be a failure. Plus: today in 2004, a basketball comeback for the books, courtesy of Houston Rockets star Tracy McGrady.
Life After Snoopy (Stanford Magazine via Archive.org)
The Christmas classic that almost wasn't (USA Today via Archive.org)
McGrady’s Big Finish Sends Rockets Past Spurs (NBA.com via Archive.org)
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Nothing says the holidays like a creepy devil creature hitting you with sticks! In some European countries, there are parades focused on Father Christmas's evil counterpart, Krampus. Plus: starting tomorrow in Oklahoma, it’s the Minco Honey Festival.
Austria's Krampus Parades, Where Santa's 'Evil Twin' Will Beat You With a Broom (Travel + Leisure)
Minco Honey Festival
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This month in 1893, the formal start of an effort to build a new kind of seagoing vessel: a ship with rolling wheels. Plus: now underway in Louisiana, it’s the Natchitoches Christmas Festival.
Across the Ocean in One Hundred Hours (The Illustrated American via Google Books)
98th Annual Natchitoches Christmas Festival
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Today in 2023, a news report on the end of an era: a pastry chef in Anchorage, Alaska was, for the last time, building his massive and renowned holiday village out of gingerbread. Also on this day in 2023: a diner in China posted a photo of their food on social media, and ended up with a lot more entrees than anybody could eat.
‘I had a good run’: Pastry Chef Joe Hickel on his final Hotel Captain Cook gingerbread village display (KTUU)
After decades of sugary magic, Hotel Captain Cook pastry chef ices his final gingerbread village (Anchorage Daily News)
Food faux pas: China diner shocked by US$60,000 bill for meal after accidentally posting photo of dish ordering QR code online (South China Morning Post)
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Today in 1976, Pink Floyd was trying to take a photo of an inflatable pig flying over a power plant for one of its iconic album covers… only the situation literally got out of hand. Plus: today in 1971, the release of the debut album by the Electric Light Orchestra, which accidentally got released with the wrong album title because of a phone call gone wrong.
Pink Floyd's Pig Gets Loose (Songfacts)
Electric Light Orchestra's No Answer
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During National Car Donation Month, some drivers may trade out gas-powered cars and trucks for electric ones. But EVs aren't the only alternative: for decades, people have built and driven cars powered by firewood. Plus: this Saturday in Milwaukee, it’s the Santa Cycle Rampage.
Wood Gas Vehicles: Cars That Run on Firewood (Amusing Planet)
Santa Cycle Rampage in Milwaukee (Wisconsin Bike Fed)
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This week we’re replaying some of our past episodes about the holiday and its traditions. In this episode from November 2022, we look at how the sitcom "WKRP In Cincinnati" put together its absolutely legendary Thanksgiving episode.
Turkeys Away: An Oral History (Classic TV History)
We give thanks today (and every day) for our Patreon backers, and for all our listeners and fans!
This week we’re replaying some of our past episodes about the holiday and its traditions. In this episode from November 2021, the story of the woman who accidentally invited a stranger to Thanksgiving, and then she and her new dinner guest became friends. Plus: in 1957, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade went ahead despite the rain, which led to an odd problem.
Young man who was accidentally invited to ‘grandma’s’ Thanksgiving as a teen keeps tradition going (CNN)
Pair that went viral for Thanksgiving dinner reuniting for sixth celebration (WWL)
Most infamous balloon accidents from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (KOAM)
We are very thankful for our Patreon backers today and every day!
This week we’re replaying some of our past episodes about the holiday and its traditions. In this episode from November 2019, we look at how Thanksgiving leftovers once changed the entire way we eat. Plus: a big moment for (literally) underground music, the Holiday Cave Sing at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.
The Rise and Fall of the TV Dinner (Cheddar on YouTube)
Mammoth Cave hosts 40th annual holiday cave sing Dec. 1 (WDRB)
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This week we’re replaying some of our past episodes about the holiday and its traditions. In this episode from November 2019, we celebrate that for which we are all most grateful: the bewildering foods that inexplicably become part of our annual Thanksgiving dinners. Plus: at this time of year, enthusiasts who turn their houses into massive holiday light displays, like the one known as Peteyville in Hammond, Indiana.
i cannot wait to hear about the recipes you’re all excited to make for thanksgiving (Maya Kosoff on Twitter)
Instant Appetizer (Brady Carlson on Twitter)
Peteyville: A Holiday Lights Tradition for 30+ Years (Visit Indiana)
Photo by Marcia O’Connor via Flickr/Creative Commons
This week we’re replaying some of our past episodes about the holiday and its traditions. In this episode from November 2020, we remember the 2008 Macy’s parade, the only parade that’s ever been Rickrolled in real time, by Rick Astley himself. Plus: a dad in Thailand has started playing piano concerts for a group of wild macaques living in an abandoned theater.
An Oral History of Rickrolling (Mel Magazine)
History of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (I LOVE NY)
Playing Piano for Macaques (Nag on the Lake)
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Today in 2012, football fans got to see one of the most spectacularly wrong plays in NFL history, one known today simply as “the butt fumble.” Plus: today in 2017, a report on what could have been the greatest crossover event in movie history, with an icon of slasher movies facing off against two icons of stoner movies.
A Decade of Butt Jokes and Misery, It’s the Butt Fumble’s Birthday (The Ringer)
‘Friday the 13th’ Series Director Once Pitched ‘Cheech and Chong Meets Jason’ (The Wrap)
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Today in 1789, North Carolina became the twelfth state to ratify the US Constitution. In the central part of the state there's an unincorporated community that locals named Whynot for a pretty unusual reason. Plus: starting Saturday in Milwaukee, it’s Trainfest, which bills itself as the largest operating model railroad show in the US.
Whynot, North Carolina Was Named Out of Sheer Boredom (Conde Nast Traveler)
Trainfest 2024
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Today in 1969, at a session for soul and funk icon James Brown, drummer Clyde Stubblefield laid down what's probably the most sampled beat of all time. Plus: today in 2021, the premiere of "Sooyii," the first movie filmed entirely in the Blackfoot language.
Funky Drummer — pop history was made when James Brown hollered ‘Hit it!’ (Financial Times)
Film shot entirely in Blackfoot language, on tribal land to premiere (The Missoulian)
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For World Toilet Day, we turn our attention to a bathroom at California Polytechnic State University that's unusual even for that campus. Plus: it's National Play Monopoly Day. Do you know the full names of the game's mustachioed mascot and the police officer who sends people to Jail without passing Go?
Cal Poly’s unconventional bathroom: A campus mystery revealed (KCPR)
Real names of 23 fictional characters (CNN via Archive.org)
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Today in 1963, AT&T launched the first commercial telephone service where customers could use touch-tone devices instead of rotary dial. It started with just two communities in western Pennsylvania, but of course it spread, way way beyond that. Plus: a couple in southern Australia comes home to find a koala sitting on their floor.
50 years ago, touch-tone phones began a communication revolution (TribLive)
‘Only in Australia’: Couple comes home to find koala in bed (CNN)
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Today in 1920, the Royal Australian Navy added a woman to its ranks for the very first time. Her name was Nancy Bentley, she was six years old, and the Navy “enlisted” her in an effort to save her life. Plus: starting tomorrow in New Orleans, it’s Beignet Fest.
Before her time – the tale of Navy’s first female sailor (NavyHistory.au)
BEIGNET FEST
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Today in 1919 (or, by some accounts, 1922), the birthday of Veronica Lake, a movie star whose iconic hairstyle won over millions of fans, even when she gave up that trademark look to help the US win World War II. Plus: a design studio in Barcelona, Bel & Bel, is giving new life to the front panels of old Vespa scooters by turning them into stylish office chairs.
The Peek-A-Boo Girl Gets Cut: In 1943 Veronica Lake Saved America And A Million Women’s Hair (Flashbak)
Vespa Scooters Given New Life as Innovative Office Chairs (My Modern Met)
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Today in 1965, a landmark moment in the history of televised profanity: an f-bomb live on the BBC! We'll look back at some choice moments where people used choice words on the air. Plus: today in 1957, an article in the Guardian newspaper where a guy suggests bringing the world back toward faith by sending a bishop into space.
Bleep This: A Brief History of Profanity on Television (Mental Floss)
Bishop in Space (Weird Universe)
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Tonight in 1833, the beginning of a bright show in the evening sky, one that was so bright and so busy, some people started to freak out about it. Plus: today in 2015, an NFL game featuring a special set of jerseys turns into a washout for colorblind football fans.
November 12-13, 1833: The Night the Stars Fell (Newspapers.com)
When Red (Bills) Met Green (Jets), Colorblind Fans Lost (New York Times)
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For Veterans Day, the story of Vietnam-era servicemember Douglas Hegdahl. He tricked his captors into thinking he was "the incredibly stupid one," but by using his incredibly sharp memory, he was able to memorize (and later share) information about hundreds of American POWs, in the hopes of keeping them safer and healthier until they could come home.
Lest We Forget (US Naval Institute via Archive.org)
Today in 1971, the release of the fourth Led Zeppelin album. The opening track, "Black Dog," still gets played and shared today, and it got its name from a very unusual visitor to the studio. Plus: in 2023, a researcher came across the original version of the photo on the Zeppelin album's cover, the one with the older man carrying a big bundle of sticks on his back.
Headley Grange Led Zeppelin at Headley Grange (BBC)
Lucky Find at Auction Identifies Man on Cover of ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ (New York Times)
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On Election Day 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt won 56 percent of the popular vote, a huge majority in the Electoral College, and two ostriches. No, really. Plus: starting tomorrow near Haines, Alaska, it’s the Alaska Bald Eagle Festival.
In 1904, Theodore Roosevelt Won a Presidential Election…And a Pair of Ostriches (Smithsonian)
Alaska Bald Eagle Festival
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Today is apparently National Taxi Day, which means we get to talk about a program in New York City where they got some very famous voices to give safety tips for taxi riders. Plus: this Saturday in Las Vegas, Major League Eating presents its Hotcake Eating Championships.
A Celebrity in Every Taxi (Ironic Sans)
NORMS Las Vegas: Hotcake Eating Championship (Major League Eating)
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Whatever you're feeling on this Election Day, you might enjoy a slice of an old-school election cake many Americans used to serve when it was time to vote. Plus: this week in Pelion, South Carolina, it's the Pelion Peanut Party.
When Elections in Hartford Were a Piece of Cake (Connecticut History)
Pelion Peanut Party
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Happy National Easy Bake Oven Day! It was today in 1963 that kids could start baking by lightbulb thanks to these colorful little toy appliances. We'll explain how it all came together. Plus: today is National Candy Day, so probably a good time to visit the online Candy Wrapper Museum.
The Untold History of the Easy Bake Oven (Gizmodo)
Take a Peek Inside the Candy Wrapper Museum (Smithsonian)
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For el Dia de los Muertos, the living honor loved ones who have passed on with music, dancing, elaborate decorations and food, including what's known as pan de muerto, the bread of the dead. Plus: tomorrow at the Nashville Farmers Market, it’s the annual Turnip Green Festival.
San Antonio bakers explain pan de muerto's importance during Day of the Dead (MySanAntonio.com)
Turnip Green Festival (Nashville Farmers Market)
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Halloween didn't turn out so great for the title character of “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” But that led viewers to do something nice for him afterward. Plus: if you happen to be in Caracas, Venezuela, on this Halloween, keep an eye out for a spot known as the "Balcony of the Dolls."
Charlie Brown’s Halloween Miracle (Now I Know)
Creepy Doll-Filled Balcony in Caracas Looks Like the Set of a Horror Movie (Oddity Central)
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Today in 1735, the birthday of John Adams, the only president who ever spent a night bickering in bed with Benjamin Franklin. Plus: starting tomorrow in Kansas City, it's the World Series of Barbecue.
That Time Ben Franklin Slept in the Same Bed With John Adams (Entrepreneur)
World Series of Barbecue
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Today in 1861, the birthday of a woman with a very strange story. For reasons that aren’t at all clear, Karolina Olsson went to bed as a 14 year old and apparently didn’t wake up until she was in her forties. Plus: someone marked Halloween by playing keyboards in a New York subway station dressed up as Michael Myers.
To this day, the questions remain (Svenska Dagbladet via Archive.org)
Karolina Olsson: The Woman Who Allegedly Slept for 32 Years (Amusing Planet)
Keyboardist Dressed as Michael Myers Plays the ‘Halloween’ Theme in New York City Subway Station (Laughing Squid)
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For National Chocolate Day, the story of a World War II-era chocolate bar that wasn't too sweet, and that’s exactly how it was supposed to be. Plus: there was a couple who had a zombie-themed wedding at a bar in Little Rock, Arkansas back in the 2000s.
How Hershey’s Chocolate Helped Power Allied Troops During WWII (History.com)
Wild days at White Water Tavern (Arkansas Times)
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Starting tomorrow in Manitou Springs, Colorado, it’s an event known as the Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival. And oh man, does the story of Emma Crawford and her coffin take some explaining. Plus: today in 1964, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall recovered a fumble and took off toward the end zone... just not his team's end zone.
Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival (ManitouSprings.org)
Vikings: 50 years later, Jim Marshall’s wrong-way run remains an NFL classic (Twin Cities Pioneer Press)
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My chemistry teacher called today Mole Day, and while this story doesn't have much chemistry in it, it does have a mole: a Londoner called William Lyttle who dug huge tunnels around his place. Plus: ever wanted your clothes to act like a Theremin? A pair of researchers from the Intelligent Instruments develops sound-rich smart fabrics known as "e-textiles."
Great London Eccentrics: The Mole Man Of Hackney (Londonist)
e-textiles make sounds like electronic musical instruments when users touch or stretch them (designboom)
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Today in 1957, the water tower in Norwood, Ontario, which looked like a big can of soda or beer, suddenly looked like a big crushed can of soda or beer. We'll explain why. Plus: starting Saturday at Coarsegold Historic Village, near Yosemite National Park, it’s the Coarsegold Tarantula Awareness Festival.
Norwood: Norwood once had a crushed beer can water tower (Peterborough Examiner)
Coarsegold Tarantula Awareness Festival (Yosemite This Year)
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Today in 2019, New Scientist published a study that trained rats to maneuver little cars around to find Froot Loops. Plus: now underway at the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, it's Spooky Fest.
Scientists have trained rats to drive tiny cars to collect food (New Scientist)
Spooky Fest (Dietrich Theater)
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Today in 1911, the birthday of William A. Mitchell, a food inventor whose name might not ring a bell but whose creations - including Pop Rocks, Cool Whip and Tang - are unforgettable. Plus: today in 1905, a story in the Clinton Mirror newspaper with an odd headline: “Man Was Mailed.”
The Scientist Behind Some of Our Favorite Junk Foods (Smithsonian)
"Man Was Mailed." (Clinton Mirror via Google News Archive)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about flags and those who fly them. In this episode from June 2021, the story of Superflag, a 505 foot long, 255 foot tall American flag that was once flown over Hoover Dam (because they don't make flagpoles that large). Plus: a study finds people can learn and effectively use click-based echolocation in the real world after practicing for 10 weeks.
Was the World’s Largest U.S. Flag Displayed at Hoover Dam? (Snopes)
Echolocation: People trained to hear like bats in a study that could help those with vision loss (Science Focus)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about flags and those who fly them. In this episode from July 2021, the story of how the flag of Alaska, was designed by a 13 year old. Plus: pastry lovers in Maine mark an important moment in the history of fried dough.
Benny Benson: An Alaska Kid Who Made History (Alaska Historical Society)
The Hole Truth: Celebrating a Huge Day in Doughnut History (The Fiscal Times)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about flags and those who fly them. In this episode from January 2022, the story of Bob Heft, who, as a high school student in Ohio, designed the first flag representing 50 states. Plus: there was once an effort to make a biopic about Edgar Allan Poe starring none other than Sylvester Stallone.
A Boy Scout designed the 50-star American flag (Scouting Magazine)
Robert G. Heft (Ohio History Central)
Stallone Shows Why He Was Wrong for Edgar Allan Poe, But Vows to Finish Script (Movieweb)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about flags and those who fly them. In this episode from June 2023, the story of the American flag that led to the writing of what is now our national anthem. Plus: the community of Pocatello, Idaho raised a new flag in 2017 after old flag was named the ugliest in the country.
The Star-Spangled Banner (National Museum of American History)
East Idaho City Ditches ‘Worst Flag In North America’ (Boise State Public Radio)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about flags and those who fly them. In this episode from January 2023, the story of Betsy Ross, whose backstory is pretty interesting even if it didn't go quite how the legends tell it. Plus: a village in Austria with an expletive for its name makes a big change.
Betsy Ross likely didn’t sew the first U.S. flag (National Geographic)
Betsy Ross (Museum of the American Revolution)
Austrian village of ‘Fucking’ decides to change its name (Deutsch Welle)
There’s a new experiment underway that’s going to see whether music playlists and some stress-sensing technology can help people who are trying to stay sober. Plus: why Marshall, Texas named its annual community festival after fire ants.
Studying music and technology to reduce stress, alcohol relapse (Washington State University)
FireAnt Festival
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One hundred years ago today, the birthday of the man that has long been celebrated as the worst movie director of all time, so bad that some people actually love his movies: Ed Wood. Plus: starting Saturday at the Sunday River resort in Maine, it’s the North American Wife Carrying Championship.
Ed Wood, Jr. Centennial: An American Cinematheque Retrospective (American Cinematheque)
North American Wife Carrying Championship
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This Sunday on Okinawa in Japan, it’s an event on a grand scale: the Naha Great Tug of War, with thousands of people pulling a 200 meter long rope. Plus: researchers at the University of New South Wales have developed a more eco-friendly lithium-ion battery that uses acids from foods and wine.
Naha Tug of War
Booze to battery: Wine powers new energy storage tech, can boost EV range, performance (Interesting Engineering)
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Today in 1997, a very gourd day on the campus of Cornell University: people found a very large pumpkin on top of McGraw Tower, 173 feet in the air. Plus: this Sunday, in Austin, Texas, it’s Quesoff.
HOW THE PUMPKIN GOT ON THE TOWER (Cornell Sun via Archive.org)
Quesoff
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Welcome to National Newspaper Week. The newspaper business has changed a lot since the peak of print, like how the New York Times took a very small but important punctuation mark out of its logo. Plus: there's now a luggage set you can buy where the cases are shaped like LEGO.
The Daily Heller: The Designer Who Put a Full Stop to the Period! (Print Magazine)
LEGO Luggage (The Awesomer)
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Today in 1957, Sputnik because the world’s first artificial satellite. This changed the world around us in countless ways, including one that doesn’t get a lot of attention: it gave the English language a brand new word. Plus: today in 1992, two Toronto Blue Jays stars pranked their rookie teammate by pretending to give away his car on Fan Appreciation Day.
How the Beat Generation Became “Beatniks” (JSTOR Daily)
WHEN THE BLUE JAYS GAVE AWAY DEREK BELL’S CAR, AND OTHER PRANKS (SB Nation)
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It's National Roller Skating Month, and we’re going all the way back to the guy who created the first skates. It's a little reassuring that even he had trouble rolling along like the rest of us. Plus: Starting tomorrow in Massachusetts, it’s SandwichFest.
The History of Roller Skating (HowStuffWorks)
Sandwich Fest
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Today in 1869, inventor Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès received the French patent for margarine. The butter substitute is used around the world today, though for a while it was banned in parts of the US. Plus: an explorer accidentally drops his GoPro off the side of a cruise ship and ends up with a kind of candid camera for sea life.
This week in science history: Margarine inventor’s fame spreads (Cosmos via Archive.org)
The Butter Wars: When Margarine Was Pink (National Geographic)
Man Drops GoPro Overboard on Cruise Ship, Captures Incredible Undersea Footage (My Modern Met)
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Today in 1935, the birthday of Walter De Maria, an artist behind one of the most unusual art installations you’ll ever come across: a loft in New York that he filled with dirt. Plus: the Morris Arboretum and Gardens at the University of Pennsylvania is now home to an immersive audio installation by artist Richard Hamilton.
Inside The SoHo Apartment That's Been Filled With Dirt Since 1977 (Gothamist)
Take a Journey of Sound Through the Morris (Morris Arboretum & Gardens)
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Today in 1951, the birth of Barry Marshall, a Nobel Prize winning doctor who, while working with colleague Robin Warren, proved what was behind most ulcers by giving himself an ulcer. Plus: an 11 year old in England saves an engraving from the dumpster that turns out to be pretty important.
The Doctor Who Drank Infectious Broth, Gave Himself an Ulcer, and Solved a Medical Mystery (Discover Magazine)
Dürer Engraving Found by 11-Year-Old in Dumpster Sells for $44,000 (Hyperallergic)
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Tomorrow is International Rabbit Day, so today we’re going to celebrate the real and very cute sport known as rabbit show jumping. Plus: starting tomorrow in Nevada, it’s the Genoa Candy Dance, a fundraiser with a long and electric history.
Rabbit, Run Is an Exhortation Oft Heard in England Now (Wall Street Journal)
Genoa Candy Dance
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Around this time of year, volunteers on the Westman Islands, off Iceland's southern coast, are on puffling patrol, trying to help lost baby puffins get to sea by tossing them off cliffs. As one does. Plus: starting this Sunday, it's the Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival.
Why it's perfectly normal to see baby puffins thrown off cliffs in Iceland each year (NPR)
Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival
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Astronauts who live and work on space stations have to make sure to clean every last spot in their quarters, partly to keep big balls of moldy goo from growing! There's research underway to help keep the microbes from moving in. Plus: starting tomorrow in Kingwood, West Virginia, it’s the Preston County Buckwheat Festival.
Keeping mold out of future space stations (Ohio State University)
Preston County Buckwheat Festival
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Today in 1929, Lieutenant James H. Doolittle did what no other pilot had done before: take off, fly and land only using instruments and radio. Plus: today in 2021, Japan's Narita Airport had to delay a flight because of a turtle on the runway.
Flying Blind (Air & Space Forces Magazine)
Errant turtle closes runway, delays turtle-themed plane at Japan's Narita Airport (The Mainichi)
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Around this time in 2011, two people in Oklahoma gave themselves and their part of the state a very off-the-beaten-path anniversary gift: the Winganon Space Capsule. Plus: ever hear someone call a run-down cafe or bar a “hole in the wall”? There’s a coffee shop in the Philippines that serves drinks through an actual hole in the wall.
The Winganon Space Capsule: Oklahoma, We Have A Problem (MAKE)
filipino café serves beverages straight through a hole in a concrete wall (designboom)
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Today in 1977, the first broadcast of the Happy Days episode in which Henry Winkler’s character, The Fonz, jumps over a shark on water skis. "Jumping the shark" is a phrase we use today to talk about shows that get weird and go downhill, but why was Fonz jumping over the shark to begin with? Plus: starting tomorrow in Springfield, Missouri, the Cider Days festival.
Henry Winkler is 'very proud' to be the face of the 'jump the shark' meme (Yahoo! Entertainment)
CIDER DAYS
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Today in 1986, Australian cricketer Dean Jones stepped up during a really important match, literally leaving it all on the field as he played through high heat and humidity, dehydration, exhaustion and illness. Plus: today in 1911, the birthday of author William Golding, whose biggest novel only became a hit after being rejected over and over again.
'I can't remember a thing after 120 in that innings' (The Cricket Monthly)
William Golding (Biography)
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For National Cheeseburger Day, here’s the story of the guy who brought us one of the world’s most massive and massively popular burgers: Jim Delligatti, the inventor of the Big Mac. Plus: a designer in Belgium, Mathilde Wittock, has come up with a way to upcycle used tennis balls into furniture.
Michael "Jim" Delligatti, Big Mac creator, dead at 98 (CBS News)
Artist Makes Furniture Out of Tennis Balls That Otherwise Would Take 400 Years to Decompose in Landfills (Good News Network)
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New research finds that couples can keep a conflict from escalating by taking a short break - and I mean, really short - during an argument. Plus: for National Pet Bird Day, a heavy metal band led by a South African Grey Parrot doing "death squawking” over the music.
Cheaper than couples counselling: take a five-second break (University of St. Andrews)
Hatebeak (Metal Archives)
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For Mexican Independence Day, the story of how Mexican music and movies found fans in a place you might not expect: post-war Yugoslavia. Plus: what's even wilder than a video of two bicyclists doing some of their best stunts? A video of two bicyclists doing some of their best stunts while also on a moving train.
In mid-'60s Yugoslavia, mariachi music was really popular (The World)
A Series of Bike Stunts Performed on a Moving Train (Neatorama)
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The trope about Friday the 13th is that it's extra-unlucky and scary, so to address any fears his young viewers might have about this day, Mister Rogers decided to make it a really fun day, especially for the King of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. Plus: today in 1991, Nirvana had quite a wild release party for their landmark record "Nevermind."
HOW MR. ROGERS MADE FRIDAY THE 13TH LESS SCARY (Now I Know)
FOOD FIGHT! Nirvana gets thrown out of their record release party on Friday the 13th, 1991 (Dangerous Minds)
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Today in 1995, the Harlem Globetrotters lost! It hasn't happened often, but we'll tell you about two times the storied team didn't come out on top. Plus: this Saturday in Vermont, it’s the Rutland Whoopie Pie Fest.
Harlem Globetrotters’ 8,829-game winning streak snapped (History.com)
KING OF THE LOSERS I played for the worst basketball team of all time – we lost 17,000 games but I loved every single minute of it (The Sun)
RUTLAND WHOOPIE PIE FEST
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Today in 2001, while the world watched a tragedy unfold, there was an amazing story happening far from those sites: an effort to help a six month old baby get a transplant that would save her life.
9/11 attacks nearly kept a life-saving organ from an infant. Here’s how we met the moment. (The Tennessean)
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Today in 1999, a news report about how Norm Michael was drafted by the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. The catch? He'd been drafted in 1944. Plus: a new musical instrument Stacco uses marbles, magnets, a drum-like surface and artificial intelligence.
This day in sports history: The player who didn’t know he’d been drafted for 50 years (Yahoo! Sports)
musical instrument ‘stacco’ produces chimes and sounds by moving magnetic marbles on it (designboom)
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Today in 1890, the birthday of Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder and public face of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and who, for a while, was also a pretty big critic of the fast food brand he started. Plus: back in 2020, KFC announced a movie featuring Mario Lopez playing the Colonel?!?
Colonel Sanders Once Competed Against KFC And Got Sued (Tasting Table)
Mario Lopez will play Colonel Sanders in KFC-Lifetime original movie ‘A Recipe for Seduction’ (FOX 2 Now)
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Today in 1919, the birthday of Wilson Greatbatch, who made implantable pacemakers a reality for millions of patients. A pretty big legacy for a guy who considered himself a “humble tinkerer.” Plus: today in 1954, a report on a guy who was supposed to a defend a beer drinking title but first had business to attend to at another bar.
Wilson Greatbatch (National Science and Technology Medals Foundation)
Miscellany, Sep. 6, 1954 (TIME)
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This month in 1966, an extraordinary rescue of a group of students who had gotten stranded on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean and managed to live there successfully for over a year. Plus: starting this Saturday on Easdale Island in Scotland, it’s the World Stone Skimming Championships.
A real life Lord of the Flies: The 50-year-old story of a group of teens stranded on an island (CBS News)
The World Stone Skimming Championships
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For decades Gerber has been the biggest name in baby food. In 1974, the company tried offering a line of ready-to-eat foods in glass jars for adults... which maybe didn't go so well. Plus: starting this Friday in Pennsylvania, it’s the Bowers Chile Pepper Festival.
Baby food for adults was just as sad as it sounds (The Hustle)
Bowers Chile Pepper Festival
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Today in 1877, the birthday of Charles Downing Lay. He won the first American medal at the 1936 Olympics, for…. town planning? Plus: starting this Friday, it’s the South Carolina Apple Festival.
And the Medal Goes To... (Brooklyn Public Library)
South Carolina Apple Festival
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For this Labor Day holiday we thought we should pay tribute to what may have been the strangest ways to make a living in its time: the so-called "department store scapegoat" who was kept on staff to be "fired" from time to time. Plus: today in 1903, Scott Perky applied for a patent for a bidirectional typeface.
Fact-Checking Steve Jobs: Was “The Customer Is Always Right” Really Coined by a Customer? (Slate)
Scott Perky’s Bi-Directional Text (Weird Universe)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite shows about planets and stars and galaxies and the people who have studied them. In this episode from May 2020, the story of an important if not technically perfect image: the first picture ever taken from the Hubble Space Telescope. Plus: an Irish bee enthusiast spends time at home building a beehive out of LEGO.
How Fixing the Hubble Spacecraft Works (How Stuff Works)
30 years of Hubble: Three decades of space wonder began with an underwhelming image that proved extremely important (Independent UK)
Un-bee-lievable! Beekeeper builds fully functioning beehive entirely out of LEGOs (Fox 6 Now)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite shows about planets and stars and galaxies and the people who have studied them. In this episode from July 2019, we look at one of the most prominent July 4th events before American independence, an astronomical event in 11th Century China. Plus: Oatman, Arizona's Sidewalk Egg Frying Challenge offers a different kind of July 4th celebration.
Supernova 1054 – Creation of the Crab Nebula (SEDS)
Sidewalk Egg Frying Challenge in Oatman, Arizona
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite shows about planets and stars and galaxies and the people who have studied them. In this episode from November 2020, Cincinnati dedicates an observatory that was open to the public, the first of its kind in the U.S., one called the “birthplace of American astronomy.”
How Cincinnati became the ‘Birthplace of American Astronomy’ (Cincinnati Enquirer)
See Meteor Showers, a Lunar Eclipse & Bright Planets Throughout November (Thrillist)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite shows about planets and stars and galaxies and the people who have studied them. In this episode from March 2022, the story of an astronomer who definitely made her mark on the sky: Caroline Herschel, the first woman to discover a comet. Plus: residents of Pooler, Georgia, have a local landmark, a giant mailbox, 16 feet long, 8 feet tall, and painted to look like a black and white cow.
Caroline Herschel (NASA)
Eight Women Astronomers You Should Know (JSTOR)
Who moo-ved the giant mailbox? Chatham County landmark disappears, but don’t have a cow (WJCL)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite shows about planets and stars and galaxies and the people who have studied them. In this episode from June 2021, French astronomer Guillaume Le Gentil tries to observe the transit of Venus in the 18th Century, only it doesn't go so well. Plus: Pringle, South Dakota is home to an enormous – and apparently still under construction – sculpture filled with hundreds of bicycles.
Transit of Venus: a tale of two expeditions (The Conversation)
7 Strange Spots In South Dakota That Will Make You Stop And Look Twice (Only in South Dakota)
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Today in 2012, the New York Times reported on what it called “probably the worst art restoration project of all time.” Thanks to an amateur artist, a fresco of Jesus in a church in northeastern Spain ended up looking quite different. Plus: a youngster in England wanted to help a local museum, so she donated her favorite rock to the collection.
A Town, if Not a Painting, Is Restored (The New York Times)
Unassuming rock from Dorset Museum goes viral again (Dorset Live)
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NASA's Parker Solar Probe has revealed some new details about our solar system’s top star, including that it’s very loud (!) Plus: starting today in Cumberland, Wisconsin, it’s Rutabaga Fest.
The Sun: Extremely loud and incredibly hot (Astronomy.com)
Cumberland, WI Rutabaga Festival
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Today in 1936, the birthday of Wilt Chamberlain, a legend on the basketball court who, after retirement, took a detour into the world of professional volleyball. Plus: today in 1953, a story about a wife, a husband, a divorce and a life-size dummy.
Remembering Wilt Chamberlain's Short-Lived but Momentous Volleyball Career (Inside Hook)
Dummy Divorce (Weird Universe)
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Today in 2018, a bidder in Delaware put up $410,000 for a license plate. It doesn't happen a lot, but there’s a whole subculture around license plates in the First State, and once in a while it can turn pretty lucrative. Plus: today in 1948, the birthday of Robert Plant, who says he once paid big bucks for a radio station to stop playing one of his signature songs.
Delaware license plate 20 sells for $410,000 at Rehoboth Beach auction (Delmarva Now)
When Robert Plant paid a radio station $10,000 to stop playing Led Zeppelin (Far Out)
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For National Photography Day, a look at the many ways people in the pre-computer days could make photos look like something they weren't, for fun or for not so honorable reasons. Plus: back in 1971, American Airlines put out an ad showing off its in-flight piano bar.
A Giant Visitor to New York City (Library of Congress)
Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston)
1971 American Airlines "Piano Bar" Commercial (YouTube)
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If you find yourself at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, you may come across one of its most unusual attractions: the husband calling contest. We'll explain how it works. Plus: starting tomorrow in Lebanon, Indiana, it’s Augtoberfest.
The Iowa State Fair Husband Calling Contest (Neatorama)
Augtoberfest
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Today's the birthday in 1895 of an inventor with a huge legacy: Ignacio Anaya Garcia, the man who gave us nachos. Plus: starting tomorrow on Long Island, it’s the Laura Branigan “Spirit of Love” Memorial Gathering.
Meet Ignacio Anaya García, the Man Who Invented Nachos, In Today’s Google Doodle (Fortune)
Laura Branigan “Spirit of Love” Memorial Gathering
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People have feelings about tipping today, and that was true when tipping first came to the United States. But the people who opposed tipping had sometimes opposing reasons for their anti-tip stances. Plus: a new silver coin issued by Samoa features Wonder Woman.
When Tipping Was Considered Deeply Un-American (NPR’s The Salt)
Samoa issues silver coins featuring Wonder Woman (Coin World)
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Today in 1975, a famous concert by the Grateful Dead at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. And if you look closely at the credits, you’ll see a peculiar listing that reads “Mickey Hart - percussion and crickets.” Plus: this week in Maine, it’s the Machias Wild Blueberry Festival.
So many roads : the life and times of the Grateful Dead by David Browne (via Google Books)
Machias Wild Blueberry Festival
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Researchers want to head off the small but serious risk of fire that comes with lithium ion batteries. A team at Clemson University may have found a way to teach the batteries how to put themselves out if they start burning. Plus: we have a new world record for “fastest time to slice a bell pepper.”
Self-extinguishing batteries could reduce the risk of deadly and costly battery fires (Clemson University)
Fastest time to slice a bell pepper - 9.43 seconds by Wallace Wong (Guinness World Records via YouTube)
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It's National Billiards and Pool Day, so we have the story of George H. Sutton, who became an accomplished billiards player after losing his hands. Plus: today in Scotland, day two of the 10-day Edinburgh Deaf Festival.
HANDLESS' SUTTON, BILLIARD PLAYER, 68; Despite Handicap, Had Opposed Many Leading Professionals (New York Times)
Edinburgh Deaf Festival
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During the 1936 Summer Games, Liechtenstein showed up flying its blue and red striped flag, only to find that Haiti was flying its flag, which had the same stripes and the same colors. Fortunately they found a solution. Plus: starting today in Indiana, it’s the Oakland City Sweet Corn Festival.
flag of Liechtenstein (Britannica)
flag of Haiti (Britannica)
Oakland City Sweet Corn Festival
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Today in 1987, American swimmer Lynne Cox took to the freezing waters of the Bering Strait in a call for peace between the world’s superpowers. Plus: today in 2019, actor Danny Trejo, known for playing bad guys, had a real-life good guy moment.
How an American swimmer helped thaw Cold War relations (Boston.com)
Lynne Cox swims into communist territory (History.com)
'Machete' to the rescue: Actor Danny Trejo helps save child trapped in overturned car in Sylmar (ABC 7)
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Today in 1926, American Gertrude Ederle swam from France to England, a record-setting crossing of the English Channel she made in stormy weather! Plus: if you're celebrating International Clown Week, you might want to drop by Plainview, Nebraska, home to the Klown Doll Museum.
The First Woman to Brave the English Channel (Outside)
The Klown Doll Museum Is One of the Strangest Places You Can Go in Nebraska (Only In Nebraska)
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Scientists have found that Exoplanet HD 189733b looks blue with white wispy clouds, but the similarities between that far-off world and this one stop right about there. Plus: starting this Friday in East Nashville, Tennessee, it’s the Tomato Art Fest.
This Blue Alien Planet Is Not at All Earth-Like (Space.com)
Rains of Terror on Exoplanet HD 189733b (NASA)
Tomato Art Fest
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We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from July 2021, the story of the original Olympic flag. It flew over the Games for in 1920 and then disappeared, and we didn’t find out what had happened to it for seven decades. Plus: a 3D printed robotic hand plays Super Mario Bros.
OLYMPICS: NOTEBOOK; Missing Flag Returns to Glory, Courtesy of a Prankster (New York Times)
Scientists 3D Print Robotic Hand That Can Play Nintendo (Interesting Engineering)
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We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from July 2021, the story of two of those athletes, who ended up winning the only half-silver, half-bronze medals in Olympic history. Plus: the International Olympic Committee does enforce its trademark rights, which sometimes leads to interesting situations.
The Silvonze Medalists (Now I Know)
International Olympic Committee threaten to sue Brit folk legends for ‘Beer Olympics’ song (The Sun)
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We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from October 2022, the story of Margaret Abbott. She became the first American woman to win an Olympic title, even though she didn’t know she was in the Olympics! Plus: Ruth Hamilton of British Columbia gets an unexpected visitor at home.
Margaret Abbott (New York Times)
B.C. woman awakes to a hole in her roof and a space rock on her pillow (Castlegar News)
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We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from August 2021, swimmer Eric Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea makes a splash at the 2000 Summer Games despite finishing well behind the rest of the competitors in his event. Plus: Canadian high jumper Derek Drouin won a gold medal in 2016 when his doctors might have preferred that he rest at home!
African novice makes big splash (BBC)
Olympic high jump champion Derek Drouin competed in Rio with a double stress fracture in his back (National Post)
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We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from July 2021, a look at the men's marathon from the 1904 Games. You couldn't write a weirder race than this one.
Running a marathon was never crazier or harder than during the 1904 St Louis Olympics (ABC Australia)
8 Unusual Facts About the 1904 St. Louis Olympics (History.com)
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Today in 1959, Marine Corps pilot William Rankin passed through the middle of a thundercloud after having to eject from his plane. And despite the storm’s best efforts, he made it through in one piece. Plus: starting today in Tenino, Washington, it’s Oregon Trail Days.
Meet the Marine who ‘rode the thunder’ and lived to tell the tale (Air Force Times)
Oregon Trail Days
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Summer travel comes and goes for most of us, but Tom Stuker, the "world's most frequent flyer," bought a lifetime plane ticket in 1990 and has been up in the air a lot since then. Plus: Monday in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, it’s the Rain Day Festival.
New Jersey man dubbed ‘most traveled air passenger’ with nearly 24 million miles in the air (News12.com)
He has flown 23 million miles. Here are his travel secrets. (Washington Post)
Rain Day Festival 2024
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Today in 1978, the American release date of what looked like a blockbuster movie musical: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," starring some of the biggest music and movie stars of the era. Yeah, it didn't go so well. Plus: the Apollo 11 astronauts had to fill out customs declarations when they came back from the moon!?!
Beatles-Based Movie Is A Box Office Bomb (Songfacts)
Back from the Moon, Apollo Astronauts Had to Go Through Customs (Space.com)
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Today was the day in 1904 that a guy at the St. Louis World’s Fair took a pastry cone, put two scoops of ice cream inside, and changed the dessert world forever. Except that there are a bunch of ice cream cone origin stories from that World's Fair, and also, ice cream cones were around for more than a century before that. Plus: The US Postal Service is remembering game show legend Alex Trebek this year with a stamp that includes a Jeopardy-style clue.
Chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla : a history of American ice cream by Anne Cooper Funderburg
The Murky History of the Ice Cream Cone (TIME)
The USPS Commemorates Alex Trebek With a Forever Stamp in the Form of a ‘Jeopardy’ Question (Laughing Squid)
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It’s a busy time of year for transportation workers, especially here in the Midwest. Michigan's official state vehicle fleet includes a vintage Ford Model T, and not just as a nod to the state's long history with automaking. Plus: starting today in Ohio, it’s the Dayton Air Show.
Michigan DOT Still Has a Century-Old Ford Model T in Service (The Drive)
Dayton Air Show
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Today's believed to be the day in 1799 when French troops in northern Egypt found the Rosetta Stone, which unlocked a huge amount of knowledge about the ancient world. Or at least it would after scholars spent like two decades figuring out what it said. Plus: Atchison, Kansas is in the middle of its annual Amelia Earhart Festival, celebrating the community's most famous resident.
Rosetta Stone found (History.com)
Amelia Earhart Festival
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For National Ice Cream Day this Sunday, the story of how New York state once upcycled some ice cream trucks into artificial reefs around Long Island. Plus: this Saturday in Pennsylvania, it’s the Made In Bradford Celebration, in the hometown of the Zippo lighter.
Sunken Ice Cream Trucks Were Used Create Artificial Reefs in NYC (Untapped New York)
Made In Bradford Celebration
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This day in 1982 was the date at the top of a movie treatment for “E.T. 2: Nocturnal Fears." And as the title suggests, the sequel would have been a lot creepier than the first movie. Plus: starting tomorrow in Minnesota, it’s the Cosmos Space Festival.
Why The ET Sequel Never Happened (ScreenRant)
Cosmos Space Festival
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Today in 1988, the community of Embo, in the Scottish Highlands raised money for a community center by declaring independence from the rest of the UK… but just for one day. Plus: today in 2022, an odd moment in the world of real estate. And milk.
Embo Community Centre Appeal (via Archive.org)
B.C. real estate agent fined $20K after chugging milk in fridge at showing (North Shore News)
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Today in 1912, high honors for William Walker, who saved the UK’s famous Winchester Cathedral from partial collapse through five years of foundation work… all of which he did underwater. Plus: this week in Aroostook County, Maine, it’s the Maine Potato Blossom Festival.
Saving the Cathedral (BBC)
Maine Potato Blossom Festival
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Today in 1895, the birthday of Buckminster Fuller, the “engineer, architect and futurist" who once proposed building a see-through dome over part of Manhattan to save energy and money. Plus: a community festival that’s actually in a bunch of communities.
The 1960 Plan To Put A Dome Over Midtown Manhattan (Gothamist)
This Was Buckminster Fuller’s Plan to Cover Manhattan With a Giant Dome (The Daily Beast)
Stroud Brick Throwing and Rolling Pin Competition
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Around this time in 2012, a teacher in Germany saved a young student's life, literally keeping the three year old's head above water after falling into an abandoned mine shaft. Plus: starting tomorrow in Oklahoma, it’s the McLoud Blackberry Festival.
Teacher jumps down mineshaft to save boy (The Local)
The McLoud Blackberry Festival
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Today in 1899, the signing of the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium, that established most of the border between Egypt and Sudan, but eventually led to a dispute over two stretches of land. Both countries want one stretch, and neither wants the other. Plus: this Friday in New Orleans, the running of the bulls! Well, sort of.
This man is the latest in a series of travellers to declare ownership of a bizarre no man’s land in north Africa (Business Insider)
Running of the Bulls (NewOrleans.com)
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On this National Fashion Day, we have a letter from 3,800 years ago that shows some things never change, like teenagers nagging their parents for a fancier set of clothes. Plus: an artist in Japan designs a pair of jeans that look like they're hanging out unzipped... because that's something someone needs, apparently?
Reading Ancient Mail (JSTOR)
Jeans designed to look like your fly is down (Boing Boing)
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Today in 1776, it's said that the Liberty Bell rang out in Philadelphia for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. More than two centuries later, a fast food giant put out fake ads claiming that it had acquired the Liberty Bell to help pay off the national debt. Plus: today in 1978, Def Leppard played its first-ever concert, in Sheffield, England, though it didn’t exactly start off with a bang.
Hold the taco sauce, Liberty Bell is safe (Philadelphia Inquirer via Newspapers.com)
The Hilariously Bad First Concerts of Rock's Biggest Bands (Ultimate Classic Rock)
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Today in 1994, the start of a very unusual road trip: Alvin Straight drove 240 miles by lawn mower. Plus: next week in Wausau, Wisconsin, it’s the Taste ‘N Glow Balloon Fest.
Brotherly Love Powers a Lawn Mower Trek (New York Times)
Taste 'n Glow Balloon Fest
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Today in 1827, the people of Boonsboro, Maryland marked Independence Day by trying to build a stone monument to George Washington in a single day. It was a Washington Monument way before the opening of the Washington Monument in DC. Plus: today in Michigan, it's the Berrien Springs Pickle Festival.
The Little-Known Story of the First Washington Monument (Smithsonian)
After A More Than 16-Year Hiatus, This Small Town Now Hosts The Longest-Running Pickle Festival In Michigan (Only In Your State)
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Today in 1958, the Washington Post reported on a way to transform a Ford station wagon into a full-service campsite with the push of a button. Plus: this weekend in Congham, Norfolk, England, the World Snail Racing Championships.
The 1959 Ford Country Squire Camper, the Pushbutton Dream Camper That Never Was (Auto Evolution)
SNAIL RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
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Around this time of a year you may come to witness an eye-opening process in parts of Utah: it’s known as aerial fish stocking. Yes, they drop fish out of airplanes into bodies of water. Plus: in Traverse City, Michigan, there are still a few more days left of the National Cherry Festival.
Utah is dropping thousands of fish from planes – again (CNN)
National Cherry Festival
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Longtime baseball fans know this is the day each year that former star Bobby Bonilla gets more than a million bucks from the New York Mets, as part of the strangest salary deal the sport's ever seen. Plus: today in 1997, Len Libby’s Chocolates in Maine unveiled an icon, Lenny the chocolate moose.
What is Bobby Bonilla Day? Explaining why the former Met gets paid $1.19M every July 1 (ESPN)
Lenny the Moose (Len Libby)
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Today in 1919, the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the massive conflict known today as World War I and set a lot of postwar international standards, including standard musical pitch. Plus: the Vent Haven Museum in Kentucky showcases the world of ventriloquism, and this weekend it's hosting a a fun run and walk as The Dummy Run 5K.
High Pitch, Low Pitch and Modern Pitch (Robb Stewart Brass Instruments)
The Vent Haven 2024 Dummy Run
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This month in 1908, Anne of Green Gables was published. L.M. Montgomery's books have a lot of fans in Japan, which is why a community in northern Japan built a park called Canadian World, complete with a recreation of Anne's hometown of Avonlea. Plus: starting this Saturday in Washington state, it’s the Buckley Log Show.
Abandoned Avonlea: Anne theme park in Japan now like a ghost town (CBC)
Buckley Log Show
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Yes, the coconut's tropical, and it didn't migrate, but a 2017 research paper found that “Medieval England was unexpectedly full of coconuts.” So King Arthur and his entourage really could've wandered around in search of the Grail banging coconuts together! Plus: starting this Friday in Oklahoma, it’s the Fort Gibson Sweet Corn Festival.
Coconuts in Medieval England Weren’t as Rare as Monty Python and the Holy Grail Made You Think (The Mary Sue)
Fort Gibson Sweet Corn Festival
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This month in 1878, a horse named Sallie Gardner ran past a series of cameras in Palo Alto, California. The series of photos those cameras took paved the way for motion pictures. Plus: starting tomorrow in Deridder, Louisiana, it’s the Beauregard Watermelon Festival.
Eadweard Muybridge (International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum)
Beauregard Watermelon Festival
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Today in 1982, British Airways Flight 009 made a successful landing in Jakarta, Indonesia, after ash from a nearby volcano had shut down all of the plane’s engines. Plus: today in 2022, six new high school graduates in Port Jefferson, New York had to quickly duck out of the commencement ceremonies to go fight a fire.
When volcanic ash stopped a Jumbo at 37,000ft (BBC)
These high school seniors raced away from graduation to fight a fire (Washington Post)
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This week we’re replaying a few of our sweetest episodes. In this show from January 2020, astronauts on the International Space Station bake chocolate chip cookies. But baking cookies in space is a little different than baking them on Earth. Plus: a new device called the Exolung can keep air flowing for virtually as long as a diver likes.
Space-baked cookies not chips off old block (The Columbian)
The Exolung gives divers an 'unlimited' underwater air supply (Designboom)
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This week we’re replaying a few of our sweetest episodes. In this show from June 2019, Wilmington, Ohio and Latrobe, Pennsylvania are split over which town was the true birthplace of the banana split. Plus: the mind-melting TV show known as the Banana Splits Adventure Hour was actually supposed to have an entirely different name!
Wilmington Banana Split Festival
Birthplace of the Banana Split (Ohio Magazine)
The Banana Split: A Rich History (Pennsylvania Center for the Book)
10 tra la la true facts about the Banana Splits (MeTV)
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This week we’re replaying a few of our sweetest episodes. In this show from November 2019, we get a look at a meringue that's just about the lightest dessert ever made. Plus: the story of a light-emitting fungus gnat in Brazil, which is maybe not as appetizing as the first story.
World’s Lightest Dessert Is 96 Percent Air, Weighs Just One Gram (Oddity Central)
First South American insect that emits blue light is discovered (Eurekalert!)
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This week we’re replaying a few of our sweetest episodes. In this show 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 a cookie-baking expert.
The History of Gingerbread (PBS)
5 Facts You Probably Don't Know About Christmas Cookies (Food and Wine)
Neko Case: Pet Sounds (Spin)
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This week we’re replaying a few of our sweetest episodes. In this show from July 2021, we meet Agnes B. Marshall, who helped make ice cream the icon that it is today. Plus: ground control once played the song “Hello Darlin” by country star Conway Twitty to astronauts in Earth orbit. Only this version of the song was a little different.
The 19th-century entrepreneur who pioneered modern ice cream (The Hustle)
Do You Remember When Conway Twitty Sang 'Hello Darlin' in Russian? (Wide Open Country)
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Today in Readlyn, Iowa, it's the start of Grump Days - because Readlyn proudly bills itself as home to "857 friendly people and one old Grump!" Plus: today in 1955, Paul Bunyan died? Even though he’s a legendary person and didn’t really live? That's what a grave marker in Minnesota claims, anyway.
THE TOWN WHERE IT’S FUN TO BE A GROUCH (Now I Know)
Paul Bunyan's Gravesite (Atlas Obscura)
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Wedding season is definitely here, and today we’ll tell you about a wedding tradition that used to have one very clear meaning and then did a 180. Plus: Stand With Pride is a network of people who volunteer to serve as stand-in parents when families of origin refuse to attend LGBTQ+ weddings.
Why Do Couples Tie Cans to Wedding Cars? (New York Times)
He inspired people to be stand-in parents at gay weddings. Now it’s his turn.
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Lou Gehrig famously ended his consecutive games streak in the spring of 1939, not long before he was diagnosed with ALS. But on this day in 1939, he played one last exhibition game in Kansas City. Plus: today in 1977, the Kansas City Royals take to the field in Milwaukee with borrowed uniforms after a thief took off with most of their road gear.
Hall of Fame opened the day of Lou Gehrig’s final game (Baseball Hall of Fame)
The Royals had to wear Brewers uniforms for a game 42 years ago Wednesday (Kansas City Star)
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Today in 1993, the release of the blockbuster movie Jurassic Park. One of the small but key roles in that movie is the work of Jophery Brown, actor and a stuntman who's performed in some of the biggest movies of the last few decades. Plus: Sal Giardino's New Jersey gravestone is hard to miss: it's a giant black lightbulb featuring the words "World's Greatest Electrician."
The pitcher who became a legendary Hollywood stuntman (MLB.com)
Weird NJ #9
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Legend has it that today in 1529, two armies in Switzerland decided that instead of having a war, they would have some soup. Plus: Idaho's Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is holding a centennial celebration through September.
In Switzerland, the soup quarrelling politicians share (BBC)
100 Years of the Craters of the Moon (Visit Idaho)
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Today in 1520 the beginning of what may have been the biggest, most expensive party of all time, involving two kings, 18 days and $19 million. Plus: starting tomorrow in New Orleans, it’s the French Market Creole Tomato Festival.
The Field of the Cloth of Gold (Historic-UK.com)
French Market Creole Tomato Festival
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For the birthday of Tetris, the story of a 13 year old who played so deep into the NES version of the game that it crashed - and the gamers who found ways to keep playing even past that "end" point. Plus: starting tomorrow the town of Metropolis, Illinois is hosting its annual Superman Celebration.
It’s Possible to Hack Tetris From Inside the Game Itself (WIRED)
Metropolis Superman Celebration
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If you're traveling abroad this summer you'll need a passport - unless you're one of a very small number of very prominent people who don't need to use passports. Plus: this week Louisville, Kentucky is home to Ali Fest.
Does the President Have a Passport? (Slate)
Ali Fest in Louisville, KY
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It's National Cheese Day! Today we're telling the story of American cheese, which got its start from a guy who emigrated to Chicago from Ontario. Plus: a region of northern Sweden known as "the Kingdom of Cheese" drives the point home with two 23 foot tall cheese slicers.
What Is American Cheese, Anyway? (Serious Eats)
A Brief History of "American Cheese," from Colonial Cheddar to Kraft Singles (Mental Floss)
World's Largest Cheese Slicer (Atlas Obscura)
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Alexander Graham Bell is best known for the telephone, but he thought his light-based calling system, the photophone was way more important... so much so that he even tried to name his daughter Photophone Bell. Plus: for World Bicycle Day, the story of a Japanese company that let customers order a special set of socks that would be knitted by a bicycle-powered knitting machine.
Photophone: How Alexander Graham Bell Transmitted Sound by Sunlight (Amusing Planet)
Japanese Factory Lets You Knit Your Own Socks by Riding a Bicycle (Oddity Central)
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There’s some linguistic research that suggests that American hockey players sometimes start to sound more like Canadians as their hockey careers continue. Plus: The uses seven bridges to connect a bunch of islands in Norway together. You essentially get to drive right along the ocean.
How do you pronounce “hockey”? US players say it with “fake Canadian” accent. (Ars Technica)
The Atlantic Road (Explore Scandanavia)
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Today in 1953, some 10,000 people took part in Woodruff, Wisconsin's Memorial Day "Penny Parade." They were raising to build a hospital, urged on by the leader of the effort, Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb. Plus: a teen who went fishing catches a guy's wallet that had fallen into the water three decades earlier.
Penny Facts (Dr. Kate Museum)
Dr. Kate Museum in Woodruff, Wisconsin continues to honor the legacy of Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb (WUWM)
‘A blast from the past’: Lost wallet returns to Comox man after 33 years (Comox Valley Record)
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Today in 1943, Norman Rockwell's painting "Rosie the Riveter" was on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. But that's not the image that we think of today as Rosie, and just as there were multiple depictions of the character, there were multiple real-life inspirations for those depictions. Plus: congrats to Max the cat, who just got an honorary degree from a college in Vermont.
Everyone Was Wrong About the Real 'Rosie the Riveter’ for Decades. Here’s How the Mystery Was Solved (TIME)
Vermont university gives cat an honorary 'doctor of litter-ature' degree (WBNS via YouTube)
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Today in 1901, a court decision protected the right to say pretty much whatever we like while reviewing a podcast, or a song, or a performance. And it all started with some of the strangest performances of all time, put on by the Cherry Sisters. Plus: the start of summer travel season brings to mind a guy in Italy named Eduardo, who collects Do Not Disturb signs from different hotels.
Fair Comment (American Heritage)
Cherry Bomb: The Story of the Awful Cherry Sisters (WFMU)
This guy collects Do Not Disturb signs from Hotels around the World (Messy Nessy Chic)
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For today’s holiday we wanted to replay an episode from 2019 about the history behind Memorial Day. Officially, the community that started Memorial Day is Waterloo, New York - but Waterloo is definitely not the only place with a Memorial Day origin story.
How Waterloo, NY, became the birthplace of Memorial Day (New York Upstate)
Birthplace of Memorial Day? That Depends Where You’re From (New York Times)
Memorial Day History (VA.gov)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about our neighbors in the solar system. In this episode from March 2023, long before the internet’s favorite planet got its very pun-filled name, an astronomer wanted to give it a much more chill one. Plus: modern day scientists have plenty of theories on how Uranus ended up on its side.
Uranus: the first planet discovered with a telescope (Science Museum London)
There's a New Hypothesis For How Uranus Ended Up Tipped on Its Side (Science Alert)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about our neighbors in the solar system. In this episode from May 2019, a look at Venera 5, an overlooked but important visit to a fairly nasty place, the planet Venus. Plus: McMinnville, Oregon kicks off its annual UFO Festival, complete with fun run called the Alien Abduction Dash.
Venera 5 (NASA)
Yes, We've Seen the Surface of Venus (Popular Science)
McMinnville OR UFO Festival
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about our neighbors in the solar system. In this episode from June 2019, a look at how the Curiosity Rover takes selfies on Mars without having its robot arm in the foreground of every shot. Plus: the University of St. Andrews teaches grey seals to sing the "Star Wars" theme. For research.
Why Don’t We See the Curiosity Rover’s Arm When it Takes a Selfie? (Universe Today)
Curiosity Rover Report (June 13, 2013): Curiosity's Cameras (NASA on YouTube)
Grey seals copy human speech and music (University of St. Andrews)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about our neighbors in the solar system. In this episode from July 2022, the story of Venetia Burney, who at age eleven did something few people have done: she named a planet! Plus: the people of Ripon, Wisconsin team up to make the world’s largest chocolate chip cookie.
Venetia Burney Phair (1918-2009) (NASA)
Ripon's signature Cookie Daze has been discontinued, chamber cites closure of cookie factory (Ripon Press)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about our neighbors in the solar system. In this episode from October 2021, we find out whether scientists who study Uranus think the many jokes humans make about the seventh planet are funny. Plus: a visit to a magic shop in Burnsville, Minnesota that's the oldest in the US.
Here’s What Uranus Scientists Think About Your Disgusting Jokes (Futurism)
The Oldest Magic Shop In The U.S. Is Right Here In Minnesota, And It’s Full Of Enchanting Fun (Only in Minnesota)
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Ahead of World Baking Day, we look at the history of a baking and TV legend, the Pillsbury Doughboy. But did you know about his full name and his doughy relatives? Plus: today in Iowa, it’s day two of the three day Orange City Tulip Festival.
Meet the Pillsbury Doughboy’s Family! (Huffington Post)
The Doughboy is 50! (General Mills)
Orange City Tulip Festival
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Today in 1882 inventor Maria Beasley received the patent for what's probably her most well-known invention, a collapsible life raft. But Beasley was one of those inventors who came up with idea after idea in a bunch of fields, so there's lots more to her story. Plus: starting tomorrow in Nixa, Missouri, it’s Nixa Sucker Days.
Maria Beasley: Engineering dynamo (Go! Magazine via Iowa State University Institute for Transportation)
NIXA SUCKER DAYS
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There's a little Spanish enclave in southwestern France, and in the 1980s a dispute over a road between that community and the rest of Spain became known as a "war of the stop signs." Plus: when Harriet Richardson emailed a local church with some punny ideas for their sign, the church gave her a sign of her own.
The Spanish town that ended up in France (El Pais)
PLEASE STOP EMAILING US HARRIET. The internet is still good, people are still good. (Kottke.org)
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Today in 2005, test pilot Didier Delsalle took a helicopter where a helicopter had never gone before: the summit of Mount Everest. Plus: could cargo drones lug gear up and down the world's tallest mountain so that Sherpas and others climbers don't have to put themselves at risk to do it?
Landing on Everest: Didier Delsalle Recalls his Record Flight (Vertical Magazine)
Could Flying Drones Save Lives on Mount Everest? (Outside)
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This month in 2014, the debut of Mr. Trash Wheel! He’s become a social media sensation for his giant googly eyes and his dedication to cleaning up Baltimore’s waterfront. Plus: this month in 1984, the first online grocery order, by a retiree using her TV remote control (!)
Baltimore’s Trash Wheel family celebrating 10 years of cleaner water (WBAL)
Mr. Trash Wheel cleans up Baltimore Harbor with a dash of humor (PBS Newshour)
Online shopping: The pensioner who pioneered a home shopping revolution (BBC)
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Today in 1907, the birthday of Finnish Olympic gold medalist Kalle Jalkanen. His relay team had a big come from behind victory in the 1936 Winter Games, but what legend says happened along the way is an even more unusual part of the story. Plus: If you’re celebrating Mother’s Day this Sunday, you could head to St. Petersburg, Florida, which is home to the Museum of Motherhood.
The death of Finland's ski king was arcstained - Major executed four prisoners of war (Iltalehti)
Museum of Motherhood
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Today in 2007, the New York Times published a feature story on Kool Aid pickles, a sweet and sour treat that found some diehard fans in the southern US. Plus: officials in North Yorkshire, England say that to avoid issues with their geographic computer systems, their street signs will henceforth have no apostrophes.
A Sweet So Sour: Kool-Aid Dills (New York Times)
North Yorkshire Council to phase out apostrophe use on street signs (BBC)
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For National Have A Coke Day, a look at the time a few decades ago when Coke encouraged people not to drink something great, but to choose OK Soda. Plus: starting today in Homer, Alaska, it’s the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival.
The Strange Story Of "OK Soda" (Buzzfeed)
KACHEMAK BAY SHOREBIRD FESTIVAL
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Today in 1989, El Reno, Oklahoma held its first ever El Reno Burger Day. It was in honor of a local creation that's been popular for almost a century, the fried onion burger. Plus: for Tchaikovsky's birthday, the story of how a benefactor gave him a stipend that let him compose full time... with one very unusual string attached.
El Reno’s Fried Onion Burger Packed With Flavor And Long History (News9.com)
Tchaikovsky: Conflicted, Neurotic, Brilliant (California Symphony)
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Today was the birthday in 1915 of Orson Welles, who created timeless films, radio shows and stage plays... and outtakes for a wine commercial that went viral before any of us were on the internet. Plus: today in 1931, the birthday of baseball legend Willie Mays, who was such a great hitter that the scouting report had no advice on how to pitch to him.
I WAS THE MAN AT THE CLAPPERBOARD FOR ORSON WELLES’ LEGENDARY DRUNK WINE COMMERCIAL (MEL Magazine)
MAYS, WILLIE (N.Y. Outfielder) (Library of Congress)
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One way you could celebrate National No Pants Day is to put on a Roman toga or tunic, though the ancient Romans actually did a 180 on the question of pants. Here's why they were for them after they were against them. Plus: tomorrow in Prague, Oklahoma, it’s the Kolache Festival.
How Pants Went From Banned to Required in the Roman Empire (Atlas Obscura)
KOLACHE FESTIVAL: PRAGUE, OKLAHOMA
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Yes, today is a day in the month of May, but that's not where the international distress call "Mayday" comes from. We'll fill you in on the actual backstory. Plus: this weekend in Las Cruces, it’s the 2024 New Mexico Tamale Fest.
Why Is 'Mayday' the International Distress Call? (How Stuff Works)
The 2024 New Mexico Tamale Fest at Plaza De Las Cruces! (Cinco De Mayo)
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This month in 2008, a high school athlete from a very small town competed as a team of one in the Texas track championships, and finished first two years in a row. Plus: starting this Friday in Hilliard, Ohio, it’s the Early Television Convention.
THE POWER OF ONE (Sports Illustrated)
Early Television Convention (Early Television Museum)
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Today in 1939, the opening of the World's Fair in New York. One of the inventions featured there was a way that newspapers could broadcast newspapers over the radio and have special receivers print out a copy of the paper for customers. Plus: Michigan State University's Abrams Planetarium is also home to the Moist Towelette Museum?!?
A Look Back at the Radio Newspaper of the Air (Radio World)
Moist Towelette Museum (Weird Universe)
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Today in 1933 the birthday of Willie Nelson, a country music legend who once put out an album so that he could send royalties to the IRS to pay some overdue taxes. Plus: today in 1970, the birthday of Andre Agassi, who once figured out how to read a rival's serve in an unusual way.
Poor Willie (Texas Monthly)
WATCH: The amazing story of how Andre Agassi read Boris Becker’s serve by watching his tongue (Tennis365)
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For Arbor Day, the story of the Tree of 40 Fruit, a real tree in Syracuse, New York that shows just how many different fruit you can graft onto a single tree. Plus: starting tomorrow in Hawaii, it’s the Waikiki SPAM Jam.
Sculptor Sam Van Aken’s Tree of 40 Fruit (Syracuse University)
Waikiki Spam Jam
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On today's show we’re uncorking a new method to treat oil spills with cork and lasers, an unexpected and potentially greener combination. Plus: tomorrow is day one of the three day Vermont Maple Festival in St. Albans.
Trash to titan: Scientists create laser-treated cork that absorbs oil spills (Interesting Engineering)
VERMONT MAPLE FESTIVAL
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Washington State University researchers have come up with another e-tongue, and this one can quickly sense the compounds that show up when wine is spoiling. Plus: this weekend in Mansfield, Indiana, it’s the Mansfield Mushroom Festival.
E-tongue can detect white wine spoilage before humans can (Washington State University)
Mansfield Mushroom Festival
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For International English Language Day, the story of the most unusual guide to the language ever published, the one called “English As She Is Spoke.” Plus: this weekend in Mount Olive, North Carolina, it’s the North Carolina Pickle Festival.
English As She Is Spoke (1884) (Public Domain Review)
North Carolina Pickle Festival
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There’s a new development under the sea: a smart glove that could help scuba divers help each other steer clear of danger. Plus: the website After the Beep is an online answering machine, where you can leave your own anonymous voice message for the world to hear.
New e-glove could allow scuba divers shout ‘shark’ attack underwater (Interesting Engineering)
After the Beep is a website where users can leave an anonymous voicemail (Boing Boing)
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Around this time in 2012, Tampa, Florida declared that “The Historic Tampa Cuban Sandwich” was the city’s signature sandwich. People in Miami weren't thrilled about this, because they insist their Cuban is the historic one. Plus: starting today in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, it’s the 2024 Artisan Guitar Show.
Tampa vs. Miami: The Fight for the Cuban Sandwich (Delish)
Artisan Guitar Show
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Today in 1981, the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings started playing a minor league game, and it just kept going and going and going, eventually becoming the longest ever. Plus: starting Saturday in Greenville, North Carolina, it’s Piratefest.
The Most Incredible Performance In Baseball’s Longest Game (Heard It From Hoard)
Piratefest in Greenville, NC
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There's a story you see online about how Ford stashed some surplus cars in an underground cave to preserve them until they could sell. We can't verify that entire story, but there is an underground business park in Kansas City that Ford has used for decades. Plus: the Ford Maverick may have had the grooviest set of paint color names in automotive history.
Doing business 100 feet underground (CNN)
Ford Maverick Color Names Used To Be Fantastic (Jalopnik)
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Today was the launch date in 1972 of Apollo 16, a mission that tried to pay tribute to that year's Summer Games with a "lunar Olympics"... only the astronauts almost had a disaster on their lunar-suited hands. Plus: for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's birthday, the story of why he took a role in a famous comedy movie.
An Apollo astronaut explains how he nearly killed himself 'horsing around' on the moon in 1972 (Business Insider)
Surely you can’t be serious: An oral history of Airplane! (AV Club)
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Today in 1452, the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci, the painter of the Mona Lisa, namesake of a code (and a ninja turtle) and, according to Fast Company, the inventor of the resume. Plus: the Mona Lisa gets fan mail through its own mailbox.
Learn to write a résumé like the person who invented it—DaVinci (Fast Company)
Mona Lisa: Facts & Related Content (Britannica)
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This month in 2023, a big moment in the life of an eagle named Murphy, who had become internet famous for raising a rock. Plus: starting tomorrow in Rockwall, Texas it’s the annual Texas Pie Fest.
An Eagle Who Adopted a Rock Becomes a Real Dad (New York Times)
Here’s How to Get in on the End of Day Pie Fight at the Texas Pie Fest (Eater)
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There’s a new way to find out whether fresh water is actually fresh and clean: a set of glowing orbs in the Netherlands called POND. Plus: starting this Saturday, it's the Wamego, Kansas Tulip Festival.
These glowing orbs can tell you if water is clean or polluted (Fast Company)
Tulip Festival 2024
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Today was the birthday in 1794 of George Merryweather, the inventor of his era’s most fascinating leech-based weather predicting contraption: the tempest prognosticator. Plus: today in 1953, a phone company director pretty much predicts the smartphones of today.
A Council Of Leeches Used To Predict Storms Inside The "Tempest Prognosticator" (IFL Science)
Is This Cellphone Prediction from 1953 Real? (Snopes)
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Today in 1887 (or, by some accounts, 1888), the birthday of a composer who’s really only now getting the acclaim she deserves: Florence Price. Plus: did you know that it was a violation of iTunes terms of service to use it to build weapons?
As Her Music Is Reconsidered, a Composer Turns 135. Again. (New York Times)
8 Ridiculous EULA Clauses You May Have Already Agreed To (MakeUseOf)
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A study from Japan's Tohoku University says that if current trends continue, everyone in the country will eventually end up with the same surname - though it might take a while to get there. Plus: some residents of Luna Pier, Michigan were apparently so concerned about eclipse tourists that the mayor says they asked him to stop the eclipse.
Everyone in Japan will be called Sato by 2531 unless marriage law changed, says professor (The Guardian)
Solar Eclipse 2024: The only Michigan town that is in the path of totality (BridgeMI.com)
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This month in 1941, a dog in the UK became a hero in a very strange way, stopping a bomb by answering the call of nature. Plus: starting today in Darien, Georgia, it’s the Blessing of the Fleet.
Urinating WWII Great Dane's medal sold (BBC)
Dog cocked leg to extinguish Nazi bomb (Telegraph)
The Blessing of the Fleet
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It's International Carrot Day. If you want to see a really unique carrot, try Melbourne, Australia, where a guy named Nathan walks around town with a very large papier mache carrot. Plus: this weekend in Sebring, Florida, it's the Sebring Soda Festival.
‘There he goes with the carrot’: how walking the streets with a giant papier-mache vegetable made Nathan a Melbourne legend (The Guardian)
Sebring Soda Festival
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Today in 1919, one of the strangest moments in the history of professional baseball, when major leaguer Ping Bodie took on an ostrich in an eating contest and won. Plus: a ketchup giant is installing dispensers on the sidewalks outside some of Chicago’s best-loved (and often ketchup-free) hot dog places.
A Yankee, an ostrich and 22 plates of pasta (MLB.com)
Ping Bodie (Society for American Baseball Research)
Heinz Is Putting Up Ketchup Dispensers To Tempt Chicagoans With Forbidden Condiment (Block Club Chicago)
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Today in 1978, the premiere of the iconic TV show “Dallas.” It was originally just supposed to be a miniseries, but it just kept winning over audience after audience - even some audiences that were behind the Iron Curtain. Plus: all month long in and around Mount Vernon, Washington, it's the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.
How 'Dallas' Won the Cold War (Washington Post)
J. R. Ewing Shot Down Communism in Estonia (New York Times)
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
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It was probably more elaborate than your standard April Fools Day joke: today in 1906, the Chicago Tribune put together a two page "report," complete with pictures, about swarms of dinosaurs wrecking the city. Plus: it’s Easter Monday, and in the village of Hallaton, Leicestershire, England, it's the day for a competition known as Bottle Kicking.
April 1, 1906: Chicago invaded by hordes of prehistoric monsters dealing death and destruction (Chicago Tribune)
Bottle Kicking in Hallaton (Amusing Planet)
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This week we’re replaying some of our finest episodes about some of the finest works ever created. In this episode from November 2019, we take a trip through the website Weird Universe's Gallery of Art Hung Upside Down. Plus: a 9 year old who can't stop doodling, even in class, is now a professional artist. He's paid to doodle.
The Gallery of Art Hung Upside-Down (Weird Universe)
9-Year-Old Kid Who Kept Getting In Trouble For Doodling In Class Gets A Job Decorating A Restaurant With His Drawings (Bored Panda)
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This week we’re replaying some of our finest episodes about some of the finest works ever created. In this episode from October 2021, the story of sculptor Edmonia Lewis. She was born in the 1840s to a Black father and a Chippewa mother, and became the first Native American and Black woman to become an acclaimed sculptor. Plus: the exhibit known as Little Canada features miniature versions of some of this big country’s most famous cities, landmarks and attractions.
Edmonia Lewis (Smithsonian American Art Museum)
Little Canada
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This week we’re replaying some of our finest episodes about some of the finest works ever created. In this episode from September 2020, why even researchers run into challenges in verifying whether a Rembrandt is really his work or just a simulation. Plus: an interactive online map of continental drift can show you where a town or city used to be hundreds of millions of years ago.
The Rembrandt Research Project: Past, Present, Future
A Supposedly Fake Rembrandt Might Just Be Real (Vanity Fair)
Map Lets You See How Your Hometown has Moved Across 750 Million Years of Continental Drift (Good News Network)
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This week we’re replaying some of our finest episodes about some of the finest works ever created. In this episode from December 2022, the story of 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 Company)
Sarah Biffin: the celebrated nineteenth-century artist born without arms or legs (Art UK)
Found Ocean Stones Are Transformed Into Vibrant Mandalas You Can Hold in Your Hand (My Modern Met)
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This week we’re replaying some of our finest episodes about some of the finest works ever created. In this episode from October 2021, a look at the research into how pigeons take in and process visual information, like art. Apparently it's pretty complex. Plus: in Detroit, a local news reporter does a story about a local skateboard park, and flawlessly rides a skateboard in the middle of his report!
The Pigeon as Art Critic (Scientific American)
Van Gogh, Chagall and pigeons: picture discrimination in pigeons and humans (NIH)
Pigeons' Discrimination of Paintings By Monet and Picasso (Researchgate)
News anchor ends local skatepark dispatch by shredding into the sunset (AV Club)
Pigeons also recognize our Patreon backers as the best
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Today in 1931, the birthday of William Shatner, Captain Kirk from the original “Star Trek” series. Of course, if a different show he was supposed to star in had gone ahead, Shatner might not have ended up as Captain Kirk at all. Plus: tomorrow in Chicago, it’s St. Ryan’s Day, where anyone and everyone named Ryan is invited to come by and celebrate being a Ryan.
The failure of one toga-clad TV pilot completely altered the landscape of Sixties pop culture (MeTV)
Ryan Meetup
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It's our show's fifth birthday! It's also the birthday in 1962 of the first Taco Bell restaurant, which had a "chili burger" on its original menu. Plus: for National Fragrance Week, a visit to San Francisco's Aftel Archive of Curious Scents.
Was the 'Bell Beefer' Burger Among Taco Bell's First Offerings? (Snopes)
This San Francisco Bay Area museum stinks (Boing Boing)
Our Patreon get an exclusive bonus episode today - it’s like a 2 for 1 deal at a fast food place!
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Today in 1967, a Japanese athlete Shizo Kanakuri, finished a Olympic marathon that he’d started in 1912. Better late than never! Plus: a college student asks a professor a question and gets a reply long after graduation.
Better late than never for Japan's first, "slowest" Olympian (Japan Times)
Hannah Jung For all the people that think they are bad at responding to emails (Hannah Jung on Twitter via Bored Panda)
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Today in 1963, the opening of a bridge in Longview, Washington. that wasn't for cars, or bikes, or even pedestrians. It was a bridge for squirrels. Plus: Milan's Palazzo Morando is hosting an exhibit of photos featuring the colorful street fashions of people in the Congo and other African countries.
Nutty Narrows Bridge opens in Longview on March 19, 1963. (HistoryLink)
African Street Style and Global Subcultures Celebrated in Retrospective Photography Exhibition (My Modern Met)
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Today in 1941, the birthday of Wilson Pickett, a legend of soul and R&B music, and one who had an engineer save one of his future hit songs from a very hungry tape machine. Plus: today in 1970, the birthday of musician and actor Queen Latifah, who is known for a very specific requirement in her movie contracts.
"Mustang Sally" at 45 (Interview) – Sir Mack Rice and Spooner Oldham Tell The Story (Rock Cellar)
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson & 9 Other Actors With Bizarre Contract Clauses (ScreenRant)
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It’s Sleep Awareness Week, and today we’re talking about the part of sleep people usually like the least: the part where the alarm clock wakes us up. Or, in the time before alarm clocks, the part where the local "knocker-up" pounded on the doors to get people out of bed. Plus: the story of how rock singer Bret Michaels asked to adopt a huskie named Bret Michaels.
A 2,000-Year History of Alarm Clocks (Atlas Obscura)
Musician Bret Michaels to adopt dog who saved kitten's life (3 News Now)
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For Alfred Einstein's birthday, the story of how he and fellow prominent physicist Leo Szilard co-designed a unique kind of refrigerator in the 1920s. Plus: the letter Einstein wrote in 1936 for a time capsule that would be opened in a thousand years.
Einstein’s Little-Known Passion Project? A Refrigerator (WIRED)
Missive (Futility Closet)
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Danionella cerebrum is a completely transparent fish that's only 10-12 millimeters long. And researchers have just figured out how it can produce sounds that reach 140 dB or higher. Plus: a resident of Salem, Ohio has one of the largest ever collections of PEZ dispensers, around 4,000 in all.
A 12 mm fish produces 140-decibel sound to communicate in turbid waters (Phys.org)
Salem PEZ collector shows off massive collection (WKBN)
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Today in 1832, the birthday of Charles Boycott, whose name has been used for over a century anytime people decide to deliberately take their business away from a group or a company. Plus: this month in Worcester, Massachusetts, you can cover the fees for lost or missing books and DVDs by sending the library a cat picture.
Charles Boycott: The Man Who Became a Verb (Amusing Planet)
Act meow: Cat pics will pay your fines at Worcester's libraries (WBUR)
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This month in 2003, New York City launched its 311 service, a service that has helped residents with a wide range of non-emergency issues… and a few absolute head-scratchers. Plus: a video on Reddit appears to show someone operating a supermarket checkout in Osaka, Japan while in a full-size, realistic looking cat costume.
State of NYC311 20th Anniversary Report (NYC.gov)
Part-time cat at Namba-Marui, Osaka - Japan (Interesting as F___ on Reddit)
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There's a phenomenon in hospitals called "alarm fatigue" - there's so much loud beeping from machines that it can actually cause problems for patient care. An anesthesiologist and a music cognition researcher have teamed up to find alternatives to the jarring beeps. Plus: starting Sunday in south central Alaska, it’s the 2024 Arctic Winter Games.
Making Alarms More Musical Can Save Lives (Scientific American)
2024 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES
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For National Cereal Day, the stories of people who have taken cereal makers to court over some pretty eye-opening claims. Plus: did you known Cap'n Crunch once had a nemesis?
THE PEOPLE V. CAP’N CRUNCH: INSIDE THE CRUNCH BERRY LAWSUITS (MEL)
Cap'n Crunch vs. The Sogmaster (1987) (YouTube)
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Could the secret weapon against electronic waste may be cheese? Research finds a process involving the byproduct of cheesemaking known as whey protein could help recover gold and other precious metals from old computer motherboards. Plus: starting tomorrow in Nashville, Indiana, it's the Indiana Button Society Show & Competition.
Turning waste into gold (ETH Zurich)
Indiana State Button Society Annual Button Show
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Today in 1854, the birthday of a very important person in the history of how we keep track of time: Ruth Belville, who has been called the “Greenwich Time Lady.” Plus: this weekend in Las Vegas, the National Grocers Association is holding the Best Bagger National Championship.
History: The lady who sold time (New Scientist)
2024 Best Bagger National Championship
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Today in 1982, the premiere of the short-lived but critically acclaimed cop spoof Police Squad, a show TV executives said was essentially too funny to stay on the air. Plus: a video from 1939 features four brothers from Chicago showing off some very unusual bicycles they'd created.
‘The Naked Gun’ Spun Off From an Even Wackier TV Show (Collider)
4 Chicago Brothers Showed Off Their Strangest Bike Creations In 1939 (Chicagoist)
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It's National Pig Day, so it's a perfect time to tell one of the most famous stories of pig-based resistance in history: the story of Denmark’s Protestschwein, or protest pigs. Plus: starting today in Houston, Minnesota, it's the International Festival of Owls.
The Ultimate Mudslinger: The Story Behind Denmark’s Protest Pigs (Mental Floss)
International Festival of Owls
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There's a newspaper in France that’s only published every four years: the leap day paper known as La Bougie du sapeur. Plus: apparently February 29 is a popular day to get married, so clerks are preparing for some extra weddings.
The Newspaper That is Published Only on 29th February (Amusing Planet)
San Diego County accepting walk-ins for couples wanting to get married on Leap Day (FOX 5 San Diego)
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Scientists and technicians are trying to figure out the logistics of off-Earth human bases. If that happens, there's some research that suggests the communities could end up developing their own accents. Plus: a Ukrainian artist develops the Graffiti Color Mixer.
Will future colonists on the moon and Mars develop new accents? (Live Science)
A Clever Color Mixer That Puts Different Hues Into a Single Spray Paint Can (Laughing Squid)
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Today was the birthday in 1878 of a guy who changed breakfast forever: Charles Strite, the inventor of the pop-up toaster. Here's how the idea popped up. Plus: how a Scottish woman was accidentally named one of the top tourist attractions in Glasgow (!?!)
The Demise of Burnt Toast: The Invention of the Pop-up Toaster (Hennepin History)
Glasgow woman ‘is 87th best attraction in city’ (The Scotsman)
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Today in 1940, the birthday of the world’s number one flag expert: Whitney Smith, who not only studied flags his entire life, he invented the word for studying flags. Plus: a company in Japan is making fabric out of apples!
When the World Runs Something New Up the Flagpole, Scholar Whitney Smith Is First to Salute (People)
Whitney Smith, Whose Passion for Flags Became a Career, Dies at 76 (New York Times)
adam sheet is a translucent and washable fabric made of recycled apple waste (designboom)
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This week we're re-delivering some of our favorite episodes about letters, packages and deliveries. In this episode from July 2021, the US Postal Service launches ZIP codes to quickly sort huge amounts of mail and get it to where it needed to go, with help from a mascot named Mr. Zip and a jingle sung by Broadway legend Ethel Merman. Plus: a runner in Ontario runs a moose-shaped route through downtown Toronto.
The ZIP Code Turns 50 (TIME)
Ethel Merman (National Postal Museum)
Toronto cyclist rides 101km to make the most Canadian Strava art (Cycling Magazine)
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This week we're re-delivering some of our favorite episodes about letters, packages and deliveries. In this episode from March 2021, Henry Brown escapes slavery from a Virginia plantation in a very unusual way: he arranged it so he could hide in a small wooden box that was sent to Pennsylvania. Plus: a paramedic rescues a doctor from a fiery car crash, 30 years after that same doctor had helped the paramedic survive as a newborn.
Slavery cost him his family. That’s when Henry ‘Box’ Brown mailed himself to freedom. (Washington Post)
Little Known Black History Fact: Henry ‘Box’ Brown (Black America Web)
OC Paramedic Helps Rescue Doctor Who Saved His Life as Baby; Pair Reunited (KTLA)
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This week we're re-delivering some of our favorite episodes about letters, packages and deliveries. In this episode from July 2019, the story of Owney, the dog who loved the mail so much that he helped deliver it all over the world. Plus: Freeman, South Dakota holds its annual Chislic Festival, a two day celebration of cubed meat on a stick. (Sorry, dogs aren't allowed.)
The National Postal Museum tells the history of America through moon mail, rare stamps, and one taxidermy dog (Roadtrippers)
The History of Owney the Postal Dog, Mascot of the Railway Mail Service (USPS Blog)
South Dakota Chislic Festival
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This week we're re-delivering some of our favorite episodes about letters, packages and deliveries. In this episode from March 2021, the story of Mary Fields, the first Black woman to receive a Post Office contract to deliver the mail, and in the Wild West, no less. Plus: the story of a sibling who found a practical use for her identical twin.
The Life and Legend of Mary Fields (Montana Women's History)
Stagecoach Mary Fields (National Postal Museum)
Fields, Mary – aka Stagecoach Mary (Amazing Black History)
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This week we're re-delivering some of our favorite episodes about letters, packages and deliveries. In this episode from February 2020, a family in Grangeville, Idaho sends a four year old through the mail to her grandmother in Lewiston, 73 miles away. And she wasn’t the only kid to travel this way after the US Postal Service began the parcel post. Plus: the group Electronicos Fantasticos makes some fascinating music with bar code scanners.
A Brief History of Children Sent Through the Mail (Smithsonian)
We Used to be Able to Send Children in the Mail (KQED)
Barcoders Jamming (Electronicos Fantasticos on YouTube)
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Today in 1847, the state of Missouri put a significant obstacle in front of a civil rights activist's efforts to educate Black students in St. Louis. But he found a way around it. Plus: starting tomorrow in Wisconsin, the Waupun IceFest gets underway.
How a floating school bypassed racist laws in pre-Civil War St. Louis (FOX 2)
Waupun IceFest
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For Black History Month, the story of the Blackwell Family Tree, a genealogy project that traces on Black family's history back through thousands of people and hundreds of years. Plus: starting this Saturday in Fairbanks, Alaska, it’s the World Ice Art Championships.
A family reaches back to reclaim its history (QCity Metro)
Blackwell-Ashe Family Tree to Take Root in Richmond (Richmond Magazine)
World Ice Art Championships
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The whole idea of Valentine's Day is to show a little love, right? Not always. In the old days, some people sent out nasty-grams known as "vinegar valentines" to their least favorite people. Plus: today in 2014, a news report on a guy in China who tried something unusual to keep couples from enjoying a romantic movie together.
When Valentines Were Really, Really Mean (Slate)
Happy Valentine's Day, I Hate You (Collectors Weekly)
Single Chinese man spoils couples' Valentine's plans by preventing them from sitting together in the cinema (The Independent)
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Today in 1988 the Winter Olympics began in Calgary, Alberta. There were plenty of eyes that year on the demonstration sport known as ski ballet. Plus: an archeologist has found evidence in Kenya of an ancient form of a classic board game dug into the ground.
Cool Down and Reminisce over the Wonders of Ski Ballet (Messy Nessy Chic)
Ancient 'Arcade' of Games Played for Thousands of Years Discovered (Newsweek)
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It's Abe Lincoln's birthday, and if you want to see a small bit of the man himself, you could try heading to Syracuse, New York, where there’s a bit of Abe Lincoln’s hair in a very unusual decoration known as the Hairy Eagle. Plus: a website took all the clips of WKRP's Dr. Johnny Fever as a DJ, and turned them into a single three hour radio show.
Hair (Amusing Planet)
Guest DJ: Dr. Johnny Fever (Aw Phooey)
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Today in 1865, the birthday of Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, who gave the world a close-up view of the beauty and variety in snowflakes. Plus: a moment in 1959 that could have used a little more attention to detail.
How a Vermont farmer proved no snowflakes are alike (CNN)
Miscellany, Feb. 9, 1959 (TIME)
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For all the talk these days about the potential of generative AI, the systems still have a long way to go. For example, some recent research finds that some human users think ChatGPT comes off as less realistic than a famous chatbot from the 60s known as ELIZA. Plus: with the Super Bowl just days away, a look at how Gaulladet University helped give football the huddle.
Before ChatGPT, There Was ELIZA: Watch the 1960s Chatbot in Action (Open Culture)
When Gallaudet University Football Invented the Huddle (Gallaudet University)
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Today in 1943, the US announced it would start rationing shoes to save rubber and leather for the troops in World War II. People on the home front found ways to make shoes out of alternative materials. Plus: today in 1915, the New York Philharmonic included a special note in its program asking members of the audience to stop knitting during the performances.
Rationing of Non-Food Items on the World War II Home Front (National Park Service)
1915 Feb 07 / Subscription Season / Stransky (ID: 6287) (New York Philharmonic)
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We're in the shortest month of the year, but how did that happen? The answer starts with the Romans, who had reasons. Plus: a choir in Canada wanted to sing "Never Gonna Give You Up" with Rick Astley, and of course he didn't give them up.
Why does February have 28 days? (BBC Sky At Night)
Rick Astley performs 'Never Gonna Give You Up' with 200 people in a Toronto basement and it's awesome (CBC)
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This week in 1897, lawmakers in the state of Indiana almost added a mathematical shortcut to state law, with a bill that would have set the wrong value for the number pi. Plus: Listen To The Clouds lets you choose radio traffic from dozens of airports around the world, and plays them alongside ambient music tracks.
Feb. 5, 1897: Indiana Pols Forced to Eat Humble Pi (Wired)
LISTEN TO THE CLOUDS
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Today in 1983, the birthday of Jessica Cox, the first person born without arms to become a licensed pilot. And that’s just one of her many accomplishments. Plus: this weekend, the Quebec Winter Carnival brings back ice canoe races on the St. Lawrence River.
New feat with her feet: Tucsonan, born minus arms, earns pilot’s license (Tucson Citizen)
Armless pilot gives students a look at first foot-controlled plane: ‘Disability does not mean inability’ (Chicago Sun-Times)
Québec Winter Carnival
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Today in 1964, Billboard Magazine reported that the governor of Indiana had called on the state’s broadcasters to stop playing the song “Louie, Louie” by the Kingsmen because of its allegedly dirty lyrics. We'll explain what happened. Plus: tomorrow in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the ICE ART FEST gets underway.
That time Indiana teens ratted out dirty ‘Louie Louie’ lyrics, and the FBI got involved (Indianapolis Star)
The 8th Annual ICE ART FEST
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A partnership between university researchers and a startup in British Columbia is testing out a new wearable device that can track arm and hand movements from people recovering from strokes to help improve their rehab exercises. Plus: starting this Friday in Camden, Maine, it’s the U.S. National Toboggan Championships.
‘Smart glove’ can boost hand mobility of stroke patients (University of British Columbia)
U.S. National Toboggan Championships
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Today in 1949, a first for American network TV: a female comedian did a standup routine on the air. Here's the story of comic Jean Carroll. Plus: Greensburg, Kansas is home to the world's largest hand-dug well.
The First Mrs. Maisel (Emmys.com)
‘A hole in the ground' and other quirky curiosities mean money and pride for small Kansas towns (KAKE)
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To clear snow and ice, some of us use shovels, others use snowblowers. Holland, Michigan uses a long series of tubes under the streets and sidewalks in its downtown district to melt any winter accumulation. Plus: now underway in Arizona, it’s the Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase.
Snowmelt: A Snow-Free Holland (Discover Holland Michigan)
TUCSON GEM, MINERAL & FOSSIL SHOWCASE (Visit Tucson)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite feline-themed episodes. In this episode from September 2022, a news story with one heck of a headline: “Kitten Scales Matterhorn: Veteran Mountain Climbers Are Astonished”! Here's how the cat, later nicknamed Matt, got there. Plus: a small plaque in Denmark marks a big moment in rock music history.
The cat that climbed the Matterhorn (Weird Universe)
Commemorating the debut of Led Zeppelin in 1968
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite feline-themed episodes. In this episode from September 2022, the story of Room 8, a stray cat turned classroom cat turned legend. Plus: the Michigan State Fair gets underway today, and hopefully goes better than the botched attempt at a fair back in 1839.
Room 8, The Cat That Adopted An Echo Park School, Died 50 Years Ago Today (LAist)
The Michigan State Fair (LostStory.net)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite feline-themed episodes. In this episode from August 2019, Dean Nicholson leaves his job and started a bike trip across the world. While riding through Bosnia, he heard a “desperate meow." So, instead of riding solo, he decided the cat would come along. Plus: if a continental bike trip with a cat isn’t your cup of tea, how about a boat trip with a chicken?
Cat travels the world on a bicycle after backpacker adopts the stray kitten and customises bike to take her with him (The Daily Mail)
Boat trip with a chicken (The Guardian)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite feline-themed episodes. In this episode from March 2020, we learn about how music can help cats relax during their visits to the vet. But would music specifically made for cats be even more helpful than music made for humans? Plus: a museum in Justin Bieber's hometown that features all the stuff from his career that his proud grandparents saved!
This music calms cats the best, study finds (Treehugger)
How a small-town Canadian museum became a shrine to Justin Bieber (The Outline)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite feline-themed episodes. In this episode from October 2021, the story of a black and white cat from the streets of France became the first cat to go into space. She didn't choose to go, of course, but she's a pioneer just the same - and until a few years ago, a greatly underappreciated one. Plus: back in 1922, a girl in Illinois made it to school after being run over by a train?!?
Félicette, the First Feline in Space, Finally Got Her Due (How Stuff Works)
Et si Félicette, le premier chat dans l'espace, avait bientôt sa statue ? (Le Parisien)
Today in 1922: a six year old in Illinois made it to school after being run over by a train (!!!!!!!) (New York Tribune via Twitter)
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Today in 1907, the birthday of Callum deVillier, who once won a dance marathon with partner Vonnie Kuchinski after more than five months of steps. Plus: today in Indiana, the start of the Shipshewana Ice Festival and the Shipshewana Chili Cook-off.
The bleak story behind the birth of dance marathons (MPR News)
Shipshewana Ice Festival/Chili Cookoff
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The auto industry is pleased to report that last year was the best year for new car sales since 2019. That means a lot of people are breathing in the scent we call new car smell, which… well, what the heck is that smell anyway? Plus: this weekend, Farmers Branch, Texas formally opens what is says will be the first glow in the dark playground in the US.
A Day in the Life of Nissan’s Smellmasters Who, Yep, Smell Nissans for a Living (The Drive)
The Science of the New-Car Smell (Car and Driver)
Texas city to open nation’s first glow-in-the-dark playground in the new year (KXAN)
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This week in 1920, a federal law enforcing the Constitution's Prohibition Amendment took effect. But there were loopholes, and one of the most clever way to use those loopholes was through something known as the "grape brick" or "wine brick." Plus: today in 1922, the birthday of TV legend Betty White, who spent almost all her life on screen but also took time away to serve during World War II.
Rare Prohibition ‘grape brick’ that turns into wine on show (The Drinks Business)
Betty White's shoulder bag is a time capsule of World War II (National Museum of American History)
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Cars have had airbags for years; there are even inflatable airbag pants for motorcyclists. Now there are inflatable airbag clothing that can protect people who fall. Plus: a 19th century dress came with a strange coded message, but that message has now been decoded.
Wearable Airbags Instantly Protect The Elderly When They Fall (DesignTaxi)
A Woman Hid This Secret Code in Her Silk Dress in 1888—and Codebreakers Just Solved It (Popular Mechanics)
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It's Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and today we remember the time Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and how his home city gave him a warm welcome after he received the honor - though putting that warm welcome together got complicated.
How Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1964 Nobel Peace Prize challenged Atlanta’s tolerance (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Nobel Peace Prize (The Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute, Stanford University)
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Today in 1912, the birthday of actor House Peters Jr., the first live action Mr. Clean on TV commercials. We'll explain how the character got his name, his look and his worldwide reputation. Plus: tomorrow in and around Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota, it's day one of Frostival.
Search for new Mr. (or Ms.) Clean is on (Toronto Sun)
MR. CLEAN AT 40 (Chicago Tribune)
Frostival
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On this day in 1992, John Thompson of North Dakota lost his arms in a farm accident. He then got himself emergency care in time so that he got his arms back! Plus: today in 2023, a family in Bloomington, Illinois started hearing noises in the garage. It was an endangered ring-tailed lemur.
Whatever happened to John Thompson, the ND farm kid who had his arms ripped off in a 1992 farm accident? (Ag Week)
An Illinois family heard a noise in their garage. It was an endangered ring-tailed lemur. (Yahoo!)
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In our time there are lots of apps and other programs that help people who are looking to date. Back in the 1920s, some clubs in Berlin let singles flirt using pneumatic tubes and tableside telephones! Plus: a cement company in Peru is trying to help blind and visually impaired people more easily find their destinations.
Flirting in the Club Was Much Easier in the 1920s (VICE)
sidewalk tiles with numbered lines let the visually impaired know the shop they’re passing by (designboom)
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Today in 1913, the birthday of President Richard Nixon. In addition to being a politician, Nixon was a capable piano player who once said on tape that he would've gone into music "if there had been a good rap group around in those days." Plus: the time the 37th president sent a thank you letter to one of the wildest outsider musicians of all time.
Richard Nixon, wannabe rapper (Washington Post)
He hunches in Heaven. Hasil Adkins dead at 67. (WFMU)
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Today in 1978 the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper started publishing a series of stories that reporters still talk about today: reporters bought a dive bar in Chicago, named it the Mirage Tavern, and worked undercover as bartenders to catch corrupt city inspectors. Plus: today in 1935, the birthday of Elvis Presley - or at least the best known Elvis Presley. One of his impersonators, who legally changed his name to that of the King, ran in 2014 for Arkansas commissioner of state lands.
A toast to undercover journalism’s greatest coup, when reporters bought a bar (Columbia Journalism Review)
THE MIRAGE TAVERN (WTTW)
Elvis runs for office in Arkansas (Arkansas Online)
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This week in 1973, the premiere of Schoolhouse Rock! We'll explain how this show got kids singing and learning every Saturday morning. Plus: today in 1893, the birthday of folk great Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten, who only started performing in her 60s but wrote her signature song decades before.
Happy Anniversary “Schoolhouse Rock!” (Library of Congress)
Syracuse folk legend Libba Cotten to be inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Syracuse.com)
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Twenty years ago today, Channel Four in the UK first aired "Shattered," a show where contestants tried to stay awake the longest to win a grand prize. Plus: this month in 1970, German artist Wolf Vostell unveiled a work in Chicago in which he'd taken a 1957 Cadillac and encased it in concrete.
Shattered: legacy of a reality TV experiment in extreme sleep deprivation (The Guardian)
VOSTELL CONCRETE 1969–1973 JANUARY 1 (Smart Museum of Art)
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Today in 1959, Alaska became the 49th state in the Union. It’s unique in so many ways, like how a large part of one Alaskan community lives in a single 14 story building. Plus: a town in Romania is offering free bus passes to those who do a little exercise.
Begich Towers, home to about half the population of Whittier, gets a much-needed overhaul (Anchorage Daily News)
Can You Get a Free Bus Ticket by Doing 20 Squats in Romania? (Snopes)
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For the first six days of the year in a small city in Ecuador, it's the Diablada de Píllaro, with people dancing in the streets in very colorful devil costumes. Plus: the website CryOnceAWeek.com wants to help you feel better by getting the tears flowing.
Dancing With Devils: Latin American Mask Traditions (Ohio State University Libraries)
In Píllaro, the Year Begins with Dancing Devils (Neatorama)
cry once a week
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Each year New York City hosts huge crowds hoping to see the famous ball drop. But once the giant party is done and the revelers have headed home, the giant cleanup effort begins. Plus: the story of an Alabama man who quietly helped his neighbors in need for years.
HOW DOES NYC CLEAN UP AFTER THE NEW YEAR'S EVE BALL DROP IN TIMES SQUARE? (Untapped New York)
Farmer dies; town learns he secretly paid strangers’ pharmacy bills (Washington Post)
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This is our very last episode of 2023, so we’re telling the story of the final stop in our 26 letter alphabet: here’s where Z came from. Plus: the oldest known developed photo has been developed, but there's still a lot of mystery around it.
Why Was Z Once Removed From The Alphabet? (Dictionary.com)
Why Do Americans Say “Zee” but the British Say “Zed”? (Readers Digest)
World’s Oldest Known Photo to Ever Be Developed Reveals Two Mysterious Figures (My Modern Met)
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If this time of year is a little too drab and grey for your tastes, head to Puerto Rico’s northern coast for Festival de las Máscaras de Hatillo: the Festival of Masks. Plus: today in 1894, the birth of Burnita Matthews, the first woman to serve as a federal district judge in the US. In 1919 she managed to make silence speak volumes.
Festival de las Máscaras de Hatillo (Discovering Puerto Rico)
Burnita S. Matthews Dies at 93; First Woman on U.S. Trial Courts (New York Times)
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Today in 1935, a military mission you sure don’t see every day: at the direction of then-Lieutenant Colonel George S. Patton, American planes carried out a series of bombing runs in Hawaii to stop a volcano. Plus: this week in 2015, Vogue Magazine published a correction for the record books.
27 December 1935 (This Day In Aviation)
Miscues That Made News (Robert Rector on Blogspot)
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Today in 2004, a 10 year old managed to save a lot of people from a massive tsunami because she remembered a lesson she’d learned in school about what happens right before a tsunami hits. Good thing she was listening. Plus: Asheville, NC's Omni Grove Park Inn is displaying the very fancy entries from the 32nd Annual National Gingerbread House Competition.
How Paying Attention in Elementary School Can Save Lives (Now I Know)
THE NATIONAL GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION DISPLAY (Omni Hotels)
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Santa Claus may be the man with the bag in the US today, but in other parts of the world there are some very different gift givers. We'll ride with a few of them to celebrate the many ways people celebrate December 25. Merry Christmas!
Around the world, kids’ Christmas gifts include KFC, books and ‘pooping logs’ (CNN)
Christmas gift-bringers of Europe (JakubMarian.com)
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Winter is officially here in the Northern Hemisphere. If it doesn't feel like it yet, grab a snow globe - we'll tell you how they got their start. Plus: in Newburgh in Fife, Scotland, they turn sketches by local kids into a set of holiday light sculptures.
Was the Snow Globe Invented by Accident? (Snopes)
A Scottish Town’s Annual Competition Invites Its Youngest Artists to Design ‘Wonky’ Holiday Lights (Colossal)
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No meeting has ever been bigger than the one that happened today in 1970, when the King of Rock and Roll met the President of the United States. We'll explain how it happened. Plus: around this time of year, animal lovers in New York City gather at a mostly secret spot inside Central Park to decorate a pet memorial tree.
December 21, 1970: Elvis Presley Meets President Richard Nixon (National Portrait Gallery)
The Secret Christmas Tree for Pets in Central Park (Untapped New York)
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Today in 1946, the release of the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life.” It took a while for the movie to win its spot in the top ranks of holiday films - and the story on which the movie is based also took a little while to make its way into the world. Plus: that pool built under the gym floor in the movie? That's real.
It’s a Wonderful Life was Based on a “Christmas Card” Short Story by Philip Van Doren Stern (Today I Found Out)
Jimmy Stewart Owed His Most Memorable Holiday Performance to World War II (HistoryNet)
The Pool in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is Real (Aqua Magazine)
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Today in 1972 Apollo 17 returned from the moon. One of the lunar samples was sliced up and shared with every American state and hundreds of countries... except that we aren't quite sure where some of those rocks are now. Plus: if you’re anywhere near Cocoa Beach, Florida this holiday weekend, watch for the Surfing Santas!
Louisiana’s missing moon rock found by Florida man recycling wooden plaques into gun stock (The Advocate - Baton Rouge, LA)
Finding lost moon rocks is his mission (Los Angeles Times)
Surfing Santas In Cocoa Beach
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Today in 1778, the birthday of Joseph Grimaldi, the guy who basically invented clowning as we know it today. Here's some of his story. Plus: congratulations to the winner of the 2023 International Wedding Photographer of the Year Contest, and to the bird who helped make the winning photo happen.
Here We Are Again!—How Joseph Grimaldi Invented the Creepy Clown (JSTOR)
10 STRANGE LONDON MEMORIALS AND THE HISTORY BEHIND THEM (Look Up London)
Bird Landing on Bride’s Head Wins 2023 International Wedding Photographer of the Year Contest (My Modern Met)
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For drivers in very snowy places, winter is time to put snow chains on car tires. It’s neither easy nor fun - but a new concept from two automakers could change that, by embedding snow chain-like paddles right into the tires. Plus: St. Charles, Missouri now has its own Soda Museum and Arcade!
Hyundai’s New Push-Button Snow Chains Are Right Out of a James Bond Movie (The Drive)
Massive soda memorabilia collection opens to the public in St. Charles (FOX2Now)
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For National Monkey Day, the story of Jack, a baboon in South Africa who was so smart he worked for a railroad for nine years without a single mistake. Plus: The Arizona Daily Star is printing a page in each day’s paper this week that's unique wrapping paper designed by an artist from Tucson.
Stranger Than Fiction: Jack the Signalman (Knoxville Daily Sun)
These wrapping paper designs were created by Tucson artists (Tucson.com)
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A project out of the University of California - Davis uses images from a very well known navigation system to help slow the spread of invasive species. Plus: in the late 19th Century, a guy thought he could keep horses from freaking out around cars with something he called the Horsey Horseless.
Google Weed View? Professor Trains Computer to Spot Invasive Weed (UC-Davis)
The 50 Worst Cars of All Time (TIME via Archive.org)
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Today in 1906 a vote in Congress put an end to one of President Theodore Roosevelt’s top priorities: simplifying the way we spell words. Or, as he would have preferred, spel wurds. Plus: around this time of year a zoo in Japan starts offering warm water baths to their capybaras.
Teddy Roosevelt’s Bold (But Doomed) Battle to Change American Spelling (History.com)
Birthplace of the Capybara Hot Bath Celebrates 40 years of Rodent Relaxation (Spoon + Tamago)
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One of the most popular Hanukkah traditions these days is latkes, though this delicious part of the Festival of Lights has definitely seen a few changes over the years. Plus: this afternoon in Marengo, Indiana, Caroling in the Cave.
How Latkes Became Hanukkah's Favorite Food (HowStuffWorks)
Everything You Know About Latkes Is Wrong (The Atlantic)
Caroling In The Cave/Marengo Cave (Visit Indiana)
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Red, yellow and green have been our standard stoplight colors for over a century. But researchers in North Carolina suggest a fourth color could help driverless cars and those steered by humans share the road. Plus: Chester, Illinois was home to the creator of Popeye and they have the statues all over town to prove it.
A Study Proves Stoplights Need a Fourth Color: White (Popular Mechanics)
The Popeye Capital of the World Is Hiding In Small Town Illinois And It’s As Weirdly Wonderful As You’d Expect (Only In Illinois)
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Today in 1949, the birthday of musician Tom Waits. His path has been unique and singular, accept no imitations… no really. A Tom Waits imitation once led the singer to sue a giant snack company. Plus: around this time in 2021, a security guard on his first day on the job drew eyes on a million dollar painting because he was "bored."
When Tom Waits Sued Frito-Lay Over a Doritos Ad (Mental Floss)
A security guard is accused of ruining a million-dollar painting by drawing eyes on it in ballpoint pen (Yahoo!)
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Today in 1872, the Chicago Tribune reported on the launch of a new fire station that would change the profession of firefighting forever by inventing the fire pole. Plus: around this time in 2002, the Supreme Court in Finland ruled that cab drivers would have to pay royalties for musicians (!)
In response to White Chicagoans mocking the first Black fire crew in 1872, they wanted to prove themselves as good, if not better (Chicago Tribune)
Finland's cabbies face the music (The Guardian)
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There was a really interesting piece on J-STOR recently that washes away the widespread idea that the Middle Ages in Europe was just unbelievably filthy. Why is it that we think the Middle Ages WAS so dirty? Plus: for Computer Science Education Week, a look at a deliberately difficult coding language called Malbolge.
Scrub-a-Dub in a Medieval Tub (JSTOR)
The Middle Ages Were Cleaner Than We Think (Wall Street Journal)
Introduction to Malbolge (LScheffer)
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Today in 1974, the first time a person used a computer to order a pizza. It wasn't an online order, but it was still a big moment in the history of tech (and the history of pizza). Plus: today in 2020, the UK news outlet The Independent reported on a man in Italy who had a very strange week.
Watch: Talking computer orders a pizza in 1974 (CBS News)
Man fined after walking 280 miles to calm down following row with wife during lockdown (The Independent)
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Today in 2010, the US Postal Service released a new stamp featuring the Statue of Liberty - well, sort of. And that “sort of” ended up being a big and expensive deal. Plus: a new device called The Super Smart Fridge could help grocery shoppers remember whether they still have some ketchup at home or whether they need more.
GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME TRIPLE SEVENS (Now I Know)
Statue of Liberty (Linn’s Stamp News)
Rocco’s The Super Smart Fridge Lets You Check What You Already Have, Remotely (Cool Hunting)
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Today in 1858 the US issued a patent for the mason jar. And yes, the story of the mason jar starts with someone named Mason. Plus: congratulations to this year’s newly-announced winners of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.
A Brief History of the Mason Jar (Smithsonian)
WINNERS ANNOUNCED! (Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards)
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At the airport in Las Vegas, there's a terminal you can't use to fly in and catch a Golden Knights game or drop by a casino. It's used only by one of the most out-of-sight airlines in the world, a secret airline known as "Janet." Plus: as humans consider missions further out into space, Jihee Kim designs a robot dog named Laika that could help keep astronauts from getting lonely.
U.S. Air Force Looking For New ‘Janet’ Operator (Aviation Week)
U.S. government airline Janet hides in plain site (News.com.au)
life-like, AI robot dog 'laika' offers physical and emotional support for space travelers (designboom)
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The Tension-Activated Repair Patch could help people with back injuries, and it works a little bit like how we patch flat tires on the road. Plus: The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is typically the start of a unique tradition in Albuquerque, New Mexico: making a snow person out of tumbleweeds!
New ‘patch’ uses natural body motion to fix disc herniation (University of Pennsylvania)
Tumbleweed Snowman (Atlas Obscura)
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Today in 1940 the birthday of Bruce Lee, movie and TV star, martial arts trainer to the stars, poet, philospher and... cha cha champion. Plus: today in 1942, the birthday of Jimi Hendrix, rock icon and board game enthusiast.
THE TRUTH ABOUT BRUCE LEE'S DANCING SKILLS (Grunge)
Graham Nash recalls playing Risk with Jimi Hendrix on acid (SiriusXM)
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Domino's Japan once tried to send its pizzas out by reindeer, but they had to backtrack after a week because, well, you can probably figure out why. Plus: Minnesota asks for suggestions on a new state flag and boy oh boy did they get suggestions.
Domino's Tried a Reindeer Delivery Program... You Can Guess How That Went (NBC News)
Whole lotta loons: 2,000-plus submissions unveiled for new Minnesota state flag, seal (CBS News)
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Happy Thanksgiving! Back in the early days of this American holiday, kids would dress up in costumes and go door to door, asking for treats. It was known as the Ragamuffin Parade. Plus: back in 2010, the website Passive-Aggressive Notes posted a class assignment by 7 year old Lola, who declared "turkeys think of Thanksgiving as a war."
Thanksgiving Ragamuffin Parade (New York Public Library)
Poultry Slam (Passive-Aggressive Notes)
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New research finds groups of chimpanzees spy on each other, carrying out recon missions to either avoid other groups or to try to encroach on their territory when it's safe to do so. Plus: a visit to the Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake, Yukon.
Chimpanzees use hilltops to conduct reconnaissance on rival groups (University of Cambridge)
Take a trip around the world in the Sign Post Forest (Travel Yukon)
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Today is World Hello Day, so we explain how and when English speakers started using the word "hello" to say hello. Plus: scientists at the University of California-Davis have figured out how sunflowers turn their colorful heads toward the sun as it moves through the day.
World Hello Day: History of a Greeting (Saturday Evening Post)
How Sunflowers See the Sun (UC-Davis)
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It was this month in 1936 that a guy in Knoxville, Tennessee started promoting his newly-invented giant trash receptacle, named the dumpster. Plus: there's apparently a new effort in northern China to keep nighttime drivers awake and alert with a series of colorful laser patterns shining over the road.
Dempster Dumpster (Fire) (Visit Knoxville)
Congratulations, everybody: ‘Dumpster fire’ is now a dictionary entry, and here’s why (Washington Post)
These Laser Lightshows On Chinese Highway Are Meant To Keep Drivers Awake (Jalopnik)
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The tech industry is always on the lookout for the next big thing in batteries. Scientists on the East Coast may have found it in crab shells. Plus: this is typically the weekend in the city of Taketa, Japan for the Chikuraku Festival.
Don't Toss Out The Crab Shells (WBOC)
20,000 Bamboo Lanterns Illuminate the Chikuraku Festival (Spoon + Tamago)
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Today in 1907 Oklahoma became the 46th state in the Union. Oklahoma's panhandle has a complicated history that includes a time when it was known as “No Man’s Land.” Plus: this Saturday in Luther, Oklahoma, it’s the Luther Pecan Festival.
The Secret History of the Oklahoma Panhandle (Conde Nast Traveler)
Luther Pecan Festival
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Ten years ago today, one of the sweetest moments in recent history: the day a five year old got to celebrate the end of his cancer treatments by becoming a superhero and saving the day in front of tens of thousands. Plus: a set of antique glass photo negatives from the late 19th century was on its way to the dumpster... but now it's going to college.
Watch Make-A-Wish Turn San Francisco Into BatKid's 'Gotham City' (The Atlantic Wire via Archive.org)
Visions from state’s past find a new home: Photographer gives antique glass negatives to UMass (The Recorder)
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It's National Pickle Day. Maybe you put these briny cucumbers on sandwiches, or burgers, or just snack on them as they are. Or, if you’re a Texan, you might order a few up when you go to the movies. Plus: around this time in 2014, Italian artist Sven Sachsalber decided to test one of the most classic metaphors in the English language by looking for a needle in a haystack.
Why are pickles sold at the movies? Curious Texas investigates (Dallas Morning News)
Man Finds Needle In Haystack (Modern Farmer)
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Today in 1988, a strange moment in Green Bay, Wisconsin: a Packers game got interrupted by a turkey named Henrietta. Plus: today in Las Vegas, the Indoor Environmental Healthcare and Hospitality Association presents its Housekeeping/Environmental Services Olympics.
'Fowl' play: Woman reveals truth about Lambeau Field turkey prank (WBAY)
IEHA Housekeeping/Environmental Services Olympics
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite past episodes about Earth's number one satellite. In this episode from July 2019, the BBC brings in the band known for playing space rock to improvise on-air for its coverage of the Apollo 11 mission. Plus: we'll remember the time Pizza Hut produced a TV ad in which all the dialogue was in Klingon.
My moon-landing jam session (The Guardian)
13 Minutes To The Moon (BBC)
Watch this fantastic 1994 Pizza Hut TV commercial that's entirely in Klingon (Boing Boing)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite past episodes about Earth's number one satellite. In this episode from May 2020, we look at a time in 1110 when records indicate that the moon vanished for months, or maybe even a year or longer. Scientists finally think they know what happened. Plus: a Japanese newspaper has a secret message about social distancing - but you have to be social distancing to read it.
In 1110, The Moon Vanished From The Sky. We Might Finally Know What Caused It (Science Alert)
A Japanese Newspaper’s Secret Social Distancing Message (Spoon + Tamago)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite past episodes about Earth's number one satellite. In this episode from September 2019, we mark the first time a spacecraft tried to land on the moon but crashed instead. Plus: Mount Airy, NC, where Andy Griffith grew up, is hosting the 30th annual Mayberry Days this week.
India’s Chandrayaan-2 Marks 60 Years of Moon Crashes and Hard Landings (New York Times)
Mayberry Days
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite past episodes about Earth's number one satellite. In this episode from March 2020, we look at a research project that shows Earth days used to be about a half-hour shorter than they are now, mostly because of the moon. Plus: in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the National Shag Dance Championships are getting underway.
How Long Until The Moon Slows The Earth To A 25 Hour Day? (Forbes)
Days on Earth Used to Be 30 Minutes Shorter, Ancient Shell Suggests (Gizmodo)
National Shag Dance Championships
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite past episodes about Earth's number one satellite. In this episode from November 2019, we look at the Apollo 12 mission, the second time humans went to the moon and the first time we launched an artificial earthquake there. Plus: one of the two moonwalkers painted a picture that included their command module pilot on the lunar ground.
Crash Site Of The Apollo 12 Ascent Module Possibly Found After Almost 50 Years (Bad Astronomy)
Conrad, Gordon and Bean: The Fantasy (Art USA)
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Today in 1924, the birthday of Alberto Manzi, who taught millions of Italian adults to read and write through a TV show. Plus: starting today in North Carolina, it’s the Cape Fear Kite Festival.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration Shows It’s Never Too Late (Dartmouth)
Alberto Manzi, a pioneer of distance education (L'Italo Americano)
Cape Fear Kite Festival
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Today in 1865, the birthday of Warren Harding, 29th president of the United States. His presidency was full of scandals thanks to his so-called friends - if only those friends had been as good to Harding as his dogs had been. Plus: this month in November, the Diagram Prize for the oddest book title of the year was dog themed and that's all we can say about it.
Good Boy (Futility Closet)
Meet Laddie Boy: The First Celebrity Presidential Pet (Lit Hub)
Let it flow: A Dog Pissing at the Edge of a Path wins 42nd Diagram Prize (The Bookseller)
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This week in 1926, a will left behind by a very unusual lawyer in Toronto led to a ten year baby-having contest nicknamed the “Stork Derby.” Plus: there’s a new world record for loudest purr, thanks to Bella the cat in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England.
The Toronto 'Stork Derby' Baby Race (Snopes)
Babies Got Bank (This American Life)
Elder Tabby Cat Sets Guinness Record for Loudest Purr https://laughingsquid.com/cat-sets-record-for-loudest-purr/
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Chances are high you might see some carved pumpkins this Halloween, but if you want to trace the holiday back to its roots, you might want to include some root vegetables. Plus: when a college in Ohio bans a student from carving pumpkins in his dorm, he maliciously complies.
Before We Carved Pumpkins for Halloween, People Carved Turnips (Mental Floss)
Pumpkin dorm ban? Akron student carves apples, pineapple instead (FOX 8 News)
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A grade school custodian in New Hampshire has been showing up to the late shift in a creepy clown costume. So, first of all, why, and also, what is it about clowns that many people find so creepy? Plus: a crow in Latvia helps a hedgehog find its way through traffic.
Concord School Custodian Investigated For Dressing As A Horror Clown (Concord Patch)
Why Do We Find Clowns So Creepy? (Psychology Today)
Crow Nudges Hedgehog Standing in Middle of the Road to Bring It to Safety (My Modern Met)
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Today in 1811, the birthday of Isaac Singer. He’s best known as the inventor of the modern sewing machine, but had it been up to him, Singer would have been known for stage acting. Plus: tomorrow in Los Angeles, the Carrera de los Muertos, a Day of the Dead-themed 5K race.
Isaac Singer (Biography)
Carrera de los Muertos
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When we say "music can bring us together," we usually mean it bridges divides and builds communities. But a new study finds that, biologically speaking, music really can bring people together. Plus: today in Washington, DC, it’s the induction ceremony for the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Classical music synchronises the audience's heartbeats and sweating (New Scientist)
National Inventors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
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Today we’re looking at a robot that’s moving up in the world, because this robot, known as the Ascento Pro, can climb stairs. Plus: to keep a growing bear population from moving too close to rural communities, Japan is turning to a robot it calls Super Monster Wolf!
Ascento Pro, A Self-Balancing Two-Wheeled Autonomous Robot That Can Easily Climb Stairs (Laughing Squid)
Robotic ‘Super Monster Wolves’ are guarding Japanese towns against bears (Popular Science)
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Today in 1962, the recording of the landmark James Brown album “Live at the Apollo,” one that came together after the recording team dealt with one pretty big obstacle. Plus: the social media account Midwest Modern is sharing photos of some fascinating and underappreciated designs in this part of the country.
James Brown Live at the Apollo – a classic report from the vaults (The Guardian)
One Guy Is Bringing The Best Of The Midwest's Modern Architecture To The Internet (Digg)
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Today in 1920, the birthday of Ted Fujita, a pioneer in meteorology who was so revered by colleagues he became known as “Mr. Tornado.” Plus: a group of Japanese companies is trying to encourage youngsters to drink their milk by printing manga around milk bottles.
Pioneering research by late UChicago scholar Ted Fujita saved thousands of lives (University of Chicago)
seki milk bottles reveal readable manga comic strips every time you take a sip (designboom)
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Today in 1982, the World Series St. Louis Cardinals made baseball history with the first major league team-wide dogpile. We explain how players who are celebrating a big moment can sometimes inadvertently hurt each other. Plus: today in 1973, the opening of the Sydney Opera House, where a chicken in an opera once landed on top of a cellist.
UVA Baseball Players Attest: Dogpiles Come With Temporary Pain, But Forever Joy (University of Virginia)
The art of the dogpile (ABC News)
Interesting facts about the Sydney Opera House (Sydney Opera House)
Crowdsounds courtesy Pixabay
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It's a big and little development in medicine and technology all at once: a robotic system that can autonomously move a medical needle safely through living tissue. Plus: starting tomorrow in Grand Marais, Minnesota, it's the Moose Madness Family Festival.
Medical robot steers needle through living lung (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill)
Moose Madness Family Festival
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Today in 1867, the United States formally purchased the land now known as Alaska. The day before had been a Friday, but because of the transfer, that day became a Friday too. Plus: today in 2019, a hard-hitting news story out of Biddeford, Maine about a student ID photo and a hot dog costume.
When the Day After Friday is Friday (Now I Know)
Seward's Bargain: The Alaska Purchase from Russia (Archives.gov)
Maine school allows student to wear hot dog costume for his ID picture
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Today in 1978, Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand released their enormous hit duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." a duet that pretty much happened by accident. Plus: today in 1989, a massive earthquake strikes just before a World Series game in the Bay Area, and a baseball legend reportedly responds in an unusual way.
The Number Ones: Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond’s “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” (Stereogum)
Book: Lawyer Cheated DiMaggio
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Today in 1869, one of the most famous hoaxes of the 19th century began, when workers in Cardiff, New York supposedly uncovered the remains of a 10 foot tall man known as the Cardiff Giant. Plus: today in 1962 Manute Bol was born. At 7 foot 7 inches, he was the tallest player in NBA history, and yet, when he first came to the US from Sudan, his passport said he was just 5 foot 2!
“A Remarkable Deception”: The Cardiff Giant Hoax (Massachusetts Historical Society)
A Tall Story
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A lot of people believe Friday the 13th is bad luck, and that comes from a lot of legends and traditions. But a guy in 19th Century New York decided to rep this maligned number by flouting superstition and holding regular meals for what he called the Thirteen Club. Plus: the Chicago Botanic Garden is welcoming visitors for the Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns.
Origins of Friday the 13th: How the Day Got So Spooky (Live Science)
Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns (Chicago Botanic Garden)
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Today in 2020, the Nobel Foundation tried to call a Stanford professor to tell him he'd won the Economics Prize... except that he was asleep with his phone in Sleep Mode! Fortunately they found a good workaround. Plus: this weekend in Goffstown, New Hampshire, it’s the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off And Regatta.
Doorbell camera captures moment Nobel Prize winner is told he won (NBC News)
Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off & Regatta
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Flip a standard coin and you’ve got a 50 percent chance of heads and a 50 percent chance of tails, right? Well, there’s new research out that says… maybe not quite. Plus: for National Coming Out Day, the story of a teen who came out to her family with a cake and a pun-filled letter.
Coin toss not so random after all, says groundbreaking study (Boing Boing)
Girl comes out to parents with help from a cake (Yahoo)
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This month in 1870, a magazine called The Galaxy published a puzzling article that essentially asks, what's the big deal about Yosemite? Plus: the channel Jamie’s Lego Jams just used LEGO to build an air-powered pipe organ.
Is Yosemite Worth It? This 150-Year-Old Negative Review Laughingly Misses the Mark (Outside via MyYosemitePark.com)
LEGO Pan Pipe Organ (The Awesomer)
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Today we’re learning about new research on learning in jellyfish that suggests that you can learn even if you don’t have a brain! Plus: we have a new record holder for the world’s longest mullet!
Brainless jellyfish show they can learn from past experience (Interesting Engineering)
I Have The World's Longest Mullet! (Guinness World Records via YouTube)
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This month in 1993, the start of a project that is going to take a while: the Zeitpyramide, a 120 block art installation that’s being built at the rate of one block every decade. Plus: starting tomorrow in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, it’s the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese Fest.
Zeitpyramide
Wisconsin Mac & Cheese Fest
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This month in 1930 an experiment to document a very, very slow process began. It holds the world record for longest-running lab experiment: the Pitch Drop Experiment at the University of Queensland. Plus: this weekend in Easton, Pennsylvania, the Easton Garlic Fest.
Pitch Drop experiment (University of Queensland)
Easton Garlic Fest
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Today in 1936, the premiere of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 1. That was 71 years after the symphony was written, which is what happens when a symphony is thought to be lost. Plus: atarting tomorrow at the Conner Prairie outdoor history museum in Indiana, it's the Headless Horseman Festival.
José Serebrier writes about the strange history of Dvořák’s First Symphony, The Bells of Zlonice (Classical Source)
Antonín Dvořák and the lost symphony (Radio Prague International)
Headless Horseman Festival at Conner Prairie
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This month in 1995, the conclusion of a very odd saga involving one Patrick Combs, who deposited a promotional check from a piece of junk mail and actually got the money! Plus: it's the Day of German Unity. Under a German law, if a family had a seventh kid, the country's president would automatically serve as godparent!
Playing With Money / How a $95,093.35 junk mail check changed Patrick's life (SFGate.com)
Unlucky number seven causes headache for German president (Deutsche Welle)
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Today was the birthday in 1890 of Groucho Marx, perhaps the best known of the comic geniuses known as the Marx Brothers. And yet, if it hadn’t been for a runaway mule, they might never have ended up doing comedy. Plus: today in 2006, musician Katie Melua and her band set a world record for deepest underwater concert by playing over 300 meters below sea level, for workers in an oil rig in the North Sea.
Marx Brothers' road to stardom began in Nacogdoches (Houston Chronicle)
Melua's deep sea gig sets record
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It's National Coffee Day, and while most coffee fans prefer to brew and drink the stuff, there are other options. For example, have you ever tried coffee jelly? Plus: Binasco, Italy is home to MUMAC, which in Italian is an acronym for the Museum of Coffee Making Machines.
Boston's Forgotten Coffee Jelly Lives On in Japanese Desserts (VICE)
Coffee Machine Museum (Bookofjoe)
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Around this time in 2011, an event that was definitely not a “blink and you’ll miss it” affair: a staring contest that took over 40 minutes. Plus: a research team in Japan has developed an artificial intelligence system "capable of interpreting various emotional states in chickens."
Victory for 'Eyesore' in 40-minute staring competition (ABC Australia)
Scientists Say New AI Can Translate What Chickens Are Saying (Futurism)
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Around this time of year, the Tiwi Islands in northern Australia can start counting on pretty much the same thunderstorm showing up at the same time every day. It's so reliable, they even named it. Plus: this weekend in Newport, Indiana, it's the annual Antique Auto Hill Climb.
Hector arrives promptly at 3pm. But Hector isn’t a person (CNN)
Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb
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Today in 1774 was the birthday of Johnny Appleseed. In some ways, the real life John Chapman was like the person depicted in books and movies. But he was also a savvy, albeit eccentric, entrepreneur whose apples were less for eating than they were for drinking. Plus: a billboard to promote the Beatles album Abbey Road (released today in 1969) loses a head!
The Real Johnny Appleseed Brought Apples—and Booze—to the American Frontier (Smithsonian)
Billboard USA: when rock took over advertising's roadside monoliths (The Guardian)
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Today in 1897, the birthday of William Faulkner, the Nobel Prize winning author of novels like The Sound and the Fury, and, for a few years, one of the most unproductive postmasters the US mail has ever seen. Plus: on this day in 2020, a German rapper calling himself Hans Solo released the first full-length hip hop album entirely in Klingon.
William Faulkner Was Really Bad at Being a Postman (Lit Hub)
Hans Solo NUQNEH (Upcoming Vinyl)
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It’s National Dear Diary Day. And nobody kept a diary quite like Robert Shields, who for decades chronicled just about every little thing that happened in his life. Plus: starting today in Warrens, Wisconsin, it's the Warrens Cranberry Festival.
Robert Shields, Wordy Diarist, Dies at 89 (The New York Times)
Warrens Cranberry Festival
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Today in 1850, the birthday of Sam Brinkley, who was a groundbreaker in the field of having a really really long beard. Plus: starting tomorrow in Fairmount, Indiana, it’s the start of the annual Remembering James Dean Festival.
A beard taller than Danny DeVito: how this NC man’s facial hair became world famous (Charlotte Observer)
Sam Brinkley and His Beard (NCpedia)
Remembering James Dean Festival
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Today in 2006, the Pentagon announced it would tear down a fascinating piece of Cold War history: a hot dog stand that the Soviets had once thought was actually a top military target. Plus: starting tomorrow in Benson, North Carolina, it’s Benson Mule Days.
The Cold War’s Most Important Hot Dog Stand (Now I Know)
Benson Mule Days
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Today in 1968, the Soviet Union was launching the Zond 5 mission, orbiting the moon. But on cosmanaut, knowing the US would be listening, decided to pretend he’d landed on the moon's surface. Plus: a woman in California got a call from an animal shelter saying they had her cat - except that her cat had gone missing nine years earlier.
The First Soviet Cosmonaut Team by Colin Burgess and Rex Hall (via Google Books)
Lost cat found in Idaho 9 years after wandering away from California home (Washington Post)
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A UCLA study finds that humans might be able to find some transportation inspiration from another creature that moves around in large numbers: the ant. Plus: a dude in Germany has built a remote control "trash train" that moves his waste bins to the curb on garbage day and brings them back to the house after they've been emptied.
Could insights from ants help people build better transportation networks? (University of California)
Middle-Aged Men Only Want One Thing, And It's Disgusting (Jalopnik)
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This month in 1915, the ancient site known as Stonehenge went up for sale at auction. It's almost unthinkable today, but it happened - what took place after that auction was pretty mind-boggling too. Plus: a worker in New Zealand brings a "support clown" with him to a layoff meeting.
Stonehenge sold for £6,600 a hundred years ago today (English Heritage)
New Zealand: Man brings clown to redundancy meeting (BBC)
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This week in 1917, the birthday of Joyce Chen, restaurateur, cookbook author, TV host and one of the biggest reasons why Chinese food became a big hit in the United States. Plus: starting tomorrow in Valliant, Oklahoma, it’s the Valliant Watermelon Festival.
Joyce Chen (National Women's History Museum)
Valliant Watermelon Festival (Travel Oklahoma)
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Today in 1848, a workplace accident caused an iron bar to go through the skull and brain of railroad worker Phineas Gage. Somehow, he lived, and ended up changing science forever. Plus: starting tomorrow in Nevada, it’s the Silver State Classic Challenge, a road race from Las Vegas to Ely that is, by some accounts, the fastest in the world.
The Improbable Tale of Phineas Gage (Harvard Brain Tour)
The fastest road race in the world takes place in one of the most desolate parts of the U.S.
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Today in 1952, a group of people in Flatwoods, West Virginia encountered... something. The locals refer to it as, among other names, the Flatwoods Monster. Plus: this weekend in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, it's The Great Sand Castle Contest.
The Flatwoods Monster (Braxton County, WV)
The Great Sand Castle Contest
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It’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, so we thought we'd talk about one truck driver who added bigger and bigger parts to his pickup and ended up creating monster trucks. Plus: this weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana, it's the Johnny Appleseed Festival.
'Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!' A Crushing History of Monster Trucks (Mental Floss)
Bigfoot Creator Bob Chandler: What I'd Do Differently (Car and Driver)
Johnny Appleseed Festival
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Today in 1664, the city previously known as New Amsterdam came under English control and was promptly renamed New York. So we're celebrating an NYC classic, the egg cream. Plus: the US Postal Service has an interesting new set of stamps featuring close-ups of really, really tiny stuff.
The Origins of NYC’s Famous Egg Cream and Where to Find One (Untapped New York)
A New USPS Collection Enlarges the World’s Tiniest Lifeforms to the Size of a Postage Stamp (Colossal)
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If part of your morning routine involves caffeine in a cup, you may be interested to know about a new research project that uses coffee grounds to improve concrete. Plus: the new web game Clone-a-Lisa gives you a blank canvas, a set of colors, and 60 seconds to create your own version of La Gioconda.
Scientists strengthen concrete by 30 percent with used coffee grounds (Engadget)
Can You Reproduce da Vinci’s Masterpiece in Under 60 Seconds? Try With Clone-a-Lisa (Colossal)
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We have smart glasses already, and soon there could be smart contact lenses powered by a method that might make your eyes water. Plus: today in Northfield, Minnesota, the start of the annual Defeat of Jesse James Days festival.
NTU Singapore scientists invent micrometres-thin battery charged by saline solution that could power smart contact lenses (Nanyang Technological University Singapore)
Defeat of Jesse James Days
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A new project using smart cameras could help keep our neighborhoods in proper working order, and it’s all based around garbage trucks. Plus: a less than helpful encounter at a bakery.
Smart Garbage Trucks Help With Street Maintenance (Hackaday)
Mishap leaves two-year-old Missouri girl with cake saying ‘Happy Birthday, Loser’ (FOX2Now)
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Today in 1848, the birthday of Lewis Howard Latimer, an inventor whose work helped make the world what it is today. Plus: today in 2014, not a great work day for the person who was supposed to play the national anthems before a soccer match between Malta and Slovakia.
Latimer, Lewis Howard (1848-1928) (Harvard Square Library)
National anthem replaced by Linkin Park song at Malta-Slovakia friendly (Malta Today)
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The first Sunday in September is typically the time when a village in Italy holds something called the Festival of the Ugly - which, when you learn more about it, actually sounds kind of nice. Plus: starting today in Mill Spring, North Carolina, it's the Earl Scruggs Music Festival.
The Ugly Club (Orion Magazine)
Earl Scruggs Music Festival (Visit NC)
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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 Competitive Universities Offers Pirate Accreditation—Seriously (The Mary Sue)
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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
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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 a Novel Way to Let Sound Travel Through Space (Inverse)
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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 wins £1m weeks after fake lottery win prank (BBC)
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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 Rutabaga Festival & Fair
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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 Met)
Glass Banks Were the Future of Security in 1931 (Paleofuture)
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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 Famous People Who Claim They've Seen UFOs, And Yes It's Exactly Who You'd Expect (Buzzfeed)
Did Alexander the Great really see UFOs ? (Deliy Annis)
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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)
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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 (Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest)
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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 Strangling Brothers Haunted Circus (Visit Salt Lake)
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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: today in 2008, the passing of the man who made the Pringles can possible. And he included that iconic tube of chips in his final wishes.
Belgians asked to eat fries twice a week (Brussels Times)
The Humble Origins Of The French Fry Might Surprise You (Food Republic)
Can Belgium Claim Ownership of the French Fry? (BBC)
The Man Buried in a Pringles Can (TIME)
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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 a cookie-baking expert.
The History of Gingerbread (PBS)
5 Facts You Probably Don't Know About Christmas Cookies (Food and Wine)
Neko Case: Pet Sounds (Spin)
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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.
Junk Food’s Happiest Accident (Tedium)
Elmer's Cheesy History (Elmer's CheeWees)
LEGO bike lanes might be on their way thanks to this idea (Designboom)
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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 Pretzels (The Spruce Eats)
The Pretzel: A Twisted History (History.com)
The Pretzel-Themed Restaurant In Maryland Where All Of Your Carby Dreams Come True (Only in Maryland)
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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
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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
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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
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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)
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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's leader does doughnuts next to flaming crater to prove he's not dead (ABC Australia)
U.S. in serious talks to close Turkmenistan’s “Gates of Hell” (Mercury News)
This mom needs to borrow an orange cat for the most hilarious reason (USA Today)
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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.
The guitarist who saved hundreds of people on a sinking cruise liner (BBC)
What's In A Name? 666 Letters, Plus 26 Given Names (The Free Lance-Star via Google News Archive)
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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)
Madeleine Ravier’s Bicycle for Animals (Weird Universe)
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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? (Taxtoken.org)
Running Antelope and the 1899 $5 Silver Certificate (Coin Week)
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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 & Museum)
Pardon My Scotch Trivia (IMDB)
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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 Out)
How Spam Meat Has Survived Spam E-Mail (Bloomberg)
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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 United in Tedium (Conde Nast Traveler)
Frankfort Hot Dog Festival
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Today in 1811, the first known steamboat race takes place on the Hudson River. Yes, a couple centuries ago, racing steamboats was a thing. Plus: this month in 1377, a Buddhist monk in Korea published "Jikji," the oldest surviving book printed with movable metal type.
For Profit and Glory: Steamboat Racing on the Inland Rivers (Howard Steamboat Museum)
Jikji: An Invaluable Text of Buddhism (Korea Times)
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Today in 1903 the conclusion of the first-ever car trip from one coast of the continental United States to the other. And this story starts, like so many other good stories have, with a bet. Plus: today in 1856, the birthday of playwright George Bernard Shaw, who had a unique way to keep unexpected visitors from interrupting his work.
Horatio's Drive (PBS)
INSIDE BERNARD SHAW’S WRITING SHED (Idler)
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Today is known in some parts of the American West as Colorado River Day, because of a measure passed in 1921 that redefined what and where the Colorado River was. Plus: a new art project called Human After All looks like a series of portraits of people seen only through their their circulatory systems.
How The ‘Grand’ Became The ‘Colorado’ And What It Says About Our Relationship To Nature (KUNC)
Many years ago, the Colorado River was just Grand (Summit Daily)
Uncanny Human Portraits Depict People Only Through Their Circulatory Systems (My Modern Met)
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Today in 1701, the birthday of Detroit, Michigan. In the 20th Century it became the Motor City, but before that Detroit was known as a big-time stove manufacturer. Plus: today in 1897, the birthday of aviation great Amelia Earhart. The Library of Congress’s collection includes a set of the famous pilot’s palm prints!
When stoves were the hot new thing (Detroit News)
Exploring Amelia Earhart with Library of Congress Primary Sources (Library of Congress)
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This week in 1967, residents of Winneconne, Wisconsin launched a protest against being left out of the latest state road map by announcing they would strike out on their own. Plus: downtown Pittsburgh has a new name this weekend during the festival known as Picklesburgh.
50 Years Ago, Small Wisconsin Town Made Plans To Secede From The State (NPR)
History of the Sovereign State of Winneconne
Picklesburgh in Pittsburgh
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Today is World Chess Day. Chess is a game of the mind, but there’s research that shows that high-level chess players can burn calories the way runners and other athletes do. Plus: today in Pulaski, Wisconsin, it’s the start of Pulaski Polka Days.
The grandmaster diet: How to lose weight while barely moving (ESPN)
Pulaski, WI Polka Days
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Some experts are worried AI could undo human civilization, but some of it is trying to help people. Like a project that uses AI phone bots to keep phone scammers from scamming people. Plus: in 2020, a soccer team in Scotland tried livestreaming its matches with automated cameras, but AI had trouble figuring out what the ball was.
People Hire Phone Bots to Torture Telemarketers (Wall Street Journal)
AI Camera Ruins Soccer Game For Fans After Mistaking Referee's Bald Head For Ball (IFL Science)
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Today in 1938, a pilot named Douglas Corrigan was supposed to fly from New York to California, but ended up in Dublin. “Wrong Way” Corrigan became an international celebrity - even if the story he told was not necessarily what actually happened. Plus: today in 1966, the first space mission for Michael Collins, who piloted the command module for Apollo 11 and reportedly could have led Apollo 17.
'Wrong Way' Corrigan took infamous transatlantic flight (Amarillo Globe-News)
Michael Collins, who piloted the Apollo 11 command module, has died (Ars Technica)
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Today in 1948, an unusually sweet moment in the history of the Cold War: American servicemember Gail Halvorsen came up with a plan that would eventually earn him the nickname "the Berlin Candy Bomber." Plus: today in 1952, David Hasselhoff was born. He’s been a TV star, a movie star, a German music sensation and the namesake for a species of crab.
The Sweet Story of the Berlin Candy Bomber (Smithsonian)
Candy bomber visits Saber family, imparts wisdom (Spangdahlem Air Base)
Discovered in the deep: the mini cities of hairy-chested Hoff crabs (The Guardian)
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Today in 2013, the last traditional telegram message went out, decades after telephones and smartphones and text messages and so on. So why were there still telegrams here in the 21st Century? Plus: today in 1885, Sarah Goode became the first Black woman to receive a US patent for her cabinet bed.
It's been 7 years since the last telegram was sent in India: Facts about the ancestor of telephone (India Today)
India Marks End of Era with Last Telegram (Voice of America)
Sarah E. Goode (Biography.com)
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100 years ago today, a land developer in southern California spent $21,000 on a sign to advertise a new housing project. The HOLLYWOOD sign has come a long way from that moment, but it hasn't always been easy. Plus: starting today at Iowa’s famous “world’s largest truck stop,” it’s the Wolcott Truckers Jamboree.
The Hollywood Sign Was Torn Down 40 Years Ago And Completely Replaced (LAist)
The many facelifts of the Hollywood sign (ABC 10)
Wolcott Truckers Jamboree
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Today in 1924, another one of these early Olympic events that went way off the rails: a very difficult and very strange mens’ cross country race. Plus: today in 1968, the Navy pays tribute to Dexter, its very last working horse.
The Book of Olympic Lists by David Wallechinsky and Jaime Loucky
Dexter, the US Navy's last working horse, is buried in Philly (Philadelphia Inquirer)
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It's National Swimming Pool Day, so here’s a story of a guy who had to get into the pool: Dick Roth, who won an Olympic gold medal while trying to fend off appendicitis. Plus: today in 1959, the birthday of Suzanne Vega. Her fans once parsed through the lyrics of the song "Tom's Diner" to figure out when the singer-songwriter actually sat in the cafe drinking coffee and reading the paper.
At ISHOF, Body Part Is Piece of Memorabilia That Tells the Story of Dick Roth & Olympic Glory (Swimming World)
"Tom's Diner Day" November 18th, 1981 (SuzanneVega.com via Archive.ph)
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Today in 1909, the brothers Abernathy, ages five and eight, started a 1,300 mile trip - on horseback, unsupervised - from Oklahoma to New Mexico and back. The next year they got back on their horses to ride to New York to see their dad's pal, Teddy Roosevelt. Plus: Envision Art Gallery in Wichita, Kansas may be the first art museum meant for blind artists and art lovers.
Ultimate free-range kids: Two boys, 6 and 10, rode horses to New York — from Oklahoma (Washington Post)
Inside the First Art Gallery for Blind Artists and Audiences (Thrillist)
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Today in 1983, the beginning of an unlikely peace mission: a visit to the Soviet Union by a 10 year old from Maine named Samantha Smith. Plus: a decade earlier, who should travel through the USSR on his way back from a gig but David Bowie?!?
Samantha Smith, the fifth-grader from Maine who became "America's Littlest Diplomat" (CBS Sunday Morning)
David Bowie Crossed the Soviet Union on the Trans-Siberian Express Train in 1973. Fascinating Photos Document a Historic Voyage (Artnet)
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The Soviet Union's paid time off system was different than the one we have today. The government sent many would-be tourists on group excursions with comrades from the local trade union - not friends or even family. Plus: a 17th century Massachusetts ship captain got in trouble with the Puritan authorities for kissing his wife.
Workers of the World, Take PTO! (JSTOR)
THOMAS KEMBLE, THE KISSING PURITAN (New England Historical Society)
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Today in 1865 the US Secret Service formed to stamp out counterfeit money. As part of that effort, it has the International Ink Library, tens of thousands of vintage and modern inks to help investigators sort out what’s what. Plus: a vice president's kid chooses an unusual Secret Service code name.
US Secret Service Laboratory Studies Ink to Solve Crimes (VOA News)
Secret Service’s ink library helps agents foil kidnappings, counterfeiters (SFGATE)
11 Great Secret Service Code Names (TIME)
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Today we celebrate our Independence Day! And on this show, we look at the efforts to protect the Declaration of Independence and our other founding documents even in the face of an alien invasion or a zombie apocalypse (or a less exciting but more realistic emergency).today in 1851, the start of an unusual 4th of July tradition: the Horribles Parade.
How the Government Would Protect the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence During a Zombie Apocalypse (New York Magazine)
14 Fantastic Facts About the Fourth of July
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This month in 1973, a newspaper in California known as The Recycler started publishing. It was mostly a list of classified ads, but those ads have had a pretty big impact on music. Plus: the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma is hosting an exhibit called “Love Saves the Day: The Subterranean History of American Disco.”
10 Rock Classifieds That Changed Music History (LA Weekly)
Woody Guthrie Center opens new disco exhibit (FOX 23)
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Today in 1952, the first TV episode of the soap opera Guiding Light. It was one of many hit shows led by a writer and producer sometimes called the “queen of soaps,” Irna Phillips. Plus: there was reportedly an attempt once to replace the ballgirls and ballboys of Wimbledon with dogs?!?
Irna Phillips (Jewish Women's Archive)
The Queen of Soaps Speaks…for Herself (Library of Congress)
Bid to replace Wimbledon ball boys with dogs flopped as they didn't return them (Daily Star)
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Today in 1908, a team of students from Cleveland won a spelling title at the annual meeting of the National Education Association, thanks in part to a Black 14 year old named Marie C. Bolden. Plus: today in Lincoln, it might be the Nebraska Elvis Festival. Unless it isn't.
Cleveland girl's spelling victory created racial controversy, national headlines in 1908 (Cleveland.com)
Nebraska Elvis Festival
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Today in 1877, President Rutherford B. Hayes got a phone installed at the White House. It's been used to make landmark deals, shape the course of world events, and even say hi to astronauts on the moon. And Lyndon Johnson infamously used that phone to talk to a tailor. Plus: today in 1491, the birthday of Henry VIII, who brought a personal locksmith with him when he was traveling.
A clambake, slurs and phone sex: The long, strange history of presidential calls (Washington Post)
THROWBACK THURSDAY: THE DINING HALL
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Today is National Onion Day. For a very brief time in the 1970s, the preeminent fast food chain on Earth thought the onion might be its pathway to bigger sales. Here's the story of the McDonald's Onion Nugget. Plus: a museum exhibit in Chicago is paying tribute to a famous museum souvenir!
When McDonald’s Tried to Make Onion Nuggets Happen (Mental Floss)
Mold-A-Rama - Molded for the Future (MSI Chicago)
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Today in 1995 was a strange day in Royal Oak, Michigan. It’s the day authorities had to stop a 17 year old who had been trying to construct a working nuclear reactor at home. Plus: today in 1909, the birthday of Elvis's controversial manager Colonel Tom Parker,
The Radioactive Boy Scout (Harpers)
That Time a Teenager Built a Nuclear Reactor in His Backyard (Today I Found Out)
The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley by Alanna Nash
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Today in 1917, another milestone in the one-of-a-kind baseball career of Babe Ruth: he pitched part of a combined no-hitter, even if he didn’t exactly do the lion’s share of the work. Plus: in Lake City, Minnesota, it’s day two of Water Ski Days.
Babe Ruth made history with help from Ernie Shore (Baseball Hall of Fame)
Water Ski Days
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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)
Japanese zoo staff chase furry fake lion in escape drill
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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 deemed ‘too hyper’ channels energy into mountain climbing — and breaks barriers (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Man Invents App That Tells Him When His Fly Is Down (Neatorama)
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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
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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 (Smithsonian)
Statue of Liberty modeled in chocolate (Langweile Dichnet)
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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 University)
RC Cola-MoonPie Festival
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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 Arkansas Is Never Pronounced 'Ar-Kansas' (HowStuffWorks)
Le Mars, IA Ice Cream Days
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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 Flag In North America' (Boise State Public Radio)
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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 hiccups for 68 years straight (Sioux City Journal)
People Are Spending About $2,000 to Visit an Uninhabitable Scottish Island for 20 Minutes (Travel + Leisure via Archive.org)
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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 reach the highest spot on Earth and the lowest spot on Earth.
On the Covert Role of Knitting During the French Revolution and World War II (Lit Hub)
Mountaineer Vanessa O'Brien Has Reached The Highest And Lowest Points On Earth
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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 — we ate it up, we loved it (Washington Post)
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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
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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
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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 First Nylon Parachute 75 Years Ago (Smithsonian)
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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 of the Prisoner Ankle Monitor (Gizmodo)
NYC Exhibition Extols the Charm of Restaurant Menus (Hyperallergic)
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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 (Racked)
Mid-Atlantic Sea Glass and Coastal Arts Festival (Historic Lewes)
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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 in Rockford (Illinois Times)
It’s Sock Monkey Madness in Rockford, Illinois, the birthplace of the beloved children’s toy (Roadtrippers)
MELTING MANNEQUINS (Nag on the Lake)
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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, Saginaw lumber baron's vindictive testament nears endgame (MLive.com)
GRAND RAPIDS LANTERN FESTIVAL
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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)
Who Actually Invented the Wheeled Suitcase? (Interesting Engineering)
Louisiana Peach Festival
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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)
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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 Know About Sally Ride (UC San Diego)
Sonoita, Arizona: Painted Propane Tanks (Roadside America)
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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 Peele? (Vanity Fair)
This Teen Pulled Off The Ultimate Joke At An Art Gallery (Buzzfeed News)
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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.S. Adams Company (Stuckeys)
S.S. Adams, the Original Gag Factory (NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday)
If the ancient Romans had Google Maps (Big Think)
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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
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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 crop circle was guerrilla art protest against Czech prime minister (Boing Boing)
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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 Created 'Walk This Way' (Wall Street Journal via Archive.org)
Las Cruces Space Festival
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about some of our favorite rock musicians. In this episode from January 2021, we remember the time in the 90s that Pat Boone - the pop and gospel singer - made a record where he sang Hendrix, AC/DC, Deep Purple and Metallica. How did he, of all people, end up "In A Metal Mood"? Plus: heavy metal is so popular in Finland that there's even a metal band geared toward little kids!
Pat Boone (AV Club)
Heavy metal dinosaurs rock the kiddie crowd in Finland (The Age)
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about some of our favorite rock musicians. In this episode from November 2020, we look back at the time the Who's drummer, Keith Moon, collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital. Amazingly, the band chose a 19 year old from the crowd, Scot Halpin, to fill in for the rest of the show. Plus: the 2020 Pasadena Doo Dah Parade isn't just irreverent, it's irreverent and virtual!
The Hoosier That Rescued the World’s Biggest Band (Orange Bean Indiana)
Pasadena Doo Dah Parade
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This week we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about some of our favorite rock musicians. In this episode from August 2019, the story of Dee Gallant. When a cougar started walking toward her on a logging trail in British Columbia, she used the power of rock to protect herself. Plus: in a move that might make heavy metal even heavier, guitarist Takamizawa Toshihiko designs a guitar shaped like Godzilla.
Metallica responds to B.C. woman who fended off wild cougar with the band’s music (GlobalNews.ca)
A Very Resourceful Woman Scared Off a Cougar by Blasting Metallica (Noisey)
This Limited-Edition Godzilla is a Monster of a Guitar (Guitar World)
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This week We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about some of our favorite rock musicians. In this episode from October 2020, we remember guitar great Eddie Van Halen. His band won millions of fans on record and offstage, and won a reputation for offstage excess. But one of their most infamous stories - that they banned brown M&Ms from backstage - wasn't quite what it seemed. Plus: a Gloria Estefan hit gets a heavy metal treatment on YouTube.
Did Van Halen’s Concert Contract Require the Removal of Brown M&Ms? (Snopes)
A Headbashingly Good Metal Cover of Gloria Estefan’s Conga (Geeks Are Sexy)
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This is one of the great technological and social breakthroughs of our time: scientists have figured out how parrots can do video calls with each other, and they love it! Plus: today in West Frankfort, Illinois, it’s day two of the Old King Coal Festival.
Parrots Taught to Video Call Each Other Show Increased Happiness According to New Study (My Modern Met)
2023 Old King Coal Festival (Enjoy Illinois)
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Today in 1858 Minnesota became the 32nd state in the Union. There's a part of the state that's on the other side of a lake from the rest, which means anyone who wants to drive from the Northwest Angle to the rest of Minnesota has to drive through Canada. Plus: there's a Minnesota-shaped forest on the other side of that same lake.
Minnesota's Northwest Angle, an American geographic oddity (CBS News)
Somebody Made A Forest Shaped Exactly Like Minnesota And It Is Absolutely Incredible (Only In Minnesota)
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National Train Day is coming up this weekend, so we'll take a look at a railroad that doesn't get a lot of attention, the one NASA has used to move parts and supplies to and from Kennedy Space Center. Plus: today in 1806, the birthday of James Shields, the only person who's served as US Senator from three different states.
Critical to the Countdown: The NASA Railroad (Southeastern Railway Museum)
Senator for Three States (US Senate)
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We’ve talked a lot on the show about the many different skills robots are learning. Now we can tell you about Experimental Sport Tennis Wheelchair Robot, which is learning to play tennis. Plus: the startup GaeaStar is 3D printing disposable coffee cups made of clay. When you're finished, you can just toss it on the ground and it'll turn back into dirt.
Tennis Robot Could Pave Way for Advancement in Fast-Movement Robotics (Georgia Tech)
The Coffee Cups Made From Dirt: Smash Them on the Ground and Walk Away (CNET)
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Today in 2006, IT job candidate Guy Goma rose to the occasion when a BBC TV producer mistakenly brought him onto a live show to talk about the internet, even though they were actually supposed to interview a different Guy on the air. Plus: the website Brilliant Maps used AI to make 19 world maps as if they’d been drawn by famous artists.
It's Been 10 Years Since the Wrong Guy Analyzed the Internet for the BBC (TIME)
19 World Maps In The Style of Famous Artists (Brilliant Maps)
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Today in 1965 the launch of what is the oldest functioning object in Earth orbit, Lincoln Calibration Sphere 1. To say it's "functioning" might be overstating things, since all it does it sit up there, but it's still had a big impact on science. Plus: tomorrow in Burlington, North Carolina, the start of the annual Carousel Festival.
The Oldest Functioning Satellite (Amusing Planet)
32nd Annual Burlington Carousel Festival
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Today in 2021, the BBC reported on a very unusual happening: a farmer in Belgium accidentally redrew the country’s border with France. Plus: it’s National Orange Juice Day, and fans may head to Houston, Texas to hang out at the folk art space known as The Orange Show.
Belgian farmer accidentally moves French border (BBC)
The Orange Show is a folk art installation dedicated to a beloved citrus fruit (Boing Boing)
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Today in 1966, NBC’s “The Tonight Show” turned Twister, a board game that might have fallen through the cracks, into a big hit. Plus: the new photo book “Most Touched” features the unique and sometimes striking designs of door handles.
How Johnny Carson Saved Twister (History.com)
'most touched' photo book gathers more than 1,000 door handles from around the world (designboom)
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It's our 1000th episode! To celebrate, here's the story of a guy this month in 1929 who won a bet by proving he could push a peanut all the way up Pikes Peak with his nose. Plus: a prisoner tries a novel way to get out from behind bars.
Colorado Springs man hopes to be the fourth person to push a peanut up Pikes Peak with his nose (Colorado Public Radio)
MISCELLANY: Miscellany, may 2, 1960 (TIME)
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In the 12th and 13th Centuries, monks were tracking the looks of the moon, including lunar eclipses. Modern-day researchers took another look to see if some of those eclipses were actually volcanic eruptions. Plus: for Butter Day, a visit to the Butter Museum in Cork, Ireland.
Medieval monks accidentally recorded some of history’s biggest volcanic eruptions (University of Cambridge)
Cork Butter Museum
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Today in 2011, UK politician Ed Balls sent a tweet that just said "Ed Balls." He was trying to search for his name, not post it, but the inadvertent self-rep turned into a meme and a wonderfully weird annual tradition. Plus: for Arbor Day, the story of a guy from Quebec who set the world record for most trees planted in a single day. (It's a lot.)
Ed Balls Day Is Upon Us! Here Are the 8 Strangest Online Political Gaffes (Snopes)
Quebecer breaks Guinness world record, planting more than 23K trees in 24 hours (Globalnews.ca)
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Forty years ago today, the first ever Sydney to Melbourne Ultra Marathon began. Five days later, the first guy to cross the finish line was a 61 year old farmer with arthritis in both legs. Here's how self-described "old turtle" Cliff Young pulled off such an unexpected win. Plus: tomorrow in Wilmington, Delaware, it’s day one of the Wilmington Coffee Fest.
When age and modesty won the race (Sydney Morning Herald)
The 61-Year-Old Shepherd Who Shuffled His Way to an Unlikely Ultra Win (Adventure Journal via Archive.org)
Wilmington Coffee Fest
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Today in 1884, A.A. Adams of Kansas took what is the earliest-known photo of a tornado. Early storm photos are pretty remarkable, for a lot of reasons. Plus: this weekend, the incomparable cellist Yo-Yo Ma is set to play a one of a kind concert.
TORNADO PHOTO FROM AUGUST 1884 ON DISPLAY AT CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER (South Dakota Historical Society Foundation)
World's Earliest Tornado Photos (Weather.com)
19th-Century Storm Chasers Took the First Tornado Photographs (Hyperallergic)
Yo-Yo Ma to play inside Mammoth Cave with Louisville Orchestra (WLKY)
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Today in 1947, the start of a big moment in the history of sweets: kids in Canada protested a hike in chocolate bar prices with what would eventually become known as the Candy Strike. Plus: for National Poetry Month, a look at the math-based form known as Fibonacci Poetry.
Historicist: The Candy Bar Strike (Torontoist)
Fibonacci Poetry (or The Fib): Poetic Forms (Writers Digest)
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It’s National Library Week, so let’s pay a visit to a couple very unusual libraries in Portugal where some of those who help protect the books are bats. Plus: the Brautigan Library in Vancouver, Washington is a physical and online library that collects unpublished manuscripts.
These Portuguese Libraries Are Infested With Bats — and They Like It That Way (Travel + Leisure via Yahoo!)
The Brautigan Library (Futility Closet)
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Today in 1972, astronauts John Young and Charles Duke stepped on the Moon during the Apollo 16 mission. Along the way, one of the moonwalkers revealed to the world, without meaning to, that orange juice had made him gassy. Plus: today in St. George, South Carolina, the start of the World Grits Festival.
The time an Apollo 16 astronaut swore about farting on the moon (Gizmodo)
World Grits Festival
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In extremely cold Antarctic weather, some of the researchers and staff have come up with an unusual way to pass the time: rushing from an extremely hot sauna to the extremely cold conditions around the South Pole, in extremely light outfits (if any!). Plus: every year on April 20th, it’s… National Lima Bean Respect Day?
South Pole's 300 Club not for the cold-blooded (Reuters)
On Getting Naked in Antarctica (The Atlantic)
National Lima Bean Respect Day (National Day Calendar)
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It's National Banana Day, so we've got the story of people in the UK who went to great lengths to simulate having bananas when the real deal was off limits during World War II. Plus: today in 1988, the Oklahoma State House approved a resolution describing the official state meal, which was kind of enormous.
To Cope With a Wartime Banana Ban, British Home Cooks Made ‘Mock Bananas’ (Atlas Obscura)
Senator wants state meal off the table (Tulsa World)
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He called it just another day of skydiving, but today in 1987, Gregory Robertson saved a fellow skydiver’s life with a high-speed free fall of more than a mile. Plus: on the anniversary of Paul Revere's ride, the story of the expense account he sent for reimbursement to colonial officials.
Man rescues fellow skydiver seconds before impact (UPI)
Revere's expense account revealed (Bangor Daily News via Google News Archive)
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The NHL postseason is getting underway, but once the Stanley Cup has been won, what do hockey fans watch? Here's one idea: underwater hockey, which is a growing sport set to make a splash. Plus: April 17 in Japan is known as Queen Day, where rock lovers celebrate the band's first appearance in their country.
Deep dive into the world of underwater hockey (ESPN)
The Pandemic Hasn’t Dulled Japan’s Special Love for Queen (Atlas Obscura)
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For National Dolphin Day, the story of a dolphin called Pelorus Jack who was famous for allegedly escorting ships off the coast of New Zealand. Plus: in Louisiana, it’s day one of the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival.
The Truth About the Legend of Pelorus Jack (Today I Found Out)
The story of Pelorus Jack (Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand)
Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival
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There’s a new startup in Japan that’s getting hot in more ways than one: it's turned a former city bus into a mobile sauna. Plus: it's the birthday of the Reverend Al Green, who has had multiple hits but got his biggest royalty checks from something other than records.
A Refurbished Public Bus is Currently Travelling Japan as a Mobile Sauna (Spoon + Tamago)
Daily Limit: Billy Bass Christmas hookup (Bassmaster.com)
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It's National Licorice Day. People who love it, love it - and the people who don’t aren’t shy about saying so. Maybe it would help if we explained how we got to this impasse? Plus: today in 1912 was the birthday of Beverly Cleary, so here's the story of how she once gave a school a very Ramona Quimby-like answer.
The Twisted History of Licorice, the Candy We Love to Hate (Bon Appetit)
Why do so many of us hate black licorice? A few theories (NBC News)
Ramona Would Be Proud, School To Be Named For Cleary (OPB via Archive.org)
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Today in 1903, the birthday of Dr. Claire Weekes, who helped the world understand that sometimes the way to stop a spell of anxiety in its tracks… is, in a way, to stop trying to stop it. Plus: pets are supposed to help make us calm, right? Maybe not this one.
Face, accept, float, let time pass: Claire Weekes' anxiety cure holds true decades on (The Sydney Morning Herald)
One woman’s six-word mantra that has helped to calm millions (Psyche)
Pet insurance worker shares weirdest pet names she's come across - including McRib (The Mirror)
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Today in 1921, the birthday of Sheb Wooley, who had a hit song in the 50s called the “Purple People Eater" and is believed to be the guy who gave a scream that's been featured in hundreds of movies: the Wilhelm Scream. Plus: today in 1976, a challenging moment for then-President Gerald Ford and his tamale.
Does That Scream Sound Familiar? (ABC News)
No one told Ford tamales need to be unwrapped (Houston Chronicle)
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Today in 1850, a man in California decided to start his own country. While it didn’t last, and may not have happened at all, the name is unforgettable: the Great Republic of Rough and Ready. Plus: a woman in Wales got a big chocolate Easter egg when she was 11, and kept it in the box for more than 70 years.
Welcome to Rough and Ready, the Tiny Town That Used to Be a Republic (KQED)
Independent Bent : Rough and Ready Still Celebrates Its 1850 Secession (Los Angeles Times)
The Easter egg that's gone uneaten for more than 70 years (BBC)
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Today in 1930, one of the sweetest treats of our time made its debut. Here's how the Twinkie became the Twinkie. Plus: the story of Louis Browning, who ate at least one Twinkie a day for decades and decades.
Twinkies, 75 Years And Counting (Washington Post)
This Week In Illinois History: Birth Of The Twinkie (April 6, 1930) (Northern Public Radio)
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For National Walking Day, the story of the guy known as the “Walking Man of Annapolis,” Carlester Smith, and how he helped keep his neighborhood clean on daily speedwalks. Plus: a tour operator in London has something called the Rubbish Trip.
Carlester Smith, the Annapolis ‘Walking Man,’ has died at age 63 (Capital Gazette)
London Rubbish Tour (University College London)
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For National Volleyball Day, the story of the annual volleyball game played between Naco, Arizona and Naco, Sonora, Mexico, in which the net was a border fence. Plus: today in 1940, a newspaper reported on a Pennsylvania woman who said she had practiced mental telepathy on her hens.
When neighbors played volleyball over the U.S.-Mexico border fence (Univision)
Egg Telepathy (Weird Universe)
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Last week was school spring break where I live, so today all the families are back to packing backpacks, putting homework in folders and packing lunches. Maybe next spring break we should head to Columbus, Georgia to visit the Lunchbox Museum. Plus: today in 1920, the birthday of Theron Holland, who had an enormous collection of Native American arrowheads and stone artifacts, more than 70,000 in all.
A Nostalgic Trip Awaits at the World’s Largest Lunchbox Museum (Smithsonian)
Theron Holland had a collection of like 70,000 arrowheads (The Vanishing Ozarks via Instagram)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the old ball game. In this episode from August 2021, the story of a very strange thing that happened in a baseball game: a guy on second base ran backwards and stole first base, the base he'd just been on. Plus: why some people end up celebrating music legend Louis Armstrong's birthday a month late.
Germany Schaefer (Society for American Baseball Research)
FAQ (Louis Armstrong House via Archive.org)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the old ball game. In this episode from May 2021, an 11 year old pitcher in upstate New York, Katie Brownell, brings her A-game to the Little League field. She not only pitches a perfect game, she strikes out all 18 batters she faces! Plus: Houston's famous Art Car Parade is back this weekend.
Meet Katie Brownell, the girl who once struck out 18 batters in a perfect Little League game (MLB.com)
Houston Art Car Parade
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the old ball game. In this episode from July 2020, we celebrate Leroy "Satchel" Paige, perhaps the most legendary pitcher baseball ever saw. Paige was a star for decades, and once pitched three scoreless innings in the major leagues at age 59. Plus: we'll visit the man who earned the world's first degree in ninja studies.
Fifty years ago, Satchel Paige pitched his last big-league game in KC ... at age 59 (Kansas City Star)
Meet the Japanese man who holds the world's only master's degree in ninja studies (CNN)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the old ball game. In this episode from March 2019, we hear about the first pro ump in the big leagues. When Billy McLean wasn't calling balls and strikes, he was occasionally challenging hecklers to fistfights.
The first major-league umpire was a Philadelphian (Philly.com)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the old ball game. In this episode from October 2021, we remember the iconic World Series moment when Carlton Fisk waved his game-winning home run fair. The legendary clip was caught by the camera kind of by accident. Plus: a couple in the UK gets a ticket because a traffic camera caught their car driving in the bus-only lane, except that they weren't in the bus-only lane. Or in a car. Or in that city.
How Carlton Fisk's 1975 home run changed TV sports forever (Boston Globe)
Bus lane camera mistakes woman's sweater for number plate (BBC)
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Dad jokes may not be good jokes, but they may be good for us: a study from The British Psychological Society shows how telling a very simple, groan-inducing joke is a pretty complex process. Plus: why scientists in Germany are naming their new anti-fungal compounds after Keanu Reeves.
'Dad jokes? That’s the way eye roll…’ (British Psychological Society)
Keanumycins: Keanu Reeves inspires name of newly-discovered fungus-killing bacteria (Esquire)
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A team at the University of Manchester has developed a kind of “cosmic concrete” for building structures on Mars - and the key ingredient comes from potatoes. Plus: today in 1991, the Wall Street Journal reported on an unusual training session for the Seattle Police Department.
Scientists develop a ‘cosmic concrete’ that is twice as strong as regular concrete (University of Manchester)
Seattle Police Head Back to Class For a Course in Chair-Sitting 101 (Wall Street Journal)
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The University of Cambridge did a study about robotic wellbeing coaches. And it turns out that if we want robots to help us help ourselves… they need to be cute. Plus: NASA has developed a “space cup” which will hold liquids on the International Space Station even without a lid!
Robots can help improve mental wellbeing at work – as long as they look right (University of Cambridge)
NASA's sci-fi space cup holds a drink without gravity (Mashable)
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Today in 1944, the U.S. Air Force carried out a bombing raid in Montana. Even stranger, they did so at the request of the governor. We'll explain. Plus: you’ve heard the saying everything that’s old is new again? That’s the idea behind the new image series ‘What is lost is (not) lost forever.’
Harmon’s Histories: Kaboom! Wartime explosions rock Miles City, Baker (Missoula Current)
midjourney envisions how centuries-long extinct creatures would look today (designboom)
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Today in 1873, the town of Ulysses, Kansas was first established - but not where you’ll find the modern day town of Ulysses, Kansas. We'll explain why they moved, just a few decades after putting themselves on the map. Plus: for the birthday of Mister Rogers, a look at a data visualization of all of his iconic cardigans.
Old Ulysses, Kansas (Legends of Kansas)
A Chart Chronicles the Colors of Mister Rogers’ Cardigans from 1969 to 2001 (Colossal)
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Drones are becoming increasingly useful, but they can get damaged and grounded pretty quickly. A team at MIT has found bee-inspired workarounds that would keep impaired robotic crafts flying. Plus: today in 1958, the release of “Johnny’s Greatest Hits” by Johnny Mathis, considered the first ever greatest hits album.
Resilient bug-sized robots keep flying even after wing damage (MIT)
First Ever Greatest Hits Album Released Courtesy of Johnny Mathis (Songfacts)
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Students at Northwestern University have developed SteadyScrib, a customized pen that’s designed to help people with Parkinson’s disease keep writing. Plus: if you prefer old-school typing, the “Shift Happens” simulator lets you type on a virtual typewriter. Don't forget those carriage returns!
A pen designed for Parkinson’s patients (Northwestern)
An Interactive Typewriter Simulator With a Realistic Feel (Laughing Squid)
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Can you build a wall out of eggshells? You can if you're the Mexican design studio MANUFACTURA, which developed a sustainable way to make bricks out of discarded shells and bio-binders. Plus: the nonprofit group in Oregon called Washed Ashore uses a different kind of waste to make art.
3D-Printing Bricks From Discarded Eggshells (Cool Hunting)
Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea
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Some chip brands hit it big on store shelves - but one brand that won legions of adoring fans in prisons. For National Potato Chip Day, the story of The Whole Shabang. Plus: March 14 is Pi Day, because the number Pi starts with 3.14. Supercomputers have helped find the next 62.8 trillion digits that follow.
Chips So Good You'll Have to Go to Jail to Get Them (NBC News)
A Supercomputer Just Calculated Pi to a Record-Breaking 62.8 Trillion Digits. So What? (Popular Mechanics)
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Today in 1781 astronomer William Herschel pointed his telescope toward Uranus. But long before the internet’s favorite planet got its very pun-filled name, an astronomer wanted to give it a much more chill one. Plus: modern day scientists have plenty of theories on how Uranus ended up on its side.
Uranus: the first planet discovered with a telescope (Science Museum London)
There's a New Hypothesis For How Uranus Ended Up Tipped on Its Side (Science Alert)
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Daylight Saving Time begins early this Sunday. People have been complaining about the time change, or the lack thereof, since it first came up. So how did it first come up? Plus: around this time in 1998, the UK’s House of Commons did away with a longstanding rule involving hats.
How a New Zealand insect hunter created daylight saving time (The Week)
Commons toppers are old hat (The Independent)
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Today in 1931, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling that seems to say that a guy who stole an airplane was not guilty of breaking the law against stealing motor vehicles. Though it’s actually a little more complicated than that. We'll explain. Plus: a Lego fan has proposed the company produce a new set that looks like the famous Edvard Munch painting The Scream.
HOW TO SELL A STOLEN PLANE (Now I Know)
LEGO Ideas The Scream Achieves 10,000 Supporters (The Brick Fan)
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Motorcycles just don’t have many of the same safety advantages as cars and trucks. So a company in Sweden is taking one of those safety features and adding it to a rider’s outfit: introducing airbag pants! Plus: March is National Peanut Month, so just a reminder that there is a NUTmobile that drives around the country doing events on behalf of nut producer Planters.
Swedish company unveils world’s first airbag jeans for motorcyclists (Interesting Engineering)
The Nutty History of the NUTmobile (Planters)
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Today in 2016, researchers released a study that showed how to influence rats to make risky bets in a “rat casino.” Plus: for National Cereal Day, the story of how Chex lovers in South Korea lobbied for years to get a green onion flavored version of the product.
New research: Flashing lights and music turn rats into problem gamblers (University of British Columbia)
South Korea Gets Long Awaited Green Onion Chex (NPR)
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Today in 1475 Michelangelo was born. One of his masterworks was the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, though if a poem he wrote about the job is to be believed, making all that great art was pretty painful. Plus: a series of portraits of every US president with a mullet.
Labor Pains (Slate)
every american president, but they're all cool and they all sport a mullet (Cam Harless on Twitter)
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The news site Inverse stopped me in my tracks with their recent article “Can Cats Tell Time? Yes, But It's Complicated.” And, when we look at the relationship between cats and time, it is complicated. Plus: This weekend in Nenana, Alaska, it’s the annual Tripod Days, including a contest known as the Nenana Ice Classic.
Can Cats Tell Time? Yes, But It's Complicated (Inverse)
Nenana Ice Classic
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Today was the birthday in 1860 of the first woman to serve as a mayor in the United States, Susanna Madora Salter, of Argonia, Kansas. She wasn’t looking to make history and didn’t even run for the job, but then sometimes you choose the moment, and other times the moment chooses you. Plus: in the new book Locked Down Looking Up, photographer Doris Mitsch shows the composite images she took during the pandemic that show the flight trails of flocks of birds and other flying creatures.
Susanna Madora Salter (Kansas Historical Society)
Susanna Madora Salter (National Women's History Museum)
Photographer Creates Mesmerizing Flight Trails of Winged Creatures as a Meditation on Time (My Modern Met)
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Today in 1793, the U.S. Mint issued its first circulating coins, which were one-cent pieces. Here's a little bit about how we got the penny and some of its most memorable designs. Plus: in Falls Church, Virginia, there’s a sculpture of a fighter jet that’s covered in around 14,000 pennies.
History of the Penny (Modern Coin Mart)
It’s a penny! It’s a plane! It’s a quirky sculpture behind a Virginia office building! (Washington Post)
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AI chatbots are big again, so let's hang out with the OG AI chatbot: Microsoft Word letter writing helper extraordinare, Clippy the paper clip. Plus: a cemetery in Illinois marks an impossible anniversary every February.
The Twisted Life of Clippy (The Seattle Met)
St. Omer Cemetery Witch Grave (Atlas Obscura)
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There's a team at Northwestern University that's ready to help the tired vocal cords of the world: a wearable device that can tell when a voice needs a break. Plus: it's the birthday in 1902 of John Steinbeck, who wrote some timeless literary classics and also a werewolf novel.
First wearable device for vocal fatigue senses when your voice needs a break (Northwestern University)
Beast of Eden (Stanford Magazine)
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Today in 1955 Steve Jobs was born. His biggest contributions to the tech world are well known, but one you might not have heard of? Steve Jobs was also the first person to order a pizza on the internet. Plus: this weekend in Anchorage, Alaska, the annual Outhouse Races.
AppStorey talks with Steve Green about Steve Jobs, The Smithsonian and how a pizza with basil became the first food delivered via the web (AppStorey)
On a roll: At Alaska’s annual Outhouse Races, there’s no shame in being number two (Roadtrippers)
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For National Play Tennis Day, the story of Ora Washington, one of the great early stars of women's tennis who also happened to be one of the great early stars of women's basketball. Plus: this weekend in Edison, Washington, the annual Edison Chicken Parade.
Long before Serena Williams, there was Ora Washington. Few remember her. (Washington Post)
The Nearly Forgotten History Of Basketball HOF Inductee Ora Washington (WBUR's Only A Game)
The Edison Chicken Parade is a must-see event (KING 5)
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Today was the birthday in 1918 of Robert Pershing Wadlow. Fans of world records remember him as the tallest man who ever lived, but there was more to the Alton Giant than his height. Plus: starting today in Glendale, California, it’s the Twist & Shout Balloon Convention.
100 facts about Alton's gentle giant, Robert Wadlow (STL Today)
Twist & Shout Balloon Convention
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It's National Mother Language Day. Many of the world's thousands of languages are spoken, written and/or signed... and at least a few are whistled. Plus: researchers say they've found evidence of the largest penguin species that ever lived.
Just Put Your Lips Together and Blow: How Whistled Languages Work (HowStuffWorks)
Nearly extinct whistling language revived (CNN via Archive.org)
The largest penguin that ever lived (University of Cambridge)
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Today is the observance of President's Day, originally a holiday marking the February 22nd birthday of George Washington, but along the way it also became known as Bicycle Day. Plus: chocolate wizard Amaury Guichon took over 500 pounds of chocolate and turned into an eight foot tall velociraptor.
When Presidents’ Day Was Bicycle Day (The Atlantic)
Making a Chocolate Velociraptor (The Awesomer)
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There’s a new effort during this Black History Month to highlight the work of a man who helped get people talking about Black inventors: a patent officer named Henry Edwin Baker. Plus: this weekend in Waseca, Minnesota, it’s the annual Sleigh & Cutter Festival.
How one man’s list gave Black inventors the credit they deserved (WTOP)
Henry E. Baker (1857-1928) (BlackPast)
Waseca Sleigh & Cutter Festival
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Today in 1931, the birthday of Edward Packard, who along with R.A. Montgomery founded a book series that let millions of young readers pick the ending to the story: Choose Your Own Adventure. Plus: today in 1967, the first appearance of the Star Trek villain Khan Noonien Singh, who Gene Roddenberry named as a shout-out to an old war buddy.
The Enduring Allure of Choose Your Own Adventure Books (The New Yorker)
The Name's Familiar Mr. Leotard, Barbie, and Chef Boyardee (via Google Books)
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Engineering students at Johns Hopkins University have been building adaptive controllers to make the Minecraft universe more accessible. Plus: today in 1564, the birthday of astronomer Galileo Galilei, who didn't like being told what to wear.
JOHNS HOPKINS ENGINEERING STUDENTS DEVELOP GAMING PROSTHESES FOR AMPUTEES (Johns Hopkins University)
15 Fascinating Facts About Galileo (Mental Floss)
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If you know your biology, you know that the classic heart shape we see everywhere on Valentine's Day is not at all what an actual human heart looks like. So where does this shape come from and how did it get associated with hearts? Plus: how a place called Why, Arizona got its name.
The Shape of My Heart (Slate)
WHY WHY IS WHY (Arizona Oddities)
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Today in 1997, a container ship ran into a massive wave off the coast of Cornwall, in southwest England. Close to 4.8 million Legos went overboard, and ever since that day, they've been washing up on beaches all over. Plus: the Bronx Zoo has an unusual Valentine's Day offering for you and your significant other.
20 YEARS AFTER THE GREAT LEGO SPILL, THEY'RE STILL WASHING ASHORE (Inverse)
10 ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY IN NYC (Untapped New York)
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Today in 1955, the birthday of a basketball champion named Lusia “Lucy” Harris. Though "basketball champion" may not be quite the right term for her: she’s also been called the Queen of Basketball. Plus: this weekend in Martin City, Montana, it’s Cabin Fever Days, featuring the world championship for barstool ski races.
Lusia Harris, ‘Queen of Basketball,’ Dies at 66 (New York Times)
LUSIA HARRIS (1955- ) (BlackPast)
Montana’s Barstool Ski Races Are Exactly What They Sound Like (Thrillist)
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Today was the birthday in 1914 of the wildest owner Major League Baseball ever saw: Bill Veeck. We'll look through some of his unusual life in baseball. Plus: tomorrow is known in The Netherlands as Warm Sweater Day.
Bill Veeck (SABR)
Warm Sweater Day (Treehugger)
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There's evidence humans have been building figures out of snow for centuries. But they haven't always been called "snowmen" and they haven't always looked the way they look now. We'll explain how we got the shape and the name. Plus: if you’re looking to liven up your Black History Month, you can head to Baltimore, Maryland, home to the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum.
Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition
The Snowman: A brief history of a winter entertainment (Obscure Histories)
Baltimore’s National Great Blacks in Wax Museum teaches visitors that knowledge is power (Roadtrippers)
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Today in 1984, two US astronauts walked in space. And, for the first time, they weren’t connected to anything. Plus: the New York Historical Society features an exhibition through early April on the history of the city's Jewish delis.
35 YEARS AGO: FIRST UNTETHERED SPACEWALK (Kennedy Space Center)
In Pictures: A New York Exhibition Celebrates the Delicious History of Jewish Delis, Matzo Balls and All (Artnet)
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Supposedly this month in 1891 a sailor named James Bartley was swallowed by a whale and lived! But The Straight Dope took a closer look and found this story was almost certainly too good to be true. Plus: this week in Saranac Lake, New York, near Lake Placid, it’s the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.
The Straight Dope (Chicago Reader)
Saranac Lake Winter Carnival
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Today is Take A Cruise Day. Cruise ships aren’t for everybody, but some of us really take to them, especially Clara MacBeth, who spent entire decades on cruise ships sailing around the world. Plus: today in South Haven, Michigan, the first day of the Ice Breaker Festival.
Sail away from the January blues (Evening Standard via Archive.org)
29th Annual Ice Breaker Festival
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Rechargeable batteries like the ones in our smartphones typically last a few years, but a new project out of Australia could lead to batteries that last nearly a decade. And that's thanks in part to sound waves. Plus: February is Black History Month, and few people spent as much time collecting artifacts from Black history as Elizabeth Meaders.
Australian tech could triple phone battery life and solve e-waste crisis (The New Daily)
Why a Schoolteacher Spent 70 Years Collecting Thousands of Black History Artifacts (Smithsonian)
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On this day in 1790 the US Supreme Court held its first session. Back then, the Court didn't have its own building, but now it does, and that building includes a basketball court. Plus: on the birthday of Rick James, the story of how the funk legend once got a special gift from none other than Salvador Dalí.
The Highest Court in the Land (Sports Illustrated)
From Dali to Bestiality: The 10 Craziest Stories in Rick James’ Memoir (Rolling Stone)
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Today in 1971, Apollo 14 launched. It may be best known today for the moment when astronaut Alan Shepard hit golf balls on the surface of the moon, but that wasn’t the only landmark from this mission. Apollo 14 also gave us the “moon trees.” Plus: Brian Moore's LOL Verifier only lets your keyboard type the famous acronym if it notices that you are actually laughing out loud.
The "Moon Trees" (NASA)
A Clever Device That Only Lets You Type LOL When You’re Actually Laughing Out Loud (Laughing Squid)
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Today in 1882, the birthday of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He wound up being America’s longest serving president, but at one point FDR had a very different destiny in mind for himself: he wanted to write screenplays for movies. Plus: we mark the birthday in 1951 of musician Phil Collins with a story of a statue that unintentionally looked just like him.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Patriot, Statesman, and Would-Be Hollywood Screen Writer... (Old Magazine Articles)
The President’s Mystery (Futility Closet)
Church builds huge baby Jesus statue — that looks like Phil Collins (New York Post)
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If you’re trying to eat healthier in the new year, maybe by cutting back on salt, here’s something that might help: cutlery that can make food seem saltier without the added salt. Plus: this Sunday at Terhune Orchards in Princeton, New Jersey, it's Wassailing the Apple Trees.
electric spoon, bowl, and chopsticks trick taste buds by making food 'saltier' (designboom)
Wassailing the Apple Trees (Terhune Orchards)
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Today in 1956, the US issued a patent for Play-Doh. Millions of kids have built bazillions of things with this colorful stuff, but in its first life, Play-Doh had a very different job: cleaning soot off wallpaper. Plus: a mom in Chicago finds a clever way to get her gamer daughter to take food out of the freezer.
Why Play Doh Stays Hugely Popular, 60 Years Later (Fortune)
Made in Jersey: Play-Doh is a Dover teacher's handiwork (NJ.com)
Mother Goes Viral After She Pulled Up on Daughter on Roblox, Told Her To Sit ‘Lasagna Out’ (Black Enterprise)
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Too much waste plastic? Too many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere? Researchers in the UK may have a partial solution for both problems: a process that uses solar energy to convert plastic and greenhouse gases into useful products. Plus: a fancy new wastebasket is partly made of waste plastic and sawdust from the company's factory.
Using solar power to convert plastic and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels (University of Cambridge)
A trash can made from garbage and recycled materials (Inhabitat)
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Today is National Peanut Butter Day. It’s been particularly popular over the last century or so, if you look back even further, you’ll find that peanut butter has been the nutty, crunchy wind beneath our wings for centuries. Plus: a look at a research study from the 2000s called “The Effects of Peanut Butter on the Rotation of the Earth.”
A Brief History of Peanut Butter (Smithsonian)
The Effects of Peanut Butter on the Rotation of the Earth (Improbable Research)
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A lot of us turn to paper towels when there’s a mess to be addressed, but they could also be greener. Researchers are developing a reusable kitchen towel made of hydrogel. Plus: park rangers in Australia have found an invasive cane toad that may be the biggest one ever found, so of course they nicknamed it "Toadzilla."
Roll Over, Paper Towels—UMD Researchers Create Picker-Upper That’s Even Quicker (University of Maryland)
Australian park rangers say 'Toadzilla' could be world's biggest toad (Reuters)
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There’s still plenty of winter to go. But if plenty of winter still isn’t enough, there’s a way to level up: staying at an ice hotel. Plus: the story of a bird that has perfect timing.
Canada's Ice Hotel Is an Incredible Winter Wonderland — and Now You Can Explore It From Home (Travel + Leisure)
8 Ice and Igloo Hotels to Visit This Winter (UrbanDaddy)
Australian Parrot Lands on Redditor’s Bird Book at Exact Moment It’s Open to Its Page (My Modern Met)
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Today was the birthday in 1809 of author Edgar Allan Poe. It was also the day that, for decades, a mysterious individual would pay tribute to the great writer with a mask, three roses and a bottle of cognac. Plus: students at Washington State University have built a life-size version of the game Operation.
Poe’s Memorial Grave (The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore)
Life-size ‘Operation’ game provides real-word learning experience (Washington State University)
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Today in 1943, the US government tried to help the war effort in a way that did NOT go over well. They tried to halt the sales of sliced bread. Plus: for Winnie the Pooh Day, a reminder that there is a world championship for a game from the books known as Poohsticks.
Pre-Sliced Bread Was Once Banned in the United States (Today I Found Out)
Witney's World Poohsticks Championships mark 35 years (BBC)
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Today in 1899 was the birthday of Al Capone. Not everyone would brag about getting a gift from the notorious gangster, but there’s a hospital in Baltimore that’s happy to share its connection. Plus: today in 1931, the birthday of James Earl Jones, legendary actor and occasional CB radio prankster.
For Union Memorial, Al Capone's tree keeps on giving (Baltimore Sun)
James Earl Jones on Darth Vader, Mufasa and, natch, Totes McGotes (New York Times)
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Dr. King gave his most famous speech in Washington D.C. When he was in the capital city and when he was hungry, he often stopped at a landmark restaurant known as Ben’s Chili Bowl. Here's some of its story.
My Restaurant Has Hosted Protestors Including MLK for More Than 60 Years (Thrillist)
Ben's Chili Bowl Celebrates 45th Anniversary (CNN)
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Tomorrow in Las Vegas, the 2023 AArrow Sign Spinners competition begins, with elite-level sign spinners showing off their best moves. Plus: for National Rubber Ducky Day, a visit to the world’s largest rubber duck store.
AArrow Sign Spinners Competition
Broward Man Heading to World Sign Spinning Championship in Las Vegas (Miami New Times)
Meet 2 sign spinners who will compete in Las Vegas in a worldwide competition (KGW)
The World’s Largest Rubber Duck Store, Ducks in the Window, Offers Quirky Gifts In Massachusetts (Only In Massachusetts)
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Today in 2015, the first news reports about Eclipse, a dog in Seattle that had figured out how to get itself to the dog park on the city bus. Plus: Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) is going to be visible from Earth this month and in early February, and you probably don’t want to wait until its next go-round to see it.
Seattle dog's rush hour ride: on the bus, by herself, weekly (KOMO News)
Bus-riding dog who took herself to park remembered as ‘Seattle icon’ (Washington Post)
A comet not seen since 50,000 years will be visible again in early 2023 (Interesting Engineering)
We keep on riding thanks to our Patreon backers
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When the snow and ice comes, it makes me think of getting out the snowblower. But a snowy city in Japan thinks, we could power our lights with this. Plus: a scenic train in Japan's Miyazaki Prefecture is now running on a special kind of fuel that's made in part from leftover ramen broth.
Electricity from snow? A Japanese city believes it can be done (Nikkei)
This Japanese Train Ditched Conventional Fuel and Now Runs on Leftover Ramen Broth (My Modern Met)
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A lot of products, even some otherwise green ones, still use a lot of disposable single-use plastic. But there’s a research project that aims to replace that plastic wrapping with a completely biodegradable version made from cranberries. Plus: Vollebak has some literally green-tech, a solar-powered winter jacket that gives off a green glow in the dark.
Could Dissolvable Cranberry Film Replace Plastic Packaging Someday? (Modern Farmer)
Vollebak’s Latest Puffer Glows in the Dark – But That’s Just One of Its Features Worth Noting (Cool Material)
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Today in 1913, the birthday of Richard Nixon, 37th president of the United States, and the only one who ever went a wild ride with the head of the Soviet Union. Plus: next month in Denmark, they’re opening a museum on the site of REGAN Vest, the country’s Cold War bunker.
Town Car Diplomacy – 40 Years Ago (Nixon Foundation)
Venture Into the Apocalypse at This Bunker-Turned-Museum in Europe (Thrillist)
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Today in 1912, New Mexico became the 47th state in the Union. And so far, it’s the only one where a state lawmaker tried to make expert witnesses dress like wizards in court. Plus: tomorrow in Yuma, Arizona, the Yuma Medjool Date Festival!
Odd Law Alert: New Mexico Expert Wizard Amendment (University of Cincinnati Law Review)
Yuma Medjool Date Festival
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Today was the birthday in 1914 of the man who brought spray can and whipped cream together: Aaron “Bunny” Lapin. Plus: today in 1895, the birthday of pioneering microbiologist Dr. Rebecca Lancefield. Some scientists mark her accomplishments by making her recipe for eggnog.
Aaron 'Bunny' Lapin, 85, Dies (Washington Post)
Aaron S. Lapin, Reddi-wip Creator, Dies at 85 (New York Times)
More Evidence That Eggnog Goes Better With Booze (NPR)
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It's the first Wednesday of the new year. How come many of us don’t pronounce it “WED-ns-day”? Plus: around this time in 1939, Lyra Ferguson of Missouri set a goal of traveling to each of the then-48 states and finding a job in each of them, for just one week.
Why 'Wednesday' Isn't Pronounced the Way It's Spelled (HowStuffWorks)
45 Jobs in 45 States (Weird Universe)
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We have some good news early in this new year: the Leaning Tower of Pisa isn’t leaning quite as far as it used to! Plus: today in 2020, people in Venice saw an unusual sight: two emu-like birds known as rhea or nandu took a train ride into the city and then roamed around like tourists.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa Now Leans Less, Its Infamous Tilt Having Been Reduced by 1.6 Inches Over the Last Two Decades (Artnet)
Emu-like birds' Venice day out earns fines for owners (The Guardian)
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Most people have O, A, B or AB type blood, but there are dozens of rarer blood types, including Rhnull, which is sometimes called "golden blood." Plus: Today in 1978, a guy in a snowman costume ended up on fire?!?
'Golden blood' - only 43 people in the world have this rare blood type (Jerusalem Post)
Landry, Cowboy Coach, Enjoys Day at Movies (New York Times)
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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
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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 captures ocean microdebris via velcro straps as users move underwater (designboom)
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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 Boing)
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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-loop, smart bandage with integrated sensors and stimulators for advanced wound care and accelerated healing (Nature)
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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)
Rival sails to rescue sinking sailor (Irish Times)
What it’s like to be a food writer when you can taste everything you see (Atlanta Magazine)
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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 Reddit Thread Of The Worst Christmas Gifts People Have Ever Received Might Forever Change Your Holiday Shopping Plans (Digg)
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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 attacking this Rudolph decoration (CBC)
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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, Michigan. It's home to thousands of Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments.
1,000 years older than Stonehenge (Irish Times)
The Quaint, Weird World of Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments (Hyperallergic)
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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 Hannukah House.
Houston's famous Hanukkah house shines bright for the holidays (KHOU)
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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: the Scot who inspired Dickens' Scrooge (The Scotsman)
What Scrooge Ate on Christmas Eve: Folk Belief, Folk Medicine, and Foodways in Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” (Library of Congress)
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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.
Did You Know That the First-Ever Ferris Wheel Was Built in Chicago? (ITechPost)
Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Sanghiya Loktāntrik Ganatantra Nepāl (CRW Flags)
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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 CRISIS (Inverse)
Yes, fire is used to keep Chicago trains running in the cold (Chicago Tribune)
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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 wings made from rice cakes, this drone is designed to save your life (IEEE Spectrum)
Meet Sunday Nobody, the Meme Artist Who Entombed a Bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in a 3,000-Pound Sarcophagus Time Capsule (Artnet)
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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 accident restores vision (Times Herald-Record)
Stories of former NBA star Gus Johnson are no tall tales: Terry Pluto (Cleveland.com)
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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 things you didn’t know about Frank Sinatra (PBS Newshour)
Remember How Frank Sinatra Almost Played Dirty Harry? (Yahoo! Finance)
Frank Sinatra was offered the part of John McClane in ‘Die Hard’ (NME.com)
Carrie Fisher Trivia (IMDB)
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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)
Space Acorn - 1965 UFO (Roadside America)
Muskogee student honored for saving 2 lives (Enid News & Eagle)
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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)
Samuel Pepys and the First Actresses (Royal Museums Greenwich)
Metallica Rocks 'Freeze 'Em All' Show in Antarctica (Billboard)
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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 (JasonBecker.com)
Paralyzed guitarist with ALS plays on (ABC News via Archive.org)
Old Capitol Holiday Walks (Visit Springfield)
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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 (Wired UK)
A letter from an American soldier has been delivered to his family — 76 years after he mailed it (WHDH)
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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 Company)
Sarah Biffin: the celebrated nineteenth-century artist born without arms or legs (Art UK)
Found Ocean Stones Are Transformed Into Vibrant Mandalas You Can Hold in Your Hand (My Modern Met)
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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 The Hodag (Wisconsin Life)
World Heavy Metal Knitting Championships
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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 Black Lagoon’ (Los Angeles Times)
Get your work done inside Tokyo’s first convenience store private working booth (Sora News 24)
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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 (Nova)
Loch Ness monster might actually just be a giant eel, scientists say (USA Today)
T. Rex had an air conditioner in its head, study suggests (Science Daily)
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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 hug, so start practicing.
11 Fun Facts About Them! (Mental Floss)
Hug me tender: scientists unlock the secret to the perfect cuddle (Yahoo! News)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite monster-themed stories. In this episode from June 2020, a couple in Murphysboro, Illinois reports seeing a tall, hairy, extremely smelly creature that over time became known as The Big Muddy Monster. But what the heck was it? Plus: 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 Southern Illinoisian)
Big Muddy Monster Case File (Murphysboro.com)
The King’s Final Bow: Elvis’s Last Concert in Indianapolis (Indiana History Blog)
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For some people, watching football is the best part of Thanksgiving weekend. Today in 1950, there was a football game that had to be seen to be believed: the Snow Bowl. Plus: today is known in some circles as Dine Over Your Kitchen Sink Day.
Snow Bowl - November 25, 1950 (Weather.gov)
How A Blizzard Made The 1950 Michigan/Ohio State ‘Snow Bowl’ Most Unusual Read More: A Blizzard Made The 1950 Michigan/Ohio State 'Snow Bowl' Unusual (WBCK)
International Association of People Who Dine Over the Kitchen Sink (Weird Universe)
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There aren't a lot of top-drawer Thanksgiving specials, but the "WKRP In Cincinnati" episode "Turkeys Away" may qualify. Here's some of the real life story that inspired the absolutely bonkers plot of the show.
Turkeys Away: An Oral History (Classic TV History)
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Today in 1804, the birthday of President Franklin Pierce. He's not well known today, but in his time, people learned about the 14th president through a biography written by the acclaimed novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne. Plus: today in 1999, the area around Cape Canaveral, Florida gets a very appropriate area code.
Franklin Pierce: NH's Forgotten President (NH Magazine)
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Party Hack (Slate)
3,2,1, Call Cape Canaveral (New York Times)
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This is maybe the most adorable scientific study of the year: researchers have been testing whether bumblebees like to play with toys… and they do! Plus: in Duluth, Minnesota, the famous Bentleyville Tour of Lights is underway.
Bumblebees Like Playing With Toys, Study Finds (Treehugger)
Bentleyville Tour of Lights
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The World Cup is getting underway in Qatar. The Cup's official ball has a colorful and busy design, perfect for HDTVs. Here's the story of how the classic black and white ball got its design. Plus: this time in 1938, some TV viewers in New York were watching... the BBC?
The Footballs during the FIFA World Cup™ (FIFA)
BBC Television received in New York - November 1938 (Archive.org)
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Today in 1923, the birthday of Alan Shepard. He was the first American in space, and the first person to ever play golf on the Moon. Plus: when night falls tonight in the northern Alaska town of Utqiaġvik, also known as Barrow, it’s going to linger.
The Moon Club (USGA)
America’s northern most town entered polar night Thursday (WHSV)
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Today in 1858, the founding of the city of Denver, Colorado. The state capitol building in Denver features a kind of stone known as Colorado Rose Onyx, and so far it's the only one. Plus: for National Baklava Day, a look at the world's largest baklava.
Only in Denver: Rose Onyx at Colorado State Capitol (Denver.org)
Largest baklava (Guinness)
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It's National Fast Food Day, and here's the story of an uncommon fast food restaurant: the Friendship 500, a floating McDonald's restaurant in the 80s nicknamed the "McBarge." Plus: in Germany, there's a fast food place with a paddle-thru lane for canoeists and kayakers.
The Creepiest McDonald’s In The World (LethbridgeNewsNow)
The World’s Only Float-Through McDonald’s (Laughing Squid)
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Today in 1938, a California woman took a stand in court for the right to wear slacks instead of a dress in court. Here's the story of Helen Hulick and her campaign against "anti-slackism." Plus: today in 1929, the release of the film "Atlantic," which was actually the same film made multiple times in multiple languages.
California Retrospective: In 1938, L.A. woman went to jail for wearing slacks in courtroom (Los Angeles Times)
Did a Woman Go To Jail for Wearing Slacks in 1938? (Snopes)
ATLANTIC (1929) (BFI)
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Today in 1943, a US Navy ship almost caused a gigantic tragedy, by inadvertently launching a torpedo at the president of the United States. Plus: this month in 1932, the UK’s Home Office got a complaint about ancient drawing known as the Cerne Abbas Giant and his “impassioned obscenity.”
This WWII Naval Ship Was So Unlucky, It Almost Killed FDR (Task and Purpose)
To Whom It May Concern (Futility Closet)
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For Veterans Day, the story of the Comanche Code Talkers, 17 veterans of the second World War who created an unbroken code in their native language that saved lives and helped the US military effort.
Comanche language helped win World War II (US Army)
Comanche Code Talkers (Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center)
124th Signal Battalion (ArmyHistory.org)
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Today in 1958, the Hope Diamond became property of the Smithsonian Institution. Legend has it the giant blue diamond carries with it a centuries-old curse... even though some of its owners have actually done just fine for themselves. Plus: a statue in Spain pays tribute to a heavy metal enthusiast known as the Rocker Grandma.
History of the Hope Diamond (Smithsonian Institution)
The Secret History Of The Hope Diamond: How Pierre Cartier Sold A Cursed Jewel (Forbes)
This Granny Rocks! (Eye on Spain)
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There's a new technique that could help people trying to fend off chronic nightmares - and it involves playing "neutral" piano chords at just the right times. Plus: an art museum in Germany discovers one of its Mondrian paintings has been on display upside down for decades!
A piano chord helped reduce chronic nightmares, a study showed (Washington Post)
Painting by Mondrian has been hanging upside down in German museum for decades (Paudal)
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It's National Tongue Twister Day, and among those who practice tongue twisters as part of their training are auctioneers. Here's a look at how they do their work. Plus: a visit to Montana's famous Ringing Rocks.
What it takes to be an art auctioneer at the largest auction house in the world (Insider)
Auctioneer Practice Drills & Exercises (Western College of Auctioneering)
Ringing Rocks Point of Interest (Visit MT)
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This day in 1916 was an important day in US Postal Service history - a rule change that came after the community of Vernal, Utah basically had a bank mailed to them, in installments of bricks. Plus: a developer in England tore down a pub that was considered a historic site, so they had to put the original pub back up in its original location with the original bricks.
The Bank of Vernal: The "Parcel Post Bank" (US Postal Service)
VERNAL'S PARCEL POST BANK (Utah Humanities)
After Illegally Bulldozing Historic London Pub, Developers Were Ordered to Rebuild it ‘Brick by Brick’ (Good News Network)
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Today in 1980, six counties in southern New Jersey voted on whether they should strike out on their own and become a separate state of South Jersey. And five of those counties actually voted yes! Plus: the Peace Tower on Canada's Parliament Hill has a giant clock that cannot ever be turned backwards. So how does it handle the end of Daylight Saving Time?
South Jersey voted to secede from NJ (App.)
The 10 Most Iconic Clock Towers in the World (Architectural Digest)
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It's National Sandwich Day, and there are lots of great ones out there. The worst sandwich has a pretty clear champion - the Raines sandwich. Though to be fair, it wasn’t ever really intended to be eaten. Plus: back in 1984, the number one song on the Billboard pop chart was “Caribbean Queen” by Billy Ocean. He actually recorded different versions of the song featuring queens from different parts of the world to have hits everywhere.
To Evade Pre-Prohibition Drinking Laws, New Yorkers Created the World’s Worst Sandwich (Atlas Obscura)
Billy Ocean - European Queen (Discogs)
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Around this time in 2001, eccentric Hollywood legend Marlon Brando held a 10-day seminar called “Lying For A Living" where he alternately taught acting and did very, very Marlon Brando things. Plus: this weekend in Florence, South Carolina, it’s the South Carolina Pecan Music and Food Festival.
Marlon Brando’s Real Last Tango: The Never-Told Story of His Secret A-List Acting School (The Hollywood Reporter)
SC Pecan Music & Food Festival
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Today in 1800, President John Adams first moved into the president's house, which, despite rumors to the contrary, was always a White House. Here's how it gets repainted. Plus: for National Calzone Day, a visit to a place in West Virginia that serves a gigantic calzone challenge.
It takes a lot of work to keep the White House painted white! (White House Historical Association on Twitter)
The Biggest Calzone In The World Is Melt In Your Mouth Good At This West Virginia Pizza Joint (Only In West Virginia)
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Happy Halloween! Today we pay a visit to a house in Waxahachie, Texas that's a real-world replica of the home of TV's Munsters. Plus: today in 2002, a soccer record that probably won’t ever be equaled: a team from Madagascar scored 149 goals against itself.
Welcome to the ‘Munsters’ Mansion in Waxahachie (Texas Monthly)
Mingle with monsters (and Marilyn) at the Munster Mansion, a perfect replica of the fictional family’s house (Roadtrippers)
Team repeatedly scores own goals to protest refs (ESPN)
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Today in 1883, a bizarre headline in the New York Times: “Actor Demoralized By Tomatoes.” Why have audiences thrown tomatoes and other foods at performers? Plus: this weekend in Yardley, Pennsylvania, it’s Canal-O-Ween, a special stroll through a waterway of lit pumpkins.
AN ACTOR DEMORALIZED BY TOMATOES. (The New York Times)
HAS THERE EVER BEEN AN ACTUAL CASE OF SOMEONE BEING PELTED WITH TOMATOES DURING A PERFORMANCE? (Today I Found Out)
Canal-O-Ween: Pumpkins. Fire. Water. Magic - A Yardley, PA Experience (Experience Yardley)
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If you have fields, you almost certainly have weeds. Pulling them can take a lot of time or money, but farmers now have a new way to make that part of the job a lot easier: a weed-zapping robot that uses lasers. Plus: this weekend in Hiawatha, Kansas, runners are set to take part in the Great Pumpkin Relay.
This new farming robot uses lasers to kill 200,000 weeds per hour (Interesting Engineering)
City of Hiawatha October 2022 newsletter (City of Hiawatha)
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It's National Mule Day, so it's a great day to celebrate a mule who singlehandedly… showed up at some Major League Baseball games. Here's the story of the official mule mascot of the New York Mets. Plus: The Instagram account Les Facades de Paris focuses on the fabulous fronts of Paris’s shops, homes and other buildings.
Double Bray: When the New York Mets Replaced Mr. Met With a Live Mule (Mental Floss)
lesfacadesdeparis (Instagram via Messy Nessy)
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Today in 1944, the greatest concert in Carnegie Hall history, featuring a truly incomparable singer: the one and only Florence Foster Jenkins. Here's how the woman sometimes called the worst opera singer of all time ended up on one of the most famous stages of all time. Plus: today in 1912, the birthday of Grand Ole Opry comedian Minnie Pearl, who's celebrated in her hometown, Centerville, Tennessee, with a large statue made of chicken wire.
THE WORST SINGER IN THE WORLD (Pacific Standard)
Remembering Florence Foster Jenkins (Carnegie Hall)
Minnie Pearl Chicken Wire Statue (Atlas Obscura)
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It's United Nations Day, and UN headquarters in New York City is a pretty interesting place if you like geopolitics, world history or beekeeping. Here's a closer look at the UN's own beehives. Plus: a group of artists is raising awareness about the risks of "ghost gear" from fishing boats by making sculptures out of the lost material that resemble the marine life that's in danger.
The United Nations Makes Its Own Honey (Untapped New York)
Tons of Discarded Fishing Nets Are Formed into the Wildlife They Entangle in Sculptures by Ghost Net Collective (Colossal)
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Happy National Apple Day! Today it's the story of Maria Ann Smith, who discovered the tart, juicy green apple now known around the world as the Granny Smith. Plus: today in 1969, the Beatles’ record company, Apple, got a telegram asking if Paul McCartney wanted to come to New York for a pretty special recording session.
Who was Granny Smith? (City of Ryde via Archive.org)
Jimi Hendrix Sought Paul McCartney for Supergroup with Miles Davis (Rolling Stone)
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If we’re ever going to get to a world of self-driving cars we’re going to need ways to make sure that world is safe - and one way to keep pedestrians safe near autonomous vehicles may be… googly eyes. Seriously. Plus: this weekend in Pittsburgh, it's the Dirty Dozen Bike Race, which sends riders up the steepest hills in the city.
Animated Googly Eyes Could Make Autonomous Cars Safer For Pedestrians (Gizmodo)
Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen 2022
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A New York company has developed a process called Inflatable Flexible Factory Formwork that can quickly build inexpensive, sturdy and affordable houses. This may be the one type of inflation people in 2022 want to see more of. Plus: this weekend in Nashville, a literal presidential race at the home of our seventh chief executive.
Structure-inflating construction tech could give 3D printing a run for its money (New Atlas)
7th President 7k Run
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Today in 1924, the University of Illinois dedicated Memorial Stadium, which holds some 60,000 football fans and, legend has it, one bulldozer. We'll look at what really happened. Plus: this weekend in Crowley, Louisiana, it’s the International Rice Festival.
Campus Mythbusting: Is there a bulldozer buried beneath Memorial Stadium? (University of Illinois Archives)
Crowley International Rice Festival
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It's National Pasta Day, and here’s a pasta fact that you might have guessed: Fettucine Alfredo comes from an actual guy named Alfredo. Plus: this month in 1990 that a swarm of so-called "killer bees" crossed into the US for the first time on record. The south Texas community of Hidalgo had a big reaction.
The Real Alfredo (Saveur)
Hidalgo, Texas's, Killer Bee Statue, a nod to a historical moment in October 1990 when the first known swarm of these "Africanized" bees was documented to have crossed into the United States from Mexico and into this little Rio Grande River community in far-south Texas (Library of Congress's Public Domain Archive)
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This month in 1964 that the country first began using its world-famous bullet trains, so we've got a few, well, fast facts about them. Plus: today in Bridgeville, Delaware, the Apple-Scrapple Festival is starting.
Shinkansen about more than speed (Japan Times via Archive.org)
15 Things You Didn't Know About Bullet Trains (Thrillist)
How Japan's Shinkansen bullet trains changed the world of rail travel (CNN)
Tracing the History of Railways in Japan Through Art (Spoon and Tamago)
Bridgeville Apple-Scrapple Festival
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Back braces for scoliosis haven't always been the most comfortable or fun to wear in public. But Airy, the newest prototype back brace, could even be called stylish. Plus: today in 1960, Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski hit a World Series-winning home run, and the only video of that landmark moment came because a big star was too busy (or too nervous) to watch live.
'airy' scoliosis brace is designed for young girls to wear with comfort and confidence (designboom)
Pristine film of '60 Series Game 7 found (ESPN)
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Aerial Additive Manufacturing is a new process in which a team of drones 3D print while still flying, and then scanning drones fly by to make sure the job was done right. Plus: the story of a bridge in Ireland that shows sometimes a very little thing can keep a very big thing from doing its thing.
Drone Swarms that Can 3D Print While Flying (Core77)
The Celtic Tiger bridge that wouldn't open because of a lost remote control (The Journal)
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If you watched any of the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II, you know the UK has lots of traditions. Here's another one: once a year, sometime between about now and mid November, the city of London pays rent to the Crown for several pieces of land in what’s called the Ceremony of Quit Rents. Plus: around this time in 2013, a big typo on some coins struck for the Vatican.
The Ceremony of Quit Rents (Historic-UK.com)
Vatican pulls papal medal which misspelt name of Jesus (BBC)
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October is National Stamp Collecting Month, and there are perhaps no more collectible stamps than the ones out of the small Asian country of Bhutan - like the "talking stamps" that were also vinyl records. Plus: a choice selection from some of the strangest responses to questions on geology tests.
Little Ambassadors of the Country (Works That Work)
“Coal Is Decayed Vegetarians" (Futility Closet)
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Today in 1916, a college football game that was about as one-sided as it gets: Georgia Tech 222, Cumberland College 0. Here's how this absolute squash of a game played out. Plus: today in Smithfield, North Carolina, day one of the Ava Gardner Festival.
Revisiting Georgia Tech 222, Cumberland 0 and how it may have saved the school (CBS Sports)
220-0-THE INFAMOUS CUMBERLAND GAP (Chicago Tribune)
Ava Gardner Festival
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Today in 1945 was the beginning of curse, or at least that's how frustrated fans of the Chicago Cubs. Here's the story of the Curse of the Billy Goat. Plus: today in Ketchum, Idaho, the Trailing of the Sheep Festival is getting underway.
Are the Chicago Cubs Really Cursed? (LiveScience)
Come on Down for the Big Cozy Sheep Parade (Thrillist)
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International Astronomy Day is coming up this weekend, so we’re talking about Hisako Koyama, an astronomer who hand-drew tens of thousands of daily observations of the sun and its spots. Plus: there's a remote spot in the African country of Namibia where you can hear the Toto song "Africa" on an endless loop.
This Japanese ‘hidden figure’ enlightened the world with her sunspot sketches (PBS NewsHour)
Africa by Toto to play on eternal loop 'down in Africa' (BBC)
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Today in 1900, Margaret Abbott became the first American woman to win an Olympic title, even though she didn’t know she was in the Olympics. Plus: today in 2021, a woman in Canada got a very unexpected visitor.
Margaret Abbott (New York Times)
B.C. woman awakes to a hole in her roof and a space rock on her pillow (Castlegar News)
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Today in 1926, America’s aunt made her debut on the airwaves. That would be Aunt Sammy, who gave cooking tips to millions of listeners in the early days of radio. Plus: today in 78 BC a graffiti artist got to work in ancient Pompeii.
History of Aunt Sammy and Her Recipes (Quaint Cooking)
Pompeii’s Graffiti and the Ancient Origins of Social Media (The Atlantic)
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The Texas State Fair is getting underway, and if it's fried food you're after, you have Abel Gonzales Jr., aka "Fried Jesus," to thank. Plus: the Comedy Pet Photo Awards have announced this year’s winners.
I Believe I Can Fry (Texas Monthly)
Who is Fried Jesus, Dallas restaurant owner? Abel Gonzales’ new nickname is the Texican (Dallas Morning News)
Cats, Dogs, and a Smoking Alpaca Win Pet Photo Awards (Treehugger)
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Today in 1921, President Warren Harding issued an executive order that would finally protect the United States’ most important documents after decades of wear and tear. Plus: if you're celebrating National Coffee Day, you could do worse than following the lead of Avery Sisk. His house in Collettsville, North Carolina is covered in 30,000 coffee mugs.
Constitution of the United States—A History (Archives.gov)
Case Closed (NOVA)
30,000 Coffee mugs COVER this house in North Carolina (Exploring the Obscure)
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One hundred years ago today was the birthday of Mike Yurosek, the father of the baby carrot. Here's the story of how he came up with the idea. Plus: some communities in Europe are starting mini gardens on the roofs of bus stop shelters to give bees and butterflies a little help.
Profiles in Doing Both: Mike Yurosek, Father of the 'Baby Carrot' (Forbes)
Digging the baby carrot (USA Today)
Buzz stops: bus shelter roofs turned into gardens for bees and butterflies (The Guardian)
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School is back in session, and fortunately teachers aren't using dunce caps to shame their students. How did a hat that was once worn by prominent thinkers end up as the hat of choice for teachers trying to brand students as dopes? Plus: an apartment building in Concord, New Hampshire turns itself into a classic video game.
What’s the origin of the dunce cap? (The Straight Dope)
NH gets a cool new monument to video games (GraniteGeek)
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Today in 1990, the premiere of one of the most bewildering TV experiments of all time: Cop Rock. We'll explain how the show happened and why it didn't quite catch on. Plus: it's the birthday of George William Crump, a guy Ray Stevens could’ve written a song about.
An oral history of Cop Rock, TV’s first and last musical police drama (AV Club)
University Chronology (Washington University via Archive.org)
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It's known as the House in the Loire, and it's a popular sight for those on Loire River boat tours. But it's not a house on a formerly dry site that later flooded; nor does anyone live there. We'll explain. Plus: this weekend in Baltimore, it’s the Big Dill, otherwise known as the “World’s Largest Pickle Party.”
The Famous House in the Middle of the Loire River (Oddity Central)
The Big Dill
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Hot days make for stuffy classrooms, and that can make it hard to learn, but going outside to scorching hot asphalt playgrounds isn’t much better. A school near Atlanta is demonstrating one partial solution, and it’s as simple as getting a fresh coat of paint. Plus: for the upcoming National Bunny Day, a visit to the Bunny Museum in southern California.
Thanks to an innovative new paint, this school’s playground just got 12 degrees cooler (Fast Company)
LA's Bunny Museum will redline your rabbit-o-meter (Boing Boing)
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It was a hit when it was first released in 1978. Today it’s an anthem. Here's how Earth, Wind & Fire got everybody dancing and remembering each September 21st. Plus: if you’re one of those workers who had to go back to the office and really didn’t want to, this may help register your discontent.
The Song That Never Ends: Why Earth, Wind & Fire's 'September' Sustains (NPR)
Do You Remember? The Message in Earth, Wind & Fire’s ‘September’ (Wall Street Journal)
concept coffin office chair design wants workers to sit there, forever (designboom)
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Today in 1932, an unknown photographer took one of the most famous, most astonishing photographs of all time, the one known as “Lunch Atop A Skyscraper.” Here's more about how it happened. Plus: one of the most astonishing barnyard inventions of all time.
Lunch Atop a Skyscraper Photograph: The Story Behind the Famous Shot (Smithsonian)
Chicken Glasses (National Band and Tag Company via YouTube)
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Today in 1986, an audience in Amsterdam saw a play called “Going To The Dogs.” And it lived up to the name: all of the actors were German Shepherds. Plus: at Pomona College in California, there’s a tradition called “fountaining" where students get a birthday trip into a school fountain.
`Going to the Dogs' just the ticket in Amsterdam (Christian Science Monitor)
Five Steps to a Fountaining (Voices: The Pomona College Student Blog)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite undersea episodes. In this one from October 2019, the British Antarctic Survey partners with researchers in Chile on a way to protect whales via satellite. Plus: the story of a paraglider who manages to land smoothly and carefully on a couch.
Stranded whales detected from space (British Antarctic Survey)
Parachute Landing On Couch (YouTube)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite undersea episodes. In this one from April 2019, a researcher from Duke University spots female sand tiger sharks returning to the same shipwrecks, sometimes over months or even years. Are they taking rest stops on their migration routes? Are they mating there - like a pirate-themed make-out spot for sharks? Plus: sand sculpture artisans return to Port Aransas, Texas, for the Texas SandFest.
Sand Tiger Sharks Return to Same Shipwrecks Off N.C. Coast (Duke University)
Texas SandFest
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite undersea episodes. In this one from June 2021, the story of the robotic fish called Charlie and Charlene, and how they were developed by the Central Intelligence Agency. Plus: one place you might mark National Surfing Day is the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum in California.
Meet Catfish Charlie, the CIA’s Robotic Spy (IEEE Spectrum)
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum (Atlas Obscura)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite undersea episodes. In this one from December 2020, a team out of New Curtin University in Australia finds that pilot whales appear to imitate one of their predators, tricking them away from the hunt. And in equally clever but much more irritating news, a neighborhood in Ottawa, Ontario reports squirrels are stealing the LED lights out of their holiday displays.
Pilot whale study reveals copycat calls to outsmart predators (Science Daily)
Red squirrels going nuts for Ottawa couple's Christmas lights, but reason remains a mystery (CBC)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite undersea episodes. In this one from November 2020, scientists determine that the Greenland shark lives longer than any known invertebrate, up to 400 years. How? We don't know, but it sure does seem chill about it. Plus: UK-based artist Sue Austin developed an underwater wheelchair, making the wide, wide sea a lot more accessible.
A Greenland Shark Living Today Could Have Been Alive in 1620 (HowStuffWorks)
A Specially Adapted Underwater Wheelchair Brings Artist Sue Austin Beneath the Earth’s Surface (Colossal)
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The late Queen Elizabeth II once said being a royal meant your life was full of tradition. And there was a lot to tradition to keep track of - like how her birthday was celebrated more than once each year. Plus: a Super Nintendo game in Japan where tennis players used to drop S-bombs.
Why Does the Queen Have Two Birthdays? (Mental Floss)
A Game With The Word "Shit" Was Just Re-Released On The Nintendo Switch In Japan (Kotaku)
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In September 1924, a truck accidentally discovered a series of tunnels underneath Washington DC. There were lots of rumors, but it turned out a local guy had just dug them himself, for "exercise." Here's his story. Plus: the new book from photographer Enda O'Flaherty, "Life Is Elsewhere," visits abandoned schoolhouses in rural Ireland.
Smithsonian Bug Expert By Day; Eccentric Tunnel Digger By Night (Architect of the Capitol)
Inside the tunnels of Washington’s mole man, Harrison G. Dyar (Washington Post)
Life Is Elsewhere: Abandoned Schools In The Irish Countryside (Flashbak)
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Today in 1950, the Coshocton, Ohio Tribune carried a news story with one heck of a headline: “Kitten Scales Matterhorn: Veteran Mountain Climbers Are Astonished”! Here's how the cat, later nicknamed Matt, got there. Plus: a small plaque in Denmark marks a big moment in rock music history.
The cat that climbed the Matterhorn (Weird Universe)
Commemorating the debut of Led Zeppelin in 1968
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Today is National Read A Book Day, which reminds us of an article from HowStuffWorks that tries to answer a complicated question: “What is the oldest book in the world?” Plus: Ithaca, New York is home to a tribute to the world of growing, eating, sharing and decorating gourds.
What Is the Oldest Book in the World? (HowStuffWorks)
Ithaca is ‘gourd-geous’: Welcome to Gourdlandia, where the world’s most versatile vegetable is transformed into art (Roadtrippers)
Our Patreon backers are as wise as a classic book
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Today in 1856, the steamboat Arabia sank in a river - and it wouldn't be seen again until 1988, when it showed up in a cornfield in Kansas. We'll explain how sometimes ships lost at sea are found somewhere else. Plus: Floating Motors is a company that converts vintage autos into seaworthy vessels.
How a Champagne-Laden Steamship Ended Up in a Kansas Cornfield (Atlas Obscura)
Floating Motors Turns Cars into Floating Cars (UrbanDaddy)
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Today in 1859 the night sky was about as bright as it's ever been, thanks to a massive geomagnetic storm known today as the Carrington Event. Plus: this weekend the Denver Chalk Art Festival gets underway in Colorado.
Telegraphs Ran On Electric Air in Crazy 1859 Magnetic Storm (WIRED)
Colorado's Most Colorful Event - Denver Chalk Art Festival
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It's back to school season, and while some classrooms will have their own pets this year, none will be quite like Room 8, a stray cat turned classroom cat turned legend. Plus: the Michigan State Fair gets underway today, and hopefully goes better than the botched attempt at a fair back in 1839.
Room 8, The Cat That Adopted An Echo Park School, Died 50 Years Ago Today (LAist)
The Michigan State Fair (LostStory.net)
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We've known for years that there are ways to turn our movements into energy. A new project out of Singapore wants to turn clothes into high-tech batteries powered by our movement. Plus: meet the Garbage Shirt, made partly from recycled plastic bottles.
Scientists Found a Way to Turn Your Body Into a Battery ... With Your Clothes (Popular Mechanics)
This Shirt Is Made From Garbage (Urbandaddy)
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At the Minnesota State Fair, there's a contest to choose a new ambassador for the state's dairy farms. And for almost 50 years, a sculptor made butter likenesses of the contestants. Here's a little about how Linda Christensen and her colleagues did it. Plus: the Instagram account push.pushbuttons showcases some of the coolest and most pushable buttons in the world around us.
For nearly 50 years, she’s sculpted women’s faces at the state fair — out of butter. Now she’s retiring her knife. (Washington Post)
push.pushbuttons (Instagram via Messy Nessy)
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MIRA is a small robotic surgery system that's set for testing on the International Space Station - and could end up helping astronauts prepare for long-term missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis project. Plus: cold brew takes a long time to brew, except when you brew it with lasers!
SURGICAL ROBOT COULD PERFORM SURGERIES BY ITSELF ON SPACE STATION (Futurism)
Cold brew coffee—pew, pew, pew—brewed with lasers! (Fast Company)
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It's National Dog Day, so it's a good day to tell the story of Bobbie a dog who once walked home more than 2,500 miles after being separated from his family. Plus: it’s day one of the three-day Mackinac Island Fudge Festival.
Bobbie, The Wonder Dog Who Walked 2,500 Miles to Home (Amusing Planet)
Mackinac Island Fudge Festival
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Today in 1944, the birthday of Pat Martino, a jazz guitar great who once had to relearn the instrument that had won him so much acclaim. Plus: Today in Deming, New Mexico, it’s the 43rd Annual Great American Duck Race.
Pat Martino discusses relearning to play guitar after a near-fatal brain aneurysm left him with amnesia (Lehigh Valley Live)
Jazz Guitar After Brain Damage (Discover Magazine)
43rd Annual Great American Duck Race August 25-28, 2022
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Today in 1919, one of the strangest moments in the history of baseball: a pitcher won a game in which he was struck by lightning! Plus: today in 2006, the International Astronomical Union redefined what a planet was, leaving poor cold little Pluto in the lurch and leading to a new verb.
A lightning strike fueled baseball's most electrifying performance (Accuweather)
Aug. 24, 2006: Pluto Deplanetized (WIRED)
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Today in 2021, a very long wait was over. Researchers harvested three bunches of dates from trees that had sprouted from seeds over two thousand years old. Plus: today in 1989, the biggest human chain of all time, stretching hundreds of miles through three countries.
After 2,000 Years, These Seeds Have Finally Sprouted (The Atlantic)
A Chain of Friendship: Reflections on the Baltic Way and Inspiration for Belarus (Foreign Policy Research Institute)
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Today in 1893, writer Dorothy Parker was born. Those who knew her say nobody had a sharper wit - and we have the one-liners to prove it. Plus: a design studio in Tokyo may have a solution for all the waste styrofoam out there.
10 Things You Might Not Know About Dorothy Parker (Mental Floss)
we+ recycles styrofoam waste into dark, monolithic furniture collection (designboom)
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For National Photography Day, here’s a remarkable photographic story from the 1890s: a guy in Norway made his own candid camera. Plus: today in 1935, the birthday of Story Musgrave, the only astronaut to serve on missions on all five space shuttles.
19-Year-Old Student Hides Spy Camera In His Clothing To Take Secret Street Photos In The 1890s (Bored Panda)
Veteran Astronaut Story Musgrave (Smithsonian)
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Scientists once thought stingrays were silent, but a recent recording project found out they make noise after all. Now they want to know why they make noises - and for who? Plus: today in 2018, Jessie the parrot may have said way too much.
Stingrays recorded making sounds for the first time—but why is a mystery (MSN for Kids)
Parrot swears at London firefighter trying to rescue it from roof (BBC)
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The new 3D printing project called To Grow A Building is working on a method to 3D print the components of structures out of dirt, with the goal of reducing the significant amount of emissions that come from using standard building materials. Plus: if you want to take a unique spin through geography, try the website Notable People.
These 3D-printed dirt walls grow a garden when you water them (Fast Company)
Notable people
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For mountaineers, success and safety can depend on good communication. A piece in Outside magazine featured two Deaf climbers who have their own system when they’re climbing, and they plan to use that system in climbing the highest peaks on each continent. Plus: if you like vacations in remote locales, this island in the south Atlantic Ocean is about as remote as it gets.
How Two Deaf Mountaineers Thrive on High Peaks (Outside)
The Questionable Rewards of a Visit to Inaccessible Island (Atlas Obscura)
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It was around this time in 1975 that Gary Dahl dropped by a gift show in San Francisco with the idea for the pet rock. It would make him a millionaire. Plus: on Liechtenstein National Day, we have a few small facts about this small European nation.
The story of Gary Dahl and the pet rock: From the archives (Mercury News)
Hard Sell: A History of the Pet Rock (Mental Floss)
LITTLE LIECHTENSTEIN ACHIEVE BIG (FIFA)
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If you’re a Jetsons fan on the internet these days, you’re probably living the dream right now. Because, if you look really closely at the futuristic cartoon show’s backstory, the main character, George Jetson, may have just had his birthday. Plus: for World Elephant Day, a visit to Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum and Candy Emporium in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Fine, let's think too damn hard about whether George Jetson will actually be born tomorrow (AV Club)
George Jetson Is Almost Here (Know Your Meme)
You’ve Never Seen Anything Like This Bizarre Attraction In Pennsylvania (Only In Your State)
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Researchers at MIT have created a high-tech device that’s about one square inch in size and just a few millimeters thick, and can do ultrasounds for as long as 48 hours. Plus: today in South Haven, Michigan, it’s day one of the National Blueberry Festival.
This Stamp-Sized Ultrasound Patch Can Image Internal Organs (WIRED)
The National Blueberry Festival
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On this day in 1943, an interesting headline in the New York Times: “Sicily Vying With Hawaii To Become 49th U.S. State.” Of course, neither Sicily nor Hawaii became the 49th state; Alaska did. But there really was an effort to bring Sicily into the Union. Plus: a guy lost his cellphone in a river... and almost a year later, another guy found it. And it still worked!
Sicily Vying With Hawaii To Become 49th U.S. State (The New York Times)
Man reunited with phone lost in River Wye for 10 months (BBC)
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It was around this time in 2017 that people in Arlington, Virginia spotted what looked like a grey Ford passenger van with no driver. And then things got even weirder. Plus: today in 1943, the birthday of boxing champion and actor Ken Norton, who was so good in high school track and field his home state had to change the rules.
Car Seat Camouflage: Man Wears Bizarre Costume In Automatic Vehicle Experiment (NPR)
10 things you may not know about local legend, boxer Ken Norton (Jacksonville, IL Journal-Courier)
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There's a phenomenon in art history where some paintings feature dogs with lit flares in their mouths. They're not committing arson or leading Indiana Jones through a dark cave... but what are they doing? Plus: when YouTuber Mathieu Stern came across old film dating back to the year 1900, he developed it to find pictures of something you see plenty of on the internet today.
Wait, Why Are So Many Dogs Smoking Joints in Old Art? We Looked Into It, and the Answer Is Pretty Far Out (Artnet)
Photographer Finds 120-Year-Old Cat Photos After Developing Film Found in a Time Capsule (MyModernMet)
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This week we're replaying some of our most caffeinated episodes. In this episode from September 2019, a look at our annual time to consume and/or complain about products flavored with pumpkin spice. It was in the mid-90s that this blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves started its rise to power, and there's no stopping it now, really. Plus: did you know that hundreds of years ago pumpkin spice may have given us New York City? The origins of pumpkin spice and how it became the flavor of fall (Washington Post) The Dark And Murky History Of Pumpkin Spice (Chicagoist) How Did Pumpkin Spice Become So Popular? And Why Do We Hate to Love It So Much? (Cooking Light) ‘Pumpkin Spice’ Has Been a Thing for 3,500 Years (History.com) Backing Cool Weird Awesome on Patreon costs less than a PSL and lasts even longer
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This week we're replaying some of our most caffeinated episodes. In this episode from November 2019, the Unocup aims to do something about all those plastic tops for disposable coffee cups that end up as waste in the ocean each year. It’s a paper cup that folds up to become its own top! Plus: there’s goat yoga and alpaca yoga, but Zoo Miami may top them all with its new Yoga With The Rhinos program.
The coffee cup gets a radical, desperately needed redesign (Fast Company)
Yoga With the Rhinos (Zoo Miami)
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This week we're replaying some of our most caffeinated episodes. In this episode from July 2019, coffee grounds can be recycled in all kinds of ways, including lots of products. And the most meta product of all is from KaffeeForm, which uses coffee grounds to make coffee cups. Plus: if you can’t wait a couple years for the Little Mermaid remake, why not head to Sacramento for the California Mermaid Festival?
6 Amazing products made (almost) entirely from recycled coffee grounds (Inhabitat)
California Mermaid Festival
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This week we're replaying some of our most caffeinated episodes. In this episode from June 2020, scientists at the University of California – San Diego try 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 New Lay Speed Record (FBR on YouTube)
Robots have infallible logic circuits and they think you should join us as a backer on Patreon
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This week we're replaying some of our most caffeinated episodes. In this episode from September 2020, we have the story of Brazilian athletes who, without travel funds from the government, had to earn their way to the Olympics in Los Angeles by selling coffee beans. Plus: in Bedford, Pennsylvania, there's a building shaped like a big metal coffee pot.
Brazilian Athletes Perked Up The 1932 Games With Their Coffee Caper (Sports Illustrated)
Coffee Pot-Shaped Building (Roadside America)
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Today in 1993, Rhode Island adopted coffee milk as its official state drink. And in that state, coffee milk is kind of a world unto itself. Plus: today in Whiting, Indiana, Pierogi Fest is getting underway.
What is coffee milk and why is Rhode Island obsessed with it? (WGBH)
PIEROGI FEST
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Plastic food wrap is useful stuff, but not eco-friendly. Now Rutgers University has a green alternative, and it’s not exactly wrap. You kind of spray it on. Plus: Officials in Hollister, California wanted new, slightly curved street lines painted. What they got was... not that.
Rutgers Scientist Develops Antimicrobial, Plant-Based Food Wrap Designed to Replace Plastic (Rutgers)
Incorrectly painted lanes on street cause confusion in Hollister (KSBW)
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In the collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum, there’s a mirror from 16th Century China that has been keeping a secret for centuries. And, at long last, that secret is out. Plus: the Metropolitan Museum of Art is using augmented reality to show the colorful paint and designs that used to be on some ancient statues.
Cincinnati Art Museum Discovers That a Rare 16th Century Mirror Reveals a Hidden Image When Illuminated (Colossal)
APP ALLOWS USERS TO SEE ANCIENT STATUES IN ORIGINAL COLOUR (Nag on the Lake)
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University of Pennsylvania researchers are developing a teeth cleaning system out of nanoparticles. Plus: Blizzbrush is an antimicrobial sponge the makers say can do the job of a toothbrush in just ten seconds.
Shapeshifting microrobots can brush and floss teeth (University of Pennsylvania)
3D printed 'blizzbrush 5.0 toothbrush-sponge' cleans entire mouth in just 10 seconds (designboom)
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Digital currencies are having a rough 2022, but one alternative currency has been doing pretty well for itself lately. That’s the wooden money made in Tenino, Washington. Plus: if you feel like you’ve been to every museum and you’re not sure what to do next, try the German Food Additives Museum.
Why Tenino is still printing wooden money (KING 5)
There is a museum dedicated to food additives in Hamburg, Germany (Boing Boing)
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On this day in 2008 things got weird during a recording of The Price Is Right, when a contestant kept hitting the big money in a round of Plinko. Plus: today in Key West, Florida, it’s preliminary round two of the annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest.
THE PRICE IS FIXED (Now I Know)
SLOPPY JOE’S 41ST ANNUAL HEMINGWAY® LOOK-ALIKE CONTEST JULY 21-23, 2022
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We’re in the heat of summer, and here’s the story of a guy who's helped millions cool down: Omar Knedlik, the inventor of the ICEE. Plus: today in 1924, actor Don Knotts was born in Morgantown, West Virginia. The town pays tribute to its famous resident with a statue downtown.
Remembering Omar Knedlik, the Rural Kansas Man Who Invented the ICEE (Kansas Public Radio)
Don Knotts Statue (Atlas Obscura)
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Today is International Chess Day, so here are a few of the stories about how which pieces were on the board changed over the centuries. Plus: today in 1969, humans landed on the moon. The world was in awe - except for one famous artist.
How did chess pieces get their names? (Big Think)
“It Means Nothing To Me”: Picasso Unimpressed by Moon Landing (Hyperalllergic)
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Today in 1911, a big day for the city of Pittsburgh: after an effort that lasted decades, the city won back the H at the end of its name! Plus: on this day in 1982, Hall of Fame shortstop Luke Appling hit an unusual home run.
THE PITTSBURGH “H” (Visit Pittsburgh)
Most Unlikely Homerun Ever! 75 Year Old Luke Appling's Home Run in Old Timers Game in D.C. 1982 (via YouTube)
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Today in 1914, the birthday of Gino Bartali. The Italian cycling star won the Tour de France in 1938, and won a second time a decade later. But what was even more impressive was what he did in between those two wins. Plus: today in 1995, researchers in Slovenia found what was believed to be the oldest musical instrument ever discovered.
Gino Bartali (Yad Vashem)
Hear the world’s oldest instrument, the 50,000 year old neanderthal flute (Classic FM)
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Many people hope humans will eventually walk on Mars. But there's a lot to sort out before that can happen, including this question: how does the way we tell time change when we have humans on more than one planet? Plus: today in Boulder, Colorado, it’s Tube To Work Day.
A meander through Martian minutes and the meaning of local time (Interconnected)
Tube To Work Day
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Summer is usually shorts weather, but there’s some new research on pants that’s worth a look, especially when you know that the pants at the center of this work are from 3,000 years ago. Plus: the South Carolina Peach Festival is getting underway this week in the community of Gaffney.
The world’s oldest pants are a 3,000-year-old engineering marvel (Ars Technica)
South Carolina Peach Festival
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This month in 1918, two photographers took a picture of the Statue of Liberty. Except this wasn’t the giant statue that sits in the harbor in New York, it was a living Statue of Liberty formed with help from 18,000 members of the US military. Plus: today in 1939 Frank Sinatra made his first record, which reminds us of a great story from when Frank was making the original "Ocean's Eleven."
Human Statue of Liberty (Snopes)
History, Military, Mole & Thomas, Woodrow Wilson, Antique Photograph, 1918 (GeorgeGlazer.com)
The Rat Pack Photographer (Los Angeles Times)
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Today is Cow Appreciation Day, so here's the story of some very unusual cows in Latvia and a playwright who helped save them from disappearing for good. Plus: a medical mystery caused by too much disco? It happened.
Herd the moos? Latvia's symbolic blue cow back from the brink (Phys.org)
Disco Felon (Weird Universe)
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Today in 1918, the birthday of Venetia Burney, who at age eleven, did something few people have done: she named a planet! Plus: on this day in 1992 the people of Ripon, Wisconsin made what was then the world’s largest chocolate chip cookie.
Venetia Burney Phair (1918-2009) (NASA)
Ripon's signature Cookie Daze has been discontinued, chamber cites closure of cookie factory (Ripon Press)
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It's National Motorcycle Day, so it's a perfect day to tell the story of one of the most legendary riders of all time: Bessie Stringfield, whose cross country trips and daring won her the name "Motorcycle Queen of Miami." Plus: today in Lisbon, Maine, the three day Moxie Festival is getting underway.
Overlooked No More: Bessie B. Stringfield, the ‘Motorcycle Queen of Miami’ (New York Times)
Moxie Festival
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It's National Ice Cream Month, and here's the story of a guy who tasted hundreds of millions of gallons of the sweet stuff: John Harrison, longtime ice cream tester. Plus: a kitten in Brooklyn got stuck in a car, until it heard a smartphone playing the sounds of other kittens.
The ice cream man whose taste buds are insured for $1m (The Hustle)
Woman Coaxes Kitten Out of a Car Engine by Playing Kitten Sounds on Her Phone (Laughing Squid)
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Today in 1785, the US Congress decided that the name of our country’s currency would be the dollar. Getting to that point was kind of a trek. Plus: today in 1957, a Black sports heroine won herself some gold.
The Almighty Dollar (AdamSmith.org)
Althea Gibson: Tennis Turmoil and Triumph (Library of Congress)
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Today in 1854, the end of one of the great hoaxes of its day: a fire in a Philadelphia museum destroyed what people of that time thought was a super-intelligent chess robot. Plus: today in 2011, people in a skyscraper in Seoul, South Korea, reported the building shaking like it'd been in an earthquake. The real cause was a lot more down to earth.
How a Phony 18th Century Chess Robot Fooled the World (History.com)
Korea solves mystery of shaking skyscraper (SF Gate)
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Back in 1926, Poland wanted to thank the US for its aid during World War I, but instead of sending the usual diplomatic letter, they sent papers all around their country and got one out of every six Polish people to sign. Plus: today was the birthday of Bill Withers, who got an unusual going-away present from his employer when he switched to singing full time.
Poland Once Gave America a Birthday Card That Was Signed By 5.5 Million Polish People (Good News Network)
Soul man: Bill Withers (M Magazine)
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Today in 1947, Wat Misaka became the first non-white player to be drafted into what is now the NBA. Here's some of his story. Plus: this weekend the Twin Cities host the Hmong International Freedom Festival.
Japanese American Former Basketball Star Inspired On And Off The Court (NPR)
Hmong International Freedom Festival (Visit Saint Paul)
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Today in 1938, the birthday of Billy Mills, a Marine veteran, activist AND a runner who won an Olympic gold medal in what’s been called the biggest upset in the history of the Games. Plus: in the 1950s, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a doghouse?
‘There goes Billy Mills!’ (Indian Country Today)
A Doghouse Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Is Now on Display (Smithsonian)
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A study from Ohio State University finds bats can remember a ringtone if they associate the sound with food - for years, in some cases. Plus: a French company is recycling old face masks and turning them into school supplies.
A rare discovery of long-term memory in wild frog-eating bats (Ohio State University)
Plaxtil Recycles Used Face Masks Into School Supplies (Cool Hunting)
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Today in 2006, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens famously told his colleagues that the Internet was not a dumptruck, it was a series of tubes, figuratively speaking. But here’s a story about some literal tubes that New York City once used to deliver mail. Plus: today in 2021, a woman who had asked the New York Yankees to be a batgirl 60 years earlier (and been rejected) finally got to live out her dream.
THE PNEUMATIC TUBE MAIL SYSTEM IN NEW YORK CITY (Untapped New York)
In 1961, the Yankees told her she couldn’t be a batgirl. Sixty years later, it happened. (Washington Post)
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Today in 1880, the birthday of Helen Keller, the activist, author, speaker, and, on one occasion, a pilot. Never mind what randos on social media have claimed, here's the real story. Plus: Wimbledon is getting underway, and players who want to swear beware: the umpires have studied curses in multiple languages.
Did Helen Keller Fly a Plane? (Snopes)
Do Wimbledon Umpires Learn Curse Words in Multiple Languages? (Snopes)
Today's links come from Snopes, but everything else is made possible by our Patreon backers
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This week in 1951, Life Magazine had a feature story about a guy with an unusual hobby: he rehearsed his own funeral. Plus: this weekend in Littleton, Colorado, it’s the Unicorn Festival!
Jim Gernhart, the living corpse (Weird Universe)
Unicorn Festival
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For National Typewriter Day, some of the stories that helped bring this device to life, including a guy in Italy who was trying to help a blind countess write letters. Plus: a giant typewriter in San Francisco about a century ago? It happened.
Typewriters Were Originally Created To Help The Blind (Dictionary.com)
a curious story of the 14 ton Underwood Master Typewriter… (Red Letter Day zine)
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A family in rural Kentucky with a rare blood disorder had blue complexions for decades - until a doctor found a way to treat it. Plus: June is Great Outdoors Month, and in Norway, there’s a great spot outdoors that might exhilarate you - or might make you turn green.
The True Story of the Blue People of Kentucky (How Stuff Works)
Kjeragbolten (Futility Closet)
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Summer is here in the Northern Hemisphere, and a lot of people are looking to keep themselves and some of their foods and drinks cool. That's what the storage building known as the yakhchāl did thousands of years ago. Plus: a guy in Munfordville, Kentucky built his own Stonehenge.
Yakhchāls, Āb Anbārs, & Wind Catchers — Passive Cooling & Refrigeration Technologies Of Greater Iran (Persia) (Cleantechnica)
Kentucky’s Stonehenge is one man’s rocky wonderland (FOX Lexington)
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Today in 1863, West Virginia became a state - though back in the 18th Century, there were several efforts to meld this land with parts of Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Maryland and create an entirely different entity called Vandalia or Westsylvania. Plus: if visiting Stonehenge for the solstice is too much of a trek, why not head to western Nebraska and see Carhenge?
Westsylvania: The Fourteenth Colony (Battleground)
‘Blood, sweat, and beers’: Nebraska’s Carhenge may be less mysterious than its English counterpart, but it’s just as bizarre (Roadtrippers)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about music that sounds a little different. In this episode from April 2020, music scholars at Cambridge University studied musical manuscripts without modern notation and reconstructed what they would have sounded like. Plus: in 1982 Key West, Florida declared independence from – and war on – the United States. For not very long.
First performance in 1,000 years: ‘lost’ songs from the Middle Ages are brought back to life (Cambridge University)
That Time the Florida Keys Tried to Secede from the US by Dropping Conch Fritter Bombs (Vice)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about music that sounds a little different. In this episode from April 2020, it's the story of the American Beetles - a knockoff band that toured South America, without quite telling everyone they weren't the genuine article. Plus: Spanish artist Bichopalo is not only making beautiful music, he's making beautiful musical instruments, too.
How the fake Beatles conned South America (BBC)
Beautiful Musical Machines Perform Otherworldly Tunes (Geeks Are Sexy)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about music that sounds a little different. In this episode from September 2020, we look at an organ in Germany that is, for more than 600 years, trying to play a John Cage score the way he wanted it to be played: "As Slow As Possible." Plus: a YouTuber trains his cat to put out fires, sort of.
John Cage musical work changes chord for first time in seven years (BBC)
I Trained My Cat To Put Out Fires (William Osman on YouTube)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about music that sounds a little different. In this episode from August 2020 we look at the Oomphalapompatronium, a creation of Boston-area musician, composer and inventor Len Solomon. And it definitely fits the name. Speaking of words that fit with what they describe, did you know about the word "aptronym"?
Meet the Guy Who Invented the Oomphalapompatronium (Wired)
Aptronym (Raven the Science Maven on Twitter)
Our favorite names are the names of our backers on Patreon
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about music that sounds a little different. In this episode from April 2019, we visit Organ Piper Pizza in Greenfield, Wisconsin. As you eat, an organist plays an enormous Wurlitzer organ, which also controls stage lights, disco balls, a mechanical gymnast and a family of singing ducks. Plus - a story that's, amazingly, not an April Fool's Day prank, in which police in Madrid respond to a guy on a bus sharpening a big carving knife (!)
The Carlson Kids Visit Organ Piper Pizza (YouTube)
Remembering the Dining Fad of 'Pizza and Pipes' (CityLab)
False alarm: Knife-wielding man on Metro revealed to be expert ham cutter (El Pais)
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It’s Portugal Day, and no doubt there will be celebrations across the country, including the capital city, Lisbon. Though there was a time in the 19th century when the capital of Portugal was not only outside Lisbon, it was outside Portugal. Plus: Today in 1972, the number one song on the Billboard pop chart was “The Candy Man” by Sammy Davis Jr. He recorded it in just two takes, convinced the song would wreck his career.
Due to the Napoleonic Wars, the capital of Portugal was moved from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro for thirteen years. (The Vintage News)
The Number Ones: Sammy Davis Jr.’s “The Candy Man” (Stereogum)
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This past Monday was National Day in Sweden, but it's Thursday that the real fun gets underway, because that’s when people eat pea soup and pancakes. Together. Plus: graduating seniors at Basha High School in Chandler, Arizona celebrate the end of the school year with the Paper Toss.
PEA SOUP AND PANCAKES – SWEDEN’S THURSDAY FAVOURITE (Routes North)
Basha High School end of year paper toss video goes viral (ABC 15)
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Today in 1867, Frank Lloyd Wright was born. He would go on to design some of the most striking buildings ever built, from houses, to museums, to office buildings to... gas stations. Plus: some of Wright's many other designs were never built, though now they’re being brought to life in virtual reality thanks to 3D rendering.
Lindholm Oil Company Service Station (FrankLloydWright.org)
Three unbuilt Frank Lloyd Wright houses are brought to life as digital reconstructions (designboom)
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Firefighting is dangerous work, in part because of the exposure to dangerous chemicals. Researchers are learning more about those exposures thanks to a simple silicone wristband. Iceland’s new tourism program sets the country’s horses to work on giant keyboards, sending out-of-office emails to your bosses and colleagues so you don’t have to.
How a $1 wristband could help track firefighters exposure to cancer-causing chemicals (CBS 17)
Iceland Has Horses That Will Respond To Work Emails on a Giant Keyboard While You’re on Vacation (My Modern Met)
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Today in 1933, Camden, New Jersey became the site of the very first drive-in movie theater. Here's the story of Richard Hollingshead, who brought movies outside so people could drive right up to the picture. Plus: a new watercraft that sure sounds like it’s out of a movie.
June 6, 1933: The Era of Drive-In Movies Begins (Newspapers.com)
All Aboard the Party Submarine (UrbanDaddy)
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Fried dough cakes have been around seemingly forever, but for National Doughnut Day, we have the story of an innovation that helped make this treat the icon that it is today: the invention of the doughnut hole. Plus: this weekend in Chittenango, New York, east of Syracuse, it’s Oz-stravaganza, a celebration of the Wizard of Oz in the town where author L. Frank Baum was born.
The Maine Ship Captain Who Invented the Modern Donut (New England Historical Society)
Oz-stravaganza
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The Paper House of Rockport, Massachusetts has a wood frame, but otherwise owner Elis Stenman made the place almost entirely out of old newspapers. And you can still read the stories in the walls today. Plus: this weekend in northern Indiana, it’s the Mentone Egg Festival, celebrating an area that’s been called the “Egg Basket of the Midwest.”
The Paper House—made of 100,000 newspapers—has a working fireplace, electricity, and running water (Roadtrippers)
Mentone Egg Festival (Visit Indiana)
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Today in 2012, the birthday of Amy Jones-Elliott of Glenmore, County Kilkenny, Ireland. But it wasn't the birthday of her twin sister, Katie. The two hold the world record for twins with the largest amount of time between their births: 87 days. Plus: ExitReviews can tell you not just whether a product works well, but how long it'll last and what parts might break on it first.
First day at school for the record-breaking miracle twin sisters born 87 days apart (Irish Mirror)
ExitReviews (The Awesomer)
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Washington State University has developed a high-tech wearable (I guess you call it a wearable?) to make it easier to take care of a very important test for some babies: a smart pacifier. Plus: the Doomsday Alarm Clock app will scare you out of bed with one of several end of the world scenarios.
Smart pacifier developed to monitor infant health in hospitals (Washington State University)
The Doomsday Alarm Clock Will Help You Wake Up and Stay Up (UrbanDaddy)
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For Memorial Day, we look at what's become an annual tradition at this time of year: an exhausting CrossFit workout in honor of a Medal of Honor winner and Navy SEAL who gave his life while serving in Afghanistan. His full name was Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, but he's also known far and wide today as Murph, the namesake of the "Murph Challenge."
How Murph Became the Most Legendary Fitness Challenge Ever (Men's Health)
Medal of Honor Recipient Michael P. Murphy (US Navy)
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When there's road work to be done, crews put up cones, barrels and fences to keep workers safe. Now a "smart work" zone system being tested in Virginia could make those spaces even safer. Plus: if you need a road trip destination, how about a New Mexico museum about a key part of many of those road trips?
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute researchers to deploy smart work zone in Wise, Virginia (Virginia Tech)
The Classical Gas Museum Is One Of The Strangest Places You Can Go In New Mexico (Only in New Mexico)
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We now have some 750,000 miles of internet cable on ocean and seafloors. A research team found a way to use those cables to measure seismic activity, without installing anything extra. Plus: “London’s Invisible House” got its name because nearly all of its exterior is covered in mirrors.
A breakthrough in fiber optics turned an undersea cable into 12 seismographs (Interesting Engineering)
Richmond's 'invisible' house is essentially a giant mirror that makes it hard to even notice (MyLondon)
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It's the day in 1977 that Star Wars first showed in movie theaters. Props and costumes from the Star Wars movies have shown up in museums, and a few have had stranger afterlives, including an original model of the Death Star. Plus: a statue first put up in the old Soviet Union was repurposed in more recent times to join the Star Wars universe.
SAVING THE DEATH STAR: HOW THE ORIGINAL MODEL WAS LOST AND FOUND (StarWars.com via Archive.org)
How the Death Star from Star Wars ended up as a Missouri trash can (FOX 2)
Darth Vader Statue (Atlas Obscura)
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Today in 1854, the first sitting of the parliament of New Zealand. And there’s an interesting story about that lawmaking body that involves a very special biscuit tin. Plus: for those still working remotely, the YouTube channel Everything Is Hacked presents the Zoom Pants Filter!
Biscuit tin democracy: the humble start of New Zealand's most progressive laws (The Guardian)
Zoom Pants Filter (The Awesomer)
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Today in 1921, Green and Green cracker company of Dayton, Ohio trademarked the name of a new product that is still doing quite well: it’s the birthday of the Cheez-It. Plus: Today in Pennsylvania, it’s 143 Day, celebrating the one and only Mister Rogers.
Were Cheez-Its really invented in Dayton? Yes, and here's the story (Dayton.com)
143 Day in PA in honor of Fred Rogers (Philly Voice)
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Today in 2000, Dr. Anna Bågenholm's body temperature fell to the lowest level ever survived by a human being. Here's the story of how she faced extreme hypothermia and came back to life. Plus: tomorrow in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, it’s the Kielbasi Festival/Heritage Day.
Frozen Woman: A 'Walking Miracle' (CBS News)
Between life and death – the power of therapeutic hypothermia (The Guardian)
Kielbasi Festival/Heritage Day 2022
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We don't know for sure it's hers, but researchers have found traces of a perfume that was likely popular during Cleopatra's time - and they think they may be able to brew some of it up. Plus: a patent for a safety harness that generates electricity from a worker who falls off a building!
What Did Cleopatra Smell Like? (Hyperallergic)
Electricity from falling workers (Weird Universe)
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Today in 1953, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier. Then again, Cochran moved at high speed her whole career. Plus: today in 1838, the birthday of Alexander Miles, a Black inventor who made elevators what they are today.
JACQUELINE COCHRAN (National Air and Space Museum)
Alexander Miles (National Inventors Hall of Fame)
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50 years ago today, a man named Donald Gorske ate a McDonald’s Big Mac. It was the first of over 30,000, and yes, he holds the world record for most Big Macs eaten by a single person. Plus: scientists at the University of Florida just got edible plants to grow in rock and dust taken from the moon about half a century ago.
This American Hero Ate 30,000 Big Macs and Survived (VICE)
Plants grow in lunar soil brought to Earth by Apollo astronauts (Washington Post)
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A company called Envision has designed a set of glasses that uses artificial intelligence to help blind people with a wide range of activities. They can decode text, detect color and describe outdoor scenes to the wearer, among many other functions. Plus: a cafe in Tokyo is geared toward the key demographic of writers trying to finish their manuscripts on deadline!
AI-powered smart glasses for the blind can read and recognize faces (Designboom)
Unique Tokyo Café Only Serves Struggling Writers Working on Tight Deadlines (Oddity Central)
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The Canadian Tulip Festival is getting underway in Ottawa. Here's the history of the annual event, which (pun intended) has its roots in the history of World War II. Plus: if you can't make it to Ottawa, maybe you could drop by the Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan.
Princess Margriet to make public appearance at Tulip Festival this weekend (CBC)
2022 Tulip Time Festival (Holland.org)
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This month in 1921, an American submarine known as R-14 ran out of usable fuel in the Pacific Ocean, and lost radio contact with the Navy. To get home, the crew turned the sub into a sailboat, making bunk beds and blankets into sails. Plus: a tattoo artist helps a friend get six-pack abs even when diet and exercise didn't get the job done.
A Submarine Made it Home with a Sail Made of Blankets (War History Online)
HARD TO STOMACH I hate working out so I got my mate to tattoo me the perfect six pack instead – now I’m ready for the summer (The Sun)
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Today in 2018, Australian James Harrison gave blood for the last time. He had donated about once a week for some 60 years, and because his blood included a rare antibody, his donations helped save millions of lives. Plus: the website Typatone gives users a new way to make a little music online from their writing.
James Harrison's story (Australian Red Cross)
Make music while you write (Nag on the Lake)
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Today in 1893, the highest court in the land made a controversial ruling that would profoundly affect Americans to this day: the US Supreme Court ruled that the tomato was a vegetable. Plus: today in 1999, Vermont not only named apple pie its official state pie, it outlined the officially correct way to serve the state pie.
The Supreme Court and the Great Tomato Controversy (IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law SCOTUS Now)
The obscure Supreme Court case that decided tomatoes are vegetables (Washington Post)
Vermont State Pie (Netstate)
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A new study finds colorful painted murals around, or in place of, traditional striped crosswalks may cause drivers to yield more around pedestrians and keep them safe. Plus: a team from two Australian universities studies concrete infused with old bits of tires to see if that might give us a more eco-friendly road surface.
Study Finds That Colorful Road Art Prevents Traffic Accidents by 50% (My Modern Met)
Concrete made with old tires proves itself in real-world setting (New Atlas)
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Today is National No Homework Day. For many years in the US, every day was a no homework day - but then Sputnik happened. Plus: this weekend in North Carolina, it's the Smithfield Ham and Yam Festival.
How the Cold War Space Race Led to U.S. Students Doing Tons of Homework (History.com)
Ham and Yam Festival
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In Rambouillet, France, a startup is developing street lights that are bioluminescent - they’re powered by bacteria that glow. Plus: around this time in 1965, a woman sees a car selling for "1,395 bananas" and shows up at the dealership with actual fruit.
French Town to Light its Streets With Bacteria Luminescence That Needs No Electricity (Good News Network)
Car sold for 1395 bananas (Weird Universe)
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For International Firefighters Day, it's the story of Molly Williams, an enslaved Black woman who became the first known woman firefighter, and the first Black firefighter, in the United States. Plus: on the anniversary of Rhode Island declaring independence, a visit to one of the state's most unusual attractions.
Molly Williams, a black woman and a slave, fought fires years before the FDNY was formed was a pioneer for fellow female smoke-eaters (New York Daily News)
Little Known Black History Fact: Molly Williams (Black America Web)
Big Blue Bug In Rhode Island Just Might Be The Strangest Roadside Attraction Yet (Only in Rhode Island)
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There’s evidence that people in the Stone Age took plaquettes, limestone representations of animals, put them near the fire and watched as the light created a kind of animation. Pretty high-tech stuff for 14,000 years ago. Plus: an enterprising young raccoon in Germany takes advantage of the rules.
Stone Age people may have gathered at night to watch animated “fireside art” (Ars Technica)
A wild raccoon moved into a German zoo and the keepers can't kick him out (Chicago Tribune)
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Today in 2007, the king of grass court tennis, Roger Federer, played an exhibition match against his rival, clay court great Rafael Nadal. Not their only matchup, but for this one, the court was half grass and half clay, making it a so-called "battle of the surfaces." Plus: today in 1929, the birth of Link Wray, a guitarist so wild that his instrumental classic "Rumble" was once banned for fear that the song - which, again, had no words - might spur listeners into juvenile delinquency!
Nadal wins 'clay-grass' thriller (BBC)
Guitarist Link Wray Dies (Rolling Stone)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about time. In this episode from November 2019, we look at November 1883, when railroads across the United States adopted a uniform system of time, more or less getting all of us in sync with each other. But what was time like before then? Plus: Japan has had cat cafes, hedgehog cafes and bunny cafes. Now there's a minipig cafe!
Time! (Library of Congress)
Standard Time Zones In U.S. Mark 100 Years (New York Times)
The Adoption of Standard TimeIan R. Bartky (Technology and Culture)
Mipig Harajuku: We visit the new micro pig cafe in Tokyo (Sora News)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about time. In this episode from September 2020, we look at Tahoe Timescape, a project to take photographs over one thousand years. Plus: New York City is where King Kong ran wild in the movies, but a new statue could help rebuild the relationship between NYC and big apes.
Artist tries 1,000-year time lapse photo of Lake Tahoe (US News & World Report)
Photos: King Nyani, the Largest Bronze Gorilla Statue Arrives in NYC (Untapped New York)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about time. In this episode from December 2020, we look at a study that found something interesting happens when we’re trying not to reveal something: our perception of time slows down. Plus: MIT physicists design a model for a super-accurate atomic clock that even accounts for quantum physics.
New psychology research confirms that time slows down when you are concealing something (PsyPost)
New type of atomic clock keeps time even more precisely (MIT News)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about time. In this episode from March 2020, we look at the places on Earth where time is at its weirdest, the North and South Poles. Plus: it may be time to pay a visit to the World’s Largest Buffalo Monument!
Time Has No Meaning at the North Pole (Scientific American)
World’s Largest Buffalo Monument (Discover Jamestown)
Geographic South Pole Marker photo by Eli Duke via Flickr/Creative Commons
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about time. In this episode from December 2019, we look at the time Samoa skipped a day on the calendar because of International Date Line and some trading partners. Plus: why break your back shoveling snow when you can design a radio-controlled snowplow to do the work for you?
Samoa to skip Friday, lose December 30th 2011 forever (Christian Science Monitor)
Guy Creates The Ultimate Alternative To Shoveling Your Own Snow (Digg)
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For Earth Day we talk about an idea by designer, artist and architect Henry Glogau. He's designed a skylight that can turn seawater into clean drinking water, and then power LEDs with solar energy and the leftover salt brine. Plus: this weekend in Chicago, it's "Golden-Con," a convention for fans of "The Golden Girls."
Designer Creates Solar Desalination Skylight as Low-Tech Way to Produce Drinking Water (My Modern Met)
Golden Girls Fan Convention, ‘Golden Con,’ Is Planned For 2022 (WRAL)
Thank each of our Patreon backers for being a friend to the show
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Today in 1986, I was one of millions of people who watched Geraldo Rivera host the infamous live TV special "The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault." How did it come to be, and why did it go so far off course? Plus: today is day one of the 2022 Association of Lincoln Presenters Conference.
Oral History: When Geraldo Rivera Opened Al Capone's Vault (Mental Floss)
Capone Vault-Cracking An Unrewarding Blast (Toledo Blade via Google News Archive)
The Association of Lincoln Presenters 2022 Conference
Our vault just contains thank you notes to all our Patreon backers
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Today in 1962, the community of Artesia, New Mexico formally opened an unusual elementary school: it was built entirely underground just in case the Cold War turned hot. Plus: this week in Vidalia, Georgia, the Vidalia Onion Festival.
Abo Elementary School and Fallout Shelter (National Park Service)
Vidalia Onion Festival
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Today in 1900 a newspaper in Ohio ran a story about how three towns in Indiana had used fence wire as makeshift telephone lines, at a time when phones were more often found in cities. Some of these ingenious systems ran for decades. Plus: in Kansas City, the City of Fountains, it's Fountain Day.
Barb-Wire telephone line (Insulators.info)
Barbed Wire Telephone Lines Connected The Old Frontier (Successful Farming podcast)
Everything You Need To Know About Fountains In Kansas City (VisitKC)
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If you have any friends that you first met as a roommate or dorm neighbor at college, this show is for you. Research from Ohio State University finds bats can become close when they’re made to live together too. Plus: today in 1930, a newscast like no other. A BBC news announcer declares "there is no news."
Like college roommates, vampire bats bond when randomly paired (Ohio State University)
OnThisDay 1930: the BBC's news announcer said, "there is no news" (BBCArchive on Twitter)
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National Record Store Day is this weekend. Music has always been a big deal; in fact, in the 1940s and 50s, some people in the Soviet Union broke the law and produced makeshift records on old X-ray plates just to hear Western music that the government censored. Plus: this weekend it’s the Great Delaware Kite Festival.
Soviet-era bootleg music recorded on discarded X-ray plates (New Scientist)
2022 Great Delaware Kite Festival (Visit Delaware)
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Today in 1865, Abraham Lincoln went to Ford's Theater, and we all know how badly that ended. But five years later, William Mumler "photographed" the spirit of Honest Abe comforting his widow Mary Todd Lincoln. Here's the story of Mumler and his very controversial "spirit photography." Plus: how one of the survivors of the Titanic disaster (today in 1912) ended up having a very surprising and successful career in sports.
When a 19th-Century ‘Spirit Photographer’ Claimed to Capture Ghosts Through His Lens (History.com)
The Titanic survivor who won Olympic gold at Paris 1924 (Olympics.com)
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Even the freshest baseballs aren't completely fresh. They've been treated with a grip-improving mud that's been provided by one family's company for decades. Plus: if you like to fall asleep to the sounds of a baseball game, the podcast Northwoods Baseball Sleep Radio can help even in the offseason.
Mud Maker: The Man Behind MLB’s Essential Secret Sauce (Sports Illustrated)
Harvesting baseball's 'magic mud' (CNN)
Northwoods Baseball Sleep Radio is a full-length fake baseball game designed to help you fall asleep (Super Punch)
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This month in 1907 waiters in Paris went on strike. Yes, they wanted better pay and improved working conditions, but their most high profile demand: they wanted the right to grow mustaches. Plus: engineers at Kawasaki have created maybe the best way to get from here to there, a walking robotic ibex.
The Great Paris Moustache Strike of 1907 (The History Guy)
Kawasaki's Rideable Robotic Goat Is the Electric Car for Wandering Cowpokes (Gizmodo)
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For National Board Game Day, we look at the history of Candy Land. That game was designed by a schoolteacher who was trying to help kids in a polio ward pass the time. Plus: a research program finds today in 1954 the most boring day of all.
Candy Land Was Invented for Polio Wards (The Atlantic)
The Most Boring Day In History Was April 11, 1954 (Gizmodo)
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Today in 1975, Aerosmith released the 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: this weekend in New Mexico it's the Las Cruces Space Festival.
How Aerosmith Created 'Walk This Way' (Wall Street Journal via Archive.org)
Las Cruces Space Festival
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It's National Beer Day, so it's a good time to talk about a plan from the 1960s, when beer magnate Alfred Heineken tried to rework his company's green bottles so they could be upcycled into bricks for low-income houses. Plus: it’s beer day every day at the Beer Can Museum and Beer Can Hall of Fame in Taunton, Massachusetts.
100,000 Bottles of Beer in the Wall (Cabinet Magazine)
Did Alfred Heineken Invent Bottle To Function as a Brick To Build Houses? (Snopes)
Beer Can Museum & Beer Can Hall of Fame
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Today in 1837, the birthday of Mary Patten. She became a celebrity when she came along on a shipping trip led by her husband and ended up in charge of the ship. Plus: photographer Andrew McCarthy has put together a timelapse of the moon’s phases that shows its lunar libration, or sway, in all its glory.
Mary Patten, 19 and Pregnant, Takes Command of a Clipper Ship in 1856 (New England Historical Society)
The Moon Sways Through Its Phases in an Incredible Timelapse Made from Over 2 Million Images (Colossal)
Thanks to our Patreon backers, who always rise to the occasion
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National Library Week is here, so it’s a good time to tell the story of librarians who traveled through eastern Kentucky during the Great Depression on horses and mules carrying books and magazines in saddlebags. Plus: there is a world record for most overdue library book (!)
The Pack Horse Librarians (Appalachian History)
Most overdue library book (Guinness World Records)
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The Chrysler Bell Victory Siren could put out 138 dB at 100 feet away. That was so loud it could actually turn fog into rain, and turn eardrums into mush. Plus: today in 2014, a movie theater tried to show a movie about a flood, but an actual flood got in the way.
The Chrysler Air Raid Siren Was So Powerful it Could Induce Rain (Amusing Planet)
Noah screening cancelled due to flooding (The Independent)
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Today is April Fool’s Day, but it's also it’s the first day of Financial Awareness Month. So be aware that at the Arkansas State Capitol, you can hold the state’s money in your hands. Plus: in Albuquerque, New Mexico this weekend, it's the Southwest Chocolate & Coffee Fest, where you can spend some of your own money on deliciousness.
Arkansas Treasurer's Office: About Us
Southwest Chocolate & Coffee Fest
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Today in 1950, Hot Spring, New Mexico gave itself a new name, by responding to a challenge from the game show Truth or Consequences. And now they have an annual event called the Truth or Consequences Fiesta!
How Did The City Of Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico Get Its Name? (WorldAtlas.com)
Truth or Consequences Fiesta (Sierra County New Mexico)
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Today in 1867, Secretary of State William Seward agreed to a deal to acquire the land now known as Alaska. It's an unusual state in many ways, and here's the story of an unusual town that was supposed to be named for one bird but got named after a different one instead. Plus: an unusual website called “Just the Punctuation" lets you type in any text you want and then takes all the words out.
Chicken (Travel Alaska)
Got commas? (Bookofjoe)
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Today is the birthday President John Tyler. He was born in 1790, and he served as US president in the 1840s. And he has a grandson who is alive in 2022. Plus: this week in Columbia, Tennessee, it's Mule Day. (Yes, they know that Mule Day takes place over more than a single day.)
Grandpa President (Now I Know)
Columbia, Tennessee Mule Day
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Today in 1944, Astrid Lindgren of Stockholm, Sweden fell on ice and sprained her ankle. While stuck in bed, she decided to write down some stories she'd been telling her daughter, stories that would lead to one of the most popular children's book series of all time. Plus: today in 2005, an ultramarathon runner from Tucson, Arizona, Pam Reed, set a world record by running 301 miles. She ran for 79 hours and 55 minutes without stopping!?!
Astrid Lindgren, Swedish Writer of Pippi Longstocking Tales, Dies at 94 (New York Times)
Tucsonan Reed sets world record with 300-mile run (Tucson.com)
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Today in 1948, two meteorologists helped make things safer for those living in the path of severe storms, when they issued the first successful tornado warning. Plus: the Circle Guitar by Anthony Dickens has a rotating sequencer disc that lets the instrument play its own strings.
The Types of Airmasses in Which North American Tornadoes Form (JSTOR)
The First Operational Tornado Forecast Twenty Million to One (American Meteorological Society)
Flash-Tornado Warning! (The Saturday Evening Post via Archive.org)
self-playing electric 'circle guitar' can pick at up to 250 bpm (designboom)
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According to a new study, remembering old times can actually be good for your health - in particular, it may help regulate our response to pain. Plus: Lushfoil Photography Sim aims to send players through extremely detailed and extremely scenic environments to take the perfect simulated photo.
Scientists find a surprising connection between nostalgia and pain relief (Inverse)
Super-Realistic Grass (The Awesomer)
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The HMS Challenger spent years studying the world's oceans and the creatures that call them home. Today in 1875, the mission made one of its most astonishing discoveries. Plus: a company in Tokyo that makes elevator buttons and lights lets factory visitors push a copy of every button it's ever produced - over a thousand in all.
HMS Challenger: The voyage that birthed oceanography (BBC)
H.M.S. Challenger: Humanity's First Real Glimpse of the Deep Oceans (Discover Magazine)
Pressing 1,000 Buttons Is the Perfect Way to Complete an Elevator Button Factory Tour (Oddity Central)
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There really is a robot now called the Pipe-Worm. It's built to unclog pipes, and it does it by mimicking earthworms. Plus: for World Water Day, we look back at a project by artist Dylan Martinez that looks like bags of clear, clean water... or is it?
Worms and cockroaches inspired this robot that can unclog any pipe (Fast Company)
Glass Sculptures by Dylan Martinez Perfectly Imitate Water-Filled Plastic Bags (Colossal)
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Jaundice is treatable with phototherapy, but not all places have access to light therapy machines. A startup in Nigeria is building solar-powered phototherapy machines to fill that gap. Plus: today in 2021, a guy in England tried to rob a bank, only his handwriting was so messy the tellers couldn't read his demand.
This Nigerian tech startup is fighting baby jaundice with solar-powered cribs (CNN)
Man’s handwriting was so bad Eastbourne bank staff didn’t know he was trying to rob them (Eastbourne Herald)
It's our third birthday today! Thanks to our Patreon backers for being the bright lights of our show
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The Brandt’s vole has an interesting way to protect itself from predators overhead: a research project found that the little rodent cuts the grass so it can keep a lookout. Plus: a new company is selling work from home pods/writing cabins made from sections of old airplanes.
Voles cut grass to watch flying predators (University of Exeter)
Turning old airplanes into home offices (CNN)
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Today in 1948 that a guy in Portland, Oregon, dedicated Mill Ends Park, two square feet of green space in the middle of a parkway. It's still the world’s smallest park today. Plus: it’s Peeps season again, and the Racine Art Museum in Wisconsin wants your submissions for the 14th Annual International Peeps Art Exhibition.
Mill Ends Park (Portland.gov)
Call for Artists: RAM 13th Annual International Peeps Art Exhibition
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Today in 1750, the birthday of an astronomer who definitely made her mark on the sky: Caroline Herschel, the first woman to discover a comet. Plus: residents of Pooler, Georgia, are down one giant mailbox painted to look like a cow, but don't worry, it'll be back.
Caroline Herschel (NASA)
Eight Women Astronomers You Should Know (JSTOR)
Who moo-ved the giant mailbox? Chatham County landmark disappears, but don't have a cow (WJCL)
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Maine became a state today in 1820. One of its best-known inventors was Chester Greenwood, who came up with a way to keep his, and many other people's, ears warm. Plus: there's a new world record for longest car, though you'll be forgiven if you don't see a whole lot difference between this car and the previous record holder.
Greenwood, Chester (Maine, An Encyclopedia)
The story of the modern-day earmuff and its inventor, Chester Greenwood (Washington Post)
World’s longest car, over 100 ft, restored to its former glory (Guinness World Records)
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It's National Potato Chip Day, so of course we’re going to take you through the history of potato chips and the story of chef George Crum, the man sometimes called “the Edison of grease.” Plus: potatoes have been turned into chips, fries, soup and more; now they're being used for perfume.
How the Potato Chip Took Over America (Smithsonian)
‘Frites by Idaho’: Idaho Potato Commission giving away potato perfume (KXLY)
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Researchers in Europe have built an algorithm that can decode the sounds of pigs to figure out what they’re feeling, whether it's happy, concerned, curious, anxious or just sort of hanging out. Plus: this weekend in Owensboro, Kentucky, it's the Kentucky State Fiddle Championship.
Pig grunts reveal their emotions (University of Copenhagen)
Kentucky State Fiddle Championship
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There's a new exhibit at the Indiana State Museum about Marshall "Major" Taylor, a Black cycling star who became famous before Jack Johnson, Joe Louis or Jackie Robinson. Here's some of his story. Plus: today in 1888, actor Barry Fitzgerald was born; he later proved with an Academy Award that if you win something big, be careful with it.
Major Taylor Fastest Cyclist In The World (Indiana State Museum)
Uncovering The Story Of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's 1st Black Sports Star (Fresh Air)
Double Trouble for Foxx's Oscar Quest? (ABC News)
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Today Lionel Richie is receiving the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Not only has he sold millions of records, he’s become a home goods entrepreneur, an art enthusiast - and one time, personal clothes shopper for none other than Nelson Mandela. Plus: today in Northbrook, IL, it’s the 2022 World Clown Association convention - aka the Class Clown Reunion.
Lionel Richie to Receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song (Library of Congress)
Lionel Richie on being Nelson Mandela's stylist (CBC)
World Clown Association 2022 Convention
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There were cold-like illnesses and sore throats long before there were humans to catch colds and to get sore throats. A research project has found another creature that got sniffles: dinosaurs. Plus: this month marks 200 years since the birth of Harriet Tubman, and there's a lot happening to celebrate her life and her legacy.
Even dinosaurs couldn’t escape the sniffles (Popular Science)
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway (Visit Maryland)
How Philadelphia Is Honoring Harriet Tubman’s Birthday in 2022 (Visit Philly)
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Today in 1929, the start of one of the most outlandish stories in American political history: the time Louisiana Governor Huey Long had the governor's house torn down and a virtual replica of the White House built in its place, because (as it's said) he wanted to get used to living in the White House before he was elected president. Plus: meet the Flairdrum, a percussion instrument built out of recycled plastic drink bottles.
Strippers, Insane Asylums, Assassination, and Termites: Inside the Insane History of the World’s Greatest White House Replica (The Daily Beast)
Old Louisiana Governor's Mansion (National Park Service)
Flairdrum, A Wonderful Percussion Instrument Made From Recycled Plastic Bottles (Laughing Squid)
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Today in 1837 an act to incorporate the city of Chicago passed. A decade or two later, thousands of workers helped raise many of its buildings up 14 feet to make way for a badly needed wastewater and stormwater system. Plus: today in 1791, Vermont became a state, and one that's home to a 38 drawer tall filing cabinet.
Chicago’s ‘sunken’ homes are remnants of a bold effort to raise the city out of the mud (WGN)
Tallest Filing Cabinet on Earth (Atlas Obscura)
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Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology took stem cells and treated them with high-frequency sound waves, which was enough to convert them into bone cells. Plus: today in 2018, runner Murielle Ahoure found an ingenious way to celebrate her country after a big win.
Sonic advance: How sound waves could help regrow bones (RMIT)
World Indoor Championships: Ivory Coast's Ahoure celebrates 60m gold with Irish flag (BBC)
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Today in 1962 one of the most stunning performances in the history of basketball, or really in all of pro sports: Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game. Plus: today in 1935, the release of a short film called “Donkey Baseball," in which humans lead donkeys around in a baseball game (the donkeys aren't the ones playing baseball).
The Legacy Of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-Point Game (WBUR)
Five things you didn't know about Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game (Sporting News)
Donkey Baseball (YouTube)
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Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday, etc is typically the day a community in central Mexico has a somewhat notorious festival in which people put homemade explosives on top of sledge hammers and slam the hammers into stuff to make big explosions. If you go, don't blame us for anything that happens. Plus: a town in Kansas marks Pancake Day with a pancake flipping race.
The explosive festival of San Juan de la Vega (La Silla Rota Guanajuato)
Annual 'exploding hammer' festival might be the most dangerous event in Mexico (Mashable)
Liberal pancake race (Kansas Historical Society)
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Most years February is 28 days long. Every fourth year it has 29. But one time, in one country, for one year, there was a February 30th. Plus: today in 1903, the oldest sound recording made in Japan is made.
February 30th (Now I Know)
118 Years Later, Japan’s Earliest Sound Recordings Still Resonate (Atlas Obscura)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about presidents. In this show from February 2020, we remember the time in 1862 that President Abraham Lincoln said thanks, but no thanks, to an offer of elephants from the king of Siam, now Thailand. It was a gracious letter, which was appropriate because elephants themselves have lovely manners.
Lincoln Rejects the King of Siam's Offer of Elephants (American Battlefield Trust)
Elephant Emotions (PBS Nature)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about presidents. In this show from February 2020, we recall the time Lyndon Johnson visited the Pentagon on Leap Day 1968 - and became the first President of the United States to get stuck in an elevator. Plus: Graceland hosts the third annual Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Weekend.
LBJ Stuck In An Elevator (Atlas Obscura)
Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Weekend at Graceland (Memphis Travel)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about presidents. In this show from February 2020, we remember the time in 1974 that Gerald Ford became president, spending the first 10 days of his term living not at the White House but at his family home in Alexandria, Virginia.
Gerald R. Ford House (BradyCarlson.com)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about presidents. In this show from January 2021, we tell the story of Rebecca the raccoon, who definitely left her mark on the White House during Calvin Coolidge's presidency. Plus: a company in the UK makes a 500-plus pound protein bar.
When Rebecca the Raccoon Ruled the White House (Library of Congress)
Calvin Coolidge’s Reuben (Presidential Pet Museum)
British company creates world's largest protein bar (UPI)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about presidents. In this show from April 2020, we mark a very odd anniversary in the history of the US presidency: the day in 1979 that Jimmy Carter got into a fight (of sorts) with a swamp rabbit. Plus: the annual Sechselauten brings on spring by blowing up a snowman!
In 1979, Jimmy Carter was attacked by a giant swimming rabbit (AV Club)
The History of Sechseläuten (Zuerich.com)
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A team at MIT has come up with a new substance that do-it-yourselfers will love: a surgical "duct tape" that can help seal up wounds and tears in the body's gastrointestinal system. Plus: a guy in Minnesota uses the snow in his front yard to build a life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex. As one does.
Engineers develop surgical 'duct tape' as an alternative to sutures (Science Daily)
Someone Built A Life-Sized Tyrannosaurus Rex Out Of Snow In His Front Yard And Won The Hearts Of The Internet (Digg)
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Taxiing accounts for about 5 percent of a jet's fuel consumption, so one way to make flying greener is making taxiing greener, like through an all-electric towing system. Plus: if you’re in the market for a new couch, Sara Hayat's Tetris Couch might help you put the pieces together, so to speak.
A Boeing 747 burns one ton of fuel while taxiing. This electric towing system could help (Fast Company)
The Tetris Couch by Sarah Hayat (Cool Material)
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Today in 1923, King Tut's tomb was opened and entered. That may not have been the afterlife the young pharaoh had hoped for, but it could have been worse: for centuries artists used a paint called Mummy Brown, which was made with actual mummy parts. Plus: the time musicians tried to play the trumpets found in Tut's burial chamber and almost ruined them.
Mummy Brown (Florida State University Department of Art History)
A Pigment from the Depths (Harvard Art Museums)
Tutankhamun’s ‘cursed’ trumpet that stirs ‘deadly conflict’ has arrived in London (ClassicFM)
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Today in 2006, a high school basketball team put its manager into the game. Jason McElwain not only played, he stole the show. Plus: if you’re looking to slow life down a little in these hectic times, try a trip on the "world's slowest express train," the Glacier Express in Switzerland.
The game nobody could forget (ESPN)
The World’s Slowest Express Train Has Panoramic Glass for Breathtaking Views (Thrillist)
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Today is the assumed birth date in 1817 or 1818 of Frederick Douglass, who is known for his powerful writing and speeches, but was also probably the most photographed person of his time. Plus: a cruise ship operator is offering couples the chance to get married in Antarctica.
Picture This: Frederick Douglass Was The Most Photographed Man Of His Time (NPR)
Be One of the First Couples to Get Married in Antarctica (Thrillist)
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With Abraham Lincoln's birthday a day away, we look at one of the most timeless memorials to the 16th president - or at least the undercroft that's been out of public view for a long time. Plus: back in 1865 a man in Maryland carved a pretty unusual Lincoln memorial of his own into a beech tree.
Lincoln Memorial Undercroft (Atlas Obscura)
The Presidents' Tree (Friends of Sligo Creek)
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Today in 1907, Charles Oldrieve finished walking from Cincinnati to New Orleans. The catch? He walked the whole way on special shoes that let him float in water. Plus: if you’re looking for some peace and quiet, try the website Sounds of Earth.
He Walked On Water From Cincinnati To New Orleans (The Waterways Journal)
Sounds of Earth is an ambient audio player where you can listen to nature sounds from around the globe (Boing Boing)
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For National Pizza Day, here's the story of one of the hottest types of pizza in the country: Detroit-style, first made in a special pan that wasn't meant to be a pan at all. Plus: high school students in Japan invent a system that can help you cut perfectly even slices of cake.
How Detroit’s car industry helped shape its pizzas (Phaidon)
Detroit-Style Pizza Is Having a Moment. But Are Its Originators Getting Left Behind? (Eater)
A device that cuts cake evenly, invented by high school students (The Mainichi)
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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 (Messy Nessy)
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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)
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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 via SI.com)
Luger David Moeller breaks tooth on medal (News.com.au)
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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 to a White Male Army (New York Times)
6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (U.S. Army Center of Military History)
Miscellany, Feb. 3, 1947 (TIME)
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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 Force Magazine)
Groundhog Detector (Weird Universe)
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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 Origin Passenger (Inverse)
'Paint Drying' director in talks to screen protest film (ScreenDaily)
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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 get new life as strong, sustainable panels (Washington State University)
... --- ... .-. .. .--. (SOS, RIP) (The Economist via Archive.org)
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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 May Have Reached Antarctica 1,000 Years Before Europeans (Smithsonian)
Betty White’s Life and Work Take Center Stage at This New DC Art Exhibit (Thrillist)
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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)
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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 Hair Ball (Oddity Central)
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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)
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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 Iconic Logos in LEGO (Colossal)
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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)
Lake Harriet Kite Festival
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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)
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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 Shows Why He Was Wrong for Edgar Allan Poe, But Vows to Finish Script (Movieweb)
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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 Winnie-the-Pooh (CBC)
Beauty on the blackboard: New book captures mathematicians’ chalk experiments (University of Chicago)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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 tells you the current time using a literary snippet (Messy Nessy)
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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 Washington Phillips (The New Yorker)
Sandals Resorts Now Have a 'Pizza Butler' to Make Your Vacation Memorable and Delicious (Travel + Leisure)
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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 great escape: the bath toys that swam the Pacific (The Guardian)
What Can 28,000 Rubber Duckies Lost at Sea Teach Us About Our Oceans? (Treehugger)
OTD in 1976 Convoy hits #1 (Songfacts)
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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)
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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 Facts About Benjamin Franklin (History.com)
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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 keeping up with yesterday (The Globe and Mail)
Les Waas did not go softly into that good night (WHYY)
Jeannette Ridlon Piccard (New Mexico Museum of Space History)
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This daily podcast is like a study group for trivia players. So today we're going to give you some trivia about the word trivia! Plus: today in 2010, the opening of the Burj Khalifa, a building so tall that at the top you can see the sun even when it’s dark at the bottom.
trivia (n.) (Online Etymology Dictionary)
Where Does the Word 'Trivia' Come From? (Merriam-Webster)
Dubai Burj Khalifa: Ramadan fast 'lasts longer high up' (BBC)
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Around this time in 2003, the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond introduced a new attraction: a 29 ton globe that people can push around. Here's a look at the mechanics behind Kugel Balls. Plus: an automaker adds a QR with a classic meme to one of its new vehicles.
Very Richmond #9: Grand Kugel at Science Museum of Virginia (Richmond on the James)
Toyota Literally Rickrolled the World During Its Huge EV Concept Reveal (The Drive)
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Our last show of the year is about the Plock, a very unique clock that doesn’t so much tell the time as it writes the time out. Plus: outside of the Idaho statehouse in Boise, the annual Potato Drop is taking place to mark the end of the year.
This clock writes the time (Insider via YouTube)
Potato Drop 'excited' to be back in person to ring in 2022 (KTVB)
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Polish designer Iga Węglińska has a new way to help us stay in touch with our emotions: she's created clothes that will respond when we get stressed out. Plus: in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the annual PeepsFest is underway.
Emotional Clothing responds to the wearer's changes in stress levels (Dezeen)
PeepsFest returning to SteelStacks (WFMZ)
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Today in 1912 was the birthday of John Milkovisch, who took tens of thousands of old beer cans and turned them into aluminum siding and decorations for his house in Houston, Texas. The Beer Can House is now a local landmark. Plus: an 8 year old in Glasgow wins an award for having the messiest room in the UK.
A Man’s 6-Pack Can Serve as His Castle (The New York Times)
Beer Can House History (The Orange Show)
Eight-year-old girl's bedroom is named messiest in the country (Wales Online)
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Iowa became a state today in 1846. And in the 23rd Century, the community of Riverside, Iowa is supposed to see the birth of Captain James T. Kirk from "Star Trek." Here's how the town made itself part of future history. Plus: artist Faig Ahmed's colorful rugs have familiar forms, at least until you see the ends.
Star Trek historians headline the 34th Trekfest in Riverside (Little Village Magazine)
Ornate Rugs by Artist Faig Ahmed Ooze Onto the Floor in Drippy Fabric Puddles (Colossal)
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"Rust: The Art Gallery" is in Manchester, England, and it showcases the artistic effects of rust and deterioration, as curated by artist and longtime rust connoisseur Stephen Raw. Plus: two French artists create a set of geometric shapes on special paper that can ignite into what look like mini fireworks shows.
This Gallery Is Dedicated to the Aesthetic Joys of Rust (Hyperallergic)
Incendiary poster series creates its designs with special pyrotechnic powder (Creativeboom)
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Every Christmas Eve, at 6pm, the people of Abbadia San Salvatore in Italy light pyramids of wood called fiaccole they they've carefully collected and stacked for weeks. On what's one of the coldest and darkest nights of the year, the work together to celebrate with heat and light for everyone. Plus: the story of an annual gift comedian Steve Harvey gave to a teacher who had something to say about his career choice.
The "Fiaccole" In Abbadia San Salvatore: A Ritual Of Fire To Light Up Christmas (ItalianWays.com)
Steve Harvey Gifted a TV Every Year to the Teacher Who Said He'd Never Be on Television (Oprah.com)
Happy Christmas Eve to everyone, especially our Patreon backers!
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The history of Christmas cards has taken some strange turns over the years, but maybe none stranger than when Surrealist icon Salvador Dalí made Christmas cards for Hallmark. Plus: Australia tries to prevent highway hypnosis by offering drivers signs with trivia questions (and answers).
These Salvador Dali Christmas cards outraged Hallmark shoppers in 1960 (Washington Post)
Australian road signs among world's weirdest (Perth Now)
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Today in 1966, the Beatles were trying to make one great take of their new song “Strawberry Fields Forever,” and with help from producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick, they ended up making that one great take out of two half takes. Plus: the YouTube channel The Brick Wall created a LEGO system to give you just the right amount of wrapping paper for each gift.
Mixing, editing: Strawberry Fields Forever (Beatles Bible)
An Automated LEGO Wrapping Paper Cutting Machine That Scans the Exact Dimensions of the Gift to Wrap (Laughing Squid)
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In the late 1980s Romania was still behind the Iron Curtain, but its people wanted to see and hear film, TV shows and music from the US and other countries. Irina Nistor used her voice to bring some of that outside media to the people. Plus: it's said the story of the "Loyal Women of Weinsberg" began today in 1181.
The voice that brought Hollywood films to communist Romania’s TV screens (The Guardian)
Medieval warfare : a history by Maurice Hugh Keen
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Harvard, Nebraska is home to about a thousand people and six historic markers, one of which tells the strange but true story of a teenager who ended up owning the city jail. Plus: if you’re still looking for a present for somebody this week, how about an official Tetris waffle maker?
The Jailhouse That Got Accidentally Sold (Amusing Planet)
History of Harvard (Harvard, Nebraska)
Tetris Waffle Iron (The Awesomer)
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Today in 1977, the Not Ready For Prime Time Players were joined by perhaps the most unusual guest host ever: Miskel Spillman, an 80 year old grandma from New Orleans and the winner of the "Anyone Can Host SNL Contest." Plus: an iconic world record has fallen! Meet the new loudest burper in history.
Saturday Night Live's Anyone Can Host Contest (Mental Floss)
The World's Loudest Burp Record Has Been Broken. Hear It. (K102)
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3D printing is getting bigger and bigger. There are so many amazing ways we can use the technology. And the range of substances you can use in 3D printing projects is growing, too - including a new project that uses bacteria to make a 3D ink. Plus: people who really want to get into the holiday spirit are heading to a rental unit in Utah - that has been designed to look like the home of the Grinch.
This Ink Is Alive and Made Entirely of Microbes (New York Times)
Would You Spend the Night in the Grinch’s Cave? (Architectural Digest)
Our Patreon backers are the best Whos in Whoville
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Today in 1979, two guys in Canada dreamed up one of the most popular board games of all time: Trivial Pursuit. Here's how it all went down. Plus: it's said today was the birthday of Emperor Nero. Legends claim he fiddled while Rome burned but archeologists found evidence that he rotated while eating dinner.
The High School Dropout Who Co-Created Trivial Pursuit (Today I Found Out)
Nero’s Rotating Dining Room (CNRS News)
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Today in 1901, the first table tennis tournament concluded in London. It's also known as ping pong, and there were plenty of other proposed names back in the early days. Plus: in St. Paul, Minnesota, a theater company is putting on a stage version of “It’s A Wonderful Life” with a twist that the Federation might not like.
The Rise of Table Tennis and Ping Pong Diplomacy (VICE)
History of Table Tennis (International Table Tennis Federation)
St. Paul theater company to stage ‘Star Trek’/’It’s a Wonderful Life’ mashup, performed in Klingon (Twin Cities Pioneer Press)
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Back about 120 or so years ago, in Berlin, Germany, you might have encountered a strange sight: a man named Wilhelm Von Osten asking math questions of a horse named Clever Hans. Was the horse actually solving the problems, or was something else at work? Plus: Today in 1989, the town of Avesta, Sweden created the world’s largest Dala horse.
Clever Hans: The Horse Who Could Do Math (Amusing Planet)
World's Largest Dalecarlian Horse (Bookofjoe)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes that take place up in the air. In this one from July 2019, the story of Larry Walters, who entered aviation history as the pilot of a craft called Inspiration I. That craft was a lawn chair attached to 42 large weather balloons. Plus: some high school students in Toronto, Ontario use a weather balloon to launch a Lego figure into near space.
Up, Up, and Away! Did Larry Walters soar above Los Angeles in a lawn chair attached to helium weather balloons? (Snopes)
Teens Put Lego Man in 'Space' (Actually Stratosphere)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes that take place up in the air. In this one from April 2019, two researchers go back through old CIA surveillance photos, not for their Cold War history, but for archaeology. And it turns out, these photos showed a lot. Plus: in Woodstock, Illinois, the Great Lakes Steelpan Festival gets underway.
Declassified U2 spy plane images reveal bygone Middle Eastern archaeological features (Phys.org)
Great Lakes Steelpan Festival
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes that take place up in the air. In this one from March 2020, we marked the birthday of Jerrie Cobb, who could have been the first woman in space but ended up flying to great heights nonetheless. Plus: it was on this day in 2011 that a museum in the Netherlands first put on exhibit a work called “Peanut Butter Floor," which was exactly what it sounds like.
Jerrie Cobb, America's first female astronaut candidate, dies at 88 (NBC News)
Cobb, Geraldyn “Jerrie” M., Aviation Pioneer (National Aviation Hall of Fame)
Peanut Butter Floor (Bookofjoe)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes that take place up in the air. In this one from July 2019, Patrouille Swiss, the official aerial acrobatics team for Switzerland, flew over the community of Langenbruck for a festival honoring a local aviation hero... or tried to. They weren’t actually over Langenbruck. Plus: New York City is now home to Poster House, the first American museum that’s fully about posters and their history.
Swiss aerial display team flies over yodeling festival by mistake (Deutsche Welle)
WoodyFest in Okemah, OK
Poster House Is the First Museum in the United States Dedicated Exclusively to Posters
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes that take place up in the air. In this one from June 2020, we mark the anniversary of a pretty unusual moment in the history of human flight: the time 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: Watching The World's Heaviest Aircraft Take Off (Geekologie)
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Happy Hanukkah! For this holiday we're replaying a show from 2019 about a growing sport in New York City. Major League Dreidel takes the Hanukkah favorite and turns the intensity way, way up. Plus: an agency in Nova Scotia decided people needed a break from ads during the holidays, and released some ad-free ads.
Competitive Dreidel-Spinning Is a Thing. Here's How Major League Dreidel Got Started. (Civilized)
Creative agency buys $10k of blank ad space to give everyone a break from ads (It's Nice That)
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Today in 1952, PEZ received a US patent for its famous dispensers, which, like the candies they contain, were first intended to help people quit smoking. Plus: researchers in Germany can now make eco-friendly, cost-effective insulation out of popcorn.
The History of PEZ (PEZ.com)
Researchers Make Insulation Board Out of Popcorn (Treehugger)
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On or around this day in 1922, a pilot wrote the first skywriting message in the United States. It was a way to demonstrate an advertising technique that would be a big part of business for the next few decades. Plus: today in 2019, fans at a Hershey Bears’ hockey game set a record for most stuffed animals tossed onto the ice.
How Skywriting Works (How Stuff Works)
Watch: Hershey Bears’ teddy bear toss shatters world record as 45,650 stuffed animals hit the ice for charity (The Patriot-News)
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Today in 1954, a woman in Alabama, Elizabeth Hodges, became the first person in modern history to be hit by a meteorite. Here's some of her story. Plus: for Mark Twain's birthday, the time he answered a very long question in a print column with just three words.
In 1954, an Extraterrestrial Bruiser Shocked This Alabama Woman (Smithsonian)
Asked and Answered (Futility Closet)
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Today in 1915, the birthday of an inventor who would change our viewing habits for the better: Eugene Polley, who created the first wireless remote control system for TVs. Plus: today in 2000, CNN reported on a hairstylist in Colombia who claimed he'd cured baldness by having cows lick his bald customers.
Zenith Flash-Matic, the First Wireless TV Remote (Vintage Everyday)
Eugene Polley, Conjuror of a Device That Changed TV Habits, Dies at 96 (New York Times)
Colombian hairdresser says he can lick baldness (CNN)
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Today in 1942 the landmark movie "Casablanca" was released. And once it became an unexpected hit, Hollywood tried a couple times to make a sequel. Plus: in the great city of Buffalo, New York, the Saturday after Thanksgiving is home to a one of a kind event called the World’s Largest Disco.
Every Unmade Casablanca Sequel & Remake: Why They Didn't Happen (ScreenRant)
World's Largest Disco
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For some people it can be hard to think of anything to be thankful for in this screwy year. But maybe this can help: the story of Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton, who accidentally ended up together on Thanksgiving and became good friends. Plus: a rainy Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade leads to a very weird situation for one of the iconic giant balloons.
Young man who was accidentally invited to 'grandma's' Thanksgiving as a teen keeps tradition going (CNN)
Pair that went viral for Thanksgiving dinner reuniting for sixth celebration (WWL)
Most infamous balloon accidents from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (KOAM)
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Today in 1868, at least on paper, Scott Joplin was born, though his actual birth date is probably a different day. He's best known for his groundbreaking ragtime works like "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer," but Joplin also wrote two operas. Plus: today in 2013, musician Dave Mustaine of Megadeth composed an unforgettable tweet about a "cool building" in Wisconsin.
Scott Joplin wrote operas 'The Guest of Honor' and 'Treemonisha' as well as Ragtime (Africlassical)
Cool building in Madison (Dave Mustaine on Twitter)
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Our wireless, hands-free, automatic, smart device era may be about to get even smarter, thanks to high-tech smart fabric that can send out signals to devices or turn itself into a health monitor. Plus: a trash barrel from the US goes on holiday, traveling all the way across the ocean to end up in Ireland.
Invention lets people pay for purchases with a high-five (Science Daily)
Traveling Trash Can Visits Ireland From Myrtle Beach (City of Myrtle Beach, SC)
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With a little help from a Chilean scientist, Leptospirillum ferriphilum can dissolve old iron nails in just a few days, a process that previously took months. That could help deal with the water pollution that comes from metal left over from old mines. Plus: a few Taylor Swift fans have been playing their 45 rpm LP versions of "Red (Taylor's Version)" at 33 rpm, and it sounds... different.
These Hungry Metal-Eating Bacteria Could Be the Solution to Mining Waste (Popular Mechanics)
“The pressing is bad and it sounds like a man”: Taylor Swift fans confused by LPs pressed at 45rpm (The Line of Best Fit)
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Dance clubs can get hot when things are in full swing. So why not turn that extra heat into green energy? A nightclub in Glasgow is teaming up with a geothermal power company to use the energy dancers put out to heat and cool the place. Plus: when Apollo 12 reached the moon, astronaut Pete Conrad said some stirring words... that helped him win a bet.
This Glasgow nightclub is turning your dance moves into renewable energy (Dazed)
NASA Honors Apollo 12 Commander Charles Conrad (NASA)
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It's called the Intrepid Benthic Rover II, and its five year (or more) mission is to explore the deep ocean, most of the time by itself. Plus: in a new book artist Marina Luz paints the covers of books where people are trying to describe a book when they can’t remember the title.
This deep-sea rover will autonomously explore the mysterious abyss for over five years (designboom)
‘A Library of Misremembered Books’ Is a Witty, Illustrated Compendium of Mistaken Titles (Colossal)
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Today in 1978, George Lucas's least favorite part of the Star Wars universe, "The Star Wars Holiday Special," aired on TV. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's the only one that has a Jefferson Starship video, a Bea Arthur-owned cantina and opening dialogue that's entirely in Wookiee. Plus: today in 1968, NBC cuts away from the final minutes of a nail-biter football game because it was time to show the movie "Heidi."
The Epically Terrible Star Wars Holiday Special: An Oral History (Lit Hub)
The 'Heidi Game' (Pro Football Hall of Fame)
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It's Geography Awareness Week, so we wanted to find the furthest points in each direction that are part of the United States, along with the geographical center. Plus: the story of a boundary with Morocco that just sort of popped up one day.
The Surprising Easternmost Point in the US (Wendover Productions)
Geographic Center of the United States (NOAA)
The last remains of the Spanish empire (El Pais)
Wherever our Patreon backers go, whatever they do, we will be right here waiting for them
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There are countless efforts underway to bring more green energy into the world, and some of them are in some unusual places. Like a project in Massachusetts that’s going to try mounting solar panels on those sound-absorbing barriers on the sides of the highway. Plus: today in 1859, New York City is host to what's believed to be the first ever baseball game between two Black teams.
Massachusetts to test highway barriers that absorb sound and solar energy (Energy News Network)
10 Black Baseball Sites in NYC (Untapped New York)
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A University of Oregon study on what's called the “perceiver-elicited similarity effect" finds that when you’re nice, that can lead to more niceness around you! Plus: today in 1910, what’s believed to be the first movie stunt took place. And it was quite a stunt.
It's true: Be nice and others are more likely to be nice to you (University of Oregon)
How Hollywood killed the movie stunt (Salon)
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For Veterans Day, we have the story of the "Left-Armed Corps," Civil War veterans who'd lost right arms in battle and were re-learning to write left-handed. Poet and newspaper publisher William Oland Bourne organized penmanship contests to encourage their writing, which he believed would help them find jobs and support themselves and their families as they returned to civilian life. Plus: you can learn about the veterans of World War II through a miniature golf course in Texas.
William Oland Bourne, "The Soldier’s Friend", and the Left-Handed Penmanship Contests, 1865-1867 (Library of Congress)
One-of-a-kind mini-golf course, WWII museum now open in Buda (KXAN)
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Today in 1987, the community of Gouverneur in northern New York placed on its town green, a giant roll of Pep-O-Mint Life Savers. It was a tribute to a local man, Edward John Noble, who ended up making Life Savers one of the best known candies in the world. Plus: a cat in Tokyo drops by a Buddhist temple garden, walks into the gravel patterns and takes a big old nap.
10 Things You Might Not Know about Life Savers (Mental Floss)
Unique Items— The Life Savers® (Gouverneur Museum)
Super Zen Cat Takes a Nap in the Middle of a Japanese Zen Garden (My Modern Met)
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Vox recently asked scientists what they thought Earth life might be like in a million years. And the answers are pretty wild. Plus: today's the first day of a City Climb at Edge, a program in New York City where thrillseekers can climb until they’re close to the top of a skyscraper, over 1,200 feet up.
The animals that may exist in a million years, imagined by biologists (Vox)
Now You Can Climb Outside a Skyscraper to the Top of New York City (Architectural Digest)
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Today in 1978, the New Jersey Nets lost to the Philadelphia 76ers. But part of the game would be replayed the following March, and when it was, several of the players on each team had been traded to the other, and ended up playing in the game! Plus: two artists have built a "stairway to heaven" in Taiwan. Someone let Robert Plant know please.
In 1978-79 season, deal like no other happened at NBA trade deadline (NBA.com)
Artists Build a ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Optical Illusion (Laughing Squid)
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Today in 1781, the first U.S. president, John Hanson, was elected. Of course, being a U.S. president in 1781 was very different from the job George Washington, the first president under the U.S. Constitution, would hold eight years later. Plus: the University of British Columbia has a robot named Robby to paint all the lines on its sports fields.
Forget Washington; it's Hanson or Huntington (Baltimore Sun)
Robby, a line-painting robot, blazes trail on UBC sports fields (GlobalNews)
Our Patreon backers are first in our hearts
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Today in 1879, a bar owner in Ohio received a patent for an invention that changed the way we buy and sell things: the cash register. He did it to thwart his bartenders, who he suspected of putting money meant for him in their own pockets. Plus: a professor in South Korea reveals one place from which you probably shouldn't give an online lecture.
Nov. 4, 1879: Ka-Ching! The World's First Cash Register (WIRED)
Professor holds online class while in bathtub (Korea Times)
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Today in 1892 a phone system that made automated calls - no switchboard operator - began operating in Laporte, Indiana. The first automatic dial network happened, as the story goes, because of a business dispute between two undertakers. Plus: today in 1882, the birthday of John Baxter Taylor, Jr, the first Black American to win an Olympic gold medal.
Almon B. Strowger: The undertaker who revolutionized telephone technology (Spark Museum of Electrical Invention)
First African American Olympic gold medalist was a Penn grad (University of Pennsylvania)
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Today in 2000 that a post appeared on an online forum for the Time Travel Institute from someone who claimed he was a time traveler from the year 2036. Here's the story of John Titor, whoever he actually was. Plus: Build the Earth is an effort to recreate every single spot on our planet, but in the Minecraft universe.
The Oral History of John Titor, the Man Who Traveled Back in Time to Save the Internet (Thrillist)
Project to recreate entirety of planet Earth in Minecraft (Boing Boing)
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Today in 1816, the US military awarded to built a contract for a fort next to Lake Champlain, near the border with Canada. For years crews worked to make the fort strong, until one day when they realized there was a big problem. Plus: people on Tumblr say today is the 1000th birthday of a medieval monk's brother named Werner.
Fort Blunder, America’s Most Embarrassing Gun Battery (New England Historical Society)
The chronicle of the monk Herbert of Reichenau (Elucubrare on Tumblr)
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This week in 2008, local officials in Swanzey tried to get English-to-Welsh translation for a road sign they wanted to put up. They got a Welsh sentence in response, but it wasn't what they thought. Plus: today in 1969, the first network message on ARPANET goes through, though without a few key letters.
The man responsible for the most infamously bad Welsh road sign translation (Wales Online)
E-mail error ends up on road sign (BBC)
5 milestones that created the internet 50 years after the first network message (The World)
All signs point to our Patreon backers being amazing
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Today in 1886, the U.S. dedicated the Statue of Liberty in New York. It was hard times when Lady Liberty first arrived in the country, but eventually a 19th century-style crowdfunding efforts raised enough money to raise the statue onto a pedestal. Plus: the statue came from France, and if you head to Paris you'll see that city has a Lady Liberty too!
How crowdfunding brought the Statue of Liberty to America (Christian Science Monitor)
Statue of Liberty, Pont de Grenelle (Atlas Obscura)
We raise our golden lamp high in honor of our Patreon backers
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The new book "The First Ghosts" looks at how humans have been describing and depicting ghosts for thousands of years, including a Babylonian tablet showing a lonely, bearded ghost dude from 1500 B.C.E. Plus: today in 2013, a merchant naval officer said a great way to deter pirates off the Somali coast was to blast Britney Spears tunes.
Boo Who? The World’s Oldest Ghost Drawing May Have Been Found on an Ancient Babylonian Tablet at the British Museum (Artnet)
Britney Spears songs used to scare off pirates in Somalia (Metro UK)
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Today in 1966, the official release of "Incubus," the only Esperanto-language movie starring a pre-Star Trek William Shatner. The movie had such bad fortune some people actually thought it was cursed. Plus: a guy buys an airplane, and though he's never flown before, he taxis it down the runway, takes off and has to figure out how to land.
Eerie Cult Classic ‘Incubus’ Returns After Lengthy Exile (Los Angeles Times)
Man with zero hours flying experience accidentally takes off, and barely lands (Boing Boing)
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Humans make a lot of jokes about the seventh planet from the sun. But do scientists who study Uranus think the jokes are funny? The website Futurism found out. Plus: today is the first day of Magic Week, and there's a magic shop in Burnsville, Minnesota that's the oldest in the US.
Here’s What Uranus Scientists Think About Your Disgusting Jokes (Futurism)
The Oldest Magic Shop In The U.S. Is Right Here In Minnesota, And It’s Full Of Enchanting Fun (Only in Minnesota)
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A lot of us kind of amble through museums, taking a few steps, looking at art, and then moving again. And one posture specialist says that "museum walk" is actually hurting our backs. Plus: a guy in Ontario proves that the best time to play the flute with both hands is not when you're behind the wheel.
Suffering From Lower Back Pain While Visiting a Museum? You’re Not Alone (Hyperallergic)
Driver in Burlington caught playing flute with both hands, police say (CP24)
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Today in 1975, game 6 of the World Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox. The iconic clip of Carlton Fisk waving his game-winning home run fair was caught by the camera kind of by accident. Plus: a couple in the UK gets a ticket because a traffic camera caught their car driving in the bus-only lane, except that they weren't in the bus-only lane. Or in a car. Or in that city.
How Carlton Fisk's 1975 home run changed TV sports forever (Boston Globe)
Bus lane camera mistakes woman's sweater for number plate (BBC)
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Today in 1968, a high jumper from Oregon, Dick Fosbury, changed his sport forever by winning gold with an unusual jumping motion now known as the Fosbury Flop. Plus: today in 2018, passengers on a bus in Paris refused to make room for a rider using a wheelchair. So the bus driver made room.
Dick Fosbury flops to an Olympic high jump record (History.com)
Paris bus driver hailed a hero for kicking off ALL passengers after they refused to make room for wheelchair user (Evening Standard)
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Today in 2001, a scientific journal published a study with an interesting name, which read in part: “Van Gogh, Chagall and pigeons." There's been a lot of research into how pigeons take in and process visual information, like art, and apparently it's pretty complex. Plus: in Detroit, a local news reporter does a story about a local skateboard park, and flawlessly rides a skateboard in the middle of his report!
The Pigeon as Art Critic (Scientific American)
Van Gogh, Chagall and pigeons: picture discrimination in pigeons and humans (NIH)
Pigeons' Discrimination of Paintings By Monet and Picasso (Researchgate)
News anchor ends local skatepark dispatch by shredding into the sunset (AV Club)
Pigeons also recognize our Patreon backers as the best
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Today in 1963, a black and white cat from the streets of France became the first cat to go into space. She didn't choose to go, of course, but she's a pioneer just the same - and until a few years ago, a greatly underappreciated one. Plus: today in 1922, a girl in Illinois made it to school after being run over by a train?!?
Félicette, the First Feline in Space, Finally Got Her Due (How Stuff Works)
Et si Félicette, le premier chat dans l'espace, avait bientôt sa statue ? (Le Parisien)
Today in 1922: a six year old in Illinois made it to school after being run over by a train (!!!!!!!) (New York Tribune via Twitter)
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Today in 1860, an 11 year old wrote to not-yet-president Abraham Lincoln, suggesting he grow some whiskers because "your face is so thin." Later, a bearded Abe visited the letter writer, Grace Bedell of Westfield, New York, and showed off his new look. Plus: today in 1957, an unusual demonstration in Port Washington, Wisconsin: the “Power Mower of the Future”!
Letter to Grace Bedell (Abraham Lincoln Online)
The Simplicity “Air-Conditioned Lawnmower” 1957 (Wacky Explorer)
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This week in 1930, a phone utility in Indianapolis started moving its headquarters and rotating the building 90 degrees, all while keeping service going for customers and workers in the building. Plus: a state with no sharks brags that it has the fewest shark attacks of any state.
An Incredible Move: The Indiana Bell Telephone Building (Amusing Planet)
Colorado tied for state with fewest shark attacks, Gov. Jared Polis boasts (Denver Post)
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We’re in the final week of National Hispanic Heritage Month, so we wanted to tell the story of the first Hispanic woman in space, Ellen Ochoa, talented and versatile even by astronaut standards. Plus: an art student in China breaks stuff for art's sake, through a very peculiar vending machine.
Ellen Ochoa: A Pioneer on Land and in Space (National Archives)
Broken Plate Vending Machine (The Awesomer)
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A startup in the UK has found a way to use mushrooms to create a new, greener kind of home insulation. But don't worry, it isn't just growing mushrooms inside the walls of your house. Plus: an Australian company that delivers coffee by drone is reworking its business model because nesting ravens are attacking their aircraft.
Your next house could be insulated by mushrooms (Fast Company)
'They think it's Terminator': Angry birds take down drone deliveries (Canberra Times)
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On Indigenous Peoples Day, here's the story of sculptor Edmonia Lewis. She was born in the 1840s to a Black father and a Chippewa mother, and became the first Native American and Black woman to become an acclaimed sculptor. Plus: Happy Thanksgiving to our listeners in Canada. It’s a big country, except for the exhibit known as Little Canada, which features miniature versions of some of the country’s most famous cities, landmarks and attractions.
Edmonia Lewis (Smithsonian American Art Museum)
Little Canada
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Glass is versatile stuff, but fragile. A new project out of McGill University is modeled after the material in mollusk shells and could make glass a lot more durable. Plus: in Brazil, Fabio Gomes Trindade makes outdoor art that incorporates the shapes and colors of the nearby trees and bushes.
Unbreakable glass inspired by seashells (McGill University)
Street Artist Incorporates Flowering Plants Into His Graffiti to Stunning Visual Effect (Oddity Central)
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Today in 1959, a write-in candidate for city council in São Paulo, Brazil, won a huge victory. The catch: that candidate was a rhinoceros from the São Paulo Zoo. Plus: today in 1935, a man in Houston, Missouri finds a hat he'd lost three years earlier.
Rhino Horns In On A Brazilian Election (Life Magazine)
Hat Lost 3 Years Returns (Bend Bulletin)
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One of the many things we’ve learned over the last 19 months or so is that a lot of people around us can get lonely and isolated, even if they want social contact. In the Netherlands, a grocery store chain is trying to help by offering Kletskassa, or "chat checkout," where customers and clerks can strike up conversations if they need them. Plus: October is National Roller Skating Month, and whenever you’re next in Lincoln, Nebraska, you can check out the National Museum of Roller Skating.
Jumbo opens ‘chat checkouts’ to combat loneliness among the elderly (Dutch News)
Here Are 22 Things You Can Only Find In Nebraska (Only in Nebraska)
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In a part of the world where the energy grid isn't as reliable as residents might like, Reedii rents out energy “capsules” to those who need to charge cellphones, plug in lights or use other powered devices. And the "capsules" are charged with solar power! Plus: did you know there are six asteroids named for the six members of Monty Python?
This Nigerian startup sells solar-powered batteries at corner stores (Fast Company)
Celebrating National Asteroid Day with Monty Python and asteroids #9617-9622 (Tellyspotting)
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Today's the birthday of a mystery author known to millions of kids, Donald J Sobol. He wrote the Encyclopedia Brown series, about a 10 year old detective who solved cases because he knew, as his nickname suggested, all sorts of unusual and obscure facts in the era way before the internet. Plus: it’s National Taco Day, and here's the story of one of the largest tacos ever made.
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Mysterious Author (Crimereads)
Guinness confirms 102-meter taco is world’s largest (Mexico News Daily)
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It's International Coffee Day, so here's the story of a woman in Dresden, Germany, who made it a lot easier to brew coffee: Melitta Bentz, the inventor of the coffee filter. Plus: it's World Smile Day, and in Polk County, Oregon, there's a giant smiley face on a hillside made of trees!
Overlooked No More: Melitta Bentz, Who Invented the Coffee Filter (New York Times)
Giant Smiley Face on Oregon Hillside Is Made Up of Trees (Oddity Central)
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A project out of a Saudi university has built a cooling system that uses salt, water and heat from sunlight, but not electricity. Plus: one of the finalists for induction into the National Toy Hall of Fame is sand. Just sand.
No Electricity? A New Cooling System Uses Sunlight and Saltwater (Interesting Engineering)
2021 National Toy Hall of Fame Finalists
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Today in 1954, Willie Mays made one of the most amazing plays in baseball history - an over the shoulder catch in deep center field, followed by a throw that kept the opposing baserunners from scoring. And yet, Mays was so great that some researchers say The Catch wasn't even his greatest catch! Plus: for Goose Day, a visit to Belfast to see a statue in honor of Alec the Goose.
The true 'Catch' story (ESPN)
Goose Day - 'Alec the Goose' (Atlas Obscura)
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Today in 1881, Eleonora Sears was born in Boston. She would go on to be one of the most versatile and accomplished athletes of the early 20th century, excelling in dozens of sports, from tennis and squash to boxing and auto racing. Plus: the website House Rules catalogs all the fun homegrown variations people have come up with for classic board games.
A Woman to Know: Eleanora Randolph Sears (A Woman To Know)
Eleonora Sears, Blueblood Bad Girl on the Tennis Courts (New England Historical Society)
House Rules
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Around this time in 2018 humans started removing mountain goats from Olympic National Park in Washington state. But for a range of reasons, they had to do it by putting the goats in harnesses and flying them out with a helicopter. Plus: around this time in 1997, Elton John improvised a song on a TV show using words from some guy's oven manual.
A National Park Is Airlifting Hundreds of Mountain Goats That Have Gone Crazy for Human Pee (Vice)
Elton John Was Challenged To Improvise A Song Based On This Guy's Oven Manual And He Absolutely Crushed It (Digg)
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If you listen to our show, your ears are doing the work, unless you’re a certain type of roundworm that researchers have just shown can react to sound even though they don't have any ear-like organs. Plus: a crater on the moon has a new name in honor of the great Black explorer Matthew Henson.
Earless worms 'listen' through their skin (Science Daily)
Thanks to UCLA graduate student, a lunar honor for explorer Matthew Henson (UCLA)
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Today was the day in 1962 that “The Jetsons” premiered on ABC. Fitting for a show about the future, it was the first color broadcast for the network. Plus: it's National American Pot Pie Day - though the world record in the category for “Largest pie, meat” belongs to a group of catering students from the UK.
September 23, 1962…”The Jetsons” Debuts As First Color For ABC (Eyes of a Generation)
‘The Jetsons’ turns 53! Eight fun facts about the science fiction sitcom (New York Daily News)
Largest pie, meat (Guinness World Records)
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Today in 1934, Leonard Cohen was born. His music and poetry have influenced other songwriters and poets for decades, but today we’re talking about another part of his career, and maybe the weirdest part: the time he guest starred on the 80s action series “Miami Vice.” Plus: today in 1997, Dunkin gave out free donuts to mark the last hurrah for their longtime TV pitchman, Fred the Baker.
Revisiting Leonard Cohen's fantastic cameo appearance in 'Miami Vice' (Far Out)
Doughnuts for everyone, on Fred Pitchman: Fred, the star of Dunkin' Donuts TV ads for 15 years, gets a sweet send-off today as the company gives away doughnuts at its 3,300 U.S. locations. (Baltimore Sun)
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Today in 1934, Paramount Pictures released the movie “Belle of the Nineties,” starring Mae West. And, for some reason, the studio trained several dozen parrots to learn to say the title of the movie so they could appear at theaters and wow the moviegoing public. There was just one problem with the plan, though. Plus: on this World Peace Day, the guy who tried to make the world a more peaceful place by walking backwards.
A.C. Lyles ("A Woman At War" via Google Books)
Mani Manithan: I walked backwards for 25 years (Friday Magazine)
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The famous cover of The Clash's landmark album "London Calling" was taken on September 21, 1979, according to the liner notes. Except that Dave Marin, a concertgoer who was there when the photo was taken, has a concert stub that says September 20th. And he's spent decades trying to get the world to notice that the album credits are a day off. Plus: today in 1940, a bomb explodes in London, and the locals decide to turn the crater it left behind into something special.
When Did a Famous Guitar-Smashing Occur? One Fan of The Clash Insists Everyone Has It Wrong (Wall Street Journal)
Ecologies of resilience: Westminster’s bomb crater garden and the Dig for Victory campaign (Seismopolite)
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This weekend is National Cheeseburger Day, and there's only one such holiday. But if you ask where the cheeseburger came from, there are a couple answers. Plus: for National Pet Bird Day, a story from 2017 in which researchers found wild birds in Australia swearing.
Who Invented the All-American Cheeseburger? (The Spruce Eats)
Plaque commemorating invention of the cheeseburger in Pasadena dedicated at LA Financial Credit Union (Pasadena Chamber of Commerce)
Birds that escape from captivity teach wild birds how to speak (and swear) in English (Inhabitat)
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Today in 1979, a story that sounds like it came straight out of a movie: two families in Communist East Germany escaped to the West by making and flying a hot air balloon. Plus: Today in 2018, Denise Mueller-Korenek broke the world record for “fastest bicycle speed in slipstream": 183.9 mph.
Freedom Balloon (Popular Mechanics)
With hot air to freedom (Der Spiegel)
A history of cycling speed records as Denise Mueller-Korenek reaches 183 mph (Guinness World Records)
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Today's the birthday of Agatha Christie, the novelist and playwright who gave us some of the most popular mysteries of all time. But when she wasn't sending Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot out to crack cases, she was often found surfing. Plus: it's the birthday of playwright Jerry Sterner, best known for “Other People’s Money," and for being buried under a headstone that was perfect for someone in his line of work.
How Agatha Christie Helped Popularize Surfing -- Yes, Surfing (Crimereads)
Investigating Hate (Harpers)
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Apollo 8 brought the first human astronauts to lunar orbit in late 1968, but a few months beforehand, the Soviet Zond 5 mission sent two tortoises (and a few other living things) for a trip around the moon. Here's what happened. Plus: today in 1890, Mexican singing and songwriting great Maria Grever was born. Whether or not you know her songs, you know a phrase that comes from one.
The Time Two Russian Space Tortoises Beat Apollo to the Moon (HowStuffWorks)
Maria Grever (Encyclopedia.com)
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These days, with everything moving further and further online, it's not a surprise that many of us can see our doctors through remote appointments. But a century ago, a radio enthusiast called Hugo Gernsback predicted a way that doctors could examine patients remotely, using radio waves. Plus: a giant blob of old pizza dough has become an odd kind of celebrity in New Orleans.
Telemedicine Predicted in 1925 (Smithsonian)
North shore pizza dough blob grows to enormous proportions, overtakes dumpster post-Ida (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
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If you’ve ever been around a baby you probably heard some cooing, gurgling and babbling, as the babies try to make the sounds adults make. Some new research finds if you spend time with baby bats, you might hear them doing essentially the same thing. Plus: the YouTube channel Steadycraftin finds a pretty cool way to reuse some of those old orange plastic prescription bottles.
Baby Bats Babble Just Like Human Infants (Treehugger)
Turning Plastic Pill Bottles Into Orange Robot Figurines (Laughing Squid)
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Social distancing is a thing in the octopus world. According to new research out of the University of Sydney, some females will tell males to back off by throwing stuff at them. Plus: it was this week in 2019 that a drunk feral pig in western Australia picked a fight with a cow, which is probably one of the weirdest sentences of the week.
Female Octopuses Throw Things at Irritating Males, And Look, We Totally Get It (Science Alert)
Drunk and boarish: swigging pig hogs 18 beers at campsite (The Guardian)
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Boston's Skinny House went up for sale recently. It's a four-story house with rooms only 10 feet wide, and was reportedly built just to block another house's view of the harbor. "Spite houses" have been regularly built for these kinds of reasons, it turns out. Plus: today in in 1504 Michelangelo completed David. We've got a fun fact about this iconic sculpture for you.
Five Spite Houses in New England (Boston Magazine)
10 Fun Facts About Michelangelo's David (The Florence Insider)
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Yuan Longping, born today in 1930, was known as the Father of Hybrid Rice, and his work saved countless people from famine and starvation. Here's more of his story. Plus: a school in New Zealand has an unusual crossing guard: a chicken in a safety vest named Henry!
Yuan Longping, whose hybrid rice helped feed the world, dies at 90 (Washington Post)
This New Zealand School Is Using a Chicken as a Traffic Officer (Mental Floss)
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Sputnik IV, to be specific, had some trouble getting back to Earth as planned. Today in 1962, pieces of the Soviet spacecraft ended up crashing into a street in Manitowoc, Wisconsin - so the town started holding a SputnikFest to celebrate their place in space history. Plus: today in 1870, Louisa Swaim made herstory by casting a ballot in Laramie, Wyoming.
'Sputnikfest': How Wisconsin Celebrates Historic Fall of Soviet Satellite (Space.com)
About Sputnik (Rahr-West Art Museum)
Celebrating a Trailblazer: 150th Anniversary of the First Women's Vote (Travel Wyoming)
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Today in 2019, a woman in Sweden rose to an unthinkable occasion: she rescued all six of her children, including three under 5 years old, while their house burned down. Plus: did you know hummingbirds can see some ultraviolet colors that humans can't?
Emma, 30: I saved my six children from the flames (Expressen.se)
Hummingbirds Can See Colors We Can’t Even Imagine (Wired)
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Nike and biotech company NewLight have started developing a shoe made from a polymer derived from carbon, bringing some greenness to an often carbon-intensive industry. Plus: Victoria Rose Richards embroiders overhead views of moors and other parts of the UK's countryside.
Nike Is Designing Biodegradable Sneakers Out of Carbon (Interesting Engineering)
Landscapes (Futility Closet)
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Research from 2018 at Princeton University found that male fruit flies use their wings to improvise musical sounds to win the attention of females. I just wish they didn't try to do all of it in my house. Plus: a teen in the UK makes friends with a bee!
How Fruit Flies Woo a Mate (Simons Foundation)
Teenager keeps bumble bee as pet after it followed her home (Cornwall Live)
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Web developer/creator/artist Lynn Fisher's new project is NestFlix, a website that looks like a streaming service but features the fictional shows and movies that are within real world ones. Plus: the Potato Photographer of the Year gives us some unforgettable images. No small fries in this group.
Nestflix – movies and TV shows that exist solely inside real movies and TV shows (Boing Boing)
The Potato Photographer of the Year 2021 (Kottke.org)
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Stott Hall Farm is an unusual place; on either side of the place, there's the UK's M62 highway. We'll explain how it happened. Plus: a couple in Texas bought a plot of land, spent years building a house there, and then got a knock on the door from the actual landowners, explaining that there'd been a mix-up.
Mystery of the M62 farm is solved: Newly rediscovered footage reveals the REAL reason why the trans-Pennine motorway was built around an 18th Century home (Daily Mail)
‘Your home is on my property.’ Family’s house, utilities built on wrong lot (KXAN)
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Paralympic athletes are in Tokyo to compete and maybe to win a gold medal, if they can. The benchmark for Paralympic gold, by the way: 55 medals by a single athlete, swimmer Trischa Zorn. Plus: today in 1936, a newspaper ran a short piece about inventor Isabella Gilbert and her dimple-making machine.
Swimmer Trischa Zorn’s Paralympic Legacy Goes Beyond Her Staggering 55-Medal Haul (Team USA)
Who Wants Dimples? (Bremen Enquirer via Newspapers.com)
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It's National Cherry Popsicle Day, so obviously, we have to tell the story of the popsicle, and Frank Epperson, the 11 year old you invented it. Plus: today in 1969, Elvis Presley sees a bald guy in the audience while onstage in Las Vegas and sings the best version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight" ever.
The Surprisingly Fun Story of How the Popsicle Was Invented by an 11-Year-Old Boy (My Modern Met)
Frank Epperson, 89, Inventor Of Popsicle, Dies in California (New York Times)
Elvis Can't Stop Laughing (YouTube)
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Darwin, Minnesota is where you find a 17,400 pound ball of twine that one guy made over the course of 30 years. Here's the twine ball's story. Plus: to no one's surprise, researchers find that cats prefer to get food for free instead of having to work for it.
Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota (Roadside America)
Darwin, Minnesota names ‘Weird Alley’ in honor of twine ball troubadour ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic (The Current)
Cats prefer to get free meals, rather than work for them (University of California-Davis)
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On this anniversary of the release of Windows 95, we look at the origin story of the Comic Sans typeface, which has more haters than most fonts ever get (and a few lovers, too). Plus: engineering students help a dad who uses a wheelchair take his new baby for walks in a stroller.
How we made the typeface Comic Sans (The Guardian)
The Story Behind Comic Sans (Fonts.com)
Students adapt wheelchair to allow teacher's husband to take baby for a walk after brain surgery (CBS News)
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It's a complicated story, but part of what is now eastern Tennessee was once part of western North Carolina - and today in 1784, they tried to break away and form their own state, called Franklin. Plus: a visit to a unique art museum off the coast of Cyprus.
State of Franklin (Tennessee Encyclopedia)
On this day, the state of Franklin starts its brief existence (National Constitution Center)
This Sculpture Museum Is 32 Feet Below Water (Hyperallergic)
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Today is National Radio Day, so it's a good day to talk about one of the legends of old-time radio: sound effects virtuoso Ora Nichols. Plus: researchers at The Ohio State University say they’ve found a weed commonly grown on farms that could help make a greener, more sustainable jet fuel, only its name isn't the most inspiring.
Female Pioneer Credited With Bringing Sound Effects To Radio (KUOW)
Stinkweed could make a cleaner bio-jet fuel, study finds (The Ohio State University)
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It’s National Aviation Day and National Potato Day, and amazingly, there's a story that brings them both together. Boeing used sacks of potatoes in place of humans when it began testing in-flight WiFi. Plus: in 1994, American Airlines released an 18 page book of its in-flight recipes, for anyone looking to recreate airline food at home.
Boeing uses potatoes to improve Wi-Fi signals (USA Today)
The American Airlines Recipe Book (Weird Universe)
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It's not a direct route, but two researchers have figured out a way to take waste plastic, feed it to special bacteria, and then end up with nutritious protein powder. We'll explain. Plus: a guy has been growing plants inside a big glass bottle for decades - and because the bottle is sealed, they basically water themselves over and over!
€1 Million Prize for Plastics-to-Protein Research Awarded to Steve Techtmann, Ting Lu (Michigan Technological University)
Thriving since 1960, my garden in a bottle: Seedling sealed in its own ecosystem and watered just once in 53 years (Daily Mail)
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Today in 1947, two men who had climbed Oregon's Mount Hood and stayed overnight woke up to find a surprise: a quart of milk and the morning newspaper. Who would climb a mountain just to leave those items? Plus: a study out of the University of Greenwich finds that bees get an actual buzz out of naturally-occurring caffeine.
A quirky little mystery from 1947 on the summit of Mount Hood is finally solved (The Oregonian)
Bumble bees show an induced preference for flowers when primed with caffeinated nectar and a target floral odor (Current Biology)
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Summer is beach season, and for those times when people leave litter and other waste behind, there are two separate projects to develop robots to clean up after them. Plus: Sunny, the radiated tortoise at the Dallas Zoo, gets a personalized, hand-built scratching station for those hard-to-get itches.
This beach-cleaning robot sifts sand for the tiny plastics that humans miss (Fast Company)
BeachBot, an AI-powered robot that cleans cigarette butts at the beach (Designboom)
Watch This Lucky Tortoise Enjoy His Homemade Scatcher Device Crafted From Broom Heads (Good News Network)
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We're revisiting some of our favorite stops on the roads and highways this week. In this episode from August 2019, we visit a giant potato in Idaho that you can rent. Or, technically, a 28 foot long, 12 foot wide structure built in the shape of a potato. Plus: a man from the UK traveling through Amsterdam learns that an Airbnb listing for a "clean room with a private bathroom" can technically refer to a shipping container next to a port-a-potty.
Unusual places to stay in the USA (Lonely Planet)
Giant potato in Idaho available to rent on Airbnb for $200 a night (Insider)
Amsterdam tourist unwittingly pays for shipping container in Airbnb booking (Sky News)
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We're revisiting some of our favorite stops on the roads and highways this week. In this episode from December 2019, we head to Enterprise, Alabama, a community where you'll find in the middle of town a statue of a Greek woman holding a boll weevil. Plus: meet the most destructive holiday force ever, Treezilla!
Boll Weevil Honored (Library of Congress)
Treezilla! The Godzilla Christmas Tree (Steven Newland on YouTube)
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We're revisiting some of our favorite stops on the roads and highways this week. In this episode from August 2020, we have the story of a water tower in northern Kentucky that was supposed to be an advertisement, but ended up becoming a local landmark. Plus: we'll explain one version of how Chicken Dinner Road in Idaho got its name.
Why does the Florence water tower say 'Florence Y'all,' anyway? (WCPO)
The Story Of How Chicken Dinner Road In Idaho Got Its Name Is Strangely Fascinating (Only in Idaho)
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We're revisiting some of our favorite stops on the roads and highways this week. In this episode from May 2020, we visit a rock in Newbury, New Hampshire, with the words "CHICKEN FARMER I STILL LOVE YOU" painted on it, and try to figure out why. Plus: why is there a giant statue of a chicken eating burgers on top of a restaurant in Wisconsin? Lots of chicken mysteries out there, I guess.
You Asked, We Answered: What's Up With That 'Chicken Farmer I Still Love You' Rock? (NHPR)
Merrill, Wisconsin: Chicken Holding Burger, Beer (Roadside America)
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We're revisiting some of our favorite stops on the roads and highways this week. In this episode from April 2021, we look at Route 66, the interstate highway with the most memorable roadside attractions - including the giant fiberglass sculptures known as Muffler Men and Uniroyal Gals. Plus: a sculpture contest at Baltimore’s American Visionary Art Museum: the Honey, I Shrunk The Kinetic Sculpture Race!
Cruise through the Land of Lincoln on IL's Route 66 (Roadtrippers)
Giant Women: The Uniroyal Gal (Roadside America)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kinetic Sculpture Race (American Visionary Art Museum)
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Today in 2016, Celeron, New York unveiled and dedicated a statue of its most famous resident, TV legend Lucille Ball. It took the place of a different statue from 2009 that had been nicknamed "Scary Lucy." Plus: this day in 1928 was the birthday of artist Andy Warhol, who, among many other accomplishments, helped make Pop Tarts popular.
New Lucille Ball statue replaces ‘Scary Lucy’ (CNN)
13 Things You Never Knew About Pop-Tarts (Huffington Post)
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The Olympic Games are supposed to bring the countries of the world together, but that isn't always what happens. Several times the Games have been canceled, and at other times, boycotts have led some countries to hold their own alternative competitions. Plus: we mark the birthday of the great Black scientist and inventor Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson.
...And Meanwhile In Philadelphia (Sports Illustrated)
Spartakiade: A Bolshevik alternative to the Olympics (The Charnel House)
Counter Olympics (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
GANEFO I Sports and Politics in Djakarta (RAND Corporation)
Boycott nations will stage own games (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via Google News)
Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson (Black-Inventor.com)
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Today in 1911, a very strange thing happened in a baseball game: a guy on second base ran backwards and stole first base, the base he'd just been on. Here's his very unusual story. Plus: today in 1901 music legend Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, but if you want to take part in events to commemorate his birthday, you’re a month late.
Germany Schaefer (Society for American Baseball Research)
FAQ (Louis Armstrong House via Archive.org)
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Sometimes the Olympic athletes who don’t win are the ones who make big impressions. That includes swimmer Eric Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea, who was a hit at the 2000 Summer Games despite finishing well behind the rest of the competitors in his event. Plus: Canadian high jumper Derek Drouin won a gold medal in 2016 when his doctors might have preferred that he rest at home!
African novice makes big splash (BBC)
Olympic high jump champion Derek Drouin competed in Rio with a double stress fracture in his back (National Post)
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Competitive juggling is a sport that requires skill, concentration, technical mastery and creativity. And there's a push to bring it to the Summer Games someday. Plus: the Sun and Earth are now in an alignment with Saturn, which means our most famous ringed planet is at its brightest in the night sky.
A circus act turned extraordinary sport is making its case for the Olympics (Inverse)
You need to see the solar system's most dazzling planet shine its brightest (Inverse)
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The Summer and Winter Games are typically held once every four years, but for decades the rest of us have been getting into the Olympic spirit through video games. Here are a few of the most unusual ones. Plus: the story of a fencing match that definitely could've only happened in the real world.
15 of the most notable Olympic video games ever made (Yardbarker)
France win fencing gold (BBC)
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In ancient Greece, the Olympics were for men only. But from what we can tell, women representing 16 city-states would come together every four years to weave a robe for Hera, the queen of the gods, and hold a footrace for single women. Plus: the 1960 Summer Games were the first to be telecast in the US. In the days before satellites, it took a lot of work to get tapes from the Rome Games to the US broadcast networks.
The Women: Were The Ancient Olympics Just For Men? (Penn Museum)
Rome, Italy, 1960 (Britannica)
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The original Olympic flag flew over the Games for the first time in 1920, in Antwerp, Belgium, but before it could be passed to the next host city, the “Antwerp flag” disappeared - for over seven decades. Plus: scientists have taught a robotic hand to play Super Mario Bros., because why wouldn't you?
OLYMPICS: NOTEBOOK; Missing Flag Returns to Glory, Courtesy of a Prankster (New York Times)
Scientists 3D Print Robotic Hand That Can Play Nintendo (Interesting Engineering)
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Whenever the Olympic Games take place we see athletes giving their all to win gold and glory - but we also see great examples of competitors who show character and kindness toward each other. Here’s the story of two of those athletes, who ended up winning the only half-silver, half-bronze medals in Olympic history. Plus, a musical group finds out that the International Olympic Committee does enforce its trademark rights.
The Silvonze Medalists (Now I Know)
International Olympic Committee threaten to sue Brit folk legends for ‘Beer Olympics’ song (The Sun)
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The men's marathon at the 1904 Olympics could have won a gold medal for biggest trainwreck in Summer Games history. Here's how dirt, dehydration, dogs and more helped make this as bizarre a run as they get. But then the 1904 Games were strange for several other reasons as well. We'll explain why.
Running a marathon was never crazier or harder than during the 1904 St Louis Olympics (ABC Australia)
8 Unusual Facts About the 1904 St. Louis Olympics (History.com)
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For better or for worse, the Summer Olympics are finally here. We thought it would be a good time to look back at some of the lesser-known events in the history of the Games, like painting and cannon shooting. Plus: Tomas Gomez headed to the driving range just ahead of a storm, and his ball ended up getting hit by lightning.
Painting for Gold Medals: When Art Was an Olympic Discipline (Artnet)
Switzerland land military patrol gold (Olympics.com)
Olympic Games Medallists - Other Sports (GBRAthletics.com)
When the Olympics Gave Out Medals for Making Medals (Mental Floss)
One in a million? Teen's golf ball struck by lightning at Topgolf venue in Texas (Golf Week)
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We've had stoplights to direct us and our vehicles through intersections for around a century now. A design studio in Moscow has a concept for a high-tech refresh of stoplight technology. Plus: LEGO builder Douglas Hughes pays tribute to the late, legendary game show host Alex Trebek with a LEGO kinetic sculpture of Jeopardy!
The traffic light gets a dazzling, 21st century makeover (Fast Company)
A Tribute To Trebek (BrickNerd)
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Like his famous brother Ernest, who was born today in 1899, Leicester Hemingway was a novelist and a storyteller. But Leicester did something even Ernest never did: he created his own micronation. Here's the story of the Republic of New Atlantis. Plus: back in 1958, a farmer in Florida made his first payment on a new Chevrolet in an unusual way.
Contents of a country: Leicester Hemingway’s Republic of New Atlantis (University of Texas)
Miscellany, Jul. 21, 1958 (TIME)
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Today in 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. But as the Apollo 11 mission went on, they had a problem: a broken switch threatened to keep them from returning to Earth. Fortunately, they had a solution: office supplies. Plus: the Lunar Lander Dwelling in Washington state is a 250 square foot getaway in the shape of the lunar module.
When Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong Were Nearly Stranded on the Moon (History.com)
The Lunar Lander Replica House Just Might Be The Most Unique Home In Washington (Only in Washington)
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It's National Ice Cream Day, so it's a good day to tell the story of Agnes B. Marshall. The "Queen of Ices" helped make this frozen treat the icon that it is today. Plus: on this day in 1975, ground control played the song “Hello Darlin” by country star Conway Twitty to astronauts in Earth orbit. Only this version of the song was a little different.
The 19th-century entrepreneur who pioneered modern ice cream (The Hustle)
Do You Remember When Conway Twitty Sang 'Hello Darlin' in Russian? (Wide Open Country)
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Washington DC is home to monuments, memorials and the largest library in the world. Here's some of the history of the Library of Congress. Plus: a real estate listing for waterfront land in Ontario had a price of $99,000, though with one big consideration.
10 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About The Library Of Congress (DCist)
Fascinating Facts (Library of Congress)
Vacant lot in Ontario could be a steal at $99K — if only it wasn't under water (CBC)
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Today in 2006, Twttr launched; and in its early days the social media platform gained vowels in its name and fame for a cute whale that would show up during its then-regular outages. Here's the story of Lifting A Dreamer, aka the "Fail Whale." Plus: if you’re a fan of scuba diving or snorkeling, the Geneinno S2 undersea scooter is a new high tech way to do it.
Twitter launches (History.com)
Lifting A Dreamer (the Twitter Fail Whale) and Beyond (Yiying Lu)
An Underwater Sea Scooter for Exploring the Ocean (UrbanDaddy)
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This week in 2005, Kyle MacDonald of Montreal had a red paperclip. This week in 2006, MacDonald had traded away the paperclip, and, after a few more trades, ended up with a house. Plus: over in the UK, some small towns have traded out the phones in some of their big red phone boxes for a new use.
Paperclip Cottage Cafe (Tourism Saskatchewan)
From paper-clip to house in 14 trades (CBC)
How Small English Towns Are Turning Their Iconic Red Telephone Boxes Into Public Heart Defibrillators (Laughing Squid)
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A multi-country research team has found ways to turn polyethylene, a key ingredient in single-use plastic bags, into lightweight fabric. So those bags that we don't want to throw out but can't always easily recycle? We might end up wearing them. Plus: many of us spend a lot of our waking hours typing, but James Cook turns his typing into art.
Plastic Bags Could Be Recycled Into Wearable Fabrics, Says New Research (Designboom)
This Artist Draws Using Only Letters and Numbers on Old Typewriters (The Sifter)
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Today in 2006, the largest photograph ever taken was released to the world. It’s known today as The Great Picture: 31 feet tall, 107 feet wide. Here's how it was taken. Plus: in Tokyo, a giant 3D screen outside a train station is featuring a giant 3D calico cat that stares down at the people several stories below.
Big picture thinking! World’s largest photograph measuring 31ft high and 107ft wide goes on display (and it needed the biggest camera ever made to take it) (Daily Mail)
World's Largest Pinhole Camera Takes World's Largest Photo (ABC News)
A giant cat appears in front of Shinjuku station! (DreamNews)
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Today in 1929, the then-territory of Alaska flew its flag for the first time. That flag, which is still used today, was designed by a 13 year old of Aleutian descent, Benny Benson. Plus: it was this day in 1872 that John F. Blondel of Maine made pastry history.
Benny Benson: An Alaska Kid Who Made History (Alaska Historical Society)
The Hole Truth: Celebrating a Huge Day in Doughnut History (The Fiscal Times)
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There was a story recently about how NASA was partnering with Tide laundry detergent to work on a way to do laundry in space. Which means we don’t already do laundry in space, and there are some pretty big reasons why. Plus: the Royal Mail delivers a letter addressed to a woman who’d been on TV, only the writer didn't exactly have the woman's address.
NASA and Tide team up to do laundry in space (CNET)
Astronauts' Dirty Laundry (NASA)
Royal Mail delivers letter addressed to 'woman in Cornwall shed' (BBC)
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Today in 1928, the Chillicothe Baking Company in Missouri began publicly selling something new: bread that had been sliced by a multi-bladed machine, and the world gained a new way to measure greatness. Plus: today in 2017, a meteor found a way to use Earth as a “slingshot” so alter its orbit and eventually orbit Jupiter.
‘Home of Sliced Bread’: A small Missouri town champions its greatest thing (Washington Post's Retropolis)
One express ticket to Jupiter, please (Phys.org)
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Today is the birthday of Roger Babson, who once hired stonecutters to carve giant motivational slogans into a series of boulders in Massachusetts during the Great Depression. Plus: a research team from Harvard and MIT has announced a new high-tech face mask with disease-spotting biosensors. It can spot germs more or less in real time!
Babson’s Boulders: A Millionaire’s Odd Dogtown Legacy (New England Historical Society)
Face masks that can diagnose COVID-19 (Harvard)
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When most of us get wrong number phone calls, we get off the line pretty quickly. But new research finds Maasai herders in Tanzania often strike up a conversation, and get to know the person who accidentally called them. Plus: on this day in 1294, the cardinals of the Catholic Church respond to a letter from a hermit monk in a way that may have made the monk wish he hadn't written them at all.
‘Wrong number? Let’s chat’ Maasai herders in East Africa use misdials to make connections (The Conversation)
A History of Papal Resignations (History.com)
Saint Celestine V (Britannica)
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The new book “Hyphens and Hashtags” looks at where all our punctuation marks have come from. Some of them, like the highly versatile asterisk, have been around for thousands of years. Plus: if you've had a week that made you want to scream, Japan has a Screambulance that may help.
A Star Is Born (Lapham's Quarterly)
Japan’s Screambulance, is a haunted house delivery service that scares you anywhere, anytime (Luxury Launches)
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Today in 1963, the US Postal Service officially started using ZIP codes as a way to quickly sort huge amounts of mail and get it to where it needed to go. How did they get Americans to adopt ZIP codes? A mascot named Mr. Zip and a jingle sung by Broadway legend Ethel Merman. Plus: for Canada Day, the story of a runner in Ontario who ran a moose-shaped route through downtown Toronto.
The ZIP Code Turns 50 (TIME)
Ethel Merman (National Postal Museum)
Toronto cyclist rides 101km to make the most Canadian Strava art (Cycling Magazine)
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Our high-tech devices are amazing but also kind of fragile. But a team at Virginia Tech has a solution: “soft electronics” that can not only keep working when they’re damaged, they can heal themselves. Plus: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech have been using high-altitude balloons to measure seismic activity, and they're hoping to send those balloons someday to monitor Venusquakes!
Unbroken: New soft electronics don’t break, even when punctured (Virginia Tech)
NASA Balloon Detects California Earthquake – Next Stop, Venus? (NASA)
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Today was the birthday of Ray Harryhausen, a pioneer of special effects in movies in the days before computers. And while special effects are more high tech now than in his day, his influence is still all over the world of movies in our time. Plus: a veteran flier from World War II gets to take another flight, some 75 years later.
Ray Harryhausen: The Father of Stop-Motion Animation - The Spread (Cinema Jam)
A Fascinating Top Ten Compilation of Creatures by Stop Motion Pioneer Ray Harryhausen (Laughing Squid)
WWII bomber pilot experiences B-17 flight for the first time since 1945 (KPRC 2 Houston)
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It's the birthday of the guy who took two sports and fused them into one: Ed Headrick, known today as the Father of Disc Golf. Here's some of his story. Plus: it's Pride Day, part of Pride Month, and there's still time to see the original rainbow Pride Flag at San Francisco’s GLBT Historical Society Museum.
The Father of Disc Golf (Disc Golf Association)
History of disc golf (part 1): the early days (Murray Ledger)
The Original Pride Flag Is Now on Display in a San Francisco Museum (Travel and Leisure)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about our favorite TV shows. In this episode from September 2020, we marked the 60th anniversary of the first broadcast of that landmark cartoon show from the town of Bedrock, which aired in the 1960s, stayed on in reruns for decades, and continues to sell cereal and vitamins to this day. Plus: a man in England gets so lonely he starts putting ads in the paper so someone will email or call him - and fortunately he gets some good responses.
15 Solid Facts About The Flintstones (Mental Floss)
Lonely Widower Puts Up a Poster Asking For Friends—And is Flooded With Messages From New Pals (Good News Network)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about our favorite TV shows. In this episode from November 2019, we look at an episode of the Twilight Zone that proved the show was a dimension not only of sight and sound but of canned laughter?!? Plus: anybody want to fly in an airplane where the whole interior looks like a giant window?
Dimensions Behind the Twilight Zone: A Backstage Tribute to Television’s Groundbreaking Series by Stewart Stanyard
The Twilight Zone: A 60th Anniversary Celebration
Windowless planes: is this the future of flying? (The Telegraph via YouTube)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about our favorite TV shows. In this episode from September 2019, we marked the day in 1975 that the BBC aired the first episode of “Fawlty Towers,” a landmark comedy series that was - amazingly - received about as poorly by TV executive and the public as Basil Fawlty’s appalling attitude was received by guests at his hotel. How did it finally get its due? Plus: AC/DC songs can get the bison of Yellowstone National Park moving. For bison about to rock, we salute you?
Fawlty Towers: the classic sitcom the BBC didn’t want (Telegraph)
I'm afraid I thought this one as dire as its title (Letters of Note)
Cops Blast AC/DC to Get the Reluctant Bison Moving Out of the Road and It Works Like a Charm (TIME)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about our favorite TV shows. In this episode from January 2021, we marked the anniversary of the premiere of one of the most memorable sitcoms in TV history, “Sanford and Son," by sharing a few facts about the show and its star, Redd Foxx. Plus: photographer Mike Mayou went out with a drone-mounted camera in Minnesota to catch the sunset but got something even more amazing.
15 Big Facts About Sanford and Son (Mental Floss)
Photographer Flies Drone To Discover a Once-in-a-Lifetime Shot of 3 Bobcats Sitting on a Log (My Modern Met)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about our favorite TV shows. In this episode from September 2019, we mark the 50th anniversary of the premiere of “Scooby Doo, Where Are You?” Originally the show was going to be VERY different. Plus: Lake Lure, NC hosted the Dirty Dancing Festival. If you went, I hope you had the time of your life.
“Like, yeah. We’ve been teenagers forever:” The Evolution of Scooby-Doo’s “Meddling Kids” (24 Frames of Silver)
Iwao Takamoto: My Life with a Thousand Characters
Dirty Dancing Festival
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It's National Go Fishing Day, though the fish in today’s story aren’t exactly the ones you’d expect to catch. They’re robotic fish called Charlie and Charlene, and they were developed by the Central Intelligence Agency. Plus: tomorrow is National Surfing Day, and one place you might mark the occasion is the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum in California.
Meet Catfish Charlie, the CIA’s Robotic Spy (IEEE Spectrum)
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum (Atlas Obscura)
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It's the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drough, so it's a good time to check in on the Great Green Wall, a multi-country project in and around Africa’s Sahel region to re-green areas that have turned to desert because of overuse, expanding desert and climate change. Plus: a retired couple in China's Gobi Desert have been running their own regreening project for nearly 20 years, planting tens of thousands of drought-resistant trees by themselves!
More than 20 African countries are planting a 8,000-km-long ‘Great Green Wall’ (ZME Science)
Fighting desertification: A man's mission to make the Gobi desert green (CGTN)
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Summer in California can mean drought, so every drop of water counts. A research project there says putting solar panels over the state's many miles of water canals could save tens of billions of gallons of water a year. Plus: a museum in Rochester, New York is going to host the National Archives of Game Show History... if the price is right.
Solar canals create renewable energy and save water at the same time (Popular Science)
Game Show History to Be Preserved With National Archives at Strong National Museum of Play (Variety)
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The man now known as “First Guide & Explorer of Mammoth Cave," had been enslaved in the 19th century and sent to explore what was becoming a hot tourist site. He set the bar for every guide who came after him. Plus: today in 1976, a baseball game at the Houston Astrodome was called off... due to weather?!?
Enslaved Tour Guide Stephen Bishop Made Mammoth Cave the Must-See Destination It Is Today (Smithsonian)
Hoffman: Astros made history with a rainout (Houston Chronicle)
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For Flag Day, we present the story of Superflag, a 505 foot long, 255 foot tall American flag that was once flown over Hoover Dam (because they don't make flagpoles that large). Plus: a Durham University study finds people can use click-based echolocation effectively in the real world after just 10 weeks of practice!
Was the World’s Largest U.S. Flag Displayed at Hoover Dam? (Snopes)
Echolocation: People trained to hear like bats in a study that could help those with vision loss (Science Focus)
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The event has been cancelled for 2021, but this was supposed to be the time when some adventurous types headed to Switzerland to take part in a race like no other: a run up a world record staircase known as the Niesen Stairway Run. Plus: a lot of us have been doing video calls and meetings more than ever, but the technology isn't totally new. In fact, Sony made a video phone back in the late 1980s!
Niesen flight of stairs (Niesen)
Video phone (Techmoan on YouTube)
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The National Geographic Society has recognized a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, on earth. How the oceans got their names - and why we don't think of them as one big ocean, which is what it is - is a long and fascinating story. Plus: a designer in South Korea has invented a "third eye" to warn people looking at their phones while walking before they collide with someone or something (or, maybe, to get them to look up more often).
How many oceans are there? (NOAA)
Dividing the Ocean Sea by Martin W. Lewis (Geographical Review via JSTOR)
National Geographic recognizes new, 5th ocean (WFLA)
A Wearable Robotic Third Eye That Alerts People to Look Up From Their Phones to Avoid Obstacles (Laughing Squid)
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We use a lot of energy to ship goods, but it's not always very efficient. With pasta, for example, most of what we're shipping is the air in the box. So a team at Carnegie Mellon University found a way to make flat-packed pasta that changes shape as it cooks. Plus: the New York Times briefly published a story that claimed "Fields of Watermelon Found on Mars, Police Say." It was almost certainly a test page, but still, maybe the Mars rover should do a quick check.
Mighty morphin’ flat-packed pasta takes on 3D shapes as it cooks (Ars Technica)
New York Times Publishes Then Deletes Article Claiming Watermelons Were Found on Mars (Futurism)
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Today would have been the 93rd birthday of the great actor and comedian Jerry Stiller. He was perhaps best known for playing the overbearing and incomprehensible loudmouth dad Frank Costanza on "Seinfeld," but according to his real-life kids, he was a pretty nice dad. Plus: a new textile exhibit in New York uses fragrances to evoke the artist's childhood in Bangalore, India.
How Ben Stiller Will Remember His Father (The New Yorker)
Ben Stiller shares sweet childhood story about Jerry Stiller trying to catch a bike thief (Yahoo)
Thread Infused with Scent Embellishes Embroidered and Woven Textiles to Stimulate Memories (Colossal)
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The 1934 US Open was a prestigious but kind of strange golf tournament. The guy who won it, Olin Dutra, was sick as a dog the whole time. And another top player reportedly knocked himself out of contention after accidentally hitting himself in the head with a club.
Bobby Cruickshank - the war hero who became one of Scottish golf's nearly men in United States (The Scotsman)
Olin Dutra overcomes bout of food poisoning to win by one stroke over Sarazen at Merion (U.S. Golf Association)
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In the old days, tennis balls were white, but when documentary film legend David Attenborough pushed the BBC to carry the Wimbledon tournament in color, the tennis world realized those balls weren't showing up very well for home viewers. Plus: the community of Fitzgerald, Georgia is hoping to attract tourists with - what else - a giant steel topiary chicken.
The reason tennis balls are yellow -- or maybe green (CNN)
'New balls, please' for mice homes (BBC)
‘This is not a model kit’: 62 ft. Fitzgerald chicken starts to take form (WALB)
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Today in 1769 Captain James Cook and his crew observed the transit of Venus from Tahiti, a big deal for astronomers then; only his French colleague Guillaume Le Gentil had spent years preparing to do the exact same thing, and had much worse luck on his expedition. Plus: for World Bicycle Day, a visit to a giant bicycle sculpture in South Dakota.
Transit of Venus: a tale of two expeditions (The Conversation)
7 Strange Spots In South Dakota That Will Make You Stop And Look Twice (Only in South Dakota)
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Sometimes it’s not just what you’re communicating, it’s how you communicate it. Pausing for effect can help get your point across. Humans know this, but according to researchers, so do some kinds of fish. Plus: a sculpture made only of "air and spirit" sells for 15,000 Euros. That's definitely not nothing.
Electric fish -- and humans -- pause before communicating key points (Washington University in St. Louis)
The Invisible statues of Salvatore Garau (Weird Universe)
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If you know the story of the Loch Ness Monster, the story of the Ogopogo in Canada's British Columbia might sound familiar. But there's a whole other side to this story that comes from the Okanagan/syilx people, who first lived in the area. Plus: a town in Lithuania built a real-time video "portal" to a town in Poland, so they could see each other even when they couldn't travel.
Canada's mysterious lake monster (BBC)
‘Pretty creepy’: Okanagan man believes he’s captured ‘definitive Ogopogo sighting’ on video (GlobalNews)
Vilnius, Lithuania built a ‘portal’ to another city to help keep people connected (The Verge)
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In our Memorial Day episode from 2019, we look at the many places with Memorial Day origin stories. Officially, the community that started Memorial Day is Waterloo, New York, but it's not the only one.
How Waterloo, NY, became the birthplace of Memorial Day (New York Upstate)
Birthplace of Memorial Day? That Depends Where You’re From (New York Times)
Memorial Day History (VA.gov)
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DARPA’s Information Innovation Office and researchers at the University of Central Florida taught a deep learning algorithm to spot sarcasm by feeding it back articles of The Onion and snarky threads from Twitter and Reddit. I'm so excited. Plus: it's National Road Trip Day, how about a visit to a town with a very road trip friendly name?
Big Whoop: DARPA Makes Oh-So-Clever Online Sarcasm Detector (Interesting Engineering)
These 8 Kansas Towns Have The Silliest Names But Are So Worth A Visit (Only in Kansas)
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On the anniversary of the opening of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, here's the story of another one of the city's icons: Norton I, a man who proclaimed himself emperor of the United States and people went along with it. Plus: a Chinese millionaire has bought a soccer team and has added himself to the roster, and people are going along with it.
Emperor Norton I (American Heritage)
The truth about Chinese football club owner’s 126kg son viral story (South China Morning Post)
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Today in 1977, Marvel Comics publishes a KISS Super Special - and what was really unusual was that the band members had each added a little of their blood into the ink. Plus: a fire-breathing pipe organ that wouldn't be at all out of place at a KISS concert.
Did KISS Mix Their Blood in the Ink of Their Comic Book? (Snopes)
Flamethrower Pipe Organ (The Awesomer)
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Today in 1977, "Star Wars" premiered in movie theaters, and became a movie, pop culture and merchandising phenomenon. But how is it that, in one scene, an Imperial Stormtrooper walks helmet-first into an overhead door? Plus: in Kent, Ohio, there's a restaurant with a large-scale replica of an X-wing fighter out front. If you visit, stay on target!
‘Star Wars’ Head-Banging Stormtrooper Explains the Classic Blunder (Hollywood Reporter)
STAR WARS Book Explains Why that Stormtrooper Hit His Head in A NEW HOPE (Nerdist)
The Quirkiest Restaurant In Ohio That’s Impossible Not To Love (Only In Your State)
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In northwestern Russia, on the Kola Peninsula, there's a metal cap covering a hole that scientists dug 7.5 miles down. Here's the story of the Kola Superdeep Borehole project. Plus, a classic rock band finds out what it's like to be in the financial hole, on a resource-intensive US tour.
Beneath this Metal Cap is the World's Deepest Hole (Slate)
Greg Lake (The Times)
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Next week many of us will be watching for the Super Blood Moon, which is actually three moon phenomena all happening at the same time, thus earning its memorable and maybe kind of terrifying nickname. Plus: this month marks 20 years since the world’s first pizza delivery in space.
The Largest and Brightest Supermoon of the Year Is Happening This Month (Travel + Leisure)
Pizza sets new delivery record (BBC)
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Time is a funny thing, and measuring time can get pretty wild too. The proof is a study out of the UK that finds clocks that use more energy, and give off more heat, are also more accurate. Plus: a book of photos by Rumi Ando showcases Tokyo, but with its signs, cables, doors and windows removed.
Clocks that tell time more accurately use more energy – new research (The Conversation)
Yes, This Tokyo Photographer’s Candy-Colored Cityscapes Should Make You Feel Unsettled (Dwell)
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We don’t know for sure why dreaming is a thing at all - but a neuroscience researcher at Tufts University has an idea that might help explain them. It’s called the overfitted brain hypothesis - and it’s based on something that happens with artificial intelligence. Plus: a new book showcases scenic photos of certain small buildings in the Alps that everybody has to use once in a while.
Our dreams' weirdness might be why we have them, argues new AI-inspired theory of dreaming (Science Daily)
A new book documenting the toilets of the Alps. (Present and Correct)
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Researchers at Washington State University have found a way to convert plastic waste into jet fuel that takes only an hour. And it's also less energy-intensive, which could make recycling plastic more cost-effective and more common. Plus: today in 2017, a high school in Virginia made sure to include a beloved service dog in its yearbook photos!
New technology converts waste plastics to jet fuel in an hour (Washington State University)
Teen’s Service Dog Gets Photo In Yearbook Because He’s A Very Good Boy (Huffington Post)
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Today in 1977, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre opened in California, co-founded by Atari's Nolan Bushnell as a kid-friendly way to promote video gaming and bring the world closer to animatronic mice. Plus: this week in 1905, a film camera documents the funeral procession of the last known surviving veteran of the War of 1812.
An Oral History Of Those Creepy-Ass Chuck E. Cheese Robots (Mel Magazine)
The surprising and horrifying backstory behind Charles Entertainment Cheese (Insider)
Funeral of Hiram Cronk (Library of Congress)
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Today in 2005, an 11 year old pitcher in upstate New York, Katie Brownell, brought her A-game to the Little League field. She not only pitched a perfect game, she struck out all 18 batters she faced! Plus: Houston's famous Art Car Parade is back this weekend.
Meet Katie Brownell, the girl who once struck out 18 batters in a perfect Little League game (MLB.com)
Houston Art Car Parade
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Way out there beyond the edge of the solar system, Voyager 1 is measuring the density of the stuff out there. And because that stuff is vibrating, it comes out as sound. In other words, there are sounds in interstellar space and we have now recorded them. Plus: a look at a very chill hobby some bartenders have taken up in Japan.
In the emptiness of space, Voyager 1 detects plasma 'hum' (Phys.org)
The Satisfying Art of Hand-Sculpting Ice Cubes With a Knife (Oddity Central)
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UCLA did the research: at least 65 different animal species apart from humans exhibit vocal play sounds that are similar to laughter. So what kind of jokes should we be telling them? Plus: how an acclaimed 1972 movie might have been lost forever, if the man hunting for the original copy had shown up a week later.
Animals laugh too, UCLA analysis suggests (UCLA)
The Recovery and Re-Release of a Classic (National Film and Sound Archive of Australia)
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Today in 1875, aviation pioneer Harriet Quimby was born. She isn't as well known as Amelia Earhart or Bessie Coleman but, as the first woman to fly across the English Channel, she definitely made an impact. Plus: on Minnesota's birthday, a look at a fact you might not know about its famous state fair.
Harriet Quimby (National Aviation Hall of Fame)
Queen of the Channel Crossing (NOVA)
Sept. 3, 1901: Roosevelt 'Big Stick' speech at State Fair (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
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It's the day in 1899 that dancing, acting and singing legend Fred Astaire was born. He's best known for his iconic dancing with Ginger Rogers, but before that, he danced on stages all over the world with his sister, Adele - and she was the one who got most of the attention. Plus: a music rental company teams up with a metal drummer to create a drum kit so big it's more like a drum fortress.
Two-Step (New York Times)
World’s Largest Drum Kit (The Awesomer)
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It was this week in 1965 that Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards got up in his sleep, started up a portable tape recorder, and recorded a guitar riff and an opening line that would soon be iconic: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." Here's more of how the song came together. Plus: if this year has left you stressed out, there's a new game that might help you find some calm. It's Literally Just Mowing is both the title and the premise.
Keith Richards Wrote One of the Rolling Stones' Biggest Hits In His Sleep (Biography)
Satisfaction: The song that made the Stones (BBC)
I Battle My Panic Disorder by ‘Mowing’ Virtual Lawns (WIRED)
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A research team at the University of Rochester and the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has found a way to bioprint a strong, flexible and eco-friendly material that could one day serve as fabric for t-shirts, energy storage for space missions and much more. Plus: there's a world record for longest golf drive into a moving car... you knew that was a record, right?
Will your future clothes be made of algae? (University of Rochester)
Watch a Pro Golfer Land a Golf Ball Into a Moving BMW M8 Convertible From 909 Feet Away (The Drive)
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There's apparently a group now fundraising for restoring Notre Dame Cathedral by asking people to "adopt" their favorite gargoyles. So maybe it's a good time to figure out why those big scary stone figures are outside cathedrals in the first place. Plus: Cinco de Mayo is here, and some of the many ways we celebrate are more traditional than others.
Adopt a Gargoyle and Help Fund the Rebuilding of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris (Good News Network)
The Strange, Real History of Gargoyles (The Mary Sue)
25 Cinco de Mayo Facts, Plus the History of Cinco de Mayo (Parade)
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Fifteen people just took part in the Deep Time project, where they lived in a cave in France as far away from time as we can get. And some interesting things happened. Plus: scientists in Brazil have just spotted a pumpkin toadlet, a tiny orange amphibian that glows green under ultraviolet light.
15 People Lived 40 Days in a Sunless Cave Without Clocks to Study Time (Vice)
Biologists Discover New Species of Glowing Pumpkin Toadlet (Smithsonian)
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Two new construction projects bring the ancient art of using soil and other materials on a building site to create a new house, in these cases with the help of 3d printers. Plus: Scan the World is an online museum that has 3D scans of thousands of great artworks.
This is the first house to be 3D printed from raw earth (It's Nice That)
This 3D Printed House Is Made From A Mix Of Soil, Straw, Sand, And Other Sustainable Materials! (Yanko Design)
Download and 3D-Print 18,000 Artifacts from Art History through Scan the World (Colossal)
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Today is the day in 1926 that Route 66 got its name. The interstate highway may not be the only one of its kind, but it's certainly the one with the most memorable roadside attractions - including the giant fiberglass sculptures known as Muffler Men and Uniroyal Gals. Plus: there’s a sculpture contest this weekend at Baltimore’s American Visionary Art Museum - the Honey, I Shrunk The Kinetic Sculpture Race!
Cruise through the Land of Lincoln on IL's Route 66 (Roadtrippers)
Giant Women: The Uniroyal Gal (Roadside America)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kinetic Sculpture Race (American Visionary Art Museum)
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Wearables are big right now, and while they're increasingly useful, they're also limited by the batteries they require. A new effort out of Japan has developed a way to power devices through a chemical found in human perspiration. Plus: Airo is a self-driving concept car that is not only all-electric, it has a built in filter to clean the air it drives through.
No Batteries? No Sweat! Wearable Biofuel Cells Now Produce Electricity from Lactate (Tokyo University of Science)
This Autonomous Electric Car Concept Actively Cleans the Air While It Drives (Cool Material)
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Today in 2019 a runner in the London Marathon set a world record, though it wasn’t recognized as such right away. Here's the story of Jessica Anderson, who was looking to break the world record for fastest marathon run in a nurse’s uniform. Plus: NoseID lets people scan their dogs' one-of-a-kind nose prints into their system, and if the dogs get away, someone else can scan their noses to figure out who they are and reunite them with their people.
Woman Denied 'Fastest Nurse' Record Because She Didn't Wear a Dress, Later Awarded Title (Sports Illustrated)
NoseID can scan your dog’s unique nose print to help find them if they get lost (It's Nice That)
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It's the birthday of Ulysses S. Grant, hero of the Civil War and the only sitting president to have been arrested. Here's the story of how Grant was out speeding through Washington DC and ended up in trouble with the law. It's also the birthday of telegraph pioneer Samuel Morse, so we'll have the story of one of the cleverest uses of Morse Code in the world.
That Time A President Got In Trouble With The Police (NPR)
Capitol Records Building Morse Code (Atlas Obscura)
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What if we set aside a few minutes each day to enjoy discovering something new?
That’s what we do every day on Cool Weird Awesome. Join us!
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It's National Pretzel Day, so of course we're going to take 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 Pretzels (The Spruce Eats)
The Pretzel: A Twisted History (History.com)
The Pretzel-Themed Restaurant In Maryland Where All Of Your Carby Dreams Come True (Only in Maryland)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite shows about our favorite games. In this episode from September 2020, a research project builds a handheld device modeled on Nintendo's Game Boy that gets its power from solar panels and the energy created by pushing buttons - no batteries necessary. Plus: a programmer recreates the classic video game Doom inside an electronic pregnancy test. Technology is pretty versatile, isn't it?
Battery-free Game Boy runs forever (Northwestern University)
Programmer makes original Doom playable on pregnancy test (CNet)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite shows about our favorite games. In this episode from July 2020, we look at how, in the 1980s, gamers without the Internet (such as it was) had to buy or borrow their games. But a few could download programs off the radio. Plus: the arrival of a comet that made some great viewing. If you missed it, you'll get another chance 6,000 years from now.
You Could Download Video Games From the Radio in the 1980s (Interesting Engineering)
Comet NEOWISE could give skywatchers a dazzling show this month. Here's what to know. (Space.com)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite shows about our favorite games. In this episode from June 2020, the FDA approves a video game-based treatment for ADHD. Plus: a school librarian in western Virginia finds 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)
Google-backed drones will drop library books so kids in Virginia can do their summer reading (Washington Post)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite shows about our favorite games. In this episode from May 2019, we pay tribute to Ralph Baer, who invented home video games from his workshop in Manchester, New Hampshire. The city has honored its gaming pioneer with a "Baer Square," complete with a statue, in a city park. Plus: a place called the Maritime Republic of Eastport in Annapolis holds "the least challenging athletic event ever conceived." It's a race that's one-twentieth of a kilometer long.
The Father of the Video Game: The Ralph Baer Prototypes and Electronic Games (Smithsonian Museum of American History)
Tomorrow Ralph Baer gets his own park in Manchester NH (GraniteGeek)
World’s Least Challenging Athletic Event Ever (The Travel 100)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite shows about our favorite games. In this episode from December 2019, we look at the history of Oregon Trail, the invention of three student teachers from Minnesota who ended up changing video game history without realizing it. Plus: a hospital in San Antonio, Texas marks the holiday season by sending all its December newborns home in red and white hats… and stockings!
Oregon Trail: How three Minnesotans forged its path (City Pages)
This Hospital Wins Christmas By Sending Newborns Home In Christmas Stockings For Over 50 Years Now (Bored Panda)
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As automakers move toward all-electric vehicles, we're going to need a lot more batteries, only there are difficulties in getting some of the key elements. A startup called Nth cycle may have a way to help. Plus: meet a young reader who really knows how to multitask.
This new tech mines old batteries to find critical ingredients for electric vehicles (Fast Company)
5-Year-Old Indian-American Sets World Record for Reading 36 Books in under Two Hours (News18)
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On any given day McDonald's serves huge numbers of people, either in restaurants or via drive-thru windows. But once, in the 1990s, the company also tried to operate restaurant cars on a long-distance German train line. Plus: since April 15 is traditionally tax day, so did you know that ancient Rome once taxed bachelors?
The McTrain: The Rise and Fall of McDonald's Ambitious Plan to Conquer the Railroads (The Drive)
8 of History's Strangest Taxes (Mental Floss)
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One of the more than 700 survivors of the sinking of RMS Titanic was Violet Jessop, a stewardess who helped passengers get into lifeboats and wait for rescue. Amazingly, Jessop had been in one shipwreck before that, and would go on to be in another. Plus: today marks 100 years since the death of the man who patented the Ouija board. His tombstone pays special tribute to his contribution.
The story of Violet Constance Jessop (UK National Archives)
A Woman to Know: Violet Jessop (A Woman To Know)
One Of The Most Unique Tombstones In The World Is Right Here In Maryland (Only In Maryland)
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It's National Scrabble Day, marking the birth of the person who started it all. Here's some of how Alfred Mosher Butts and, later, James Brunot turned the game originally called Lexiko got its start. Plus: on this day in 1818, the U.S. begins adding stars (but no longer adding stripes) for each new state.
A Short History of Scrabble (and Some Fun Scrabble Facts) (New England Historical Society)
Only the Beginning (New Yorker)
Grand Old Flag (Library of Congress)
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Today is the birthday of Evelyn Berezin, whose inventions include the first computer-based word processor, the first computerized airline reservations system, and so much more that so many of us use regularly today. Plus: artist Nadia Gonegaï has made the Portrait Urn, a pretty special way to remember someone special.
The woman who invented the word processor and online flight booking system has died (Quartz)
Evelyn Berezin, Computer Scientist Behind Groundbreaking Word Processor, Dies At 93 (NPR)
Portrait Urn (Book of Joe)
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Two design students have come up with an idea to turn the stretchy, plasticky parts of chewing gum into new wheels for skateboards, so the gum isn't wasted. It's the kind of idea that just might stick. Plus: today in 1965, the Houston Astrodome opened. They had a plan to grow grass indoors, but they also had a Plan B.
These Students Designed A Way Of Repurposing Chewing Gum To Make Skateboard Wheels! (Yanko Design)
9 things you didn't know about the once-majestic Astrodome (USA Today)
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Next month the website Yahoo Answers is shutting down, after 16 glorious years of... everything that went on over there. We look back at the most famous moments on a site that became, as the New York Times put it this week, a “haven for the confused.” Plus: a company is making a pair of sneakers that was produced in part from grapes.
Yahoo Answers, a Haven for the Confused, Is Shutting Down (New York Times)
New Whiskey, Chef-Approved Spices and Sneakers Made From Grapes (UrbanDaddy)
How is podcast formed? Patreon backers, of course
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On this day in 1948, Idaho Fish and Game moved beavers to a new habitat in a very unusual way: they had the beavers parachute into the wilderness! We'll explain how they did it. Plus: a new map of New York City's most notable trees helps people find some unique green space even in the big city.
Parachuting Beavers Into Idaho's Wilderness? Yes, It Really Happened (Boise State Public Radio)
New Map Unearths New York’s Oldest and Rarest Trees (Hyperallergic)
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Chuck Lamb found a unique way into TV shows and movies: he became "Dead Body Guy," playing a range of characters who had already passed on. And, of course, he took an unusual path to get there. Plus: it's the birthday of Billy Dee Williams, so here's a few lesser-known facts about the actor who brought Lando Calrissian to life.
Why 'Dead Body Guy' is calling it quits on his acting career (As It Happens)
A Name in the Credits? Over His Dead Body (New York Times)
8 Suave Facts About Billy Dee Williams (Mental Floss)
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A device in Denmark, WasteShark, has been roaming through water to scoop up floating debris. Now it's going to have a flying companion drone to help spot waste and maybe even clean up oil spills. Plus: photographer Nancy Floyd has been taking self-portraits and other images, structured the same way, day after day since 1982, to show the passage of time. Talk about playing the long game.
These drones look for trash in waterways—and then send sailing drones to clean it up (Fast Company)
An Intimate Series About Aging and Time Compiles Portraits of Photographer Nancy Floyd Every Day Since 1982 (Colossal)
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Today in 1827, Joseph Dixon began manufacturing pencils at his factory in Salem, Massachusetts, so it's a good day to go back through the centuries and centuries that helped make the pencil what it is now. Plus: there's a vintage and specialty pencil shop in Wisconsin called the Pencillarium!
The Write Stuff: How The Humble Pencil Conquered The World (Popular Mechanics)
A Visual History of the Pencil (Museum of Everyday Life)
9 Weird Ways Pencils Changed the World (Reader's Digest)
You Won’t Find Another Store Like The Pencillarium In Wisconsin (Only in Wisconsin)
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As sea levels rise, small island nations like Kiribati face some tough choices. A European design studio has an idea that might help: sustainable buildings that can collect rainwater, generate electricity, and help grow food. And they float. Plus: Boston's Museum of Science joins with Leonard Nimoy's family to mark his 90th birthday in a fascinating way.
Kiribati Floating Houses address rising waters and land limitations (Inhabitat)
Nimoy Family and Boston's Museum of Science Announce Vulcan Salute Monument (Star Trek)
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Today in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was dedicated and opened, but it was only one of hundreds of ideas for what should be built there. And some of the other proposed designs were wild. Plus: a new device would be able to extract water from the air wherever the user already is.
The Story Behind The Eiffel Tower's Forgotten Competitors (Ozy)
The Eiffel Tower’s Long-Lost Competition: A Granite Lighthouse (Frenchly)
GE researchers are developing a portable device that produces water out of thin air (designboom)
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Babies born ahead of schedule can benefit from close contact with parents and caregivers - and for the times they're not available, there's a new hospital bed called Calmer that can simulate the rocking motion they feel when they're being held up close. Plus: anybody need a fancy door that can fold down into a ping pong table? Cause that exists now.
Pulsating bed could prevent brain damage in premature babies (New Atlas)
Ping Pong Door (Nag on the Lake)
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On this day in 1849, Henry Brown escaped slavery from a Virginia plantation in a very unusual way: he arranged it so he could hide in a small wooden box that was sent to Pennsylvania. Here's some of his story. Plus: it was on this day in 2011 that a paramedic rescued a doctor from a fiery car crash, 30 years after that same doctor had helped the paramedic survive as a newborn.
Slavery cost him his family. That’s when Henry ‘Box’ Brown mailed himself to freedom. (Washington Post)
Little Known Black History Fact: Henry ‘Box’ Brown (Black America Web)
OC Paramedic Helps Rescue Doctor Who Saved His Life as Baby; Pair Reunited (KTLA)
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Today in 1804, the US Senate held a party featuring something called the “Mammoth Loaf.” To explain, we have to first tell you about Thomas Jefferson, an enormous block of cheese and an archeology project. Plus: a very cold town in Siberia has some very cool music, thanks to spring ice drums.
Jefferson presented with a “mammoth loaf” of bread (History.com)
Thomas Jefferson and the "mammoth loaf of bread" (part 1) (The New York Evening Post via Newspapers.com)
Spring ice drums in the village of Oymyakon, Yakutia (Siberian Times)
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It's a state holiday today known as Maryland Day, so it's a good time to talk about how in 1962 Maryland named jousting its official state sport. Plus: in New York City there's a "space clearer" who removes the negative energy from homes that won't sell and apartments with unsettling or tragic histories.
A look into Maryland’s curious state sport: Jousting (Shore Monthly)
Mary Lou Bartram (Maryland Jousting Tournament Association)
The Healer That Real-Estate Agents Call to Clear Their Cursed Apartments (Curbed)
Our backers on Patreon help this show hit its targets every time
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An engineer and beekeeper in New England has developed a system using radar and vibrational sensors to detect when a hive is being robbed by a rival colony, or when some of the bees are about to leave and start their own colony. That should create a buzz among beekepers! Plus: IKEA has just published a digital "scrapsbook" intended to help people turn leftovers into new meals and not into food waste.
Radar-Piezoelectric Tech Tracks Hive Mind—of Bees (IEEE Spectrum)
IKEA's Free Scrapsbook Cookbook For Food Waste (Cool Hunting)
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It was on this day in 1857 that the first commercial elevator began operating at a department store in New York City. And once elevators took off, they started shaping the world around us in some pretty big ways. Plus: a city in Oregon is home to an elevator that is technically a street!
March 23, 1857: Mr. Otis Gives You a Lift (Wired)
Oregon City is home of America's steepest street (Offbeat Oregon)
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In northeast Georgia, there are giant stone slabs inscribed with ten rules to lead the world toward "an Age of Reason." But the reason for the rules - and who had them installed there - remain a secret. Plus: a new exhibition features works by acclaimed artist Jackson Pollock and his brother and fellow painter Charles Pollock, the first time their art has been shown together.
Nobody Knows How to Interpret This Doomsday Stonehenge in Georgia (Smithsonian)
Jackson Pollock’s Older Brother Charles Was the Family’s First Artist. Now, an Exhibition Brings Their Work Together for the First Time (Artnet)
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It's our 500th episode! We're celebrating with a visit to the Compass Festival in Leeds, which will feature an art installation that will ring many of the community's pay phones at exactly the same time. Plus: did you know the first race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway wasn't a road race?
This is why every phone box in Leeds will ring in unison on the same day at Compass Festival 2021 (Yorkshire Evening Post)
1909 National Balloon Race (Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
Thanks to our Patreon backers for keeping us going through 500 episodes!
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In Scotland's Shetland Islands, on the island called Unst, a 7 year old's request for a new bus stop led to a community tradition of making the space comfortable and colorful. Plus: a museum in South Bend, Indiana is showcasing cars of the 1970s, a time when cars were cars - sometimes a car was multiple cars.
Waiting in Style (Futility Closet)
Website for Unst bus shelter is ‘essential reading for future generations’ (Shetland Times)
Disco Decade Rides: Cars of the 1970s (Studebaker National Museum)
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A big problem in food waste is that people often refuse to buy fruits or veggies because of how they look. But a new study finds that grocers can sell misshapen or odd-looking produce if they market them as "ugly." Plus: if you're weary of remote meetings, a new web tool called Zoom Escaper may help you get a break.
Why calling food 'ugly' makes us want to buy it more (Vancouver Is Awesome)
Zoom Escaper lets you sabotage your own meetings with audio problems, crying babies, and more (The Verge)
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Today in 1980, the big U.S. TV networks began regularly using closed caption technology to serve Deaf viewers as well as hearing ones. That alone was a game-changer, but closed captioning has proven useful in some other big ways as well. Plus: in Russia, fans of a certain TV show set in a galaxy far, far away have built a replica of a certain ship that's home to a certain adorable baby puppet.
How Deaf Advocates Won the Battle for Closed Captioning and Changed the Way Americans Watch TV (Time)
Closed captioning (Quartz)
Star Wars fans ‘land’ Mandalorian’s Razor Crest spaceship in Russia (South China Morning Post)
Let's join forces on Patreon like Mando and Carl Weathers do
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Mary Fields was the first Black woman to receive a Post Office contract to deliver the mail, and in the Wild West, no less. Here's a little more about a pioneer who definitely made some history. Plus: the story of a sibling who found a practical use for her identical twin.
The Life and Legend of Mary Fields (Montana Women's History)
Stagecoach Mary Fields (National Postal Museum)
Fields, Mary – aka Stagecoach Mary (Amazing Black History)
More women’s history on Cool Weird Awesome
I’m not a twin but... (Reddit)
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Welcome to the world of electroceuticals! That's the word for treatments that involve electricity, and a new study finds steady current applied to wounds can actually get healing agents to the site more quickly. Speaking of quick: the "tossed rice art" of Maria Lynn may only last an instant, but what an instant it is.
Electricity could help speed wound healing, new study shows (Ohio State University)
Artist Tosses Colorful Rice To Create 3D Portraits of Pop Culture Characters in Mid-Air (My Modern Met)
Our backers are the most electrifying backers in all of Patreon
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Blueswarm is a school of autonomous robot fish who scan their surroundings and calculate how they can swim together without colliding, like a school of actual fish. And the technology modeled on "implicit coordination" may be useful for lots of other high-tech devices in the future. Plus: GLYPHS is a project to develop new perfumes based on typology. No, there isn't a Comic Sans scent just yet.
Meet Blueswarm, a Smart School of Robotic Fish (IEEE Spectrum)
Love typography? Now you can smell like it! (Creative Boom)
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Scientists have spotted three species of sharks near New Zealand that give off a faint blue light while in darkness. Yes, our world is home to glowing sharks. Plus: artist Calvin Nicholls is making extremely detailed sculptures of animals out of paper.
Glowing sharks found near New Zealand (Inhabitat)
Intricate Paper Animals Spring from Textured Sculptures by Artist Calvin Nicholls (Colossal)
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The internet and social media don't do a great job making the very visual world of meme culture accessible to blind users. The new podcast "Say My Meme" describes those memes so everyone can enjoy them. Plus: Madagascar is home to the "nano-chameleon," believed to be the smallest lizard in the world.
This delightful new podcast describes memes for people who are blind or visually impaired (Fast Company)
'Smallest reptile on earth' discovered in Madagascar (BBC)
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A team of German developers may have just made the pool safer, by developing a water-based lifeguard robot that can rescue swimmers in distress. Plus: today in 1969, musical history, as "Happy Birthday To You" becomes the first song ever performed in outer space.
New Robot Lifeguard Will Save People from Drowning (Interesting Engineering)
50 Years Ago: Apollo 9 Completes its Mission (NASA)
Together with our Patreon backers we can make beautiful music
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Today in 1963 the Hula Hoop was patented, although by that point it had already become a worldwide phenomenon. And toy hoops go way, way back even before the toys we know today first became popular. Plus: how a very unusual photographer won the Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition.
How Hula Hoops Work (HowStuffWorks)
Octopus steals camera and wins underwater photography competition (SCUBA News)
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On this day in 1928, the start of the Trans-America Foot Race, aka the "Bunion Derby," in which about 200 runners in Los Angeles set out to run all the way to New York City. Only 55 of them made it through the entire grueling route, which could be called a spectacle, boondoggle and landmark all at once. Plus: in honor of Vermont becoming a state today in 1791, a look at the state's famous Long Trail hike from one end to the other.
Endurance Racing: First Leg, the Bunion Derby (New York Public Library)
The 1928 Bunion Derby: America’s Brush with Integrated Sports (BlackPast)
The Long Trail (Green Mountain Club)
We've got some big plans with our Patreon backers this month (but don't worry, none of them are cross-country foot races)
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A study out of Rutgers University-Camden finds people who order cold sandwiches instead of hot ones also pick up chips, cookies and other sides much more often. Why? Plus: today in 1912, an unusual performance of a classic opera outside one of the great wonders of the world.
Consumers Buy More Food When They Order Cold Meals and Drinks, Reports Rutgers‒Camden Researcher (Rutgers-Camden)
Today in 1912 ‘Aida’ opens in open-air production beneath the Great Pyramid (Victorian Masculinity)
It would be fun to go out for a hot sandwich, chips and a drink with our Patreon backers
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You know about the Echo and the Google Home, but do you know about the Butler In A Box? It was a voice-controlled smart home device in the 1980s, and could do many of the same things our smart speakers do today. Plus: it's the birthday of Dr. Mark Dean, a computing pioneer who helped create some of the most important technology we have, and also saw the future of technology quite a few times.
Butler In A Box (Popular Mechanics via Google Books)
Magician's Versatile Box Gives New Meaning To "Butler Did It" (Deseret News)
Mark Dean designed the first IBM PC while breaking racial barriers (Engadget)
Maybe with help from our Patreon backers, we can stream this show on a Butler in a Box
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People like to collect all kinds of things, but Mark Davis had a collection that even he thought was a little unusual: cassettes containing the music and announcements that Kmart stores used to play over their speaker systems, complete with announcements from "KMRT - Kmart Radio." Plus: on National Pig Day, a story about a pig in the 70s who had an unusual job.
Hear that? It's the sound of Kmart's glory days, saved from the trashcan (Detroit Free Press)
Attention K-Mart Shoppers (Internet Archive)
Guard Pig (Weird Universe)
Attention Cool Weird Awesome shoppers, say thanks to our Patreon backers, who make the whole show possible
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In warm months, we can open the window and let in fresh air - only that can also let in a lot of outdoor noise, too. A special sound-absorbing window design from a team at the National University of Singapore might let the air in without all the extra noise. Plus: firefighters in Medina, Ohio, rescue turtles and tortoises with some special equipment.
Novel window design reduces outdoor noise and improves ventilation (National University of Singapore)
Medina Ohio Shed Fire (Medina Fire Dept.)
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Physarum polycephalum is pretty smart for a slime mold. It can find its way back to the places where food had previously been even though it doesn't have a nervous system. Researchers in Germany have just figured out how this organism does it. Plus: American Beatlemania may have begun in February 1964, but George Harrison made a nice, quiet trip to southern Illinois the previous fall.
A memory without a brain (Science Daily)
The Charming Story of George Harrison's Vacation In Small Town America (Smithsonian)
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Lasso is a prototype for an in-home recycling system. Instead of dropping your recyclables on the curb, you'd put them in the machine, to be scanned, cleaned and broken down into the raw materials that companies buy to make new cans and bottles. Plus: meet AI Art House, a site selling wall art designed by software trying to emulate some of the all time great (human) painters.
Lasso Is A Robot That Will Recycle Your Recycling At Home (designboom)
Adorn Your Walls With AI-Generated Art (UrbanDaddy)
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Today in 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrived in Washington, having been snuck into the city to avoid a plot against his life in Baltimore. Kate Warne, the first women detective in America, was key to getting him there safely. Plus: Alex Trebek's family has donated some of the late Jeopardy! host's suits for a very fitting cause.
Pinkerton Spy, Feminist Icon (Crimereads)
The woman who helped protect Lincoln from the men who tried to kill him in 1861 (Washington Post)
How Alex Trebek’s Suits Are Making A Difference (Inside Wink)
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It's true, a researcher at Purdue University and her team trained four pigs on how to use a joystick and play a video game. Pigs are pretty smart, after all. Plus: if you're in need of hugs these days but aren't able to get them safely from other humans, the robot named HuggieBot 2.0 might be able to help.
Pigs show potential for ‘remarkable’ level of behavioral, mental flexibility in new study (Frontiers Science News)
Soft, Human-Sized Robot Gives Excellent Hugs (Interesting Engineering)
We're sending virtual hugs to all our backers on Patreon
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This week we're replaying some of our sweetest episodes of all time. In this episode from November 2020, we marked National Candy Day, and the day after Election Day, with a visit to the back row of the U.S. Senate chamber, where, for over half a century, senators have kept a desk drawer filled with candy to share with colleagues. Plus: in Japan, candy is also fine art, thanks to the practice of amezaiku, or sculpting molten sugar syrup.
The History Of The Senate’s Sweet Candy Desk (DCist)
Reviving a Centuries-Old Japanese Confectionery Art (New York Times)
Backing our show on Patreon is so sweet
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This week we're replaying some of our sweetest episodes of all time. In this episode from December 2019, researchers in Switzerland say they’ve found a way to change the color of chocolate, and without adding any colors or dyes to it. Instead, they use a special imprint to give it a glowing, rainbow-y patina. Plus: the annual PeepsFest is getting underway, and they're going to do a ball drop for New Year's with a giant Peep!
Making chocolate colourful (ETH Zurich)
PeepsFest
Happy New Year to everyone, especially our backers on Patreon!
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This week we're replaying some of our sweetest episodes of all time. In this episode from October 2019 we marked National Candy Corn Day. While no candy gets more hassle around Halloween time than candy corn, it also has its fans. I mean, 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 Strangling Brothers Haunted Circus (Visit Salt Lake)
Backing Cool Weird Awesome on Patreon is so, so sweet
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This week we're replaying some of our sweetest episodes of all time. In this episode from June 2019, when I was traveling to Buffalo, New York for a book event, I decided to celebrate one of the city's beloved foods: sponge candy. Meanwhile, an ice cream shop in Buffalo has done what you might expect an ice cream shop in Buffalo to do: add Buffalo sauce to the ice cream.
Buffalo sponge candy (Atlas Obscura)
A treat with heat: Lake Effect Ice Cream unveils wing-sauce flavor (Buffalo News)
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This week we're replaying some of our sweetest episodes of all time. In this episode from April 2019, we look at Peeps, which are the stuff of candy and cultural legend. Not only are there billions of them produced, eaten and/or used in dioramas every year, there's a PeepsMobile, a converted Volkswagen Beetle with a giant yellow Peep on top, and there's PeepResearch.org - an entire website devoted to researching what happens to the candies when you mess with them.
The sticky, sugary history of Peeps (Vox)
Emory pair unlocks the mystery of Peeps (Emory University)
RAM 10th Annual International PEEPS Art Exhibition (Racine Art Museum)
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Today is the anniversary of the release in 1954 of the classic monster movie “Creature From The Black Lagoon.” The woman who designed the creature, Milicent Patrick, was almost forgotten, but film lovers and fans have been working to make sure her story is told. Plus: for those who find working from home isn't really working, Japan has a solution that's increasingly popular: an office-in-a-box known as a Telecube.
Movie monster maker Milicent Patrick finally gets her due in ‘The Lady From the Black Lagoon’ (Los Angeles Times)
Get your work done inside Tokyo’s first convenience store private working booth (Sora News 24)
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New research shows certain types of male butterflies can create an anti-pheromone they cover their partners in, hoping that the smelly chemical will ward off other males. Definitely not the most thoughtful Valentine's Day gift ever. Plus: data analysis shows the language people use about their relationships can predict a breakup months before it happens!
Butterflies Mark Their Mates To Repel Other Suitors (University of Cambridge)
Reddit Study Reveals How Many Months It Takes To Get Over A Breakup (Inverse)
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Frost damage is a growing problem for fruit growers, but a team at Washington State University has developed a cellulose nanocrystal coating that can insulate the buds of grapes and cherries and keep them safe during cold snaps. Plus: a meteorologist who worked in Antarctica just got back the wallet he accidentally left there more than half a century ago.
Cellulose nanocrystals insulate crops against frost damage (Washington State University)
San Diego man reunited with wallet lost in Antarctica 53 years ago (San Diego Union Tribune)
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Millions of people are wearing masks these days to protect themselves and others. And researchers in Australia have found a way to reuse those single-use, disposable masks to make new roads. Plus: it's National Pizza Day, so here's a very geometry-heavy way to slice up a pizza and still make it equal for two eaters.
Used face masks can make roads: Aust study (The West Australian)
The Pizza Theorem (Futility Closet)
We'd grab a pizza with our backers on Patreon
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Building new schools can take lots of time and money, but a new initiative has developed a construction method using 3D printing that they say can put an entire classroom together in a week or less. Plus: a new photo project is recreating great images from fine art and pop culture, but with all the people and characters replaced by hot dogs!
The schools of the future can be built in less than a week (Fast Company)
Pop Culture and Fine Art Recreated With Hot Dogs (Laughing Squid)
We don't need to 3D print our show, but if we did, we'd probably be able to because of our backers on Patreon
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Guitars as we know them date back to 16th century Europe, but stringed instruments have been around for even longer. And the earliest guitar-like instrument we've been able to find appears to have belonged to Har-Mose, who played for Queen Hatshepsut 3500 years ago in ancient Egypt. Plus: it's National Weatherpersons Day, and boy are we getting lots of weather at our show's HQ.
Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked The World (Visit Omaha)
A Brief History of the Guitar (Science of Rock)
5 Facts About the Trickiness of Weather Forecasting (Mental Floss)
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It was today in 1932 that the makers of the cheese curl (or one of them, there are several origin stories) applied for a patent for their creation. Only their creation 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.
Junk Food’s Happiest Accident (Tedium)
Elmer's Cheesy History (Elmer's CheeWees)
LEGO bike lanes might be on their way thanks to this idea (Designboom)
This podcast and its backers on Patreon are a delicious combination
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A new website called the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction is taking us back through the words that have made sci-fi what it is and showing how much this genre has shaped popular culture. Plus: meet a planet that's barely orbiting a brown dwarf, some 450 light years from earth, a spot in the actual universe that seems more like science fiction.
A New Way to Trace the History of Sci-Fi’s Made-Up Words (WIRED)
The Weirdest Binary: Planet and Not-a-Star Barely Orbit Each Other (Bad Astronomy)
Space is the place for us and our backers on Patreon, join us!
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Sagarmatha, aka Mount Everest, is the world's highest mountain, and the site of a growing environmental problem. A new initiative wants to remove trash and recyclables from the peak and turn some of them into art. Plus: a year after its founding, the Black Art Library is bringing new attention to great Black visual artists and is itself an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.
A Museum in the Himalayas Has a Solution for the Tons of Trash Climbers Leave on Mount Everest: Turn It Into Art (Artnet)
Black Art Library is a resource of rare publications highlighting the work of Black artists (It's Nice That)
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On this day in 1976, Elvis Presley apparently got so excited describing the Fool's Gold sandwich, made at a restaurant in Denver, that he flew to Denver that night to eat it, only to fly right back to Memphis when he was done. And that's not the only food Elvis loved; did you know about his penchant for BBQ bologna?
Elvis Presley’s “Fool’s Gold” sandwich was born in Denver (Denver Post)
A Dish Fit for a King (NPR)
Well you can do anything but don't step on our Patreon backers' shoes
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Champ and Major are the new White House dogs, but there have been lots of pets at the president's house over the years, including Rebecca the raccoon, who definitely left her mark on the place during Calvin Coolidge's presidency. Plus: a company in the UK just made a 500-plus pound protein bar. Do you eat it to refuel after an ultramarathon, maybe?
When Rebecca the Raccoon Ruled the White House (Library of Congress)
Calvin Coolidge’s Reuben (Presidential Pet Museum)
British company creates world's largest protein bar (UPI)
Our Patreon backers deserve any pet they like, even a presidential raccoon
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The next Mars rover is set to land next month, and it's equipped with microphones to make the first audio recordings on another planet. So how does sound work on Mars, which has about 1 percent of the atmosphere Earth does? Plus: Saturn's ringed moon Rhea is getting a chemical coating that likely started on another moon.
New Mars rover may collect first sounds recorded on another planet (UPI)
Saturn's Moon Rhea Has A Mysterious Material On Its Surface (Inverse)
Cool Weird Awesome's Patreon backers are the best backers in the whole solar system
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It was on this day in 1955 that began a promotional campaign for the ages: where you could buy a box of cereal and find a deed to some land inside each specially marked box. Plus: a guy in the UK was trying to spot birds, but instead found 1,300 handmade gold coins nearly 2,000 years old.
The Yukon Square Inch Land Rush of 1955 (Amusing Planet)
British Birdwatcher Accidentally Discovers 1,300 Pieces of Buried Treasure (My Modern Met)
We don't have land for our Patreon backers, but we do have some pretty great extras
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On this day in 1917, a massive storm destroyed most of the small village of Hallsands, in southern England. Nearly everyone in town moved away after that, but one resident, Elizabeth Prettejohn, stayed for the rest of her life, until the mid 1960s. Plus: why a university in Melbourne, Australia has an upside-down statue.
The strange but true life of Elizabeth Prettejohn who lived alone in ruined Hallsands (Devon Live)
Upside Down Statue (Atlas Obscura)
You're never alone as a Cool Weird Awesome backer on Patreon
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Today's an interesting anniversary for those of us doing virtual meetings, parties and play dates: the anniversary of the first transcontinental conference call, starting at the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco and calling a very special guest in New York. Plus: a restaurant in Montreal is winning fans for a menu which weighs the pros and cons of the restaurant's own dishes.
This 1915 conference call made history (Computer World)
Flashback 1914: Transcontinental Phone Line Finished (Sound & Vision)
'We are simply not the best,' Montreal restaurateur says of his very honest menu (As It Happens)
Our Patreon backers really are the best
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Scientists at universities in the UK and the Netherlands have been testing out a system in which algorithms parse through high-resolution images taken by satellites to identify elephants and their locations, which could help protect these endangered pachyderms from poaching and habitat loss. Plus: scientists discover a type of electric eel, previously thought to be loners, hunt - and zap - prey in groups.
Scientists Use Satellite Imagery to Count Elephants (Interesting Engineering)
Shocking Study Finds Electric Eels Hunt Together (Smithsonian)
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In January 1997, Pat Boone - the pop and gospel singer - made a record where he sang Hendrix, AC/DC, Deep Purple and Metallica. How did he, of all people, end up "In A Metal Mood"? Plus: heavy metal is so popular in Finland that there's even a metal band geared toward little kids!
Pat Boone (AV Club)
Heavy metal dinosaurs rock the kiddie crowd in Finland (The Age)
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Some presidential inauguration days are memorable; others are quiet. But the one for Martin Van Buren was probably cheesy, thanks to a giant cheddar sent to Andrew Jackson and a public party to eat it just before Van Buren moved into the White House. (Appropriately enough, today is also National Cheese Lover's Day.)
Was the White House Really Trashed at Andrew Jackson's First Inauguration? (HowStuffWorks)
The Real Story of the Huge Chunk of Cheese That Sat in the White House for a Year (Food and Wine)
NATIONAL CHEESE LOVER’S DAY – January 20 (National Day Calendar)
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On this day in 1981, Muhammad Ali, a hero to millions inside the boxing ring, was a hero outside of it, convincing a man on a ninth-floor fire escape to come back inside the building and seek help.
When Muhammad Ali Met a Man on a Ledge (New York Times)
The Time Muhammad Ali Stopped a Man From Leaping to His Death (Slate)
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, there is help: contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/, or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. could stir hearts and provoke minds through his writing and his speeches like few others in history. And so it’s even more amazing that his first speech as a public figure, at the outset of the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955, came together with almost no time to prepare it.
32 things you probably didn't know about Martin Luther King Jr. (Insider)
When Martin Luther King, Jr. Became A Leader (The New Yorker)
(1955) Martin Luther King, Jr. “The Montgomery Bus Boycott” (BlackPast.org)
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The (possibly apocryphal) story goes that on this day in 1797, haberdasher John Hetherington walked onto the streets of London wearing the first top hat, which caused so much hubbub that he was arrested and fined for disturbing the peace! Plus: in January 1974, MIT professor James Henry Williams, Jr. built a 35 pound yo-yo made of two bicycle wheels, and dropped it off the side of a 21-story campus building.
History of the Top Hat (International Formalwear Association via Archive.org)
James H. Williams, Jr. and the world's largest yo-yo, 1974 (MIT Black History)
Hats or not, we think our Patreon backers are tops
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It was today in 1972 that NBC first broadcast one of the most memorable sitcoms in TV history, “Sanford and Son." Here's a few facts about the show and its star, Redd Foxx. Plus: photographer Mike Mayou went out with a drone-mounted camera in Minnesota to catch the sunset but got something even more amazing.
15 Big Facts About Sanford and Son (Mental Floss)
Photographer Flies Drone To Discover a Once-in-a-Lifetime Shot of 3 Bobcats Sitting on a Log (My Modern Met)
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Judging by metronome marks on his sheet music, Ludwig von Beethoven wanted his compositions played really, really fast. Or did he? A new data analysis suggests that the master composer and early metronome adopter may have just misread his device as he wrote down tempos. Plus: Lady Gaga has her own cookies!
Big data will analyze the mystery of Beethoven's metronome (EurekAlert!)
REVIEW: Lady Gaga Oreo Cookies (The Impulsive Buy)
Every moment with our Patreon backers is like a symphony of greatness
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I certainly did not expect 2021 to be what it is, but what did people back in the day predict our world would be like now? Entrepreneur Magazine looked back at predictions from a hundred years ago, and some of them were surprisingly close to the mark. Plus: Robert "Buz" Chmielewski, who's had only limited feeling and movement in his hands and fingers for 30 years, is using special gear and the power of his mind to control prosthetics and serve himself dessert.
What Will Happen In 2021? Here's What People In 1921 Predicted. (Entrepreneur)
Quadriplegic patient uses brain signals to feed himself with two advanced prosthetic arms (Johns Hopkins University)
We predict you will greatly enjoy being one of our backers on Patreon
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The sunk-cost fallacy - when we keep at something even when it’s really not worth it anymore, just because we’ve already put so much time or effort in - is a part of human nature. But new research shows it's also a part of the nature of - this is the best part - video game playing monkeys. Plus: our first story on world records of 2021. Meet the world's largest spam musubi!
Monkeys, Like Humans, Persist At Tasks They’ve Already Invested In—Even When They Don’t Succeed (Georgia State University)
The world’s largest spam musubi is not from Hawaii (KHON)
No sunk costs with our Patreon backers!
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Today is the birthday of Edwin Perkins, who invented a sweet drink known the world over as Kool-Aid. It's the only drink with a mascot that can smash through walls and shout "OH YEAH!" Plus: it's also the birthday of Elvis Presley, who in 1956 volunteered to be photographed getting the then-new polio shot to encourage mass vaccinations. Another way he used his immense fame as a singer to take care of business.
History of Kool-Aid (Kool-Aid Days)
Kool-Aid (Quartz)
When Elvis Helped to Conquer Polio (Politico)
We drink to our backers on Patreon
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After yesterday's stunning, discouraging events at the U.S. Capitol, we decided to make today's show a chance to get to know our Capitol building a little better. Here's some of what we learned, though we could do a whole week's worth of shows about the Capitol and the people who have made it what it is.
10 Facts About the U.S. Capitol Building (Mental Floss)
A Native American tribe once called D.C. home. It’s had no living members for centuries. (Washington Post)
Evolution of the Capitol (VisitTheCapitol.gov)
Philip Reid and the Statue of Freedom (Architect of the Capitol)
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Snow gets its white color because of the way light and color work - but in paintings, artists use a few other tones to make their snowscapes look more realistic and more interesting. Plus: why a New York City department store once tried to sell chips of 100,000 year old ice.
Why Is Snow White? (HowStuffWorks)
Is Snow White? Maybe, or Maybe Not. (UCAR Center for Science Education)
That Time Bloomingdale’s Sold Ice from a 100,000 Year Old Glacier in Greenland (Untapped New York)
Our backers on Patreon come through, whatever the weather
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The U.S. had flagpole sitting a century ago, but the Netherlands has Paalzitten, a sport in which people try to outlast each other sitting on poles. It can get competitive, though finding a crowd to watch people sitting on poles can be tricky. Plus: on National Bird Day, we pay tribute to the shoebill, a large bird that looks a bit like a pelican crossed with a dragon.
St. Simeon Stylites (Britannica)
In the Netherlands Sitting on a Pole for Hours on End Is a Competitive Sport (Oddity Central)
The Shoebill: Or, the Most Terrifying Bird in the World (Audubon)
We would sit on a pole for our Patreon backers!
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Today is (we think) the birthday of Victor Lustig, perhaps the most notorious scammer of all time. He swindled Al Capone once and "sold" the Eiffel Tower twice! Plus: if you need help relaxing these days, try the ambient soundscapes of Swiss artist Zimoun.
The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice. (Smithsonian)
Smooth Operator: How Victor Lustig Sold The Eiffel Tower (Mental Floss)
Sound Sculptures (Nag on the Lake)
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On this day in 1993, two new countries were born out of the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia spent months negotiating all of the old country's assets, even which side got which verses of the national anthem. Plus: many of us have tried to learn new skills during our extra time at home. Anna Chojnicka was one of them, and the skill she chose was to make art out of bananas.
Czechs consider national anthem update (BBC)
Amazing Banana Art Made by Poking and Bruising the Skin, No Ink is Used (The Sifter)
Our Patreon backers are set to get an exclusive bonus episode on Saturday, join them!
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A paleoanthrological study in the caves of Atapuerca, Spain, finds that hundreds of thousands of years ago, human ancestors tried something along the lines of hibernation, holing up in the caves for months during winter. It didn't go all that well, though. Plus: you've heard of the ball drop on New Year's Eve in Times Square. But have you heard of the new year's pickle drop in Mt. Olive, North Carolina?
Humans Used to Be Able to Hibernate, Evidence Suggests (Popular Mechanics)
This Town Celebrates New Year's Eve With A Pickle Drop (Delish)
Happy new year to all, but especially to our backers on Patreon!
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If one of your new year’s resolutions is to see if you can cut down on your energy use, this might be a way to do it: a tabletop laundry dryer that can finish a cycle in just 15 minutes. Plus: ever tried listening to a record made of chocolate? You can.
This Tabletop Clothes Dryer Uses Vacuum Dehydration Technology To Dry Clothes In 15 Minutes (Yanko Design)
Playing a Chocolate Record (Techmoan on YouTube)
The warmest people in the world are our Patreon backers
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A new study from researchers at Aoyama Gakuin University and Osaka University finds that something interesting happens when we’re trying not to reveal something: our perception of time slows down. Plus: MIT physicists have designed a model for a super-accurate atomic clock that even accounts for quantum physics.
New psychology research confirms that time slows down when you are concealing something (PsyPost)
New type of atomic clock keeps time even more precisely (MIT News)
It's time for you to join our amazing backers on Patreon!
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On this day in 1973, something happened aboard the Skylab space station. Depending on who you talk to, it was somewhere between a "sensitivity session" between astronauts and ground crew, and a full-on space mutiny. Plus: Japanese Lego artist Jumpei Mitsui just created an all-brick version of Hokusai's famous print "The Great Wave off Kanagawa."
The Real Story of the Skylab 4 “Strike” in Space (NASA)
Did Skylab 4's Astronauts Really Go On Strike? (Atlas Obscura)
Column: The day when three NASA astronauts staged a strike in space (Los Angeles Times)
Japanese LEGO Artist Reimagines Hokusai's 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' (Interesting Engineering)
It's all for one and one for all with our backers on Patreon, join us!
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Ever tried to re-gift a present you didn't need? Two brothers-in-law kept giving each other the same pair of pants for decades - and in increasingly complicated wrappings. Plus: ever hear about the time Alex Trebek walked onto the Jeopardy! set without pants?
Brothers Traded Moleskin Pants as an Annual Christmas Gift (Snopes)
Jeopardy! Flashback: Alex Trebek Without Pants (Jeopardy!)
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Why does NORAD watch Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, while watching for missiles and bombers the rest of the time? It all started when an ad for a Santa Claus hotline accidentally published a military hotline number during the Cold War. Plus: a gag gift known as the "Nothing Box" was maybe one present that wasn't supposed to travel through the skies at Christmastime.
NORAD Santa Tracker: 64-year-old tradition started with wrong number (KKTV)
The Nothing Box (Weird Universe)
Hope you have a Christmas Eve that's as great as our Patreon backers!
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In 1843, British civil servant Henry Cole wanted a way to send holiday greetings to friends, colleagues and loved ones without having to write letter after letter. And that's where commercial Christmas cards began. Plus: did you know that chili pepper plants were once considered just as festive as poinsettias?
Dear (Whoever You Are), Here’s the First Christmas Card (Library of Congress)
Intriguing stories served fresh daily When the Christmas Plant Was a Pepper, Not a Poinsettia (Atlas Obscura)
Our Patreon backers are definitely holiday card-worthy
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For centuries, mistletoe has been a symbol of holiday love, renewal and fertility. Even though it's actually a parasite that steals nutrients from trees. Plus: a poinsettia in the suburbs of Montreal has gone from half-dead to entirely huge!
This Is Why We Kiss Under the Mistletoe (Readers Digest)
'Crappy half-dead' poinsettia from grocery store just won't stop growing (CBC)
Our backers on Patreon are the ones who make this show grow!
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It was today in 1913 that the first modern crossword puzzle was published in the New York World newspaper, eventually leading to a craze that cruciverbalists all over the world have been enjoying ever since. Plus: an invention that didn’t last as long as the crossword - though it was designed to.
100 years of crosswords: the first appeared in New York on 21.12.1913 (The Guardian)
Crossword Puzzles (Quartz Obsession)
The Doomsday Diet (Eater)
The seven-letter word that makes this show possible: Backers
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It's Full Color Week, where we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about color. In this episode from October 2020, scientists at Purdue University have a way to help keep us cool to the point that we might not even need air conditioning, and all it takes is a fresh coat of a special paint. Plus: the town of Asbestos, Quebec has finally chosen a new name!
New 'Super-White' Paint Can Cool Down Buildings and Cars (Interesting Engineering)
Goodbye Asbestos, hello Val-des-Sources: Que. town changing infamous name (CBC)
Our backers on Patreon are really, really bright
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It's Full Color Week, where we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about color. In this episode from October 2020, we look at the days when auto workers spray painted new vehicles, and excess paint would harden and accumulate into a substance that looked like colorful gemstones. Jewelers have been making works of art out of "fordite" ever since. Plus: ever wanted to make a bread bowl that looks like your own face? Now you can!
Your Earrings Remind Me of Grandma’s Gran Torino (New York Times)
How To Make A Bread Mold Of Your Own Face (Make)
Together, Cool Weird Awesome and our backers on Patreon can make great art - join us!
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It's Full Color Week, where we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about color. In this episode from August 2020, chemists at Indiana University and the University of Copenhagen have found a way to make the brightest fluorescent materials ever made. Plus: for World Elephant Day, meet Lucy, the elephant-shaped hotel on the Jersey Shore.
Chemists create the brightest-ever fluorescent materials (Phys.org)
World Elephant Day
Stay Overnight in Lucy, an Elephant-Shaped Hotel on the New Jersey Shore (Untapped Cities)
Bright idea: join us as a Cool Weird Awesome backer on Patreon
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It's Full Color Week, where we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about color. In this episode from July 2020, we're talking about Vantablack, a color that’s so black it absorbs almost all of the light nearby. There’s new research out about a “vantafish” that does almost the same thing to avoid its hungry bioluminescent neighbors. Plus: you’ve heard of drive-in theaters; Paris is going to have a “float-in” theater featuring “socially distanced boats” on the Seine.
Vantablack? Meh. Meet the Ultra-Black Vantafish (Wired)
Floating Movie Theater With Socially Distant Boats Set for Paris (Interesting Engineering)
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It's Full Color Week, where we’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about color. In this episode from September 2019, we look at how paintings made with Day Glo paint are losing their glow over time. Conservationists don’t yet know how to solve this puzzle, but we do at least know how Day Glo got started. Plus: meet a color that absorbs 99.995 percent of incoming light. Even Nigel Tufnel would say that’s pretty black.
Day-Glo masterpieces are fading. A conservator and her team are racing to save them (Los Angeles Times)
How DayGlo Went From Utility Pigment to Design World Darling (AIGA Eye on Design)
Engineers Just Unveiled a New Blackest-Ever Material, Even Darker Than Vantablack (Science Alert)
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A Spanish tech startup called Bioo has built an installation in which plants serve as the keys of a kind of "green piano." Plus: for International Mountain Day, a look at some of the peaks with more down-to-earth names.
Ethereal Sounds Are Emanating From the World’s First ‘Piano’ Made From Plants (GoodNewsNetwork)
11 Summits with Outrageous Names (Backpacker)
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Today's the birthday of Ada Lovelace, known as the first computer programmer. She also dreamed up the idea of generating music through a computer program, so if you've ever made music with a synthesizer, you're following in her footsteps. Plus: today's the anniversary of the day Wyoming passed its first-of-a-kind law guaranteeing women could vote and hold office.
Remembering Ada Lovelace, computer-music prognosticator (Boston Globe)
Wyoming marks 150 years since first US law empowering women to vote (Travel Wyoming)
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Today in 1953, two NHL teams racked up a then-record 204 penalty minutes, in a game that’s officially 60 minutes long. Hockey is a rough sport. Plus a guitarist in Japan can play blues riffs with a cheerful little parakeet on his hand!
This Day in Hockey History – December 9, 1953 – Canadiens Rhubarb Leafs (The Pink Puck)
Guitarist Plays a Rockabilly Riff With Bird on His Hand (Laughing Squid)
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A California company is building an all-electric platform designed specifically to keep classic and vintage cars with gas engines on the road, with much smaller carbon footprints. Plus: ever heard a jazz solo on the bagpipes? No? You might be missing out.
Thanks to Zero Labs, Any Classic Car Can Transform Into an Electric 'Clean Energy Hero' (Designboom)
Jazz Bagpipes Exists and Is Amazing (Neatorama)
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A team out of New Curtin University in Australia has found that pilot whales appear to imitate one of their predators, tricking them away from the hunt. And in equally clever but much more irritating news, a neighborhood in Ottawa, Ontario reports squirrels are stealing the LED lights out of their holiday displays.
Pilot whale study reveals copycat calls to outsmart predators (Science Daily)
Red squirrels going nuts for Ottawa couple's Christmas lights, but reason remains a mystery (CBC)
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For National Cookie Day, 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 a cookie-baking expert.
The History of Gingerbread (PBS)
5 Facts You Probably Don't Know About Christmas Cookies (Food and Wine)
Neko Case: Pet Sounds (Spin)
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Some galleries showcase works of art; others show you what it's like when there's nothing on the canvas. Today we pay a virtual visit to a museum where all the works explore the concept of nothingness. Plus: the Chic!ken photo project aims to show that chickens can be the subjects of fine art.
A Museum of Nothing (Metafilter)
Portraits of “Most Beautiful Chickens on the Planet” Capture Their Underrated Beauty (My Modern Met)
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Hyundai is now working to develop what it calls "ultimate mobility vehicles." When they encounter rough terrain the wheels can't pass through, these cars will be able to stand up on robotic legs and walk through. Plus: a guy on TikTok is winning fans with his four-wheel-drive off-road lawn mower.
Hyundai gets serious about unstoppable, four-legged 4x4 robo-cars (New Atlas)
This Off-Road Lawn Mower on 38-Inch Mud Tires Can Flex with the Best (The Drive)
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We use hundreds of billions of latex gloves a year, for a lot of important reasons. Scientists at Cranfield University in the UK are developing an eco-friendly latex glove that uses less energy to produce and will biodegrade in weeks rather than centuries. Plus: today in 1997, Kenny G set a world record for longest single note played on a saxophone.
How a new type of glove can reduce environmental damage (BBC)
World's Longest Note Held on Saxophone (Complex)
Kenny G Plans To Hold One Note On The Sax For An Entire Flight (Huffington Post)
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Today in 1977, it was the premiere of Bing Crosby's final TV Christmas special, Merrie Olde Christmas, which featured a performance with Crosby's unlikeliest duet partner ever: David Bowie. Here's the story of how it came together. Plus: for Mark Twain's birthday, the story of the note he put on his front door for any potential burglars.
When Bowie Met Bing: Mary Crosby Relives Their Iconic Duet (Dangerous Minds)
Courtesy (Futility Closet)
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Today is the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, and it's the day the Slinky, which has been given as a gift countless times over the years, first became a phenomenon, even though it was invented by accident. Plus: it's been about 50 years since wild turkeys returned to New Hampshire, and it was all part of a wildlife trade with West Virginia!
Slinky (Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia)
West Virginia gave us wild turkeys 50 years ago because we gave them fishers (Granite Geek)
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It really happened! On Thanksgiving 2008, a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade came to a halt, there was a record scratch, and none other than Rick Astley came out to perform "Never Gonna Give You Up." Plus: a pianist in Thailand is never going to give up his very unusual audience.
An Oral History of Rickrolling (Mel Magazine)
History of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (I LOVE NY)
Playing Piano for Macaques (Nag on the Lake)
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This week marks two years since the end of a lawsuit over who had the world record in car sales! Not that we're short on stories these days about people disputing numbers. Plus: if you want a calmer story, how about this one about an artist who makes ornate sculptures from apples?
5 Guinness World Records Controversies (Mental Floss)
Lawsuits dropped over car sales record; Guinness opts to no longer track that particular record (Dearborn Press and Guide)
Watch this expert apple sculptor create juicy delights (Boing Boing)
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Today in 1969 Apollo 12 touched down on earth after landing on the moon, and if the stories are true, it brought with it a tiny tile containing line drawings by six Earth artists. Plus: since most of us aren't likely to visit the art installation on the lunar surface, maybe we can visit this museum in the Florida Keys that goes below the surface of the water.
The Most Exclusive Museum in the World is on the Moon (Interesting Engineering)
Florida Keys’ History of Diving Museum Offers Virtual and In-Person Learning (Florida Keys and Key West)
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Today in 1889, inventor Louis Glass moved his "nickel-in-a-slot" into a saloon in San Francisco, beginning the age of the jukebox and giving the generations without smartphones and streaming services the chance to push a button and listen to a song. Plus: Chris Nikic has just become the first person with Down syndrome to finish an Ironman triathlon.
How the Jukebox Got Its Groove (Popular Mechanics)
Chris Nikic is the First Person with Down Syndrome to Ever Complete a Full Ironman (The Sifter)
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On this day in 1973, the Who's drummer, Keith Moon, collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital. Amazingly, the band chose a 19 year old from the crowd, Scot Halpin, to fill in for the rest of the show. Plus: this year's Pasadena Doo Dah Parade isn't just irreverent, it's irreverent and virtual!
The Hoosier That Rescued the World’s Biggest Band (Orange Bean Indiana)
Pasadena Doo Dah Parade
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Robot roadside assistance? Toyota has applied for a patent for a system where self-driving drones could pull up to vehicles and give them some gas - or, if it runs on electricity, give it a charge. Plus: when you need to get a donor organ from one part of Italy to another, what do you do? Turn to a Lamborghini, of course.
Toyota Patent Shows Self-Driving Drone Tankers for Car-to-Car Recharging and Refueling (TheDrive)
Italian Police Use Lamborghini To Transport Donor Kidney 300 Miles In Two Hours (Jalopnik)
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Scientists have determined that the Greenland shark lives longer than any known invertebrate, up to 400 years. How? We don't know, but it sure does seem chill about it. Plus: UK-based artist Sue Austin developed an underwater wheelchair, making the wide, wide sea a lot more accessible.
A Greenland Shark Living Today Could Have Been Alive in 1620 (HowStuffWorks)
A Specially Adapted Underwater Wheelchair Brings Artist Sue Austin Beneath the Earth’s Surface (Colossal)
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On National Take A Hike Day, we salute Emma "Grandma" Gatewood, who, in her 60s, became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. Plus: on National Homemade Bread Day, we salute Pham Thi Bac's enormous bread loaves in Vietnam.
Ohio’s Most Famous Hiker––Emma “Grandma” Gatewood (Ohio History)
The Great-Grandma Who Changed the AT Forever (Outside Online)
Vietnamese Province Attracts Worldwide Attention for Its Giant Loaves of Bread (Oddity Central)
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The man known as the Father of the Blues, W.C. Handy, was born on this day in 1873, and it's not exaggerating to say rock and popular music wouldn't have played out the same way without him. Plus: if you have the blues because your cat keeps waking you up in the night, you may want to check out this new cat-friendly bedframe.
W.C. Handy (AllMusic)
W.C. Handy, Father of the Blues (Library of Congress)
Ingenious Bed Frame Has a Place for Cats to Play While Their Humans Rest (My Modern Met)
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If you're an astronaut, way up there in space, chances are you started the day with a song. Why? It's a NASA tradition. Plus: an artist in California has turned "Star Trek" into a widescreen format, so it fits on modern TVs.
For decades, NASA has woken up its astronauts with music (The World)
Paul McCartney Sings To Space Crew (CBS News)
The Final Frontier (Futility Closet)
Every time I think about our Patreon backers I want to jump up and sing
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Fuel cells need a catalyst for an important reaction, and a team at American University has found that spinach may be the best raw material for a catalyst we've found yet. Plus: ever wanted to smell like old books? A new scent can help make it happen!
Spinach: Good for Popeye and the Planet (American University)
Powell's Books creates unisex fragrance that smells like old books (Geekologie)
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We've dedicated statues, memorial walls, works of art, plaques, flags, bridges, roads and more to those who have served in the military. Here's the story of a living memorial in New York's Central Park to women who gave their lives while serving in World War I, that was almost forgotten over decades and generations, and how it was rediscovered in our time.
Women in World War I (TheWorldWar.org)
Tribute Ceremony at Newly Rediscovered Women's Overseas Service League Flagstaff and Grove in Central Park Honors Women Serving America in World War I and Beyond (WorldWarICentennial.org)
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An inventor in Florida has invented a robot that can put contact lenses in human eyes safety and effectively. This could be a big help to people with neurological disorders or tremors who might not otherwise be able to put those lenses in themselves. Plus: meet an online fluid simulator that's like watching really trippy ripples in a groovy pond.
This Florida man invented a robot that inserts and removes your contact lenses for you (CNN)
A Fun Website That Simulates Fluid (bookofjoe)
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Today in 1843, former president John Quincy Adams joined thousands to dedicate a public observatory in Cincinnati, a building known as "the birthplace of American astronomy." Plus: this month would be a good time to get out a telescope, cause there's lots happening in the night sky.
How Cincinnati became the 'Birthplace of American Astronomy' (Cincinnati Enquirer)
See Meteor Showers, a Lunar Eclipse & Bright Planets Throughout November (Thrillist)
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Bats use their own internal radar - echolocation - to figure out where insects are so they can swoop in and catch their meal. But a study out of Johns Hopkins University shows that how bats track their prey is more complicated than we thought. Plus: today in 2008, music fans named a certain pop and internet legend the Best Act Ever.
Hearing the Future (Johns Hopkins University)
MTV EMAs name Rick Astley ‘Best Act Ever’ (NME)
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Earth makes lots of seismic noise, but there's one that's mysterious - a slight pulse every 26 seconds called a microseism off the coast of West Africa. What causes it? We don't know! Plus: NASA has completed its transmitter upgrades and now it can talk with Voyager 2 again!
The Earth Is Pulsating Every 26 Seconds, and Seismologists Don't Agree Why (Discover)
After months of silence, Voyager 2 sends a gleeful message back to Earth (Inverse)
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It's National Candy Day, and the day after Election Day, so let's visit the back row of the U.S. Senate chamber, where, for over half a century, senators have kept a desk drawer filled with candy to share with colleagues. Plus: in Japan, candy is also fine art, thanks to the practice of amezaiku, or sculpting molten sugar syrup.
The History Of The Senate’s Sweet Candy Desk (DCist)
Reviving a Centuries-Old Japanese Confectionery Art (New York Times)
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On this Election Day, here’s a story about an early and not-too-well-known effort to help count votes that came from none other than Thomas Edison. Plus: photographer Ryan Donnell has been documenting some of the most unusual polling places in the country.
Thomas Edison’s First Patented Invention—a Voting Machine for Congress—Was a Total Flop (Mental Floss)
Ryan Donnell: Polling Places (Wonderful Machine)
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If you're taking part in National Novel Writing Month, then here's a tip: don't forget the dedication page. They can be full of surprises, as we discovered in quite a few books. Plus: meet the prehistoric pelagornithid, probably the largest flying bird ever, with a 20 foot wingspan and teeth.
Brilliant Book Dedications (Sad and Useless)
Scientists Reveal What May Be the Largest Flying Bird Ever (Smithsonian)
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In some areas, Halloween festivities actually start the night before October 31, on a night that goes by a few very unusual names. Plus: how about an unusual lollipop that's far off the beaten trick-or-treating path?
Mischief Night? Cabbage Night? Goosey Night? What does it all mean? (NJ.com)
Blue Cheese Lollipops (Lolliphile)
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Composting can turn some of our food waste back into useful stuff, but it can take a while. A new device out of Germany aims to cut the time it takes to go from food waste to compost to just 48 hours. Plus: on this National Cat Day, we salute the very tiny but impressive Cat Museum in Krakow, Poland.
Kitchen gadget converts food scraps to compost in a claimed 48 hours (New Atlas)
Poland Is Home to a Very Tiny Cat Museum (Mental Floss)
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We’re not the only species that knows the difference between a face-to-face chat and a remote one. Research out of Vienna shows cows prefer live human voices to recorded ones. Plus: on National Chocolate Day, we pay a visit to the world's largest chocolate moose, in Scarborough, Maine.
Cows prefer to co-moo-nicate in person, research suggests (CNN)
Lenny the Moose - The World's Only Life-Size Chocolate Moose (LenLibby.com)
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A project out of MIT is using artificial intelligence to scan lost languages and find rules and conventions that may help us figure out what all those words from years ago might mean. Plus: historic signs in South Nyack, New York are using QR codes to tell us something timeless - a message that's never gonna give us up.
MIT CSAIL’s AI revives dead languages it hasn’t seen before (VentureBeat)
Rickrolled: South Nyack historical sign on Esposito trail delivers pop music prank (lohud)
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Scientists at Purdue University have a way to help keep us cool to the point that we might not even need air conditioning, and all it takes is a fresh coat of a special paint. Plus: the town of Asbestos, Quebec has finally chosen a new name!
New 'Super-White' Paint Can Cool Down Buildings and Cars (Interesting Engineering)
Goodbye Asbestos, hello Val-des-Sources: Que. town changing infamous name (CBC)
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We're replaying some of our favorite car-themed episodes this week, like this one from July 2020, about a driver in Italy who got a ticket for driving 437 miles per hour. Since that’s almost three times as fast as the car could legitimately go, it’s believed to have been a malfunction of a local speed camera. Plus: the creations of cabinet maker Henk Verhoeff aren’t malfunctioning, they’re meant to be, as the artist put it, “broken and weird.”
Ancona: a Ford Focus caught at 703 km / h (due to the speed camera) (Autoappassionati)
How do speed cameras work? (The Guardian)
This Retired Cabinet Maker Goes Viral For Making Broken And Weird Furniture That Belongs In Disney Movies (Bored Panda)
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We're replaying some of our favorite car-themed episodes this week, like this one from May 2019, about an exhibit at The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles called “Hollywood Dream Machines: Vehicles of Science Fiction and Fantasy.” If you’ve ever wanted to get close to the coolest rides the big screen ever shared with us – like, say, the DeLorean in “Back to the Future” – this is your chance. Plus: a guy in Arizona tries to skirt the carpool lane rules with a scheme that could have come straight out of one of the “Mannequin” movie franchise.
Check out Batman’s and Marty McFly’s rides at the Petersen Museum (Ars Technica)
Man busted driving with mannequin in carpool lane (WJBF)
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We're replaying some of our favorite car-themed episodes this week, like this one from December 2019, in which Cornell researchers find that making intersections more autonomous could help get self-driving cars where they want to go more efficiently. Plus: on the anniversary of the last day of the last Apollo mission to the moon, how about a trip to the Museum of the Moon, now visiting Philadelphia?
Smart intersections could cut autonomous car congestion (Science Daily)
Last lunar-landing mission ends (History.com)
Museum of the Moon (Franklin Institute)
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We're replaying some of our favorite car-themed episodes this week, like this one from January 2020, a car that was to be (at least partly) made from soybeans. And it was the idea of none other than Henry Ford. Plus: Steven Paul Judd is an Oklahoma-based artist of Kiowa/Choctaw descent, and last month he made a portrait of Sitting Bull using just over 20,000 black and white dice.
Henry Ford And His Soybean Car (A Moment of Science)
Soybean Car (The Henry Ford Museum)
This Amazing Sitting Bull Portrait Made from 20,000 Dice (Twisted Sifter)
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We're replaying some of our favorite car-themed episodes this week, like this one from November 2019, about a vehicle right out of Richard Scarry’s Busytown: the Big Banana Car, which is a 15 foot long banana with four seats on the frame of a Ford F-150. Plus: the Volkspod is a motor scooter made with upcycled parts from old-school Volkswagen Beetles!
BigBananaCar.com
Michigan trooper pulls over banana car, gives driver $20 (WTHR)
Designer Transforms Vintage Volkswagen Beetles into Adorable Minibikes (My Modern Met)
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Scientists have been trying for years to figure out why there's a gap in Earth's geologic record that's about a billion years long, known as the Great Uncomformity. Plus: today in 2001 an artist painted a Wyoming house inside and out with government surplus cheese.
Erasing a Billion Years of Geologic Time Across the Globe (Eos)
So, Uh, Where Did a Billion Years of the Geologic Record Go? (Popular Mechanics)
The Wyoming Cheese House (Weird Universe)
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Today is the birthday of Ruth Faison Shaw, an art teacher who spotted a kid smearing iodine on the school walls and saw a way kids could express themselves. Plus: art is alive and well in cats, or at least in a photographer taking portraits of cats going wild for - and sometimes on - catnip.
Ruth Faison Shaw (A Woman To Know)
A Photographer Takes Pictures of Cats "High" on Catnip, and It'll Be Your New Favorite Thing (PopSugar)
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Millions of people have back pain that just plain makes things harder to do. A team at Vanderbilt University has developed an exosuit that may ease all that back strain. Plus: how do you let an economist know he's won the Nobel Prize when you don't have his phone number? Have his fellow winner knock on his door in the middle of the night, of course.
Vanderbilt wearable exosuit that lessens back muscle fatigue could redesign the future of work (Vanderbilt University)
The #NobelPrize committee couldn't reach Paul Milgrom to share the news that he won (Stanford University on Twitter)
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Today in 1947 was the first performance of the Weeki Wachee Mermaids, professional mermaids in Florida who put on choreographed shows for hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, completely underwater. Plus: the Oklahoma Banjo Fest is now underway, completely virtual and still completely banjo-ey.
More mermaids than men (Mashable)
Oklahoma Banjo Fest (Travel OK)
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To mark our 400th episode, we have stories of some of the people who have set world records for screaming! Two of them are educators, though I don't think they practice on their students. Plus: scientists have figured out how to 3D print treats out of milk.
Loudest scream (individual) (Guinness World Records)
Belfast teacher still in class of her own for shouting (BBC)
Got 3D milk? These adorable printed dairy products will satisfy your creamiest cravings (Fast Company)
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Food banks are seeing growing demand, and feeding hungry people takes money. Amazingly, a study out of Ohio State University finds these nonprofits might be able to boost their donations by paying closer attention to typefaces. Plus: this weekend is the deadline to cast your vote in this year's Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.
Donors more likely to give to COVID causes when font matches message (Ohio State University)
The Affinity Photo People's Choice Award (Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards)
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Shoes only last for so long, but they're made from materials that last seemingly forever. Designer Shahar Asor has an alternate idea: shoes for kids with an expiration date. Plus: a pizza place in Brooklyn is letting customers order "comforting words" along with their food.
Shahar Asor knits children's shoes with an expiration date using biodegradable thread (designboom)
Vinnie’s Pizzeria in Brooklyn Delivers Comforting Words of Positive Reinforcement for the Very Small Fee of $1 (Laughing Squid)
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It's hard to believe we're saying goodbye to guitar great Eddie Van Halen. His band won millions of fans on record and offstage, and won a reputation for offstage excess. But one of their most infamous stories - that they banned brown M&Ms from backstage - wasn't quite what it seemed. Plus: a Gloria Estefan hit gets a heavy metal treatment on YouTube.
Did Van Halen’s Concert Contract Require the Removal of Brown M&Ms? (Snopes)
A Headbashingly Good Metal Cover of Gloria Estefan’s Conga (Geeks Are Sexy)
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We’ve known for some time that at least a few exoplanets could support liquid water, making them potentially habitable. But a paper from Washington State University suggests some of those planets may be super-habitable - as in, they may be more appropriate for life than Earth is! Plus: a new map fills Mars with water, so we can see what the Red Planet would look like if it wasn't red.
Some planets may be better for life than Earth (Washington State University)
Mars map with water: incredible terraforming image shows Elon Musk’s dream (Inverse)
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If you've read the negative reviews about last week's debate, know that there are other stories of candidate face-offs gone wrong in the history books - like the one in Arkansas that left the audience all wet. Plus: for National Fire Prevention Week, we pay a visit to Busted Plug, a four story tall sculpture of a fire hydrant.
Everyone is Entitled to My Opinion by David Brinkley
The World’s Largest Fire Hydrant Is Right Here In South Carolina And You’ll Want To Visit (Only in South Carolina)
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When World War II put many pro athletes into military service, pro sports leagues had to get creative. That's how on this day in 1943, two pro football teams that normally competed against each other joined forces. Plus: for World Smile Day, we check in on the story of the guy who first designed the smiley face.
Steagles legacy: Eagles, Steelers merged in 1943 to form a team of misfits that kept the NFL afloat (Patriot-News)
The Steagles: An Unforgettable 1943 Season (Philadelphia Eagles)
Who Invented the Smiley Face? Discover the Not-So-Smiley History of the Graphic Yellow Icon (My Modern Met)
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Back in the days when auto workers spray painted new vehicles, excess paint would harden and accumulate into a substance that looked like colorful gemstones. Jewelers have been making works of art out of "fordite" ever since. Plus: ever wanted to make a bread bowl that looks like your own face? Now you can!
Your Earrings Remind Me of Grandma’s Gran Torino (New York Times)
How To Make A Bread Mold Of Your Own Face (Make)
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Today's the 60th anniversary of the first broadcast of that landmark cartoon show from the town of Bedrock, which aired in the 1960s, stayed on in reruns for decades, and continues to sell cereal and vitamins to this day. Plus: a man in England gets so lonely he starts putting ads in the paper so someone will email or call him - and fortunately he gets some good responses.
15 Solid Facts About The Flintstones (Mental Floss)
Lonely Widower Puts Up a Poster Asking For Friends—And is Flooded With Messages From New Pals (Good News Network)
On this International Podcast Day, a special thanks to our Patreon backers and listeners!
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On National Coffee Day, we bring you the story of Brazilian athletes who, without travel funds from the government, had to earn their way to the Olympics in Los Angeles by selling coffee beans. Plus: in Bedford, Pennsylvania, there's a building shaped like a big metal coffee pot.
Brazilian Athletes Perked Up The 1932 Games With Their Coffee Caper (Sports Illustrated)
Coffee Pot-Shaped Building (Roadside America)
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A small device created in China could turn anyone of out for a walk (and probably their dogs, too) into small scale power plants, just from the breeze they cause by walking! It's all thanks to what's called triboelectricity. Plus: a Swedish company wants to create OceanBird, a full-size cargo ship that runs on wind power.
This tiny device can scavenge wind energy from the breeze you make when you walk (TechXplore)
Oceanbird – wind powered cargo vessel is a revolution in the making (Red Ferret Journal)
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Shaving dates back tens of thousands of years, and it's gone in and out of fashion more times than we can count. And for a time in 1945, there was an idea to replace razors with a series of hair treatments involving X-rays (!) Plus: Hannah Grace is a makeup artist in the UK who has won lots of fans by turning herself into optical illusions.
The History of Shaving and Beards (Old Farmer's Almanac)
Shaving with X-rays (Weird Universe)
Woman Spends Up to 11 Hours Turning Herself Into the Most Stunning Optical Illusions (Oddity Central)
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This week in 1960, Richard Nixon campaigned at a cookout in Sullivan, Illinois, eating some of a Buffalo barbecue sandwich before giving his speech. A young Boy Scout, Steve Jenne, took the rest of Nixon's sandwich home and has kept it in the freezer for the last 60 years! Plus: if you're missing cubicles and conference tables these days, there's a new soundscape, Calm Office, that might help.
Watch now: Richard Nixon ate a sandwich in Sullivan 60 years ago. Here's the story of the man who kept it. (Decatur Herald&Review)
Because People Miss The Office Sounds (Neatorama)
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UCLA scientists have made little thermoelectric coolers that are only 100 nanometers wide, so small the eye can't see them on its own. They're not quite refrigerators yet, but if you have little sodas or bags of grapes, maybe reach out anyway. Plus: on the International Day of Sign Languages, we celebrate the amazing world of sign language interpreters at heavy metal concerts.
UCLA scientists create world’s smallest ‘refrigerator’ (UCLA)
10 Epic Sign Language Interpreters at Metal Shows (YouTube)
International Day of Sign Languages (United Nations)
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Nobody likes being stuck at a stoplight, but before there were systems in place to make drivers take turns, the roads were not good. Here are a few of the inventions that helped us (mostly) stop crashing into each other. Plus: why did Syracuse, New York set up an upside-down stoplight, with green on top?
A Brief History of the Stoplight (Smithsonian)
There’s No Other Traffic Light In America Like This One In New York (Only In Your State)
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The Disgusting Food Museum in southern Sweden has a new exhibit on the strangest alcoholic drinks of all time, proving that people will drink some truly revolting concoctions in pursuit of a buzz. Plus: remember how Asbestos, Quebec was going to choose one of four replacement names for the town? Those plans are on hold, cause apparently the people of Asbestos aren't big fans of the new names.
Squirrel beer, ant gin and poop wine are served up in Disgusting Food Museum's new exhibit (LiveScience)
Town of Asbestos back to the drawing board after lacklustre response to renaming options (CBC)
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The community of Asbestos, Quebec has decided to rename itself. Now it's up to the residents to decide whether the town should be named Trois-Lacs, Apalone, Phénix or - wait for it - Jeffrey. Plus: on this National Cheeseburger Day, did you know there's an 1,800 pound burger on the menu at a place in Detroit?
Asbestos in Quebec Shortlists Four New Names to Get Fresh Start (Bloomberg)
World's Largest Burger Costs $8,000 (Food and Wine)
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A sensor developed at MIT uses a set of microneedles to push through packaging and determine whether the food inside is safe to eat, which could prevent food waste and help head off outbreaks of salmonella. Plus: did you know China is apparently home to several thousand glass footbridges, where you can walk across and see what's underneath?
Velcro-like food sensor detects spoilage and contamination (MIT)
Would You Walk on the World’s Longest Glass Bridge? (Hyperallergic)
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44 years ago today, Shavarsh Karapetyan, a finswimming champion in Armenia did something extraordinary, saving at least 20 passengers who were trapped in a trolleybus that had gone into a lake. Has anybody done a biopic about this guy yet? Plus: meet Mieko Nagaoka, who in April 2015 became the first 100-year old swimmer to finish the 1,500 meter freestyle.
The Plunge (Grantland)
100-year-old Japanese woman sets her own 1,500-metre freestyle swim record (The Guardian)
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The Cold Tube cools people off, similar to air conditioning, but using half the energy. Which sounds pretty cool. Plus: an experimental musician makes a delicious and funky new keyboard out of watermelon and kiwi.
Innovative personal cooling system uses half the energy of traditional AC (Anthropocene)
This is the Funkiest Sounding Watermelon You Will Ever Hear (The Sifter)
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A lock of Abraham Lincoln's hair just sold for $81,000 at auction, a reminder that a) people will pay lots of money for lots of things, and b) hair was a pretty important keepsake in the 19th century - people back then even made it into art. Plus: a couple in England decides to upgrade their garden, which the husband decides means installing a 12-foot statue of a T. rex.
The Curious Victorian Tradition of Making Art from Human Hair (Artsy)
Lock of Abraham Lincoln's hair sells for more than $81,000 (ABC News)
What a disat-saur! Husband shocks wife who suggested he liven up their garden by installing a 12-ft replica T-REX on the patio (Daily Mail)
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A study out of Ohio State University found that people who take acetaminophen, one of the most common over-the-counter painkillers, are apparently more willing to take risks. Plus: the story of a guy who ended up taking quite a risk by setting up a tent - he just didn’t know it at the time.
A pain reliever that alters perceptions of risk (Ohio State University)
How this Nova Scotia man ended up accidentally camping in the Atlantic Ocean (CBC)
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John Cage once wrote a score with the instructions that it be played "As Slow As Possible." So that's what an organ is doing in Germany, for more than 600 years. Plus: a YouTuber trains his cat to put out fires, sort of.
John Cage musical work changes chord for first time in seven years (BBC)
I Trained My Cat To Put Out Fires (William Osman on YouTube)
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On this day in 1947, a team working on a computer at Harvard University discovered the first computer bug: a moth that had gotten trapped in the electronics. Plus: today in 2005, a guy writes to Major League Baseball to get that expressed written consent they always talk about to rebroadcast or retransmit a game.
Sep 9, 1947 CE: World’s First Computer Bug (National Geographic)
Making Sure You Have Your Expressed Written Consent (Deadspin)
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A research project has built a handheld device modeled on Nintendo's Game Boy that gets its power from solar panels and the energy created by pushing buttons - no batteries necessary. Plus: a programmer has recreated the classic video game Doom inside an electronic pregnancy test. Technology is pretty versatile, isn't it?
Battery-free Game Boy runs forever (Northwestern University)
Programmer makes original Doom playable on pregnancy test (CNet)
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Computers and the Internet have changed so much of the world, but older technology that still has a home in the world and there are still people who still make it all work, like the family that runs the Gramercy Typewriter Company in Manhattan. Plus: sitting in a box of ice up to your shoulders may or may not be a job, but the guy who set the world record last week definitely worked.
Inside One of NYC’s Last Typewriter Stores (Untapped New York)
Chilling out: Austrian breaks record for standing in box of ice (Reuters)
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Research at the University of Oslo shows that humans have an almost unstoppable urge to start moving when the music starts - though, of course, some kinds of music and other factors can lead to more moving than others. Meanwhile, in Austin, Texas, you can (virtually) move through some of the city's most unusual houses through a virtual Weird Homes tour.
Not moving to dance music is nearly impossible, according to new research (University of Oslo via Medical Xpress)
2020 Austin Weird Homes Virtual Tour
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The strangeness of this year has been messing with our internal clocks and our sense of how days, weeks and months go. But sometimes it's good to rethink how we understand time, like though Tahoe Timescape, a project to take photographs over one thousand years. Plus: New York City is where King Kong ran wild in the movies, but a new statue could help rebuild the relationship between NYC and big apes.
Artist tries 1,000-year time lapse photo of Lake Tahoe (US News & World Report)
Photos: King Nyani, the Largest Bronze Gorilla Statue Arrives in NYC (Untapped New York)
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Decades ago researchers announced a Rembrandt painting was not actually by Rembrandt at all. But on Sunday, researchers said they'd looked again and the painting probably was an actual Rembrandt. There are lots of challenges to verifying whether a Rembrandt is really his work or just a simulation. Plus: an interactive online map of continental drift can show you where a town or city used to be hundreds of millions of years ago.
The Rembrandt Research Project: Past, Present, Future
A Supposedly Fake Rembrandt Might Just Be Real (Vanity Fair)
Map Lets You See How Your Hometown has Moved Across 750 Million Years of Continental Drift (Good News Network)
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As a very unusual school year gets underway, here's the story of the Trapper Keeper, a school supply that made binders cool - at least for my generation. Plus: a 10 year old in Northern Ireland digs up some history before the school year even starts.
The History of the Trapper Keeper (Mental Floss)
Beginner's luck for 10-year-old metal detectorist (BBC)
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Autonomous vehicles need to learn how to avoid collisions. Locusts are really good at avoiding collisions. So a research project in Pennsylvania is modeling a new collision detection system on the way locusts get out of each other's way. Plus: there's an online community built around finding what businesses move into old Pizza Hut buildings after the Hut moves out.
Locust swarm could improve collision avoidance (Penn State University)
Hundreds of Pizza Huts Are Closing. What Happens to Those Weird Buildings? (The Daily Beast)
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In 1939 some ranchers in the West proposed taking parts out of Wyoming, South Dakota and Montana and creating a new state, called Absaroka. It never won approval from Congress but it did have its own license plates and beauty pageant. Plus: how come a spot in Tulsa is known as the center of the universe?
The State of Absaroka (South Dakota Magazine)
The Center of the Universe (Atlas Obscura)
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What's In A Name Week continues with the story of a water tower in northern Kentucky that was supposed to be an advertisement, but ended up becoming a local landmark. Plus: we'll explain one version of how Chicken Dinner Road in Idaho got its name.
Why does the Florence water tower say 'Florence Y'all,' anyway? (WCPO)
The Story Of How Chicken Dinner Road In Idaho Got Its Name Is Strangely Fascinating (Only in Idaho)
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What's In A Name Week continues with the story of Brookeville, Maryland, and how on this day in 1814, this small town gained a prominent visitor - President James Madison - and a new nickname: U.S. Capital For A Day. Plus: the story of Glen Campbell, Pennsylvania, a town that, in case you were wondering, was not named for singing star Glen Campbell.
"Here all seems security and peace!": How Brookeville, Maryland Became United States Capital for a Day Became United States Capital for a Day (Gettysburg College)
Town of Brookeville
When Glen Campbell Visited Glen Campbell (Hip Quotient)
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What's In A Name Week continues with a look at the Oomphalapompatronium, a creation of Boston-area musician, composer and inventor Len Solomon. And it definitely fits the name. Speaking of words that fit with what they describe, did you know about the word "aptronym"?
Meet the Guy Who Invented the Oomphalapompatronium (Wired)
Aptronym (Raven the Science Maven on Twitter)
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It's What's In A Name Week, where we're telling the stories of some of the most memorable names in the world. Today we look at a town in the Texas Hill Country that wanted a post office but couldn't get the feds to agree to any of their suggested names, until they said, let it be nameless! Plus: the story of how Lizard Lick, NC ended up with its one-of-a-kind name.
Nameless, TX (Hill Country Explorer)
What's In A Town Name? Pure Americana (WFMY)
Most People Don’t Know The Meaning Behind These 10 North Carolina Towns (Only In Your State)
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A farmer in Barre, NY found a massive old safe in his fields, with a note on the side saying whoever could open it could have what was inside. But he decided maybe it would be better not to spoil the surprise. Plus: scientists studying satellite photos of Antarctica were able to spot new colonies of Emperor penguins! From space!
What's inside this mystery safe? Orleans Co. farmer says it should stay unknown (WHAM-TV)
Scientists Just Discovered 11 New Emperor Penguin Colonies. From Space (Popular Mechanics)
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Before there was digital recording, we had cassettes, reel to reels, phonographs, and even wire recordings! That's a little-known system that was invented at the very end of the 19th century. Plus: meet a building in Italy that's been designed to replicate the shape of an orchestra.
Welcoming a new cast of characters into the archives: Wire recordings (Penn Libraries)
Solar-powered House of Music mimics the shape of an orchestra (Inhabitat)
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The mullet may take you back to the 70s or 80s, but it's a timeless hairstyle. No, really: there's evidence that the ancients were wearing business in the front, party in the back thousands of years ago. Plus: another thing that transcends time is the urge to break stuff in a controlled environment, hence an ad for a "frustration room" in the 60s.
Amazing Photos From the Australian Mulletfest 2020 (Laughing Squid)
Whence the Mullet? (Slate)
Frustration Room (Weird Universe)
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One hundred years ago today Tennessee became the 36th and deciding state to approve the 19th amendment to the Constitution. That's due to Febb Ensminger Burn, who lobbied her 24 year old in the Tennessee legislature to "be a good boy" and vote for women's suffrage. Plus: scientists in South Korea have developed a super-fast robotic tongue, just in case we might need one.
Their great-grandma helped secure women's suffrage. Now, they're the first female owners of the family business (Knox News)
How one Tennessee mother's influence changed history and led to women's suffrage (Tennessean)
Scientists develop a lightning fast robot tongue (Yahoo)
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Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have found a way to cover bricks with a special coating so they can store electricity, essentially turning bricks into batteries. Good news for the third little pig! Plus: Koji Kasatani is wowing the world with hyperrealistic, playful art made from ceramic bananas.
Storing energy in red bricks (Washington University in St. Louis)
Plump and Peeled Ceramic Bananas Shape Koji Kasatani’s Evocative Sculptures (Colossal)
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"Ambush predators" like lions go after livestock while those animals aren't looking. So scientists at the University of New South Wales tested a theory in Botswana: what if we painted eyes on the back ends of cattle so the lions thought they were watching? Plus: National Roller Coaster Day is coming up, make your plans to visit Japan's famous pedal-powered SkyCycle.
Painting Eyes on The Butts of Cattle Can Protect Them From Lions, Research Shows (ScienceAlert)
SkyCycle – Japan’s Sluggish Yet Terrifying Pedal-Powered Roller Coaster (Oddity Central)
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Fabien Cousteau is looking to build PROTEUS, a 4,000 square foot underwater research station that has research facilities, a multimedia production studio and an underwater greenhouse. A much more productive use of underwater space than Dr. No and SPECTRE had. Plus: the Racine Art Museum has brought back the annual Peeps Art Exhibition, and this year's submissions are extremely sweet.
Fabien Cousteau Is Building PROTEUS, an Underwater 'International Space Station' (HowStuffWorks)
RAM 11th Annual International PEEPS Art Exhibition (Racine Art Museum)
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Judging by my kids' toy collections I thought fluorescents were already about as bright as possible. But chemists at Indiana University and the University of Copenhagen have found a way to make the brightest fluorescent materials ever made. Plus: for World Elephant Day, meet Lucy, the elephant-shaped hotel on the Jersey Shore.
Chemists create the brightest-ever fluorescent materials (Phys.org)
World Elephant Day
Stay Overnight in Lucy, an Elephant-Shaped Hotel on the New Jersey Shore (Untapped Cities)
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Today in 1969 was the first day off for the Apollo 11 astronauts in more than a month. Yes, they'd finished their moon landing weeks earlier, but they had to go into quarantine in case they'd picked up some "moon germs" that could lead to a plague on Earth. (Fortunately, they hadn't.) Plus: there's a new augmented reality tour of a church in Florence, Italy that was deconstructed in 1784.
Apollo 11 Astronauts Spent 3 Weeks in Quarantine, Just in Case of Moon Plague (Space.com)
Digital resurrection (University of Cambridge)
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There is at least one person in the world who's paid to be a wizard. The city of Christchurch, New Zealand, contracts with him to "provide acts of wizardry and other wizard-like-services as part of promotional work for the city of Christchurch." Plus: there's a museum exhibit in Switzerland featuring works of art that showcase imaginary or invented languages.
This New Zealand man gets paid $10,000 a year to be a city's official wizard (CNN)
When Writing Has No Meaning (Hyperallergic)
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We don’t have the Olympic Games right now, but we can still mark a big Olympic moment that happened on this day in 1948: the day Alice Coachman became the first Black woman to win Olympic gold. Plus: a chocolate company and an engineer say they've redesigned the chocolate chip. Is it more efficient? I don't know, but I'll be happy to test it out.
The day Alice Coachman became the first black woman to win Olympic gold (The Undefeated)
A Tesla engineer designed the perfect chocolate chip (Fast Company)
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There are parts of the world where some of the local spiders are very dangerous to humans. A new app called Critterpedia can scan your spider photos and tell you which spider is which. Plus: on National Root Beer Float Day, a root beer maker in Wisconsin is trying to set a world record for biggest root beer float drive-thru.
Australia just invented Shazam for spiders (CNet)
Sprecher Aims To Set Record for World's Largest Root Beer Float Drive-Thru With Free Floats For All (Yahoo)
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On this day in 1999 a court rules in a case involving a guy who tried to use a huge number of points in a Pepsi reward program to buy a fighter jet, which the soda maker had jokingly offered in one of its ads. It didn't work, but still, an A for effort. Plus: there's a new uncuttable substance that might make for a great bike lock.
When a Man Took a Joke in a Pepsi Ad Seriously, Chaos Ensued (Lit Hub)
Proteus – new un-cuttable material promises to make bike thefts a thing of the past (Red Ferret Journal)
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Maybe everyone in junior high was right: the clothes you wear really can make you cool! At least if those clothes are the new fabric developed in China with a kind of cooling system embedded inside. Plus: it's National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, so let's find out about the largest chocolate chip cookie of all time.
New fabric could help keep you cool in the summer, even without A/C (Science Daily)
Largest biscuit / cookie (Guinness World Records)
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Researchers at the University of Washington call it a "GoPro for beetles" - a ultralight, wireless, steerable camera that can ride on the back of a bug. And it's pretty effective at letting us see what these bugs see. Plus: a new online chart tracks the vocal range of famous pop singers, by measuring the highest and lowest notes they ever sung on a recording.
A GoPro for beetles: Researchers create a robotic camera backpack for insects (University of Washington)
Vocal Ranges of the World's Greatest Singers (Bookofjoe)
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Change is in the air in the border region between Spain and France. A small island there called Pheasant Island is about to change countries, as it does twice a year. Plus: some enterprising race fans in Poland use construction cranes to help them get a good view of their favorite drivers even while physical distancing.
The island that switches countries every six months (BBC)
Fans Rent Cranes to Watch Car Race from Outside Arena During Pandemic (Oddity Central)
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On this day in 1988, the Ostry family of Bruno, Nebraska got 328 people to lift a barn - a real, actual barn - and moved it 110 feet by hand. That's some impressive crowdsourcing. Plus: a guy invents a machine that can spot his face and lob M&Ms at it, which I'm pretty sure can win a guy a lot of friends.
Nebraska family looks back on barn moving event (WOWT)
Guy Builds Machine That Shoots Chocolate into His Mouth on Command (Interesting Engineering)
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A team of engineering students at Harvard is teaming with a startup called Savormetrics to develop a device that can tell us when avocados will be ripe. It's one step on the way to solving the costly problem of food waste. Plus: a project in Belgium called #ArtGenetics is learning about the evolution of fruits and vegetables through classic paintings.
Forestalling food waste (Harvard)
Old Paintings Reveal How Fruits and Vegetables Have Evolved Over the Centuries (VICE)
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Today is said to be the day in 1858 that a colonial magistrate in India began using fingerprints for identification. But that's just one part of the history of how and why our prints are such a valuable bit of biometric information today. Plus: a guy in Jamaica showed up to collect a big lottery prize in a Darth Vader costume, because why not?
How Fingerprinting Works (How Stuff Works)
Jamaican Darth Vader claims $95 million lottery prize (Toronto Sun)
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Most sports teams do promotions to get more fans into the games, but in 2002 the Charleston, S.C. RiverDogs held "Nobody Night," turning fans away at the gate to have an official attendance of zero. Plus: want to see a giant metal baseball? Drop by next time you're in Muscotah, Kansas.
RiverDogs' "Nobody Night" Promotion Recalled on Today's ESPN's "First Take" (MILB.com)
Muscotah, Kansas: World's Largest Baseball (Roadside America)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite outer space-themed episodes of the show. In this episode from March 2020, NASA fixes a problem with its Mars lander, essentially by telling the lander to use a robotic arm to help itself – or, depending on the headlines you read, to whack itself. Plus: a Wisconsin man finds a clever way to share a beer with his neighbor in the era of social distancing.
NASA fixes Mars lander by hitting it with a shovel (CNN)
NASA’s Mars InSight Lander to Push on Top of the ‘Mole’ (NASA)
Social distancing the Wisconsin way: Richfield man shares a beer with his neighbor via RC car (Fox 6 Now)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite outer space-themed episodes of the show. In this episode from October 2019, science brings whales and outer space together for the first time since the fourth Star Trek movie. The British Antarctic Survey partners with researchers in Chile on a way to protect whales via satellite. Plus: the story of a paraglider who manages to land smoothly and carefully on a couch.
Stranded whales detected from space (British Antarctic Survey)
Parachute Landing On Couch (YouTube)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite outer space-themed episodes of the show. In this episode from January 2020, we find out that astronauts on the International Space Station baked chocolate chip cookies, only baking cookies in space is a little different than baking them on Earth. Plus: a new device called the Exolung can keep air flowing for virtually as long as a diver likes.
Space-baked cookies not chips off old block (The Columbian)
The Exolung gives divers an ‘unlimited’ underwater air supply (Designboom)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite outer space-themed episodes of the show. In this episode from March 2020, we check out the ultimate in working remotely: sending directions beyond the reach of the sun! The way we send those commands to Voyagers 1 and 2 is pretty basic, but with twists to make up for the extremely long distance. Plus: ISS astronauts have been growing space veggies, and they’re pretty good for us.
How are the Voyager spacecraft able to transmit radio messages so far? (How Stuff Works)
Voyager 2 Returns to Normal Operations (NASA)
NASA’s Space Lettuce Is Safe And Nutritious, Paving Way For Crops On The Moon And Mars (Newsweek)
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This week we're replaying some of our favorite outer space-themed episodes of the show. In this episode from July 2019, we look back at when the BBC brought in Pink Floyd, the band known for playing space rock, to improvise on-air for its Apollo 11 coverage. Plus: it’s been 25 years since the time that Pizza Hut produced an ad for UK television in which all the dialogue was in Klingon.
My moon-landing jam session (The Guardian)
13 Minutes To The Moon (BBC)
Watch this fantastic 1994 Pizza Hut TV commercial that’s entirely in Klingon (Boing Boing)
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Vantablack is a color that's so black it absorbs almost all of the light nearby. There's new research out about a "vantafish" that does almost the same thing to avoid its hungry bioluminescent neighbors. Plus: you've heard of drive-in theaters; Paris is going to have a "float-in" theater featuring "socially distanced boats" on the Seine.
Vantablack? Meh. Meet the Ultra-Black Vantafish (Wired)
Floating Movie Theater With Socially Distant Boats Set for Paris (Interesting Engineering)
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While county and state fairs are canceled for 2020, the 4-H group In Morris County, New Jersey, has found a way to bring the fair experience online, as a virtual fair inside the game Minecraft. Plus: Iceland wants you to send them the sounds of you screaming about this frustrating year so they can play those screams on loudspeakers.
Welcome to the Morris County (Virtual) 4-H Fair! (Rutgers)
Frustrated by lockdown? Iceland offers to release your screams over loudspeaker (Irish Examiner)
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The drone company Skydio has just announced a new 3D scanning software that’s intended for use on large-scale structures like bridges. That may help us deal with the tens of thousands of "structurally deficient" bridges in the US. Plus: ever seen a guy do a shredding guitar solo riding on a OneWheel skateboard?
Introducing Skydio 3D Scan™ (Skydio via YouTube)
This guitar-playing skateboarder is warming hearts in pandemic-stricken Atlanta (CNN)
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There was a story out of Italy where a driver got a ticket for driving 437 miles per hour. Since that's almost three times as fast as the car could legitimately go, it's believed to have been a malfunction of a local speed camera. Plus: the creations of cabinet maker Henk Verhoeff aren't malfunctioning, they're meant to be, as the artist put it, "broken and weird."
Ancona: a Ford Focus caught at 703 km / h (due to the speed camera) (Autoappassionati)
How do speed cameras work? (The Guardian)
This Retired Cabinet Maker Goes Viral For Making Broken And Weird Furniture That Belongs In Disney Movies (Bored Panda)
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Pastries come and go, but in Brooklyn, people still talk about the blackout cake from Ebinger's, a cake so beloved that when the bakery closed, people bought up cakes, kept them in their freezers and ate them only on special occasions. Plus: it's the birthday of Erno Rubik, so maybe someday visit the Rubik's Cube-themed hotel room in Houston, Texas.
Ebinger’s Blackout Cake is Gone But Not Forgotten (Edible Brooklyn)
There’s A Rubik’s Cube Hotel In Texas And It’s The Definition Of Nostalgia (Only In Your State)
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Our entire show is based on the idea that we might say something interesting enough that it might get you to perk up your ears, figuratively speaking. Or, as a team at Saarland University has found, maybe not so figuratively speaking. Plus: a sculpture garden in Dublin, Ohio pays tribute to ears of a different kind.
Our animal inheritance: Humans perk up their ears, too, when they hear interesting sounds (Science Daily)
Field of Giant Corn Cobs (Roadside America)
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Every year in the US there are some 600,000 knee replacement surgeries. But a team at Duke University might help some people avoid those surgeries with a hydrogel that can stand in for cartilage. Plus: engineers at NIKE develop a ball that can really soar.
From The Lab, The First Cartilage-Mimicking Gel That's Strong Enough For Knees (Duke University)
NIKE's new flight ball promises a 'revolution in football aerodynamics' (designboom)
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Today we download video games online all the time. Back in the 1980s, gamers without the Internet (such as it was) had to buy or borrow their games. But a few could download programs off the radio. Plus: there's a comet headed Earth's way, and it might make for some great viewing this month, or 6,000 years from now. Either one.
You Could Download Video Games From the Radio in the 1980s (Interesting Engineering)
Comet NEOWISE could give skywatchers a dazzling show this month. Here's what to know. (Space.com)
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Today is believed to be the birthday of Leroy "Satchel" Paige, perhaps the most legendary pitcher baseball ever saw. Paige was a star for decades, and once pitched three scoreless innings in the major leagues at age 59. Plus: we'll visit the man who earned the world's first degree in ninja studies.
Fifty years ago, Satchel Paige pitched his last big-league game in KC ... at age 59 (Kansas City Star)
Meet the Japanese man who holds the world's only master's degree in ninja studies (CNN)
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In the 1980s Deaf children in Nicaragua were sent to a new school that was supposed to help them learn finger spelling. Instead, they built up their own language, now known as Nicaraguan Sign Language. Plus: divers in Mexico find a cave that looked like it hadn't been visited before, only to find a link to civilization thousands of years ago.
The Amazing Story of Deaf Children in 1980s Nicaragua Inventing a Brand New Language (Twisted Sifter)
Canadian scuba diver in Mexico accidentally discovers vast, prehistoric industrial complex (National Post)
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Vivid Maps released a map of the U.S. by demonym, which is the term for a word that describes people from a certain place. Some are straightforward, but there are also plenty of surprises. Plus: you've heard of Four Corners, but did you know there's also a Tri-State Marker where you could stand in the states of Idaho, Wyoming and Utah all at once?
Demonyms of the U.S. and Canada (Vivid Maps)
My Fellow Americanians (New York Times)
You Can Stand In Three Different States At Once Near The Town Of Montpelier, Idaho (Only In Your State)
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Netflix is about to release a show based on The Baby-Sitters Club I used to re-shelve all the time at the public library where I worked. Here's the story of how the series came to life. Plus: if you could use a little beauty in your world right now, check out the photos of Trung Huy Pham, documenting Vietnam's annual water lily harvest.
Over 30 years ago, The Baby-Sitters Club made space for girls from all backgrounds (AV Club)
‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ Trailer: An Iconic Piece of ’90s Nostalgia Heads to Netflix (Indiewire)
Vivid Photographs by Trung Huy Pham Capture Annual Water Lily Harvest in Vietnam (Colossal)
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Today is Canada Day, marking the 1867 confederation of three provinces then known as Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. But Canada was only one name out of many that were suggested for the new country. Plus: this week got weird at several Canadian Tire stores, thanks to a computer glitch that made every item show up in the scanner as a Mr. Potato Head.
What Canada was ALMOST named (CBC Kids)
Canadian Tire in Lindsay temporarily closed after every item scanned comes up as “Mr Potato Head” (Kawartha411)
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A team at UCLA has built technology into a glove that can recognize the hand movements from American Sign Language and translate those movements into spoken English in real time through a smartphone app. This may even get me to put down the Nintendo Power Glove (for a while). Plus: scientists in Australia say they can modify cotton to make its own color, without not-so-eco-friendly chemical dyes.
Wearable-tech glove translates sign language into speech in real time (UCLA)
CSIRO scientists discover how to grow coloured cotton, removing need for harmful chemical dyes (ABC.net.au)
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Back in 1978 the San Diego Chicken was winning huge numbers of fans - which is why Atlanta owner Ted Turner tried to coax the man inside the chicken suit, Ted Giannoulas, to move east. Plus: the Chicken is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but why is there also a San Diego Chicken head in the Gerald Ford Presidential Library in Grand Rapids, Michigan?
Profiles in Plumage: The San Diego Chicken (Society for American Baseball Research)
A look back at the 'Grand Hatching' of the San Diego Chicken (ESPN)
Found at the Presidential Libraries Dr. Seuss, Air Force One, and the San Diego Chicken (Prologue Magazine)
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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 Southern Illinoisian)
Big Muddy Monster Case File (Murphysboro.com)
The King’s Final Bow: Elvis’s Last Concert in Indianapolis (Indiana History Blog)
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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 begins journey (Jewish Women's Archive)
World's Longest Home Run (The "Mad Batter" Machine) (Smarter Every Day via YouTube)
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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 70-68 in the fifth: Wimbledon's 11-hour epic defies belief, a decade on (Yahoo! Sports)
Wimbledon strawberries preserved: Huge 750kg crop will be turned into jam after this year's tennis tournament is cancelled due to coronavirus (Daily Mail)
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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 University)
Blowing bubbles: Soapy spheres pop pollen on fruit trees (BBC)
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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 lanes).
WWI Soldiers Held their Own Olympics After the War (History.com)
Two Little Hedgehogs Try to Knock Down as Many Pins as They Can in an Adorable Bowling Tournament (Laughing Squid)
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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 Watch the Summer Solstice Live From Stonehenge This Year (Thrillist)
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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 Sunday Morning)
Ebert's Most Hated (RogerEbert.com)
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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)
Google-backed drones will drop library books so kids in Virginia can do their summer reading (Washington Post)
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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 17th is Waste and Recycling Workers Week
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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 me tender: scientists unlock the secret to the perfect cuddle (Yahoo! News)
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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: Watching The World's Heaviest Aircraft Take Off (Geekologie)
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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 (Immerge Interactive via YouTube)
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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 New Lay Speed Record (FBR on YouTube)
Robots have infallible logic circuits and they think you should join us as a backer on Patreon
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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 Great Pyramid? (IEEE Spectrum)
Dave Parker Lives With Parkinson's Disease As Another Hall Of Fame Class Heads To Cooperstown Without Him (The Undefeated)
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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 Oudghiri Wins Arab Shadow Kickboxing Virtual Championship (Morocco World News)
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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 the Fruit that Changed the World by Dan Koeppel
10 Things You Might Not Know About the 1876 Centennial Exhibition (Philadelphia Magazine)
A Look at the Guinness World Records of Doughnuts In Celebration of National Doughnut Day (Newsweek)
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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 the Shopping Cart (Wired)
The Strange History of the Shopping Cart (Snopes)
Trying the Hardest Cheese in the World (Great Big Story on YouTube)
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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 years ago (National Post)
Exercise Wings (Weird Universe)
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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 on YouTube)
Joining our backers on Patreon doesn't keep storms from forming - but it probably doesn't cause them, either
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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 When They Found Dinosaur Bones? (Today I Found Out)
The Dinosaur-Themed Ice Cream Shop In Southern California, Sweetosaur, Is The Coolest Place On Earth (Only In Your State)
If we were all Jurassic Park characters, our Patreon backers would probably be Ian Malcolm
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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 we can make is when we say thank you to our backers on Patreon!
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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 Explains How To Write A Thriller (LitHub)
Doughy Braids and Sliced Fruits Arranged into Sumptuous Pies by Karin Pfeiff-Boschek (Colossal)
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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 Canada Post just delivered package he ordered 8 years ago (CTV News)
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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 The Man Responsible For The Letter “J” (Dictionary.com)
Self-Taught Artist Creates Stunningly Realistic Sand Sculptures (Oddity Central)
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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)
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Our world is filling up with artificial intelligence, and now, so is the world of dogs. Researchers at Yale University have been testing whether dogs will take commands from robot voices. Plus: someone, somehow, posted a video that appears to show a motorized Porta-Potty. We just report these things, we can't always explain them.
Dogs Obey Commands Given by Social Robots (IEEE)
Ridin’ Dirty: Porta-Potty Cruising Down The Street (Geekologie)
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It's National Waitstaff Day, and whether or not you're back to dining out, it's a good time to figure out a little of where restaurants come from. (It's complicated.) Plus: the website ThisWordDoesNotExist creates words that sound real but aren't.
When Did People Start Eating In Restaurants? (History.com)
ThisWordDoesNotExist.com is rewriting the dictionary with the help of AI (The Verge)
There are few words that compare with the word "backer." Join us today on Patreon.
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It was on this day in 1990 that the Hubble Space Telescope took its first photo from space. Unfortunately the telescope had a problem with one of its mirrors that required astronauts to go up and fix. Plus: for World Bee Day, the story of an Irish bee enthusiast who built a hive out of LEGO.
How Fixing the Hubble Spacecraft Works (How Stuff Works)
30 years of Hubble: Three decades of space wonder began with an underwhelming image that proved extremely important (Independent UK)
Un-bee-lievable! Beekeeper builds fully functioning beehive entirely out of LEGOs (Fox 6 Now)
Our Patreon backers are like the Hubble Space Telescope of backers: the best
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This day in 1780 was a very strange day for New England. The sun decided to leave the sky around 10 in the morning, leaving everything pitch black and scaring the heck out of the locals. Plus: this day in 1964 was a very strange day for Andy Warhol, who received a very interesting letter from the Campbell Soup Company.
'mark well the gloom': SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE GRAET DARK DAY OF 1780 (Environmental History)
New England's Dark DayA Witness Account (Celebrate Boston)
“I hear you like tomato soup” (Letters of Note)
In the future, all of our backers on Patreon will be famous for 15 minutes
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We explore one of the great mysteries of our time: why is there a rock in Newbury, New Hampshire, with the words "CHICKEN FARMER I STILL LOVE YOU" painted on it? Plus: why is there a giant statue of a chicken eating burgers on top of a restaurant in Wisconsin? Lots of chicken mysteries out there, I guess.
You Asked, We Answered: What's Up With That 'Chicken Farmer I Still Love You' Rock? (NHPR)
Merrill, Wisconsin: Chicken Holding Burger, Beer (Roadside America)
We owe all of our 300 episodes to our backers on Patreon! Join us now and help us make even more!
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Imagine a unicycle, but there's no seat, the wheel is much bigger and you ride inside it. That's a monowheel, and while it may not be a casual rider's cup of tea, extreme sports people are way into them. Plus: how would you like to recreate a piece of art in your house that's made of fortune cookies?
Rise of the Monowheel (Mashable)
Want a Gigantic Pile of Cookies in Your Home? 1,000 People Are Being Asked to Hoard Fortune Cookies as Part of an Ambitious Global Art Show (Artnet)
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A new Harvard study finds those systems that suggest words to us when we type on our smartphones are actually shaping the way we write sentences and messages. The new app Drive + Listen can take you on the most realistic virtual road trip of our time.
Predictive text systems change what we write (Harvard)
Listen to local music as you 'drive' through your favourite city with this new app (Lonely Planet)
I predict that our Patreon backers will make this the coolest podcast ever
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Otters are known to choose favorite rocks to carry around and juggle - it's a real sight to see. Researchers at the University of Exeter have been trying to figure out why otters juggle. Meanwhile: Juneau, Alaska just set up a joke hotline for residents looking for a laugh while staying at home.
Otters juggle stones when hungry (Science Daily)
City of Juneau started a joke hotline to cheer people up. High demand might have knocked it offline. (Anchorage Daily News)
Our Patreon backers have to juggle being amazing and being awesome at the same time.
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The moon waxes and wanes in its phases month after month, and it always comes back. Except for that time in 1110, when records indicate that the moon vanished for months, or maybe even a year or longer. Scientists finally think they know what happened. Plus: a Japanese newspaper has a secret message about social distancing - but you have to be social distancing to read it.
In 1110, The Moon Vanished From The Sky. We Might Finally Know What Caused It (Science Alert)
A Japanese Newspaper’s Secret Social Distancing Message (Spoon + Tamago)
Our backers on Patreon shine as bright as stars, or something
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Chris Sedden was looking at scans of a site near where he lived, and spotted something “a bit odd, and a bit round.” It might be a lost henge! Plus: the community of Dorset finds a way to hold the annual "knob"-eating contest even while everyone's staying home.
Lost henge? Digging archaeology online during lockdown (The Guardian)
World-famous 'Knob-eating contest' held online for the fist time ever (Times Now News)
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Colleges and students are trying to make the best of the current difficulties - like with virtual commencement ceremonies, for example. But there are still some traditions that are hard to replicate online, like Meredith College's annual presentation of a class doll at the end of the year. Plus: meet Graham Walters, who rowed his way across the Atlantic Ocean, only to find the world had changed considerably since the start of his trip.
Beyond Fashion: The Story Behind Meredith College’s Class Dolls (Walter Magazine)
A 72-year-old UK man has completed a solo trans-Atlantic rowing trip in 96 days (CNN)
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There's been a surge in popularity for jigsaw puzzles lately - not bad for an idea that was originally meant to teach kids in London about the countries of Europe. Plus: today marks the 10th anniversary of the world record for the largest group hug. Anyone want to try to break that record next year?
Here’s How Those Hot Jigsaw Puzzles Are Made (New York Times)
Piecing together the history of jigsaw puzzles (CBS News)
Ottawa sets the world’s record for largest group hug (Guinness World Records)
Sending virtual hugs to our backers on Patreon. Join us today!
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The city of Pompeii was buried by Mount Vesuvius almost 2,000 years ago. And yet something there may sound very familiar to us today: the community had a pretty elaborate recycling system. Plus: why staff at the Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo are encouraging people to video chat with their eels.
Did the Ancient Pompeiians Invent Recycling? New Research Suggests They Used Trash to Build City Walls (and Much More) (Artnet)
Japanese aquarium urges public to video-chat eels who are forgetting humans exist (The Guardian)
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Missing the sounds of a full restaurant on a Saturday night? Several well-known ambient sound apps and platforms feature a wide range of soundscapes, including restaurants, that might bring those familiar sounds back to you. Plus: the story of a dude in Wisconsin who woke up the neighborhood with his guitar shredding.
The Sound of Silence (Eater)
Miss Reading in Public? Bring the Sounds of the Library to Your Home (Electric Literature)
Waukesha blotter (Waukesha Freeman)
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Authorities in Belgium are calling 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: today in 2008, the passing of the man who made the Pringles can possible. And he included that iconic tube of chips in his final wishes.
Belgians asked to eat fries twice a week (Brussels Times)
The Humble Origins Of The French Fry Might Surprise You (Food Republic)
Can Belgium Claim Ownership of the French Fry? (BBC)
The Man Buried in a Pringles Can (TIME)
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You know how some couples have their own song? There’s actually psychological research into what are known officially as “couple-defining songs," and there are legitimate benefits to the relationship to choosing a tune to share. Plus: next time you're in Japan, drop by Neko Neko Shokupan and share one of their famous cat-shaped breads with someone special.
Do You and Your Partner Have an "Our Song"? (Psychology Today)
Japanese Bakery Makes Cat-Shaped Breads And They’re Just Too Adorable (Bored Panda)
We'd like to dedicate this next song to our backers on Patreon
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It would be understandable if you felt a little cut off from the rest of the world these days. Hopefully it won't be as challenging as it was for Dr. Leonid Rogozov, who on this day in 1961 had to remove his own appendix while stationed in Antarctica. Plus: today in 1970, Pink Floyd played a concert for public TV in San Francisco. Silence in the studio!
The Soviet Doctor Who Cut Out His Own Appendix (Flashbak)
EXCLUSIVE: Unseen Footage of Pink Floyd Playing in 1970 (KQED)
How I wish, how I wish our Patreon backers were here
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Physical distancing has hopefully made us all appreciate the sense of touch a little more. Scientists in Ohio may have found a way to bring that sense back to people with spinal cord injuries. Plus: an octopus may have brought back a family heirloom to a woman in British Columbia, which is a pretty nice thing for an octopus to do.
Brain-decoding computer can restore this important human sense (Inverse)
This woman lost her engagement ring in the ocean. A baby octopus helped get it back (CBC)
My sense is that our backers on Patreon make Cool Weird Awesome what it is. Join them!
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This month marks 50 years since the world learned The Beatles were calling it a day. So we're telling the story of the American Beetles - a knockoff band that toured South America, without quite telling everyone they weren't the genuine article. Plus: Spanish artist Bichopalo is not only making beautiful music, he's making beautiful musical instruments, too.
How the fake Beatles conned South America (BBC)
Beautiful Musical Machines Perform Otherworldly Tunes (Geeks Are Sexy)
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Lead, unfortunately, is something that lingers, as was proven by scientists who used lead pollution from centuries ago to track the ups and downs of European monarchs. Plus: the story of a Japanese chef so good with a knife that he's created what's probably the world's thinnest sandwich.
Lead pollution in ancient ice cores may track the rise and fall of medieval kings (Science)
Making the World’s Thinnest Sandwich (Laughing Squid)
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Today is Arbor Day, and so we’re going to talk about the Friendship Oak, a remarkable tree in Mississippi that just keeps on keeping on. Plus: we'll visit Joe Bagley, who has 1,400 house plants in his apartment and for whom it might be said that every day is Arbor Day.
Friendship Oak (University of Southern Mississippi)
Houseplant Enthusiast Turns Apartment into Urban Jungle with Over 1,400 Potted Plants (Oddity Central)
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Music scholars at Cambridge University studied musical manuscripts without modern notation and after years of detective work, reconstructed what they would have sounded like. Plus: on this day in 1982 Key West, Florida declared independence from - and war on - the United States. For not very long.
First performance in 1,000 years: ‘lost’ songs from the Middle Ages are brought back to life (Cambridge University)
That Time the Florida Keys Tried to Secede from the US by Dropping Conch Fritter Bombs (Vice)
On this day in 2020 Patreon backers made another great episode of Cool Weird Awesome happen. Join them!
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Like people in other industries who have the means to do so, the scientists who operate the Curiosity Rover are working away from their office at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in southern California. Though technically when you run a craft that's on another planet, you're always working remotely. Plus: artist Greg Olijnyk makes intricate sculptures of robots, telescopes, ships and more out of plain old cardboard.
NASA's Curiosity Keeps Rolling As Team Operates Rover From Home (NASA)
Greg Olijnyk Makes Incredibly Detailed Sculptures out of Cardboard (Cool Material)
Patreon backers make Cool Weird Awesome fly through the solar system, or at least the podcast universe
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The University of Virginia's Disabilities Studies Symposium has produced a version of a 1950s opera called “Dialogues of the Carmelites" featuring both traditional opera singers and Deaf actors performing together and living up to the name of their workshop, "Breaking the Sound Barrier." Plus: a cat played a Theremin on the internet, because why not.
Singing and Signing: ‘Deaf Opera’ Comes to Grounds (University of Virginia)
Cat Plays With A Theremin And Is Completely And Utterly Befuddled (Digg)
Cool Weird Awesome sounds great because of its backers on Patreon
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It's a very odd anniversary in the history of the US presidency. Today in 1979, President Jimmy Carter got into a fight (of sorts) with a swamp rabbit. Plus: today would normally be a big day in Zurich, when participants in the annual Sechselauten bring on spring by blowing up a snowman!
In 1979, Jimmy Carter was attacked by a giant swimming rabbit (AV Club)
The History of Sechseläuten (Zuerich.com)
Patreon backers are always welcome in Cool Weird Awesome's boat
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Some health experts suggest that when the world gets back to normal we should do away with the handshake. It is an effective way to spread germs, but it's also had some pretty useful functions in its long history. Plus: since it's the anniversary of the first episode of "Game of Thrones," we visit a guy in California who installed a 15-foot-tall dragon in his front yard.
Why do we touch strangers so much? A history of the handshake offers clues (National Geographic)
When Did Shaking Hands Become a Standard Way of Greeting Someone? (Mental Floss)
‘Dragon House’ in Imperial Beach Turning Heads (NBC San Diego)
We'd like to shake the hands of our backers on Patreon - if that were an OK thing to do these days
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Falls on hard pavement can be very, very dangerous for some of us. That's why a research group called SAFERUP is trying to make safer, bouncier pavement. Plus: the Rakuten Monkeys baseball team in Taiwan is planning to have robot mannequins in the stands to cheer them on until fans can return to the ballpark.
Ground-Up Tire Pavement Could Be Safer for Pedestrians and Athletes (Popular Mechanics)
Taiwanese Baseball Team Will Use Dressed-Up Robots Instead of Fans When Season Begins This Weekend (12up)
Support from Cool Weird Awesome's Patreon backers is even better than support from robot mannequins!
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Artist Itsuo Kobayashi has been keeping an illustrated food diary since 1980, drawing and describing each meal, the ingredients, the price and how it made him feel. Plus: for National Banana Day, we go to - where else - the International Banana Museum in California.
For Over 30 Years Itsuo Kobayashi Has Been Keeping an Illustrated Food Diary (Spoon & Tamago)
Opening a Banana Museum next to a toxic desert lake makes absolutely no sense—but that’s part of its a-peel (Roadtrippers)
Cool Weird Awesome's Patreon backers make every episode of this show possible!
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Today's the day in 1828 that Noah Webster went to the copyright office to register his work “An American Dictionary of the English Language.” This work, no pun intended, defined American English as people actually spoke it, but it also included some words that haven't exactly stayed with us. Plus: there are perhaps no words for the mulletty goodness that resulted when a woman in New Zealand tried to cut her hair with a kitchen knife.
Happy Birthday, Webster's 1828! (Merriam-Webster)
An A to Z of Noah Webster’s Finest Forgotten Words (Huffington Post)
'Don't have any scissors': Hamilton woman cuts own hair with kitchen knife (Stuff.co.NZ)
Cool Weird Awesome's backers on Patreon are the very definition of amazing
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A company called Carbios says it’s been using what it calls a “mutant enzyme” to break plastic down into the components to make new plastic in mere hours. But will this mutant eventually try to rule humanity for its own good? Plus: an education student in Kentucky creates see-through plastic masks to help deaf and hard of hearing people during the current difficulties.
This "Mutant Enzyme" Can Break Down Plastic Bottles In Hours (Futurism)
College student makes masks for the deaf & hard of hearing (Lex18.com)
Cool Weird Awesome gets its super powers from backers on Patreon!
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We're replaying some of our favorite robot-themed episodes of the show this week. In this episode from October 2019, we hear about an autonomous device that’s ready to clean up after our dogs on demand, thanks to a large scooper on its underside. If they’re willing to do this job, maybe robots aren’t trying to conquer us after all. Plus: “dogfishing” is a problem for online dating. People are using other people’s dogs in their profile pics in the hopes it will land them more dates. The internet is weird.
Beetl Robotics
Dogfishing: When online daters pose with adorable pets that aren’t theirs (Washington Post)
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We're replaying some of our favorite robot-themed episodes of the show this week. In this episode from July 2019, we learn about a quadcopter drone that uses spring-loaded arms and a process called “rapid aerial morphing” to fold itself up as it flies. So we’re a step closer to real-life Transformers. Plus: the story of the all-robot band Compressorhead, whose members twist and turn their mechanical parts so they can ROCK!
Spring-Loaded Drone Collapses Mid-Flight to Zip Through Windows (IEEE Spectrum)
Compressorhead (Weirdest Band In The World)
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We're replaying some of our favorite robot-themed episodes of the show this week. In this episode from July 2019, we check in on a little white robot swimming through rice fields in Japan, imitating a duck! It’s actually helping to grow the rice by aerating the water and stopping weeds from growing. Plus: if you prefer non-robotic ducks, then you’ve got some options with the World’s Largest Rubber Duck.
Nissan Builds Robot Duck To Help Rice Farmers Keep Weeds Out Of Their Paddies (Designboom)
World’s Largest Rubber Duck
Quack – er, back – this show on Patreon!
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We're replaying some of our favorite robot-themed episodes of the show this week. In this episode from June 2019, researchers teach robots to row themselves gently down the stream and to connect to each other autonomously. They could help clean the water or even turn themselves into temporary footbridges. Plus: a band in Mexico knew just what to do when the mall they were playing in started to flood. Celine would have been proud.
Autonomous boats can target and latch onto each other (MIT)
As heavy rain floods shopping center, musicians play Titanic theme (Mexico News Daily)
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We're replaying some of our favorite robot-themed episodes of the show this week. In this episode from April 2019, a New Zealand company tests a robot that’s supposed to move through an apple orchard, spot ripe fruit, yank it from the tree and bring it back to the farmer. They’re either helping us do a hard job or taking the first step toward an agricultural Skynet.
Your Apples May Soon Be Picked By Laser-Shooting Robots (Wired)
Brian Shaw Devours Nearly Everything on The Taco Bell Menu (Muscle and Fitness)
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Firefighters in Chongqing, China, may soon put out fires with help from a team of six large drones that can get in the air and quickly extinguish blazes. Plus: a guy in Tacoma, Washington is spreading positivity by yelling things at people for money.
China's firefighting drones: Unmanned aircraft can extinguish a blazing 10-storey building within minutes (Daily Mail)
Driver on the Street: Tacoma man screams positivity through coronavirus scare (Q13 FOX)
THANK YOU TO OUR PATREON BACKERS ok gonna stop screaming now
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They’re holding auditions for the next voice of Big Tex, the 55 foot tall cowboy that’s the embodiment of the Texas State Fair. He's joined forces with the X-Men and survived catching on fire, not he just needs someone to help him talk about his long career. Plus: today is National Burrito Day and we've spotted one that even Big Tex would probably have trouble finishing.
Big Tex needs a new voice, and it could be you that gives it to him (KXAN)
The History Of Big Tex At The State Fair Of Texas — And Why We Love Him So Much (KERA)
Howdy, folks: 10 things you probably didn't know about Big Tex (Dallas Morning News)
This Massive Burrito Weighs 8 Pounds (Food Network)
Howdy, Patreon backers!
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Researchers have been studying LEGO longevity! Don't put them in the ocean, because they could last hundreds or even thousands of years - instead, maybe build something really cool to share with future generations. Plus: there's a new world record in the category of most walnuts cracked by an elbow in under a minute. Yes, that's a category.
Study: LEGO Bricks Can Survive in Ocean For 1,300 Years (Geek.com)
Martial artist breaks 256 walnuts with his elbow in one minute (UPI)
Cool Weird Awesome backers on Patreon make shows that last an extra long time
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The Eiffel Tower was only supposed to stand in Paris for 20 years... but experiments in "wireless telegraphy" helped convince the powers that be to keep the tower in place. Plus: this gallery of the weirdest-looking cars to ever roll off the assembly line is maybe not the aesthetic equal of the Eiffel Tower, but it sure is fun.
15 Monumental Facts About the Eiffel Tower (Mental Floss)
Damn Your Eyes: The Ugliest Cars Ever Made (Automobile)
We say merci to our backers on Patreon!
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There’s a website that shows seven sites on which European castles once stood - only partial structures now, but the site has filled the towers and other structures back in. Plus: the blare of a neighborhood car alarm gives Brooklyn musician Andrea Long Chu some inspiration.
This Is What 7 Castles Across Europe Looked Like Before Falling Into Ruins (Bored Panda)
This Woman Transforms An Annoying Car Alarm Into A Stroke Of Musical Genius (Digg)
Our Patreon backers are pretty inspirational, come to think of it
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Baseball's opening weekend has been postponed, so for now let's enjoy the tale of how pitcher Keith Comstock managed to turn his baseball card into one where he appears to be hit in a very sensitive place. Plus: salon owner Heidi Oley had to close her shop for the time being, so she’s practicing her skills on her boyfriend and posting daily hairdos on Instagram.
'You're the guy with the ball to the crotch': The inside story behind the funniest baseball card ever made (ESPN)
This Hairstylist Can’t Work So She’s Giving Her Boyfriend a New Daily Hairdo Instead (Twisted Sifter)
Cool Weird Awesome's Patreon backers always have style
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It's the birthday of Augusta Van Buren, who joined her sister Adeline for a cross-country motorcycle trip in 1916 to win support for the suffragist movement. And what a trip it was. Plus: if you're one of the many people stocking up on bathroom tissue these days, note that the largest roll ever made is in Missouri - but it's not for sale.
Adeline and Augusta Van Buren (AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame)
The World’s Largest Roll Of Toilet Paper Can Be Found Right Here In Missouri (Only In Your State)
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NASA has fixed a problem with its Mars lander, essentially by telling the lander to use a robotic arm to help itself - or, depending on the headlines you read, to whack itself. Plus: a Wisconsin man finds a clever way to share a beer with his neighbor in the era of social distancing.
NASA fixes Mars lander by hitting it with a shovel (CNN)
NASA's Mars InSight Lander to Push on Top of the 'Mole' (NASA)
Social distancing the Wisconsin way: Richfield man shares a beer with his neighbor via RC car (Fox 6 Now)
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A team Purdue University developed a device that uses sound waves that can help determine if and when a disease has started to invade our body cells. That SOUNDS like a good idea (see what we did there?) Plus: a sports commentator in the UK is keeping his skills in shape during the sports hiatus by doing play-by-play on non-sports activities.
Device could 'hear' disease through structures housing cells (Science Daily)
Mundane Walk. (Nick Heath on Twitter)
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On this day in 1839 we first saw the word we use so often to describe our most middling feelings. That’s right, it’s the birthday of OK. Plus: it's also the anniversary of the time an astronaut smuggled a corned beef sandwich aboard a space mission.
How 'OK' took over the world (BBC)
A Contraband Corned Beef Sandwich Went to Space 50 Years Ago (Popular Mechanics)
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This sounds bonkers, but apparently a robotic cleaning system called HullSkater can remove bio-gunk off the hulls of ships, helping them reduce their carbon footprints. Plus: Freeman, South Dakota was to have SchmeckFest this weekend. It will be back, so until then keep the spirit of SchmeckFest going.
These underwater robots make cargo ship hulls so smooth that it reduces emissions (Fast Company)
Schmeckfest
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I grew up reading Choose Your Own Adventure books, some of which had dozens of possible endings. But a new book from a celebrated Sri Lankan children's author had a world record 1,250 endings! Plus: a pilot in Austria does his part for social distancing with a flight path that spells out "STAY HOME."
Children's book gets Guinness record with 1,250 alternative endings (UPI)
Pilot writes message for world in the sky: 'Stay home' (CNet)
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The Atlantic just did an interview with some musicians called the Paul O’Sullivan Band. There are four guys in the group: Paul O’Sullivan, Paul O’Sullivan, Paul O’Sullivan and (wait for it) Paul O’Sullivan. Here's the story of how they got together. Plus: some musical animals come together for a song? Sort of?
An Anthem for Everyone Who’s Ever Googled Their Name (The Atlantic)
Oh, Internet. Internet Internet Internet: Videos Of Animals Playing Instruments Edited Into 'The Fabulous Animal Orchestra Supergroup' (Geekologie)
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A team at King’s College London has found evidence that, with help from a prescription treatment, teeth may be able to repair themselves! Plus: parades are off this St. Patrick's Day, but we've still got Irish Potato Candies. (Don't worry, they only look like potatos.)
Further evidence shows clinical viability of natural tooth repair method (King's College London)
Irish Potato Candies Are the Best St. Patrick’s Day Treat You’ve Never Heard Of (Chowhound)
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Staff at a museum in Turin, Italy called Castello di Rivoli have been working marathon days to digitize their entire collection so that art lovers who can't see the pieces in person can still enjoy them online. Plus: a volunteers at a thrift shop in North Carolina spots something unusual in a stack of paintings - a work by none other than Salvador Dali!
A World-Famous Curator Is Working 18-Hour Days to Put One of Italy’s Top Museums Online So Italians Can Visit From Quarantine (ArtNet)
Original Salvador Dali artwork discovered at Outer Banks thrift store (WAVY)
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This weekend voting gets underway for one of the most unusual contests you’ll find anywhere in the world: the Takhini Hot Springs Hair Freezing Contest. Plus: Colorado is honoring a dude who's spending his afterlife surrounded by a great deal of dry ice. Introducing Frozen Dead Guys Days!
Takhini Hot Springs Hair Freezing Contest
Frozen Dead Guy Days
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We’re hearing a lot about how a research project has shown that Earth days used to be about a half-hour shorter than they are now. Why is our planet rotating more slowly now? It's mostly because of the moon. Plus: in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the National Shag Dance Championships are getting underway.
How Long Until The Moon Slows The Earth To A 25 Hour Day? (Forbes)
Days on Earth Used to Be 30 Minutes Shorter, Ancient Shell Suggests (Gizmodo)
National Shag Dance Championships
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Researchers at the University of Toronto have an idea: maybe the old cooking oil from fast food chains could have new life as resin for 3D printers. Plus: this weekend in Mansfield, Texas, it’s the one and only Pickle Parade!
U of T researchers turn McDonald's deep fryer oil into high-end 3D printing resin (University of Toronto)
Mansfield, Texas Pickle Parade
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Researchers at the University of Sydney say they can turn the waste from durian and jackfruit into carbon aerogel, which can help store energy in what are called super-capacitors. And no, they don't smell. Plus: Daniele Barresi is a master of making ornate sculpted art from avocadoes.
Scientists turn stinky durian waste into energy storage (Treehugger)
Daniele Barresi's Avocado Sculptures
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Earlier this year NASA got Voyager 2 to restart systems it had shut down through the ultimate in working remotely: sending directions beyond the reach of the sun! The way we send those commands to Voyagers 1 and 2 is pretty basic, but with twists to make up for the extremely long distance. Plus: ISS astronauts have been growing space veggies, and they're pretty good for us.
How are the Voyager spacecraft able to transmit radio messages so far? (How Stuff Works)
Voyager 2 Returns to Normal Operations (NASA)
NASA's Space Lettuce Is Safe And Nutritious, Paving Way For Crops On The Moon And Mars (Newsweek)
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Dehydration can be a big problem for patients with dementia or Alzheimers. Jelly Drops are colorful, edible treat pods full of water that may be able to help these individuals stay hydrated. Plus: the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museum is hosting the new exhibit “Ohio: An Unnatural History," complete with life-size cutouts of mythical Ohio creatures.
Man Creates Edible Water To Help His Grandmother With Dementia Stay Hydrated (Interesting Engineering)
Mythical creatures of Ohio on display at Rutherford B. Hayes museum (WTOL)
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Today is the birthday of Jerrie Cobb, who could have been the first woman in space but ended up flying to great heights nonetheless. Plus: it was on this day in 2011 that a museum in the Netherlands first put on exhibit a work called “Peanut Butter Floor," which was exactly what it sounds like.
Jerrie Cobb, America's first female astronaut candidate, dies at 88 (NBC News)
Cobb, Geraldyn “Jerrie” M., Aviation Pioneer (National Aviation Hall of Fame)
Peanut Butter Floor (Bookofjoe)
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Some moths are built to essentially cancel sound - and it's a pretty effective defense mechanism against bats and echolocation. Plus: a heart-shaped work of art made by bees!
Deaf moths evolved noise-cancelling scales to evade predators (Phys.org)
Bees Create Heart-Shaped Hive When There Aren’t Frames Up to Guide Them (My Modern Met)
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On this day in 1876, a Mrs. Crouch was outside making soap when “suddenly there descended upon her a gentle shower of meat.” What the heck happened to cause meat to fall from the sky over Bath County, Kentucky? Plus: Lincoln, the goat mayor of Fairhaven, Vermont, runs for reelection against his challenger, Sammy the police dog.
Kentucky Meat Shower? Yes, meat fell from the sky more than 140 years ago (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Vermont goat mayor in for a 'dog' fight at her Town Meeting Day re-election (Burlington Free Press)
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Can music help cats relax during their visits to the vet? Apparently so - but would music specifically made for cats be even more helpful than music made for humans? Plus: if you missed Justin Bieber's birthday yesterday, visit a museum in his hometown that features all the stuff from his career that his proud grandparents saved!
This music calms cats the best, study finds (Treehugger)
How a small-town Canadian museum became a shrine to Justin Bieber (The Outline)
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It was on a Leap Day in 1968 that the President of the United States got stuck in an elevator. We'll explain how it happened. Plus: this weekend at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, it's the third annual Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Weekend.
LBJ Stuck In An Elevator (Atlas Obscura)
Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Weekend at Graceland (Memphis Travel)
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A new technology out of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst actually pulls electricity out of the air! But don't worry, it's not like when Sith lords shoot lightning at people. Plus: Steamboat Springs, Colorado sets the world record for the largest single firework explosion.
New Green Technology from UMass Amherst Generates Electricity ‘Out of Thin Air’ (University of Massachusetts)
The world's largest single firework just lit up the night sky in Steamboat Springs (ABC 7 Denver)
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Disappearing People is a computer program that can make us invisible on our computer’s cameras! Plus: the story of something that cannot be unseen, the world record longest salami.
This Program Will Make You Invisible (to Your Webcam) (Motherboard)
Salami larger than the Statue of Liberty has broken a world record in Argentina (Mirror UK)
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A project run by researchers at the University of Sheffield, is using foam taken from discarded mattresses to help Syrian refugees start hydroponic gardens in Jordan. Plus: why were there two Miss Sasquatch Queens in Saskatchewan back in 1969?
Scientists using old mattresses to grow food for Syrian refugees in Jordan (iNews)
Miss Sasquatch Queen (Weird Universe)
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The technology I like best is the technology that helps people do what they couldn’t do before, like a new brain implant that can put images from a camera in front of blind people. Plus: Rita Ebel is making the German town of Hanau more accessible for wheelchair uses, by using LEGO.
A new implant for blind people jacks directly into the brain (MIT Technology Review)
One Woman and Thousands of Lego Bricks Are Building a Town Much-Needed Wheelchair Ramps (Gizmodo)
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Washington State University has a Sensory Science Lab that tests all the ways we encounter what we eat and how that can affect how we think it tastes. Now they’re testing whether different kinds of music can affect how we think about chocolate. Plus: this weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, there’s a chance to go out on a bar crawl that’s like none other.
Exploring links between music and our perceptions of chocolate (Washington State University)
Charlotte's 8th Annual Banana Bar Crawl
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If you’ve ever driven past a building and seen a faded advertisement on the side of the brick, or spotted a neon sign for a restaurant where a real estate office now sits, those are ghost signs. A new book called The Ghost Signs of NYCtours these signs and advertisements and tells the stories of how they got where they are. Plus: meet the world's largest paint ball, two tons of paint hanging out in Alexandria, Indiana.
The Ghost Signs of NYC: Uncover the Secrets to New York’s Past in New Book (Untapped New York)
The World's Largest Paint Ball!
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It was on this day in 1914 a family in Grangeville, Idaho sent a four year old through the mail to her grandmother in Lewiston, 73 miles away. And she wasn’t the only kid to travel this way after the US Postal Service began the parcel post. Plus: the group Electronicos Fantasticos is making some fascinating music with bar code scanners!
A Brief History of Children Sent Through the Mail (Smithsonian)
We Used to be Able to Send Children in the Mail (KQED)
Barcoders Jamming (Electronicos Fantasticos on YouTube)
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Toss an item into TrashBot and the system’s internal sensors figure out what the item is, and whether to recycle it or toss it out. No more recycleables in the trash, no more trash in the recycleables. Plus: officials in Prichard, Alabama missed a typo when sending out their new trash bins for residents.
This robot trash bin automatically sorts your recyclables for you (Fast Company)
Embarrassing typo on new Prichard trash cans (NBC 15)
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Since 1800, presidents have made the White House their home base. But there have been a few times when new presidents took office unexpectedly and the world's most powerful address wasn’t yet available to them. For Gerald Ford in 1974, that meant he spent the first 10 days of his presidency living at his family home in Alexandria, Virginia.
Gerald R. Ford House (BradyCarlson.com)
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For Valentine's Day, the story of the olm salamander, who will basically sit around and do nothing… unless it’s time for love. Plus: people in Rangeley, Maine gear up for the annual World Record Snowmobile Ride.
A salamander didn't move for seven years – and that's not that unusual (USA Today)
Rangeley World Record Snowmobile Ride (Visit Maine)
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Some sounds are pleasing, others not so much. And a few can actually be destructive, like the sound ZME Science identified is probably the loudest sound humans have ever heard. Plus: how about some loud applause for an octopus who managed to escape four octopus escape rooms?
The loudest sound in mankind’s history (ZME Science)
Octopus Escape Room Challenge (Octolab TV via YouTube)
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Orchards in the US and elsewhere have been trying to head off a disease called citrus greening. Research shows that dogs can sniff out this disease better and more quickly than any other method we have. Plus: if you're out riding a horse in Australia, and you get a call, put the phone in hands-free mode.
Dog sleuths sniff out crop disease hitting citrus trees (KCRA)
Man riding horse stopped by police for using phone (Weekly Times Now)
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There's a whole world of sustainable materials for clothing that will have less of an impact should they end up in landfills - some don't just have low carbon footprints, they have negative carbon footprints! Plus: an art student in Japan puts on a fashion show in which the lead materials in the clothes are rubber bands.
Do you have it in green? The living fabrics that can help clean the air (The Guardian)
Rubber Collection: Garments Made From Knitted Rubber Bands (Spoon and Tamago)
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Here’s one instance where the doctor really CAN say “this won’t hurt a bit.” 4D-printed microneedles could perform of the medical functions of hypodermic needles - giving us vaccines and medicines, taking blood samples - except no shots. Plus: the story of a cat and her 3D-printed titanium paws.
High-Tech Printing May Help Eliminate Painful Shots (Rutgers)
Surgeons Gave This Adorable Can Four Amazing 3D-Printed Paws (Futurism)
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There's a project out of the University of Maine that's found that wild blueberries can help us heal cuts and other wounds. Plus: this weekend the 3rd annual Hawaii Island Steel Guitar Festival gets underway.
Wound-healing treatment using wild blueberries receives MTI grant (University of Maine)
The 3rd Annual Hawaii Island Steel Guitar Festival (This Week Hawaii)
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Sounds like good news for the millions affected by heart disease: a nanoparticle that can target the plaque inside those blood vessels and actually reduce it! Plus: an animal rescue in Leesville, SC, needs piggy cuddlers!
Nanoparticle chomps away plaques that cause heart attacks (Science Daily)
Sanctuary seeks 'piggy cuddlers' to socialize rescued swine (UPI)
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Researchers at UCLA have developed a coating that can take care of persistent ice in winter, and amazingly, it’s all due to fish. Plus: Kendall Diwisch of Edmonton, Alberta. who helped three kittens get unstuck from an icy situation.
Hydrogel coating is first to prevent ice formation in 3 different ways (UCLA)
WATCH: Man Rescues Kittens Stuck In Ice By Pouring Warm Coffee On Them (CBS Seattle)
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Kryptos is a puzzle sculpture that’s been on the grounds of CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia since 1990. Three of its four coded messages have been solved - and now we have a clue that might reveal the fourth. Plus: the story of the J.W. Westcott II, the only ship that has its own ZIP code.
Kryptos (CIA.gov)
This Sculpture Holds A Decades-Old C.I.A. Mystery. And Now, Another Clue. (New York Times)
A Look at J.W. Westcott Co.: The Detroit Business That Delivers Mail Via Boat (Hour Detroit)
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On this day in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln wrote to the king of Siam, now Thailand, to say thanks, but no thanks, to the king's offer of a herd of elephants. It was a gracious letter, which was appropriate because elephants themselves have lovely manners.
Lincoln Rejects the King of Siam's Offer of Elephants (American Battlefield Trust)
Elephant Emotions (PBS Nature)
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A growing number of hockey fans are paying attention to blind hockey, where players have either full blindness or 10 percent vision or less. That puts the emphasis on sound. Plus: introducing the Telecaster guitar that's been signed by 16 Navajo code talkers!
‘It’s Freeing’: Hockey League Gives Visually Impaired Players An Opportunity To Hit The Ice (CBS New York)
They can’t see, but blind hockey players can pass, shoot and score (Washington Post)
Fender Telecaster signed by 16 Navajo Code Talkers (Indian Country Today)
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Of all the great breakthroughs we’ve made in outer space, there are none sweeter than this: last month, astronauts on the International Space Station baked chocolate chip cookies. But baking cookies in space is a little different than baking them on Earth. Plus: a new device called the Exolung can keep air flowing for virtually as long as a diver likes.
Space-baked cookies not chips off old block (The Columbian)
The Exolung gives divers an 'unlimited' underwater air supply (Designboom)
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The Rubik's Cube first came to a toy fair in London 40 years ago today. I have never finished one, but the enthusiasts known as speedcubers can now solve an entire cube in seconds. Plus: did you know that Horshack from "Welcome Back Kotter" did the voice on the Rubik's Cube cartoon show?
9 fun facts about the Rubik’s Cube on its 40th birthday (New York Post)
How the Inventor of the Rubik’s Cube Cracked His Own Code (Great Big Story on YouTube)
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Researchers at Purdue University have managed to spin a very tiny object at the ungodly rate of 300 billion revolutions per minute - and it's powered only by light. Plus: Google Maps allows users to rate and review rivers, lakes and anywhere else that people want to go. So what's the best-reviewed river Earth has to offer?
Light powers world's fastest-spinning object (Purdue)
What is the world’s best river? (Quartz)
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A PhD student at the University of Sydney, Alexandra Green, studied a herd of cows for more than five months to study what she called cattle vocal individuality. Cows, it turns out, have a lot to say to each other! Plus: the story of Manuela, a tortoise in Brazil who probably should've spoken up at some point.
Cowmoonication: Research finds cows 'talk' to each other (New Zealand Herald)
Family Cleans House, Finds Pet Tortoise Missing Since 1982 (Sunny Skyz)
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On National Peanut Butter Day, a reminder that peanut butter is so versatile it can be turned into diamonds. It actually takes more time to explain why you can turn peanut butter into diamonds than to explain how. Plus: this weekend in McCall, Idaho, the Idaho State Snow Sculpting Championships are taking place.
How to make a diamond from scratch - with peanut butter (BBC)
Peanut butter diamonds on display (BBC)
George Washington Carver: Biography, Inventions & Quotes (LiveScience)
McCall Winter Carnival and Idaho State Snow Sculpting Championships
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Today's the birthday of one of the great toys of our time: the Frisbee. Though if the man who put that toy into millions of hands had his way, it would’ve been called the Pluto Platter. Plus: on this National Pie Day, head to Rockland, Maine for the 16th Annual Pies on Parade Gala.
Fred Morrison, Creator of a Popular Flying Plate, Dies at 90 (New York Times)
16th Annual Pies on Parade Gala
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On this day in 1948 of the mayor of Boston, James Curley, wrote to the president of MIT, asking that the school's top engineers find a way to get rid of the huge amounts of snow, maybe with flamethrowers. Seriously. Plus: in Chico, California, a much more calm event is getting underway, the the Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway.
1948 mayor to MIT: use flamethrowers to melt snow? (MIT)
Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway
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April 1st is officially Census Day in 2020, but today is the first day of counting, and the first town to be counted is Toksook Bay, Alaska, near the Bering Sea. Plus: meet Aleia Murawski and Samuel Copeland, who build little environments for snails and then film and photograph the results.
Getting to Hard-to-Reach Villages Before Spring Thaw and Start of Hunting Season (Census.gov)
Toksook Bay prepares to be first town counted in 2020 U.S. Census (Alaska Public Media)
See the world through the lens of a snail in these miniature creations (It's Nice That)
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The most prominent civil rights leader in US history was a Trekkie, and a big reason why was the character of Lieutenant Uhura, played by NIchelle Nichols. Here's the story of how Dr. King convinced Nichols to stay on the show when she had plans to leave.
Star Trek's Uhura Reflects On MLK Encounter (NPR's Tell Me More)
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Benjamin Franklin was a lot of things, but he always saw himself as a printer - and some of what he printed was currency for American colonies. Turns out he had some pretty creative ways to try to keep counterfeiters from copying his bills. Plus: New Orleans is hosting the Samantha Fish Cigar Box Guitar Festival this weekend.
Library of Congress exhibit explores early American notes (Coin World)
Samantha Fish stops by to talk cigar box festival (WGNO)
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And now the episode I’ve wanted to make since I started the show: we’re celebrating the Zamboni! And we're meeting its inventor, Frank Zamboni, who was born on this day in 1901. Plus: a company calculates out just how long it would take a Zamboni to resurface the greatest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior.
Making Ice Nice Since 1949: A Brief History of the Zamboni (Mental Floss)
It'd take 693 years to resurface Lake Superior with a Zamboni, study says (Detroit Free Press)
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On this day in 1927, the BBC tried something new for their broadcast of a rugby match between England and Wales: they partnered with Radio Times magazine to publish a diagram of a rugby pitch to help the audience follow the action. Plus: on National Hat Day, where better to be than the one and only National Hat Museum?
Squaring Up for Radio Commentary (On This Day)
Where We Live: The National Hat Museum (KOIN)
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The New York Public Library released a list of its top 10 all-time most borrowed books. One book you won’t find on the list is “Goodnight Moon.” Despite being one of the most iconic children’s books of its time, the New York Public Library didn’t have a copy for decades, because an influential librarian didn’t like it. Plus: the amazing origins of Silent Record Week!
Top 10 Checkouts of All Time (New York Public Library)
The Quintessential Librarian Stereotype: Wrestling With the Legacy of Anne Carroll Moore (School Library Journal)
The Restorative Pause of Silent Record Week (New Yorker)
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On this day in 1942, the patent was issued for a car that was to be (at least partly) made from soybeans. And it was the idea of none other than Henry Ford. Plus: Steven Paul Judd is an Oklahoma-based artist of Kiowa/Choctaw descent, and last month he made a portrait of Sitting Bull using just over 20,000 black and white dice.
Henry Ford And His Soybean Car (A Moment of Science)
Soybean Car (The Henry Ford Museum)
This Amazing Sitting Bull Portrait Made from 20,000 Dice (Twisted Sifter)
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Humans have been trying to figure out how to replicate plant photosynthesis for a long time - and we’ve had some successes, but a team at the University of Michigan has taken one of the biggest steps forward, with a process that uses metals as catalysts to turn light, carbon dioxide and water into methane. Plus: a company in Japan will make a personalized mask for you in the shape of your pet’s face.
Taking a cue from plants, new chemical approach converts carbon dioxide to valuable fuel (Science)
This Japanese Company Will Make You A Wearable Replica Mask Of Your Pet’s Head (Bolde)
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Dental history is, shall we say, complicated. Fortunately we have all sorts of ways to minimize pain today, but none may be as exciting as those used by Edgar "Painless" Parker, a dentist who would distract his patients by putting on a vaudeville show as he worked. Plus: V2P technology could help us keep cars and pedestrians from crashing into each other.
The disturbing history of dentistry (Grunge.com)
This tech could mean your phone stops you from getting killed by a car (Ars Technica)
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All kinds of pop culture can lead to trends in baby names, but there’s research that shows that when a hit song has climbed up the pop charts, the same name starts climbing the list of baby names. Plus: good news out of the Consumer Electronics Show for drivers who forget their sunglasses. It's an interactive smart car visor.
The Science of Baby-Name Trends (JSTOR)
Bosch's Virtual Visor is a smarter way to block out the sun (Engadget)
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Michelangelo’s David has been one of the best-known works of art for centuries because of its extraordinary detail. Last week we learned it may be even more detailed than we knew. Plus: Clean the World has been collecting, sterilizing and recycling all those old hotel room soaps into new bars, which are sent to people in need all over the world.
A Medical Insight in Michelangelo's David, 'Hiding in Plain Sight' (US News & World Report)
How Used Hilton Hotel Soaps Get Recycled (Tech Insider)
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Obviously one large pizza gets you more than one medium or one small, but what if you’re offered one of those deals where you could get two mediums for a special price? A bold group of pizza researchers studied how you can get the most pizza for your money. Plus: meet the Cocoa Press, the 3D printer for chocolate the world has always needed, even if we didn't realize we needed it.
One 18″ Pizza Is More Pizza Than Two 12″ Pizzas, Math Shows Us Why – Primer Tackling the Serious Issues (Primer Magazine)
Evan and the chocolate factory (University of Pennsylvania)
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In South Africa, a construction company has started producing and using a more eco-friendly asphalt that contains plastic pellets that come from recycled milk bottles. Plus: meet a mayor in Texas who’s bringing a VERY fresh perspective to the job.
South Africa's Roads Are Being Repaved by Recycled Plastic Milk Bottles (Interesting Engineering)
America's youngest mayor takes a bath (TYWKIWDBI)
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Bruins defenseman Eddie Shore missed his team's train from Boston to Montreal for a must-win game against the Canadiens. So he did what anyone would do: drove 350 miles in a blizzard without a windshield to get there. Plus: DriveTanks in Uvalde, Texas, puts you in charge of a Chieftain MKG tank, though car crushing and flamethrowers are extra.
How Eddie Shore's Legendary Toughness Extended Off The Ice (The Hockey News)
You Can Crush Cars While Driving A Tank At DriveTanks in Uvalde, Texas (Only In Your State)
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For years, on New Year’s Day, Americans could go the White House and shake hands with the president. It's a tradition that went back to John Adams and the early days of the Executive Mansion. Plus: starting the new year by ending an old relationship? Meet the Breakup Lightbulb!
The White House New Year’s Day Reception (Feather Foster)
Single Woman Creates Light Bulb Device That Turns on Whenever Someone Breaks Up on Social Media (Oddity Central)
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Researchers in Switzerland say they’ve found a way to change the color of chocolate, and without adding any colors or dyes to it. Instead, they use a special imprint to give it a glowing, rainbow-y patina. Plus: the annual PeepsFest is getting underway, and they're going to do a ball drop for New Year's with a giant Peep!
Making chocolate colourful (ETH Zurich)
PeepsFest
Happy New Year to everyone, especially our backers on Patreon!
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Eight years ago Samoa skipped a day on the calendar, owing to the International Date Line and some business involving its key trading partners. There just wasn't a December 30th, 2011 there! Plus: why break your back shoveling snow when you can design a radio-controlled snowplow to do the work for you?
Samoa to skip Friday, lose December 30th 2011 forever (Christian Science Monitor)
Guy Creates The Ultimate Alternative To Shoveling Your Own Snow (Digg)
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There’s a Facebook group/Instagram account called UPS Dogs, and it collects and shares photos of the pups that delivery drivers meet (and usually befriend) on their routes, especially the ones they see regularly. Which is completely and utterly adorable. Plus: meet the world’s smallest inhabited island, with an appropos name of Just Room Enough Island.
How a UPS driver used dogs on his route to make an Instagram account go viral (The Hour)
Just Room Enough Island – The World’s Smallest Inhabited Island (Oddity Central)
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Remember the beer fridge from our first episode, that two men found after a long weekend of cleaning up flood damage? The Lincoln Journal-Star has checked back in with the owner and the finders to get the latest chapter in the beer fridge story. Plus: Prince Charles owns a car that runs on wine - and, he says, "it smells delicious as you’re driving along."
Viral and vital: The Nebraska beer fridge that survived a fire, flood and found worldwide fame (Lincoln Journal-Star)
How Charles forced Aston Martin to make his car run on wine, and the Royal Train on cooking oil (Telegraph)
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People can celebrate Christmas the way any way they like, no matter how far it strays from those common paths. We share a few unusual but enjoyable places with their own special traditions for December 25th.
Tiny town of Christmas, Fla., is home to Swampy, World's Largest Alligator (Southern Thing)
The Magical Place Near Cleveland Where It’s Christmas Year-Round (Only In Your State)
Washington Crossing the Delaware Reenactment (Washington Crossing Park)
Merry Christmas to all our Patreon backers, listeners and well-wishers!
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Santa Claus stuffing a terrified kid into his bag of presents? Creepy monsters chasing people? A Christmas dinner come to life, with utensils as legs? Meet some of the many terrifying designs for Christmas cards back in the Victorian era. Plus: today is the anniversary of Earthrise, the iconic photo taken by the Apollo 8 crew as they orbited the moon.
Have a Creepy Little Christmas with These Unsettling Victorian Cards (Hyperallergic)
Earthrise: Celebrating the Photograph that Changed (How We View) the World (Library of Congress)
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Take the Hanukkah favorite, dreidel, and turn the intensity way, way up. Now you've got Major League Dreidel, a growing new sport in New York City. Plus: an agency in Nova Scotia decided people needed a break from ads this season, and released some ad-free ads.
Competitive Dreidel-Spinning Is a Thing. Here's How Major League Dreidel Got Started. (Civilized)
Creative agency buys $10k of blank ad space to give everyone a break from ads (It's Nice That)
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As we get ready for the official start of winter, it's worth noting that some of us deal with this time of year in unusual ways. Like the people of Winnipeg, Manitoba, who spend their cold, cold winters drinking Slurpees. Plus: on this Star Wars premiere day, a visit to a German observatory painted to look like R2-D2.
How One of Canada's Coldest Cities Became the Slurpee Capital of the World (Thrillist)
Giant R2-D2 Structure is an Overhauled German Observatory (Interesting Engineering)
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You’ve heard about making cars smarter, but what about smarter intersections? Cornell researchers find that making intersections more autonomous could help get self-driving cars where they want to go more efficiently. Plus: on the anniversary of the last day of the last Apollo mission to the moon, how about a trip to the Museum of the Moon, now visiting Philadelphia?
Smart intersections could cut autonomous car congestion (Science Daily)
Last lunar-landing mission ends (History.com)
Museum of the Moon (Franklin Institute)
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An increasing number of museums are offering EnChroma corrective glasses to visitors with color blindness, to bring more color to the world of art and those who enjoy it. Plus: a museum in London is exhibiting a disposable cup from 3,500 years ago, proving that from our earliest times, we’ve been trying to avoid doing the dishes.
When Colorblind Visitors Put On These Glasses, The Art At The MCA Looks A Lot Brighter (Colorado Public Radio)
How EnChroma’s Glasses Correct Color-Blindness (Technology Review)
A museum’s 3,500-year-old disposable cup shows the desire to avoid dishwashing is ancient (Washington Post)
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Today marks 30 years since the first episode of “The Simpsons” aired, and so we pay tribute to the house Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie call home - not to mention a real-life, 3D version of the place in Nevada. Plus: the closest real-life town to Springfield, USA isn't a Springfield at all.
Duff beers, colorful walls and THAT saggy couch: Inside the real-life Simpsons house that was built as a competition prize in the 1990s ... but the winner decided to take the money instead! (Daily Mail)
25 things you never knew about The Simpsons (Telegraph UK)
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Fruitcake is one holiday tradition that's not for everybody, we know that, but those who love it, love it - like the Ford family in Michigan, which has kept a single fruitcake as an heirloom for over 140 years. Plus: if fruitcake is so infamous, why are there two towns that want to be known as the fruitcake capital of the world?
For Tecumseh family, 141-year-old fruitcake represents love (Detroit News)
Georgia Town Makes Claim For Fruitcake Capital Of The World (The Salt)
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TubaChristmas is an annual concert tradition in which musicians gather to play festive music exclusively on tubas, baritone horns, sousaphones and and euphoniums. We'll explain how Christmas got so tuba-ey. Plus: Stan Freese got so into his tuba that he decorated the tree in his yard with the horns.
For a shining moment a year, tubas get spotlight (New York Times)
About TubaChristmas (TubaChristmas.com)
Placentia musician’s tuba tree is home bass (Orange County Register)
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Many communities put down road salt in winter. It can make the roads safer, but too much salt is bad for the environment and for the roads themselves. Scientists at Washington State University may have found a better way to take the ice off the roads: grapes. Plus: meet the creepiest instrument ever, a baby doll head theremin!
Sustaining roads with grape and agricultural waste (Washington State University)
Playing the Baby Head THEREMIN (Cubitsocks on YouTube)
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Today marks one hundred years since the community of Enterprise, Alabama, put up a very special monument in the middle of town: a statue of a Greek woman holding a boll weevil, an invasive pest that had ruined the local cotton crop. Wait, what? Plus: meet the most destructive holiday force ever, Treezilla!
Boll Weevil Honored (Library of Congress)
Treezilla! The Godzilla Christmas Tree (Steven Newland on YouTube)
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If you want a good party, you need the right soundtrack: researchers set up underwater loudspeakers in dead sections of the Great Barrier Reef, and playing sounds of healthy reefs attracted twice as many fish as areas where there was no sound. Plus: Pocatello, Idaho will give you something to smile about today. It's the law there.
Underwater Loudspeakers Make Fish Flock to Dead Coral in Radical Experiment (Washington Post)
U.S. Smile Capital (Pocatello, ID)
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There are tens of thousands of pieces of space debris orbiting the Earth. We've tried a few different ways to bring them back down over the years. Plus: in Huddleston, Virginia, a giant hay sculpture of a country music legend. Meet Will-hay Nelson!
ESA commissions world’s first space debris removal (European Space Agency)
To Clean Up Space Junk, Some People Grabbed a Net and Harpoon (Wired)
'Will-Hay Nelson' creation at Virginia farm going viral (WSET)
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Today in 1877 the Washington Post published its first edition. It brought us landmark coverage of Watergate, and John Philip Sousa named a march for it. But the Post's biggest achievement is helping to create the teddy bear. Plus: this weekend in Ashland, Nebraska, Santa Goes To Space!
Political Cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman and the Origin of the Teddy Bear (Theodore Roosevelt Center)
Santa Goes to Space (Visit Nebraska)
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The chessboard known as Square Off works if your opponent is nearby or not, because it can use Bluetooth technology to move the pieces for them on your board, and your pieces on theirs. Ron Weasley would be impressed. Plus: you haven't heard "Jingle Bells" until you've heard "Jingle Bells" played on a comb.
World’s Smartest Chess Board Lets You Move Physical Pieces Without Touching Them (Oddity Central)
Now That It’s December, Here’s Jingle Bells Played on a Comb (Twisted Sifter)
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There's a new medical startup called Cast 21, and, as startups do, they’re looking to disrupt those traditional plaster cast paradigms and make a cast so flexible that wearers could even go swimming. Plus: for National Cookie Day, we pay a virtual visit to the National Cookie Cutter HIstorical Museum in Joplin, Missouri.
Waterproof cast lets patients swim with broken bones (Yahoo Sports)
National Cookie Cutter Historical Museum
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It was 48 years ago today that kids first got to play the video game Oregon Trail - the invention of three student teachers from Minnesota who ended up changing video game history without realizing it. Plus: a hospital in San Antonio, Texas marks the holiday season by sending all its December newborns home in red and white hats… and stockings!
Oregon Trail: How three Minnesotans forged its path (City Pages)
This Hospital Wins Christmas By Sending Newborns Home In Christmas Stockings For Over 50 Years Now (Bored Panda)
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It was the giveaway to end all giveaways - 70 years ago almost to the day, a store in Oregon advertised a drawing for a baby. How the heck did this actually happen? Plus: it's December and a good way to enjoy the season is a little thing called ice bumper cars.
Free baby? 70 years ago Fred Meyer had a strange giveaway for a store opening (KGW)
Toilet seats, gall bladders and eight of the weirdest promotions in Minor League history (MLB.com)
Ice Bumper Cars
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In 1953 Swanson had several hundred tons of leftover Thanksgiving turkey - so they created the TV Dinner and changed how we eat. Plus: the 40th annual Holiday Cave Sing is this weekend at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.
The Rise and Fall of the TV Dinner (Cheddar on YouTube)
Mammoth Cave hosts 40th annual holiday cave sing Dec. 1 (WDRB)
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This holiday edition of Cool Weird Awesome celebrates that for which we are all most grateful: the bewildering foods that inexplicably become part of our annual Thanksgiving dinners, from "seafoam salad" to "tunies" to hot dog chunks warmed up in pizza sauce. Plus: holiday lights are coming, and "Peteyville" in Hammond, Indiana is one of the best and brightest displays you'll find.
i cannot wait to hear about the recipes you’re all excited to make for thanksgiving (Maya Kosoff on Twitter)
Instant Appetizer (Brady Carlson on Twitter)
Peteyville: A Holiday Lights Tradition for 30+ Years (Visit Indiana)
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Maker and woodworker Tim Sway built a guitar out of reclaimed nails - which he calls the "Tetanuscaster." Plus: the It's A Wonderful Life Festival is in full swing in Jimmy Stewart's hometown!
Guitar Made of Nails (Tim Sway on YouTube)
So Metal: An Electric Guitar Made Out Of Reclaimed Nails (Geekologie)
It’s A Wonderful Life Festival
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Researchers at Penn State University have created liquid-entrenched smooth surface, or LESS. Why? To coat our toilets. Why? So stuff can't stick to them. Why? To save water, which we use by the tens of billions of gallons each day just to re-flush that stuck stuff. Why? Because life is unfair sometimes. Plus: Twitter minus words, videos, pictures and links is a pretty amazing thing, judging by the project called Emoji Storm!
New, slippery toilet coating provides cleaner flushing, saves water (Penn State University)
Emoji Storm (Metafilter)
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The busiest travel season of the year is getting underway, so here's a story about a vehicle right out of Richard Scarry’s Busytown: the Big Banana Car, which is a 15 foot long banana with four seats on the frame of a Ford F-150. Plus: the Volkspod is a motor scooter made with upcycled parts from old-school Volkswagen Beetles!
BigBananaCar.com
Michigan trooper pulls over banana car, gives driver $20 (WTHR)
Designer Transforms Vintage Volkswagen Beetles into Adorable Minibikes (My Modern Met)
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Some research suggests those plastic tops for disposable coffee cups make up five percent of the millions of tons of plastic waste that end up in the ocean each year. The Unocup aims to do something about that. It's a paper cup that folds up to become its own top! Plus: there's goat yoga and alpaca yoga, but Zoo Miami may top them all with its new Yoga With The Rhinos program.
The coffee cup gets a radical, desperately needed redesign (Fast Company)
Yoga With the Rhinos (Zoo Miami)
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The nefarious filbertworm is trying to infest our hazelnut supply! Researchers at the University of Oregon think the solution might lie with pigs. Plus: the Ebo is a little ball-shaped robot that will play with your cat when you're not home.
Biology Major Recruits Hogs to Help Hazelnuts (University of Oregon)
This Smart Robot Is Designed to Keep Your Cat Happy and Healthy While You’re Gone (My Modern Met)
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This week marks 50 years since the Apollo 12 mission, the second time humans went to the moon and the first time we launched an artificial earthquake there. Plus: one of the two moonwalkers painted a picture that included their command module pilot on the lunar ground.
Crash Site Of The Apollo 12 Ascent Module Possibly Found After Almost 50 Years (Bad Astronomy)
Conrad, Gordon and Bean: The Fantasy (Art USA)
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Today is the 60th anniversary of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends, so in their honor, here's a real life moose who inadvertently helped foil a crime. Plus: a woman in Sacramento puts out a public call for her missing domesticated squirrel, Squeakers.
Wandering moose stolen vehicle (CBC)
‘I just need my baby’: Sacramento woman offers reward for missing squirrel, Squeakers (Sacramento Bee)
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November 18, 1883 is when railroads across the United States adopted a uniform system of time, more or less getting all of us in sync with each other. But what was time like before then? Plus: Japan has had cat cafes, hedgehog cafes and bunny cafes. Now there's a minipig cafe!
Time! (Library of Congress)
Standard Time Zones In U.S. Mark 100 Years (New York Times)
The Adoption of Standard TimeIan R. Bartky (Technology and Culture)
Mipig Harajuku: We visit the new micro pig cafe in Tokyo (Sora News)
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Underwater photos are usually greenish or blueish and the brighter colors are washed out. An engineer and oceanographer has come up with an algorithm she calls Sea-thru that can bring those colors back into the image. Plus: the Las Vegas Pizza Festival is about to get underway.
Sea-thru Brings Clarity to Underwater Photos (Scientific American)
Las Vegas Pizza Festival
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Who knew the Twilight Zone was a dimension not only of sight and sound but of canned laughter?!? The episode "Cavender is Coming" features Jesse White, Carol Burnett, and a laugh track the network thought might help lead to a spinoff series. (It didn't.) Plus: anybody want to fly in an airplane where the whole interior looks like a giant window?
Dimensions Behind the Twilight Zone: A Backstage Tribute to Television's Groundbreaking Series by Stewart Stanyard
The Twilight Zone: A 60th Anniversary Celebration
Windowless planes: is this the future of flying? (The Telegraph via YouTube)
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Stella the dog lives with a speech-language pathologist and has been using a soundboard to "say" several dozen words, raising hopes that someday the show "Dog With A Blog" may come to life. Plus: Quilty the cat likes to spend his nights freeing the other cats at the animal shelter.
A speech pathologist taught her dog Stella to 'speak' (CNN)
Sly Escape Artist Shelter Cat 'Quilty' Who Will Not Be Contained Keeps Freeing His Cat Comrades (TIME)
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This is Geography Awareness Week, and on our fascinating planet Mount Everest is the tallest mountain - but it's not actually the highest point on earth. That's actually Mount Chimborazo, in Ecuador. Plus: the community of New Baltimore, NY gets a spooky purple makeover thanks to Google Maps.
Mount Chimborazo is Actually the Highest Point on Earth (CN Traveler)
The 20 Scariest Google Street View Images (Mashable)
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For Veterans Day, we have the story of Claude and Ruth Hensinger, who used the parachute that saved Claude's life during World War II to help build their lives and their 49 year marriage together.
The Wedding Dress That Dropped From The Sky (Patch)
Dress, 1-Piece (Smithsonian Museum of American History)
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Patti Page, aka the “Singing Rage,” was one of the biggest-selling pop singers of the 1950s. But later, she lived part-time on a farm in New Hampshire where she and her husband sold maple syrup. The bottles didn't just have her name on them; they included her voice! Plus: Skyline Chess turns the buildings in world cities into chess pieces and pits them against each other.
Patti Page: A Singing Rage, Who Had Her Own Singing Syrup Bottle (NHPR)
Patti Page Singing Maple Syrup Cap (NH Magazine on YouTube)
Beautiful Chess Sets Based on Iconic City Skylines (Laughing Squid)
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This meringue is just about the lightest dessert ever made. Based on the lightest substance in the world, Aerogel, it's about 96 percent air and a serving weighs about a gram. We guarantee you won’t think it's too filling. Plus: the story of a light-emitting fungus gnat in Brazil, which is maybe not as appetizing as the first story.
World’s Lightest Dessert Is 96 Percent Air, Weighs Just One Gram (Oddity Central)
First South American insect that emits blue light is discovered (Eurekalert!)
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Jeremy John Kaplan is the artist behind the Gold Nets Project, which has replaced hundreds of broken or missing nets with shiny golden ones, and encouraged local basketball players to think about stepping up and maintaining the courts too. Plus: the northern Georgia city of Dahlonega says it had a gold rush decades before the '49ers all raced to California.
An Artist Is Installing Hundreds of Golden Nets on Community Basketball Courts (Hyperallergic)
Dahlonega Gold Museum (Roadside America)
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A great painting can turn your world upside down, especially if the painting is also upside down. We take a trip through the website Weird Universe's Gallery of Art Hung Upside Down. Plus: a 9 year old who can't stop doodling, even in class, is now a professional artist. He's paid to doodle.
The Gallery of Art Hung Upside-Down (Weird Universe)
9-Year-Old Kid Who Kept Getting In Trouble For Doodling In Class Gets A Job Decorating A Restaurant With His Drawings (Bored Panda)
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It’s time to celebrate 70 years of Clue, the invention of musician Anthony Pratt, who used to play piano for murder mystery nights at big mansions and thought, this would make a good board game! Plus: the movie "Clue" is well known for the on-camera antics of its amazing cast. But what did the actors do when the cameras weren't rolling?
The Game Clue Was Borne of Boredom During WWII Air-Raid Blackouts (History.com)
The Crazy Story Of How "Clue" Went From Forgotten Flop To Cult Triumph (Buzzfeed)
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Today in 1800 President John Adams moved into the White House, the first chief executive to live in what was then called the President’s Mansion. One of the house's most adorable stories - though possibly an apocryphal one - is the time in 1862 that Abraham Lincoln supposedly helped a couple elope. Plus: the New England WizardFest gets underway this weekend in Massachusetts. Mischief managed!
Adams moves into the White House, Nov. 1, 1800 (Politico)
Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was supposedly a wedding planner? (White House History on Twitter)
The New England Wizardfest
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This isn’t just Halloween. It’s also the anniversary of the passing of the legendary illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini, who they say wanted to make the greatest escape of all time... from mortality. Hence why Bess Houdini held seances every Halloween, trying to pick up whatever signals her late husband might be sending out from the hereafter. Plus: the creepiest hike of all time!
The Successful Séance: Houdini May Have Spoken From Beyond the Grave, But No One Bothered to Listen (Week in Weird)
Atlanta's Doll's Head Trail May Be the Creepiest Hike in the Country (Mental Floss)
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it’s National Candy Corn Day, and while no candy gets more hassle around this time of year than candy corn, it also has its fans. I mean, 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 Strangling Brothers Haunted Circus (Visit Salt Lake)
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There's still time to get ready for Halloween in most places, but in Anoka, Minnesota, it’s kind of always Halloween. The community north of the Twin Cities bills itself as the Halloween Capital of the World. Plus: Pennsylvania invites you on a Halloween-themed trip it calls the Trail of the Living Dead.
‘Halloween Capitol Of The World’ Anoka Gears Up For Halloween Season (CBS Minnesota)
Anoka Halloween History
Pennsylvania's Trail of the Living Dead (Visit PA)
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A project in Russia tracks the movements of steppe eagles through trackers that can send text messages back to research HQ about their whereabouts. There's one problem: the eagles have been crossing into other countries and their trackers are using roaming data! Plus: the town of Remer, Minnesota is home to a very large eagle that doesn't get around. Oh, and also, Bigfoot.
Roaming Russian eagles leave scientists broke (Agence France-Presse)
Eagle Statues (Roadside Architecture)
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Today is the anniversary of the day the first consumer microwave oven went on sale, back in 1955. But the microwave has roots that go back well before that, and it's at least in part a byproduct of radar technology from World War II. Plus: Los Alamos, New Mexico is trying to break a world record for simultaneous pumpkin carving.
Oct 25, 1955: Time to Nuke Dinner (Wired)
A Brief History of the Microwave Oven (IEEE.org)
"Carving out" a moment in history (Los Alamos Arts Council)
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A startup called Beetl is developing an autonomous device that’s ready to clean up after our dogs on demand, thanks to a large scooper on its underside. If they’re willing to do this job, maybe robots aren’t trying to conquer us after all. Plus: "dogfishing" is a problem for online dating. People are using other people's dogs in their profile pics in the hopes it will land them more dates. The internet is weird.
Beetl Robotics
Dogfishing: When online daters pose with adorable pets that aren’t theirs (Washington Post)
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Languages change over time; Merriam-Webster said it added over 500 new words to the dictionary last month. But you can also see those new additions over time through the Time Traveler feature on Merriam-Webster's website. Plus: a piece on Mental Floss explains how some of the most beloved Halloween candies got their names.
We Added New Words to the Dictionary for September 2019 (Merriam-Webster)
Find Out What Words Were First Used in Print The Year You Were Born (Lifehacker)
How 25 of Your Favorite Halloween Candies Got Their Names (Mental Floss)
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It’s the end of an era in Durham, North Carolina. The 11 Foot 8 Bridge, known as the Can Opener or the Gregson Street Guillotine for its propensity for shearing the tops off rental trucks and other large vehicles, is at last being raised. Probably good for safety, but fans of fail videos are bummed. Plus: artist Reuben Wu uses drones to create light paintings in the sky he calls “aeroglyphs."
Famously Low '11-Foot-8' Bridge Will Be Raised by Eight Inches to Stop the Carnage (The Drive)
11foot8.com
Aeroglyphs by Reuben Wu
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Science has brought whales and outer space together for the first time since the fourth Star Trek movie. The British Antarctic Survey has been partnering with researchers in Chile on a way to protect whales via satellite. Plus: the story of a paraglider who manages to land smoothly and carefully on a couch.
Stranded whales detected from space (British Antarctic Survey)
Parachute Landing On Couch (YouTube)
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The Saharan silver ant can ran up to 108 of its own body lengths per second, making it the fastest ant in the world. But it lives in the desert, and running in sand usually slows us down. How the heck do they do it? Plus: in Banner Elk, North Carolina, the 42nd annual Woolly Worm Festival gets underway this weekend.
The world’s fastest ant clocks record speed of 108 times its own body length (Ars Technica)
42nd Annual Woolly Worm Festival
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Indonesian performance artist Melati Suryodarmo has created a new work called “If We Were XYZ,” and it’s based on her dreams, which she documented with the help of an electroencephalogram machine. Plus: The World Food Championships are now underway in Dallas, with some 1,500 award-winning chefs and cooks putting it all on the line and/or plates.
A Performer Uses Brain-Mapping Technology to Scan Her Dreams (Hyperallergic)
Melati Suryodarmo: Performance Art as Trigger (Ocula)
World Food Championships
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Salem, Massachusetts is now home to the world’s largest Ouija board. These boards are a product of the Spiritualist movement of the 19th century, which emphasized communicating with the “other side.” They happened to be the most practical way to connect! Plus: the name Ouija has been misspelled and mispronounced just about every way possible. Just ask the guy who made a legendary YouTube video about it.
World’s Largest Ouija Board Unveiled in Salem, Ma. (Geek.com)
History of the Talking Board (Museum of Talking Boards)
Curse of the Weggy Board (YouTube)
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Every era has its forms of entertainment. In the old days, promoters would stage actual train wrecks, using trains that were on their way to the scrap heap. Others would stage massive recreations of disasters and tragedies from the news and history. And thousands of people would pay to see them! Plus: a slightly smaller-scale spectacle in Goshen, Kentucky features massive characters out of hay bales, from Frankenstein’s monster to Dora the Explorer to Baby Shark.
4 Bizarre Spectacles From History That People Couldn’t Get Enough of (Fodors)
Iconic Characters Sculpted Into Halloween Hay Bales (Laughing Squid)
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Almost everything we do can be measured, and in lots of ways beyond the inches, yards and seconds we normally use. We take a trip through some lesser known measurements, like siriometer, cow's grass, and jiffy (yes, it's an actual term!) Plus: meet the dad who built a full-size claw machine for his daughter's 7th birthday party.
Enough Measurement Systems to Fill a Rhode Island the Size of Jupiter (Metafilter)
Science Fun Fact (ESA Science)
10 Of The Most Absurd Units Of Measurement On Earth (io9)
How long is a jiffy? (Science Focus)
Dad Builds Human Claw Machine For Daughter's Birthday (Geekologie)
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When the residents of Pichuclaco, Chiapas, Mexico took part in a public health event, they didn't get to meet Mayor Moisés Aguilar Torres - at least not the real him. But they did get to see, and take pictures with, a cardboard cutout of the mayor. Plus: remember that time the people of New England went bonkers and stole hundreds of cardboard David Hasselhoffs?
Constituents furious as Mexican mayor sends life-sized cardboard cutout of himself to an official event he couldn't attend (Daily Mail)
‘David Hasselhoff to go, please’: 550 cardboard cutouts stolen (Los Angeles Times)
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Sports tech company Motus Global has developed a high-tech compression sleeve for pitchers. It senses the movement of each pitch and determines how much strain the throws put on the arm, to help avoid injuries. Plus: the story of old-timey pitcher "Phenomenal" Smith, who, it's said, could have used a different kind of smarts in dealing with his teammates.
Smart Sleeve Tells Baseball Pitchers When to Get Off the Mound (IEEE.org)
How Smith became "Phenomenal" (Bob Lemke)
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Today we pay a visit to Athens, Georgia - specifically, the intersection of South Finley and Dearing Street. That’s where you’ll find something unusual: The Tree That Owns Itself. Plus: a Japanese design company has created a 3D-printed bonsai, which you can prune once and looks the way you want forever... as long as you don't mind that it's not an actual tree.
A Tree That Owns Itself? (Farmers Almanac)
Nendo's 3D-printed bonsai tree does away with need for meticulous maintenance (Dezeen)
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Egyptian fruit bats are known to make a lot of noise while they’re roosting. Scientists at Tel Aviv University have determined that a lot of that noise is bats getting annoyed at other bats. Plus: scientists studying endangered bats in Cuba tag them in a very fancy way, with little bat-manicures!
Study of bat vocalizations shows they are communicating with one another (Phys.org)
Scientists Gave One of the World’s Rarest Bats a Manicure to Help Save It (Earther)
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The Soundshirt from high-tech fashion company Cute Circuit has embedded sensors that can sense sound and turn it into vibrations. In other words, it helps deaf people feel music. And since we're talking about sounds, have you heard the Tiptree Sneeze, where a trombonist let loose in the middle of a concert?
The Soundshirt lets deaf people feel music on their skin (designboom)
Man sneezes into his trombone during concert - Tiptree sneeze (YouTube)
Tiptree trombone sneeze man tells of 'freak event' (BBC)
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For decades fans of the band KISS have called themselves the KISS Army. But now that they're set to play a concert off the coast of Australia for human and sharks fans, maybe there’s also a KISS Navy? Plus: in Oklahoma, the annual Honobia Bigfoot Festival is getting underway.
Kiss to Jump the Shark for Underwater Concert With Great Whites in South Australia (The Wrap)
Honobia Bigfoot Festival
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The Smart Can is a motorized, automated trash bin that will drive itself to the curb every week. Which means it's already more motivated about garbage day than I've ever been. Plus: the pinball festival known as PinBaltimore is getting underway in Maryland.
New Automated Trash Can Drives Itself to the Curb on Trash Day (Interesting Engineering)
PinBaltimore
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The 7-10 split is the hardest show in bowling, right? Well, an analysis from 2015 put that to the test - and the results were pretty surprising. Plus: an exhibit at New York's Hall of Science includes more than 100 classic works of art recreated with Legos.
What's the Hardest Shot in Bowling? It's Complicated (Wired)
See Lego Versions of the World’s Most Famous Art at New York Hall of Science (Untapped Cities)
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Gavin and Alice Munro run a furniture farm in England. That's right, rather than turning trees into lumber and using that to make chairs, tables and sofas, they shape living trees into furniture, to be more sustainable. Plus: today marks 15 years since the city of Melbourne dedicated a street in honor of the band AC/DC.
UK Couple Growing Furniture On Farm (Huffington Post)
Bon Scott sculpture cranks up the rock in Melbourne's AC/DC Lane (Sydney Morning Herald)
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A mission to Mars would take years of travel - but today's space food doesn't last long enough. Scientists at Washington State University are working on a way to sterilize and pack food that can last 3-5 years, which is good for astronauts and for any of us who want to survive the zombie apocalypse. Plus: why a man in Vermont just put up a large wooden statue of a raised middle finger.
Getting mac and cheese to Mars (Washington State University)
Westford resident gives town the middle finger—and there's nothing anyone can do about it (Burlington Free Press)
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The small community of Casey, Illinois is home to the Big Things In A Small Town project - and this weekend someone will win a chance to sit in the world's largest rocking chair. Plus: tomorrow in Boulder City, Nevada, it’s the Wurst Festival. I’m not mocking the event, that's its name.
Here’s your chance to sit on the World’s Largest Rocking Chair, one of many giant attractions in a tiny Illinois town (Roadtrippers)
Our Annual Würst Festival Fundraiser
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Richard "Dixie" Blandy called himself the greatest flagpole sitter of all time - they say he spent more time atop flagpoles than most flags. Plus: the Great Basin Astronomy Festival today gets underway, with unusually dark skies and, to our knowledge, no flagpole sitters to obstruct the view.
Among Dayton’s colorful characters, he stood above rest (Dayton Daily News)
A 1971 pole-sitting champ on the great loneliness of sitting on a pole for 8 months (Splinter News)
Great Basin Astronomy Festival (Travel Nevada)
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UCLA is testing a brain implant that takes the images captured by a tiny camera and converts them into electrical impulses that stimulate the part of the brain responsible for sight. It helps blind people detect darkness and lightness, as well as sensing motion. Plus: tomorrow in London, Kentucky, the 30th annual World Chicken Festival gets underway, and it includes the World’s Largest Stainless Steel Skillet.
Brain implant restores visual perception to the blind (UCLA)
The origin of the iconic World's Largest Stainless Steel Skillet (Sentinel-Echo)
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The Straw Vinyl project has lined up some high-profile bands to release limited-edition vinyl records that are made out of plastic harvested from old straws. Then your hipster friends can say they were into keeping straws out of landfills before it was cool. Plus: in London, there's a commemorative manhole cover on the site where sewer authorities vanquished the infamous Whitechapel fatberg.,
Bacardi just found the best use for plastic straws ever—turn them into vinyl records (Fast Company)
'Monster' Whitechapel fatberg unveiled at London museum (BBC)
The Whitechapel Fatberg Has Its Own Hidden Memorial (Londonist)
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We always celebrate great space achievements, why not also commemorate some great space screwups? This month marks 60 years since the first time a spacecraft tried to land on the moon but crashed instead. Plus: Mount Airy, NC, where Andy Griffith grew up, is hosting the 30th annual Mayberry Days this week.
India’s Chandrayaan-2 Marks 60 Years of Moon Crashes and Hard Landings (New York Times)
Mayberry Days
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The weWALK is a smart cane for blind pedestrians, with ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles ahead and Google Maps connections to navigate through and describe the surrounding area. Plus: if you like pickles, the Big Dill festival is back this weekend in Baltimore.
Blind inventor creates 'smart cane' that uses google maps to navigate visually impaired people (designboom)
Baltimore’s Little-Known Pickle History Celebrated at New Festival (Baltimore Magazine)
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Today in 1975 the BBC aired the first episode of “Fawlty Towers,” a landmark comedy series that was - amazingly - received about as poorly by TV executive and the public as Basil Fawlty’s appalling attitude was received by guests at his hotel. How did it finally get its due? Plus: AC/DC songs can get the bison of Yellowstone National Park. For bison about to rock, we salute you?
Fawlty Towers: the classic sitcom the BBC didn’t want (Telegraph)
I'm afraid I thought this one as dire as its title (Letters of Note)
Cops Blast AC/DC to Get the Reluctant Bison Moving Out of the Road and It Works Like a Charm (TIME)
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Paintings made with Day Glo paint - some by well-known and influential artists - are losing their glow over time. Conservationists don't yet know how to solve this puzzle, but we do at least know how Day Glo got started. Plus: meet a color that absorbs 99.995 percent of incoming light. Even Nigel Tufnel would say that's pretty black.
Day-Glo masterpieces are fading. A conservator and her team are racing to save them (Los Angeles Times)
How DayGlo Went From Utility Pigment to Design World Darling (AIGA Eye on Design)
Engineers Just Unveiled a New Blackest-Ever Material, Even Darker Than Vantablack (Science Alert)
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Feel the Peel is a big automated juicing machine that turns discarded orange peels into bioplastic cups. Although if you don't have the cup until you juice the orange, how do you drink the first cup's worth of juice? Plus: a new restaurant in London called Pick & Cheese puts you in front of a long conveyor belt that brings you 25 different types of cheese, paired with condiments!
A Giant Circular Juice Machine That Turns Discarded Peels of Squeezed Oranges Into 3D Printed Juice Cups (Laughing Squid)
This Restaurant Has a Cheese Conveyor Belt (Food & Wine)
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The so-called quiet life on the farm is actually one of the most high-tech places on earth. As envisioned by the University of Kentucky research team, drones could fly above cow herds as they graze, learn which cow is which, and visually check each cow so see if they’re healthy. Plus: someone invented a decoy computer keyboard for cats to sit on so they don't sit on your actual keyboard, which is purr-fect.
Drones on the farm: Using facial recognition to keep cows healthy (CNet)
This heated fake keyboard was designed to fool your cat (Boing Boing)
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It's the 50th anniversary of the premiere of “Scooby Doo, Where Are You?” That’s right, the Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby have been setting traps, being danger prone, dropping glasses, making gigantic sandwiches and solving mysteries for a half-century. But originally the show was going to be VERY different. Plus: Lake Lure, NC is hosting the Dirty Dancing Festival starting today. If you go, I hope you have the time of your life.
“Like, yeah. We’ve been teenagers forever:” The Evolution of Scooby-Doo’s “Meddling Kids” (24 Frames of Silver)
Iwao Takamoto: My Life with a Thousand Characters
Dirty Dancing Festival
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There's work out of the University of Arizona that says solar arrays can be even more efficient if you grow food underneath the panels. And no, the panels don't block the plants from growing by taking all the sun. Plus: Chandler, Arizona is hosting the Rockin' Taco Street Fest, which finally combines the goodness of tacos with lucha libre pro wrestling.
Crops under solar panels can be a win-win (Ars Technica)
Rockin' Taco Street Fest
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Researchers at the University of California, Davis are studying forensic proteomics, which one researcher describes as a way to read DNA when there isn’t DNA to read. Plus: a record shop in Seattle finds a royalty check that belonged to grunge royalty.
Forensic Proteomics, a New Tool for Crime Labs and Anthropology (UC-Davis)
Found in a Record Store: Kurt Cobain’s Royalty Check (Atlas Obscura)
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Around the same time John Fitzgerald Kennedy was rising through the ranks of the US Congress, a guy called John Francis Kennedy decided to put name on the ballot to run for Massachusetts state treasurer. In a few years, there were other John Kennedys trying to win public office in the state. Plus: pitcher Will Smith faces - who else - batter Will Smith.
Seeing double: Congressman Raul Ruiz has a challenger. His name is also Raul Ruiz (Desert Sun)
All about the “other” other JFK (Commonwealth Magazine)
Dodgers catcher Will Smith retired by San Francisco Giants pitcher Will Smith (Los Angeles Times)
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Researchers may have finally solved the long-running mystery of what the Loch Ness Monster is. What Nessie is not is the thing that is in the picture you’ll most likely see when you search for “Loch Ness Monster” on the internet. Plus: scientists think Tyrannosaurus Rex may have had a kind of air conditioner built into its head!
The Legend of Loch Ness (Nova)
Loch Ness monster might actually just be a giant eel, scientists say (USA Today)
T. Rex had an air conditioner in its head, study suggests (Science Daily)
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It’s Spinach Festival weekend in Lenexa, Kansas, a time for games, crafts, music, the world’s largest spinach salad and a visit from noted cartoon spinach addict Popeye the sailor. That’s fitting, since a report in 435 Magazine says it was Popeye’s popularity that helped make Lenexa’s spinach famous in the first place. Plus: can you guess what kind of festival the people of Pie Town, NM are throwing later this month?
How Lenexa became the spinach capital of the world (435 Magazine)
Kansas Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff By Pam Grout
Pietown, NM Pie Festival
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It sure was nice to hear that Jeopardy host Alex Trebek is not only doing well following his cancer treatment, he’s already back at work on a new season of the show! Each day's filming requires hundreds of clues, multiple suit changes and lots of ways to respond to contestants' responses. Plus: the maid of honor at a Texas wedding decides to take the bride's direction to wear what you want to a whole new level.
Alex Trebek Returns to Work on ‘Jeopardy!’ Following Cancer Treatment (Variety)
What Is 50 Crazy Facts About 'Jeopardy!' for $1000? (Mashable)
The Trebek Affirmation Soundboard
Maid of honor turns up to her sister's wedding dressed as a T-REX after being told she could wear 'anything she wanted' (Daily Mail)
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It was on this day in 1682 that an English astronomer, Edmund Halley, observed a particular comet in the sky. He didn't discover it, but he did figure out when it was going to come back - only by then, he wasn't around to see it again. Plus: in the old days comets were believed to be a sign of bad news coming. In one case, that may have actually been right.
Halley's Comet: Facts About the Most Famous Comet (Space.com)
Comets Breed Fear, Fascination and Web Sites (New York Times)
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There are lots of good options for takeout these days, but along with all that deliciousness comes a lot of waste. A company called GO Box is sending out food orders in reusable plastic containers to keep all the single-use stuff out of the garbage. Plus: kudos to Cinotti’s Bakery in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, which has been selling Hurricane Dorian-themed doughnuts ahead of the big storm.
With GO Box, you can have zero-waste takeout (Treehugger)
Hurricane Dorian: Bakery in Jacksonville, Florida and others capitalize with storm-themed doughnuts (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
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Summer is through, which means the start of our annual time to consume and/or complain about products flavored with pumpkin spice. It was in the mid-90s that this blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves started its rise to power, and there's no stopping it now, really. Plus: did you know that hundreds of years ago pumpkin spice may have given us New York City?
The origins of pumpkin spice and how it became the flavor of fall (Washington Post)
The Dark And Murky History Of Pumpkin Spice (Chicagoist)
How Did Pumpkin Spice Become So Popular? And Why Do We Hate to Love It So Much? (Cooking Light)
‘Pumpkin Spice’ Has Been a Thing for 3,500 Years (History.com)
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The roadside diner is a staple of American travel. And some restaurants make the food a kind of roadside attraction, often by creating meals that are too big to be believed, and often too big to be consumed in one sitting. Plus: the Traveler Restaurant in Connecticut serves food for thought as well as actual food, by giving out books with every meal.
The 18 Most Insane Food Challenges Ever (Buzzfeed)
Traveler Food And Books: A "Novel" Idea (Hartford Courant)
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There are hotels, motels, friends with fold-out couches, house rentals, B&Bs and, in Idaho, a giant potato you can rent. Or, technically, a 28 foot long, 12 foot wide structure built in the shape of a potato. Plus: a man from the UK traveling through Amsterdam learns that an Airbnb listing for a "clean room with a private bathroom" can technically refer to a shipping container next to a port-a-potty.
Unusual places to stay in the USA (Lonely Planet)
Giant potato in Idaho available to rent on Airbnb for $200 a night (Insider)
Amsterdam tourist unwittingly pays for shipping container in Airbnb booking (Sky News)
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There's an unusual train station in southwest Japan to which you can take a train, but you can’t enter the platform from outside; nor can you leave. Plus: the story of an eight year old in Russia who decided it was time to set out on his own and see the world.
Japanese train station with no stops, entrances or exits (Sora News)
Boy, 8, found after leaving home to 'travel the world' (BBC)
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Randal S. Olson developed a computer algorithm to find the shortest, most efficient way to drive through all 48 contiguous United States - 13,699 miles and around 224 hours of driving. Plus: the Race Across America is a more than 3,000 mile road race from Los Angeles to New York on bicycles.
Computing the optimal road trip across the U.S. (Randal S. Olson)
Race Across America
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Dean Nicholson left his job and started a bike trip across the world. While riding through Bosnia, he heard a “desperate meow." So, instead of riding solo, he decided the cat would come along. Plus: if a continental bike trip with a cat isn’t your cup of tea, how about a boat trip with a chicken?
Cat travels the world on a bicycle after backpacker adopts the stray kitten and customises bike to take her with him (The Daily Mail)
Boat trip with a chicken (The Guardian)
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The Derry, New Hampshire library had a time capsule that was sealed 50 years ago. When they took a look inside it contained... absolutely nothing. Why? We don’t know. But we do know that time capsules can get weird. Plus: today in Finland is the 2019 AIr Guitar World Championships!
America’s Oldest Known Time Capsule Was Made by Paul Revere and Samuel Adams (History.com)
9 Historically Disappointing Time Capsules (Mental Floss)
Lebanon Uncorks Time Capsule (Valley News)
Derry time capsule opened to reveal nothing (WMUR)
Air Guitar World Championships
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An enslaved woman in 18th century Massachusetts overheard all the talk about freedom and equality and decided it should be put to the test. On August 22, 1781, a court found the woman known as Mum Bett, later as Elizabeth Freeman, could not be the property of another human being and therefore was free and equal. Plus: someone in Sheffield, England, is stapling bread to trees, because internet.
Jury Decides in Favor of Elizabeth "Mum Bett" Freeman (MassMoments.org)
Sheffield residents don't know whether to laugh or cry at slices of bread being stapled to trees on their streets (Leeds Live)
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Little sauce packets. We hang onto them because they’re too small to notice much, or because we don’t want to throw them out if they haven’t been used. But at some point they have to spoil, right? We now have a pretty definitive answer on their shelf lives. Plus: today's the start of the annual Corn Palace Festival in Mitchell, South Dakota.
What's the Shelf Life of a Ketchup Packet? (HowStuffWorks)
Taco Bell gives man ‘saved’ by hot sauce packets while stuck in snow free food for a year (Fox2Now)
Corn Palace Festival (Travel South Dakota)
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The app what3words breaks down all the spaces on earth into 3 meter by 3 meter squares and assigns each of those squares a unique set of three words. Anyone who knows the three words for a square can pinpoint it with GPS - just ask the group of lost hikers in a UK forest who got help in about a minute thanks to the system. Plus: the great state of Wisconsin is home to a 45 X 90 monument - the center point of the northern half of the Western Hemisphere. We've got it all in this state!
This Smartphone App Can Save Your Life with Just 3 Words (Interesting Engineering)
45 X 90 Geographical Marker (Atlas Obscura)
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Researchers at Vanderbilt University have been looking at the unusual immune system of alpacas. Their antibodies are not only effective, they’re also easier to harvest than most other animals’ antibodies, so they could help develop ways to treat or regulate some rare but serious diseases in humans. Plus: alpaca herds aren't just going to help us stay healthy, they're helping us de-stress, thanks to the growing world of alpaca yoga.
Meet the alpacas that are helping researchers who study autism, Alzheimer’s and cancer (Vanderbilt University)
Alpacas steal show at free yoga class hosted by Alpaca Owners Association (Nashville Tennesseean)
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It's National Rollercoaster Day, and while there have probably been thrill rides since humans first figured out the concept of ramps, the roller coaster as we know it has a direct ancestor that dates back to 15th century Russia. Plus: a RollerCoaster Tycoon player devises the longest, most diabolical virtual coaster of all time.
From Death Traps to Disneyland: The 600-Year History of the Roller Coaster (Popular Mechanics)
Ups and downs: The history of roller coasters (USA Today)
Crazy Roller Coasters (Travel Channel)
RollerCoaster Tycoon Ride From Hell Lasts 12 Years (Kotaku)
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Richie Havens wasn't supposed to be the first act at the Woodstock festival, which started 50 years ago today. But like so much of Woodstock, what was supposed to happen was very different than what actually took place. Oh, also, there were cows there!
Woodstock Remembered: Richie Havens on Opening the Fest of ‘People Just Being People’
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It’s the 100th anniversary of a time that roosters built a bridge. Ok, not literally, but an auction of roosters donated by the most prominent people in the world helped raise the money needed for a bridge over the Tombigbee River in western Alabama, a span known as Rooster Bridge. Plus: it's day one of the Telluride Mushroom Festival in Colorado!
The Rooster Bridge: How one man’s vision paved the way (West Alabama Watchman)
The Rooster Bridge Historical Marker at the US Hwy 80/Tombigbee River Bridge (Rural SW Alabama)
Telluride Mushroom Festival
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The online plant store Patch is offering to take care of the house plants for you while you’re on holiday, in what it’s calling the world’s first plant hotel. Plus: meet the Social Escape Dress, which tracks your stress and activates built-in fog machines if the moment gets to be too much for the wearer.
Hotel for plants takes care of your greenery while you're gone (CNet)
Urban Armor #7: The Social Escape Dress (Kathleen McDermott)
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When a cougar started walking toward her on a logging trail in British Columbia, Dee Gallant used the power of rock to protect herself. Plus: in a move that might make heavy metal even heavier, guitarist Takamizawa Toshihiko designs a guitar shaped like Godzilla.
Metallica responds to B.C. woman who fended off wild cougar with the band’s music (GlobalNews.ca)
A Very Resourceful Woman Scared Off a Cougar by Blasting Metallica (Noisey)
This Limited-Edition Godzilla is a Monster of a Guitar (Guitar World)
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Elvis Week is getting underway in Memphis, Tennessee, and while I can't be there, I can still celebrate, because my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin is where the King once broke up a fight at a gas station in the middle of the night. Plus: Hastings, Nebraska is kicking off the annual Kool-Aid Days.
About Elvis Week (Graceland)
Neglected marker shows where Elvis Presley in a karate stance stopped a fight in Madison in 1977 (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Kool-Aid Days (Visit Nebraska)
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It's day one of the Iowa State Fair, and what would that fair be without its centerpiece - the butter cow! The most bovine of butter sculptures made its debut in 1911, but the long and interesting history of butter-based art goes back even further. Plus: Minnesotans are heading to the community of Darwin this weekend to celebrate the Biggest Ball of Twine.
The surprisingly lofty history of American butter sculpting (The Takeout)
This Year's Ohio State Fair Butter Sculpture Pays Tribute to 50th Anniversary of Moon Landing (Cleveland Scene)
Twine Ball Day in Darwin, MN (Explore Minnesota)
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Later this month tens of thousands of people will head to Buñol, Spain for La Tomatina, otherwise known as the world’s largest tomato throwing festival. Also, today is day one of the World Yo Yo Contest in Cleveland, Ohio. But most of all, it's Cool Weird Awesome's 100th episode! Thanks for listening and supporting the show!
Tomatina History (Tomatina.es)
World Yo Yo Contest
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If you were a royal back several hundred years ago, this might be a time when you’d pack up and leave the castle for one of your other castles. This wasn't just because that’s what you do when you’re wealthy; it was because the castle staff needed everyone out so they could clean out all the filth! Plus: to balance out all the dirty stuff, let's hear about how companies are launching just-add-water cleaning products.
Naked Cooks, Excrement, Rats: The Secretly Disgusting History of Royal Palaces (History.com)
Could just-add-water products save us? (Vox)
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It was a hard, hard weekend - so we thought it would be a good day to just take the few minutes we share together and have a little fun, before we have to go back out into the world. So here's an Instagram account called Homesickdotcom, which shares photos of the hilarious letters kids at camp send their parents when they maybe don’t want to be at camp. Plus: two brothers on their way to the Twins Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio, have a very twinny experience with the State Patrol.
homesickdotcom (Instagram)
This Instagram Account Full Of Kids' Homesick Letters From Camp Is Hilariously Real (Buzzfeed)
Twins pulled over by OSHP for nearly identical license plates (Fox 8 Cleveland)
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There’s a new cafe in the Indian city of Ambikapur known as a "garbage cafe." It aims to help very poor people by offering them meals and/or shelter in exchange for the trash they often pick up and try to sell - and it uses the reclaimed plastic to build new roads. Plus: this weekend in Twinsburg, Ohio, near Cleveland, the annual Twins Days festival is getting underway.
Bring Plastic Waste And Eat Full Meal At India's First Garbage Cafe In Chhattisgarh (India Times)
Twins Day Festival
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The Lee Maxwell Washing Machine Museum in Eaton, Colorado, is facing an uncertain future. Its namesake wants to pass on his collection of some 1,600 machines to the next generation. Hopefully someone takes him up on that offer, because there’s a lot of history here. Plus: the Lumberjack World Championships begin in Hayward, Wisconsin, and we go for the obvious Monty Python reference in describing the event.
The Secret History of Washing Machines (Popular Mechanics)
Lumberjack World Championships
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Someday, smart speakers might be able to sound off if we don’t sound quite ourselves. Researchers at the University of Alberta have been working on a way for AI to detect depression through voice recordings. Plus: Today in 1989 is when Nintendo brought the US the Game Boy, the landmark portable video game system that made black and green displays cool again.
Sound mind: Detecting depression through voice (University of Alberta)
10 Amazing Facts About the Game Boy You Didn't Know (Houston Press)
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Trailblazing journalist Nellie Bly once feigned severe mental illness to expose abuses at an asylum from the inside. New York City is now putting up a monument in her honor on the site where the asylum once stood. Plus: today is the birthday of the Trans-Canada Highway, which runs from St. John’s Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia. If my math is right, you could listen to like 1,600 episodes of this show while driving from one end to the other.
Journalist Nellie Bly Will Receive a Monument on the Grounds of the Asylum She Helped Close (Hyperallergic)
Trans-Canada Highway (The Canadian Encyclopedia)
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Last week the organizers of the 2020 Olympic Games revealed that 100 percent of the gold, silver and bronze used to create the Olympic medals is recycled - the metal comes from used cell phones. But the ancient Olympians got olive branches as prizes. Why is it that we have Olympic medals in the first place? Plus: today, Louisville, Kentucky hosts the World Championship Dainty Contest!
The Games: A Global History of the Olympics by David Goldblatt (W.W. Norton & Co)
Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals made from 80,000 tons of recycled mobile phones, electronics (USA Today)
Olympic Medals (Olympic.org)
49th annual Dainty Contest set for Monday, July 29, in Schnitzelburg (Insider Louisville)
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The National Postal Museum in Washington, DC, has an exhibit telling the story of Owney, the dog who loved the mail so much that he helped deliver it all over the world. Plus: Freeman, South Dakota is holding its annual Chislic Festival, a two day celebration of cubed meat on a stick. (Sorry, dogs aren't allowed.)
The National Postal Museum tells the history of America through moon mail, rare stamps, and one taxidermy dog (Roadtrippers)
The History of Owney the Postal Dog, Mascot of the Railway Mail Service (USPS Blog)
South Dakota Chislic Festival
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Whenever a new Prime Minister takes office in the UK, the first question many people ask is: what happens to the cat living at the official residence at 10 Downing Street? We'll look at some of the most famous felines to ever hold the title Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. Plus: for reasons only known to mascots, the New Jersey Devil ran out of a game of parachute at a kid's birthday party and ran into a plate glass window. Which broke.
Downing Street Cats (and other British Government felines) (Purr-n-Fur UK)
The new PM's first job: Impress the cat (BBC)
Home Office cat history revealed (BBC)
Cats that left a mark in the corridors of power (Telegraph UK via Internet Archive)
New Jersey Devils Mascot Runs Through Window At Boy’s Birthday Party (Huffington Post)
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There’s a quadcopter drone that uses spring-loaded arms and a process called "rapid aerial morphing" to fold itself up as it flies. So we’re a step closer to real-life Transformers. Plus: the story of the all-robot band Compressorhead, whose members twist and turn their mechanical parts so they can ROCK!
Spring-Loaded Drone Collapses Mid-Flight to Zip Through Windows (IEEE Spectrum)
Compressorhead (Weirdest Band In The World)
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Lots of parents multitask but Cynthia Arnold is completely off the charts, having just run the Missoula Marathon while pushing a triple stroller containing her three kids. Meanwhile, Tony Fisher bought some salami and did the only logical thing with it: construct a 2x2x2 Rubik’s Cube out of it. Hooray for marathon and/or meat-based puzzle achievers!
Mom Runs 3:11 Marathon With a Triple Stroller While Pushing 185 Pounds (Runners World)
Real Salami Sausage 2x2x2 Rubik’s Cube (Tony Fisher on YouTube)
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The website and book Sad Topographies teaches us that our planet is home to some unusually-named places, like Gloomy Lake in Ontario, Divorce Beach in Mexico, New Jersey’s Shades of Death Road (!) and a spot in Washington state known as Point No Point. Plus: the annual World Santa Claus Congress is getting underway in Denmark. Watch for some serious Santa-to-Santa networking.
21 Of The Saddest Places On Earth From Instagram’s sadtopographies (Brilliant Maps)
Shades of Death Road (Weird NJ)
Washington State’s bummer place names, mapped (Curbed Seattle)
World Santa Claus Congress
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50 years ago, the BBC brought in the band known for playing space rock to improvise on-air for its coverage of the Apollo 11 mission. Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour said, accurately, that “the programming was a little looser in those days.” Plus: it's been 25 years since the time that Pizza Hut produced an ad for UK television in which all the dialogue was in Klingon.
My moon-landing jam session (The Guardian)
13 Minutes To The Moon (BBC)
Watch this fantastic 1994 Pizza Hut TV commercial that's entirely in Klingon (Boing Boing)
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On this day in 1912, the birth of the greatest athlete you might never have heard of - Olympic silver medalist and community advocate Mack Robinson. His brother, Jackie, is better known, but there's a reason their hometown of Pasadena, California installed bronze busts of both brothers outside City Hall. Plus, a new study out of Harvard asks the important question: do runners actually go faster by bending their arms as they race?
Two Lives After Losing to Jesse Owens (New York TImes)
Matthew MacKenzie “Mack” Robinson (1912-2000) (BlackPast.org)
Running with your arms bent does not make you go any faster than with straight arms, Harvard study finds (Yahoo! News)
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Veggies are good for us - but some households can’t buy them, and others don’t want to. What is it that will get eaters more interested in buying and eating their vegetables? One answer may be: the color black. Plus: the Vent Haven International Ventriloquist Convention is getting underway today in Erlanger, Kentucky.
Backed in Black: How to get people to buy more produce (Brigham Young University)
Vent Haven International Ventriloquist Convention
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A growing number of people are heading to the airport not to catch flights, but just to hang out at the airport itself. And why not, given how many cool amenities airports have added over the years? Plus: a top destination for Instagram travelers is maybe not quite what it appears to be.
Airports Open Up to Terminal Tourists Who Just Want to Hang Out (Bloomberg Quint)
Nine weird and wonderful airport amenities (The Independent)
Instagrammers Are Swarming This Turquoise Lake. It's Actually A Toxic Dump. (Buzzfeed)
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Going over Niagara Falls with or without a barrel is a bad idea and you shouldn't do it. It’s safer, easier and a lot more fun to cross over the bridge between Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario - or, if you’re a daredevil, to cross the falls themselves on a tightrope, as Nik Wallenda did in 2012. Plus: the story of the time 50 years ago that Niagara Falls stopped falling.
Man who went over Niagara Falls may have been saved by high water levels (Buffalo News)
Daredevil completes walk across Niagara Falls (CNN)
The Year The Army Stopped Niagara Falls (Gizmodo)
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Coffee grounds can be recycled in all kinds of ways, including lots of products. And the most meta product of all is from KaffeeForm, which uses coffee grounds to make coffee cups. Plus: if you can't wait a couple years for the Little Mermaid remake, why not head to Sacramento for the California Mermaid Festival?
6 Amazing products made (almost) entirely from recycled coffee grounds (Inhabitat)
California Mermaid Festival
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Wisconsin’s most fearsome folk monster been in Harry Potter and tangled with the Scooby Gang, but the Hodag is beloved in the community of Rhinelander, where it's the high school team mascot and there are many Hodags to find around town. Plus: it's a big day in the community of Joensuu, Finland: the first-ever World Heavy Metal Knitting Championships!
The Legend Of The Hodag (Wisconsin Life)
World Heavy Metal Knitting Championships
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Patrouille Swiss is the official aerial acrobatics team for Switzerland. Last weekend they were in fine form as they flew over the community of Langenbruck for a festival honoring a local aviation hero... except for one thing: they weren’t actually over Langenbruck. Plus: New York City is now home to Poster House, the first American museum that’s fully about posters and their history.
Swiss aerial display team flies over yodeling festival by mistake (Deutsche Welle)
WoodyFest in Okemah, OK
Poster House Is the First Museum in the United States Dedicated Exclusively to Posters
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In Japan, there's a little white robot swimming through rice fields, imitating a duck! It's actually helping to grow the rice by aerating the water and stopping weeds from growing. Plus: if you prefer non-robotic ducks, then you’ve got some options with the World’s Largest Rubber Duck, which is on tour this summer.
Nissan Builds Robot Duck To Help Rice Farmers Keep Weeds Out Of Their Paddies (Designboom)
World’s Largest Rubber Duck
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Taco Bell says it’s been dealing with a tortilla shortage. Those craving inexpensive tacos and burritos at odd hours are bearing the brunt of this crisis, but it’s affecting all of us - after all, tortillas have been a part of our culinary lives for thousands of years. Plus: the story of a man who brought a great deal of change to Phoenix, Arizona - literally.
Taco Bell restaurants hit by tortilla shortage that is affecting burritos and quesadillas (USA Today)
Testin’ Tortillas in San Antonio: From Moctezuma to Mass Production (San Antonio Current)
Food For Space Flight (NASA)
Arizona man builds pyramid out of 1 million pennies in world record attempt (New York Post)
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It’s day one of the Roswell UFO Festival in New Mexico. Whatever happened there in 1947, the incident put Roswell on the map - and other towns that have their own UFO stories have been increasingly playing up those stories, including through historic markers. Plus: this weekend, Sheboygan, Wisconsin will race thousands of rubber ducks down the Sheboygan River in the Ducktona 500.
Roswell UFO Festival
Historical marker commemorates reported alien abduction (Tuscaloosa News)
Betty And Barney Hill UFO Abduction Story Commemorated On Official N.H. Highway Plaque (Huffington Post)
Reward offered for return of stolen UFO alien grave marker in Texas (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Ducktona 500
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It's the 243rd birthday of the United States, and we've done a lot of celebrating over those years. But what were people doing on the Fourth of July before American independence? One of the most interesting stories is from July 4, 1054 - in China. Plus: check out a different kind of July 4th celebration - the Sidewalk Egg Frying Challenge in Oatman, Arizona!
Supernova 1054 - Creation of the Crab Nebula (SEDS)
Sidewalk Egg Frying Challenge in Oatman, Arizona
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Smart glasses are a thing! Not augmented reality, but an actual pair of glasses that can sense what we're trying to look at and make it easier to see it clearly as our eyes age and lose some of their ability to focus. Plus: the National Paper Doll Convention begins today with the theme of “Mystery, Murder and Mayhem.” I'd like to know what kind of mayhem a convention full of paper doll enthusiasts can cause.
Stanford develops ‘autofocals’ – glasses that track your eyes to focus on what you see (Stanford University)
National Paper Doll Convention
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On this day in 1982, a dude named Larry Walters entered aviation history as the pilot of a craft called Inspiration I - which was a lawn chair attached to 42 large weather balloons. Plus: the story of some high school students in Toronto, Ontario, who used a weather balloon to launch a Lego figure into near space.
Up, Up, and Away! Did Larry Walters soar above Los Angeles in a lawn chair attached to helium weather balloons? (Snopes)
Teens Put Lego Man in 'Space' (Actually Stratosphere)
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Researchers at Rutgers University have developed a system to unprint the printing on standard printer paper, in a way that uses less energy and material than the conventional paper recycling process. Plus: the new Medi-Teddy aims to make a trip to the hospital a little more fun - or at least a little less scary - for kids, and the inventor is a kid herself.
New Unprinting Method Can Help Recycle Paper and Curb Environmental Costs (Rutgers)
12 Year Old Girl Invents an Adorable Teddy Bear That Hides IV Bags Making Infusions Less Scary to Children (Laughing Squid)
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A team at Technion–Israel Institute of Technology developed a way to use medical glue to bind human tissue together instead of stitches and medical pins. They heat it up using, essentially, a hot glue gun - one that they hopefully don't leave in with their craft supplies. Plus: the World Egg Throwing Championship is back in the UK community of Swaton, Lincolnshire!
Technion team develops medical glue to replace stitches in serious injuries (Times of Israel)
World Egg Throwing Championship
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I'm traveling to Buffalo, New York for a book event today, so I thought I'd celebrate one of the city's beloved foods: sponge candy. Meanwhile, an ice cream shop in Buffalo has done what you might expect an ice cream shop in Buffalo to do: add Buffalo sauce to the ice cream.
Buffalo sponge candy (Atlas Obscura)
A treat with heat: Lake Effect Ice Cream unveils wing-sauce flavor (Buffalo News)
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Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias could do it all - she was an Olympic gold medalist, champion golfer, basketball and baseball player, vaudeville performer, celebrity and more. Once she won the US national track and field championships by herself - as in, she was a team of one and beat teams that had over a dozen athletes. Plus: check out the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence Race, a footrace that manages cover 3,100 miles but just one city block.
Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias (WomensHistory.org)
"Babe Didrikson at the 1932 Olympic Games" by Lindsay Parks Pieper, from the book Replays, Rivalries, and Rumbles: The Most Iconic Moments in American Sports
Babe Didrikson (Famous Texans)
Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence: The 3,100-mile race around a New York block (BBC)
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Today is #BourdainDay, where we celebrate Anthony Bourdain's enthusiasm for traveling, eating, learning and especially for going off the beaten path to really get to know people and recipes and places. In that spirit, we talk about food trucks with personalities big enough to match their culinary skills. Plus: a team at Delta Airlines made a barbecue grill into the side of a jet engine. Now that's travel food.
12 Weird And Wonderful Food Trucks (Car Buzz)
This BBQ Grill Is Built Into a Jet Engine (Technabob)
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The Curiosity Rover takes selfies on Mars - so how does it do it without having its robot arm in the foreground of every shot? Plus: the University of St. Andrews teaches grey seals to sing the "Star Wars" theme. For research.
Why Don’t We See the Curiosity Rover’s Arm When it Takes a Selfie? (Universe Today)
Curiosity Rover Report (June 13, 2013): Curiosity's Cameras (NASA on YouTube)
Grey seals copy human speech and music (University of St. Andrews)
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Earlier this month a prototype mower in Germany set a new world record by going from zero to 100 miles an hour in 6.29 seconds… while still cutting grass! Not bad for an invention that's not even 200 years old. Plus: this weekend is the grand finale of the annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest in New York City, which is... exactly what its name suggests.
Lawnmower sets acceleration speed record in Germany (UPI)
The History Of The American Lawnmower (CBS News)
A Brief History of the Lawnmower (Popular Mechanics)
British Lawnmower Museum
The 2019 Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest
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Bycatch is what fishing boats catch that they're not trying to catch. It's bad for them, their nets and the bycatch - especially for turtles, which are difficult to disentangle from gillnets. But new research suggests illuminating nets with LED lights may warn turtles away and reduce bycatch. Plus: the floating ball challenge is a sight to behold: a boxer keeping a 20 pound medicine ball floating on the power of his punches.
Illuminated Nets Could Provide A Brighter Future For Sea Turtles (NOAA)
Floating Medicine Ball (The Awesomer)
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Juneteenth is the annual celebration of the end of the institution of slavery. Today we give some props to the African-Americans who have built the holiday over the year, including the Texan-turned-San Franciscan who used to don his ten-gallon hat and ride his horse through town as part of the festivities. Plus: if you like celebrations, why not try the Midnight Sun Festival in Nome, Alaska? It's the kind of party that would go on all night... if they had night this time of year.
What Is Juneteenth? (PBS)
Late to Freedom's Party, Texans Spread Word of Black Holiday (New York Times)
Emancipation Park (City of Houston, Texas)
Nome Midnight Sun Festival (Alaska.org)
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Guitar great Peter Frampton starts his farewell concert tour, which means if you want to hear him use that famous voice box in “Do You Feel Like We Do," now's the time to do it. How does that talk box work, anyway? Plus: meet Ahmed Ali, a graduation speaker in Minneapolis with a very unique voice.
How Talk Boxes Work (HowStuffWorks)
Retro Guitar Effects: Meet the Sonovox, Grandfather of the Talk Box (Guitar World)
A first for MPS as 21-year-old gives unique graduation speech (KARE11)
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The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology - known better as the Penn Museum - needed to move its most famous object, a 3,000 year old Egyptian sphinx, from a gallery to the main hall as part of a renovation project. The move was only 300 feet - but the sphinx happens to weigh 12.5 tons - so it took three days to get from point A to point B. Plus: a regional minister in Pakistan livestreamed his news conference on social media... with the cat filter accidentally turned on.
A monumental move for the Penn Museum’s iconic sphinx (University of Pennsylvania)
Pakistani politician livestreams press conference with 'cat filter' on by mistake (Telegraph UK)
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Sorry, Simpsons fans: the world's greatest burper is neither "The Critic" Jay Sherman nor Eudora Welty, but an Italian guy in a wrestling mask who calls himself Rutt Mysterio. Plus: for Father's Day weekend, the story of the only time in big league history when father and son hit back-to-back home runs.
Longest burp (Guinness World Records)
This undisputed burping master will blow your mind away (YouTube)
Sept. 14, 1990: When the Griffeys made history with back-to-back homers (The Sporting News)
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The Songwriters Hall of Fame is inducting Yusuf Cat Stevens for his classic, mostly acoustic songs like "Moonshadow," "Peace Train" and "Wild World." But did you also know that Yusuf Cat Stevens was a pioneer in electronic music with his 1977 song "Was Dog A Doughnut?" Plus: Avon, Ohio, the Duct Tape Capital of the World, is kicking off this year's Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival today.
Key Tracks: Cat Stevens’ “Was Dog a Doughnut?” (Red Bull Music Academy)
Avon Heritage Duck Tape Festival
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Autonomous robot boats are a thing! Over time, researchers have taught them to row themselves gently down the stream and to connect to each other autonomously - soon they could help clean the water or even turn themselves into temporary footbridges. Plus: a band in Mexico knew just what to do when the mall they were playing in started to flood. Celine would have been proud.
Autonomous boats can target and latch onto each other (MIT)
As heavy rain floods shopping center, musicians play Titanic theme (Mexico News Daily)
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We may be taking a big step forward in the effort to stop food waste! A research team at Imperial College London has developed food freshness sensors that can be embedded in the packaging of meat and fish and detect the gases that show up when food spoils. Plus: if you like sensors, check out the 2019 Sensors Expo and Conference later this month in San Jose, California. It's even got an awards show!
Food freshness sensors could replace ‘use-by’ dates to cut food waste (Imperial College London)
Sensors Expo and Conference 2019
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Last week Southern California saw a bloom of ladybugs so big it showed up on radar! As it turns out, there's a whole field of science called aeroecology that's using our increasingly accurate radar to track insects, birds and bats. Plus: ladybugs have had a lot of names over the years, including - for whatever reason - bishops!
High-flying ladybug swarm shows up on National Weather Service radar (Los Angeles Times)
'Aeroecology' uses radar to track flying animals (BBC)
Meteorologist reveals cause of colorful 100-mile-wide "cloud" over Denver (CBS News)
Why Birds Make Weird Circles on Weather Radars (Vice)
Ladybirds, ladybugs, and… cows? (Oxford Dictionaries)
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Today is the start of the Banana Split Festival in Wilmington, Ohio, where the banana split was born. Of course, if you were in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, locals would point out their town had banana splits three years before Wilmington. Plus: the mind-melting TV show known as the Banana Splits Adventure Hour was actually supposed to have an entirely different name!
Wilmington Banana Split Festival
Birthplace of the Banana Split (Ohio Magazine)
The Banana Split: A Rich History (Pennsylvania Center for the Book)
10 tra la la true facts about the Banana Splits (MeTV)
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Researchers at Washington State University say they’ve found a way to make jet fuel out of something the world throws out in great quantities every day: household plastic. Plus: something you might want to fly overseas and check out is the new Easy-E memorial bench that for some reason is in Newhaven, in southern England.
Plastic water bottles may one day fly people cross-country (Washington State University)
Eazy-E seaside memorial bench in Newhaven (UK) unveiled (BBC)
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Storm damage isn't cool, weird or awesome, but the ways we spot storms and warn people about them are pretty great. And they've come a long way from the time when the US Army Signal Corps banned anyone from using the word “tornado” in forecasts so as not to scare the public! Plus: the story of an engagement between two storm chasers that will literally blow you away.
Illinois Tornadoes Prior to 1916 (Illinois State Water Survey)
History of Tornado Forecasting (NOAA)
Storm chaser proposes to boyfriend as Kansas tornado looms (NBC News)
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Attractions - especially weird ones - are a time-honored way to drum up business from people who are at best casual baseball fans, and lately that's extended to team names, including the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the Vermont Lake Monsters, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies and the Rocket City Trash Pandas. Plus: the tale of Peter Williams, who in 1972 won the Wisconsin state long jump championship "by accident."
Minor League Baseball is swinging big and going weird with new team names (Mashable)
Let's break down all 160 Minor League team names (MLB.com)
Timber Rattlers to Play as Udder Tuggers June 20 (Ballpark Digest)
How an Oakfield farm boy won the 1972 state long jump title by accident, wearing a Mickey Mouse T-shirt (Fond du Lac Reporter)
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A project to build a clock that will run for 10,000 years got us thinking about how we measure time - and amazingly, 10,000 years is more time than has passed since the invention of hours, minutes and seconds. Plus: a quick look at the shortest official measurement in science, which is so short that, ironically, there isn't enough time to try to explain it on our show.
Objects of Despair: The 10,000-Year Clock (The Paris Review)
Why is a minute divided into 60 seconds, an hour into 60 minutes, yet there are only 24 hours in a day? (Scientific American)
Planck Time (The SAO Encyclopedia of Astronomy)
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It's the 200th birthday of Walt Whitman, the poet best known for his landmark work Leaves of Grass... and the guy who anonymously wrote glowing reviews of his own writing in the newspapers of the day. Plus: Plymouth, North Carolina is hosting the North Carolina Black Bear Festival, which makes sense because the city bills itself as the originator of National Black Bear Day.
"Walt Whitman and His Poems" by Walt Whitman (Whitman Archive)
“Promoting Himself” (Library of Congress)
North Carolina Black Bear Festival
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We’re on the eve of this year’s biggest event in Fruita, Colorado - the Mike the Headless Chicken Festival, where people all gather to celebrate the miracle chicken who had his head chopped off, and carried on as if nothing had changed. Plus: residents of New York are gearing up for quite a show. Manhattanhenge is (weather permitting) happening today, with the sun perfectly positioned within the city's street grid.
The Mike the Headless Chicken Festival
Manhattanhenge: What It Is, and How to See It (Scientific American)
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Today’s show is about a series of earthquake aftershocks in the Hebgen Lake area of Yellowstone National Park measured in 2017 and 2018. That’s not in and of itself unusual, except that the original earthquake happened in August of 1959. Plus: a dude repairs and cleans a vintage synthesizer and accidentally gets dosed with the leftover LSD residue from a half century before.
Aftershocks of 1959 Earthquake Rocked Yellowstone in 2017-18 (University of Utah)
Repair Of Iconic ’60s Era Synthesizer Turns Into Long, Strange Trip For Engineer (CBS San Francisco)
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As much as we all like to consider ourselves straight talkers, we all use certain euphemisms when we’ve done something we wished we hadn’t. Scientists are particularly good at this because they can envelop a faux pas in layers and layers of academic journal language - the phrase “unplanned rapid disassembly," for example, is a formal way to say “accidentally exploded." Plus: Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques made a video where he demonstrates the amazing attributes of honey in microgravity!
Scientists Reveal How They Use Academic Language To Mask Their Mess Ups And It’s Hilarious (Bored Panda)
"If you read in a frog paper..." (Blue Electric Angels on Tumblr)
Honey in Space (Canadian Space Agency)
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Officially, the community that started Memorial Day is Waterloo, New York - in May 1866, the community spent the entire day honoring those killed in the Civil War by placing wreaths and flowers at their graves, then holding a parade, giving speeches and flying flags at half staff. But Waterloo is definitely not the only place with a Memorial Day origin story.
How Waterloo, NY, became the birthplace of Memorial Day (New York Upstate)
Birthplace of Memorial Day? That Depends Where You’re From (New York Times)
Memorial Day History (VA.gov)
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There’s nothing more fashionable than the jumpsuit - right? Right? Anyway, it was a century ago that the Italian artist Thayaht proposed a one-piece garment with buttons down the front as the next big thing in fashion. The jumpsuit hasn't quite become as universal as he hoped, but it _is_ the only outfit that connects Rosie the Riveter, Evel Knievel, Amelia Earhart, David Bowie and the cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Plus: want to wear an Elvis jumpsuit but don't want to pay huge auction prices? Try the new Elvis jumpsuit-style hoodie!
Jumpsuits (Quartz)
Elvis Hoodie (GearHuman)
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May is Asian/Pacific-American Heritage Month, and a great time to talk about two exciting, important and sometimes underappreciated Asian-American performers. The dance team of Jew Wing Dong and Dorothy Takahashi, known professionally in their heyday as Toy and Wing. were often compared to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers for their electrifying performances on stage and screen. Plus: The Maryland Deathfest is starting in Baltimore, featuring some of the loudest, most aggressive dark metal bands in the world - according to their website, it's also an all-ages, family friendly event. “Bring the kids!” they say.
The Chinese Fred Astaire (National Archives at Riverside)
The Story of a 99-Year Old Living and Dancing Chinatown Icon (AsAm News)
Maryland Deathfest
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And now, a look at a study that’s the kind of research Batman would do if he were an academic instead of a crimefighter: a scientific study of virtual burglary. By watching how burglars burgle, we might learn the difference between how most of us think burglars work and how they actually work - and then take steps that will stop more burglaries before they start. Plus: the state of Michigan is dropping an album today! Maybe someday states will turn out diss tracks against each other?
Crime fighting just got easier as burglars reveal all (University of Portsmouth via EurekAlert!)
Michigan releasing album of sounds from state parks (Crain's Detroit)
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The busiest part of the year for travelers is coming, meaning that at airports, there will be a lot of people around to clonk into each other. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University may have a solution: a collision-detecting suitcase. Plus: a brewery offered a keg party to anyone who could find their missing and/or stolen van. Didn't take long for someone to find it.
Collision-Detecting Suitcase, Wayfinding App Help Blind People Navigate Airports (Carnegie Mellon University)
Brewery offered free beer as reward for finding stolen van. It was back in 42 minutes (Charlotte Observer)
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Two weeks ago, the staff at the Humane Society of San Diego had to figure out how to help a tortoise with a hole in its shell. Veterinarians Daniel Barbour came up with a plan involving a trip to the hardware store. Plus: meet Ron Minis, a musician who figured out how to play the classic guitar solo from Guns 'N' Roses' "Sweet Child O'Mine" despite the fact that he doesn't play guitar,.
Vet invents new procedure to save injured tortoise (FOX 5 San Diego)
Dude Mics A Piano Like A Guitar, Plays GUNS N' ROSES' "Sweet Child O' Mine" Solo (MetalInjection.net)
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A group of researchers has been looking at the science behind digital pettiness - that’s like if you go out to eat with somebody and then use Paypal or Venmo to send them the exact amount of money to cover your order, down to the penny. Maybe this isn’t a surprise, but the research suggests that if you’re too particular about paying back the exact amount, it can take a toll on your friendships. Maybe you'd be better off taking your friends to the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Rhubarb Festival, which is kicking off today. They've even got what they say is the only rhubarb race car derby!
Is the Digital Age Making Us Petty? (Harvard Business School)
Lancaster County Rhubarb Festival
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Today's the 50th anniversary of an overlooked but important visit to a fairly nasty place… the planet Venus. The Venera 5 craft isn't well remembered, partly because it only got to do its atmospheric testing for an hour before the hellscape that is the second planet basically wrecked it, but it did teach us some important new things about Venus. In short: a nice planet, but you wouldn't want to live there. You might, though, want to live in McMinnville, Oregon, which is kicking off its annual UFO Festival today, complete with fun run called the Alien Abduction Dash.
Venera 5 (NASA)
Yes, We've Seen the Surface of Venus (Popular Science)
McMinnville OR UFO Festival
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What’s in a name? That which we call a corpse flower by any other name would smell as bad. The Chicago Botanic Garden has issued a bloom watch for one of its corpse flowers - not humans' favorite scent ever, but still a special occasion, because a corpse flower in the wild only blooms every two to five years. Plus: a college library in Australia evacuates over a suspected gas leak, only to find someone had brought in something that smells even stronger than a corpse flower.
Java 2.0 (Chicago Botanic Garden)
Corpse Flower Timelapse Video (Chicago Botanic Garden)
College library evacuated for gas leak. Turns out it was just the stench of durian — a horrendously smelly fruit (CBS News)
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For this Taco Tuesday we salute the Washington State University researchers behind the latest in electric tongue technology. The virtual tongue system can better distinguish spiciness than human tongues - and for longer periods of time, too. Plus: a visit to Tio’s Tacos in Riverside, California, where the food is memorable, and the decor is unforgettable.
An electric tongue can handle more spicy foods than you can (Science Daily)
Tio's Tacos In Riverside Hides A Vast Outdoor Sculpture Museum (LAist)
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Australians have been laughing, cursing, sighing and facepalming over a misspelled word on the newest printing of the Australian $50 dollar note. They left out an I in the word “responsibility,” and no one in the country is apparently missing the irony of misspelling that particular word and not catching it until 46 million of them had been sent out into the financial world. Creating currency is a complex process, so it’s only natural that there are flaws. Most of the errors get caught before being sent into circulation. But not always. Plus: the best kind of money is found money - unless you're in Grand Haven, Michigan, where a guy who dropped $30,000 in cash is expecting that you return it.
Huge typo spotted on new $50 note (News.com.au)
Bank alerted to Joyce coin risk (The Herald of Dublin)
Error Is Human, Pt. 1: Certifiable U.S. Paper Money Errors (Coin Week)
"Bugs Bunny" (Franklin Lover)
People rush to grab whirling cash after $30,000 falls off back of truck (MLive)
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It’s 150 years to the day that the presidents of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads drove a ceremonial golden spike into the first railroad line to cross North America. That's the big event of the weekend - oh, there's also a thing called Mother's Day? Okay, well for you all let's pay tribute to the Mom For A Minute Subreddit, which provides a virtual Reddit mom for you when your own maternal relationship is unresolved. Plus: the story of writer Dave Wain, who's paying tribute to his recently departed mum by live-tweeting her amazing collection of raunchy e-books using the hashtag #MumsKindleOdyssey.
The golden spike turns 150 (Visit Salt Lake)
Visit This Subreddit When You Need a Mom but Don't Have a Supportive One (Lifehacker)
Mum’s Kindle Odyssey (Dave Wain on Twitter)
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Ralph Baer invented home video games from his workshop in Manchester, New Hampshire - and now the city is honoring this gaming pioneer with a "Baer Square," complete with a statue, in a city park. Plus: this weekend, a place called the Maritime Republic of Eastport in Annapolis is holding "the least challenging athletic event ever conceived." It's a race that's one-twentieth of a kilometer long.
The Father of the Video Game: The Ralph Baer Prototypes and Electronic Games (Smithsonian Museum of American History)
Tomorrow Ralph Baer gets his own park in Manchester NH (GraniteGeek)
World’s Least Challenging Athletic Event Ever (The Travel 100)
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The story of the whale wearing a GoPro that might be some kind of Russian surveillance agent is pretty wild, but it's not even close to the first time governments have turned to animals for surveillance purposes. In the Cold War, the CIA tried to train a cat to infiltrate the Soviet Embassy in DC - sadly, they did not name it Felis Leiter. Plus: the audio phenomenon known as the "cocktail party effect" is not just for humans. Dogs have it too! Which means dogs should come to cocktail parties way more often.
That Time the CIA Bugged a Cat to Spy on the Soviets (The Atlantic)
The ‘Russian spy whale’ has plenty of historical company (Financial Times)
Dogs can tune out noise, just like people at cocktail parties (National Geographic)
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The new film “Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project" tells the story of a Philadelphia librarian and activist who spent decades recording every TV program she possibly could. She left 70,000 videocassettes in all, which is now being digitized to help us fill in some fascinating gaps in mass media history. Plus: the story of a man whose windshield was smashed by a flying turtle. And no, it wasn't a real-life game of Mario Kart.
Tribeca Film Review: ‘Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project’ (Variety)
'It just flung into my windshield': Turtle smashes into car in South Carolina (WAVY)
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Today is the 25th anniversary of the formal opening of the Channel Tunnel, a 31.4 mile long, mostly undersea rail tunnel connecting the city of Calais in northern France with the English town of Folkestone, Kent. The commemoration ceremony was a diplomatic coup but an engineer's nightmare: they had to run a train carrying Queen Elizabeth II and a train with French President Francois Mitterand toward each other... on the same track. Plus: a look at how the designers of the world's longest road tunnel - the Laerdal Tunnel in Norway - made sure drivers wouldn't get bored and nod off on their 15 mile journey underground.
The Channel Tunnel: 20 fascinating facts (Telegraph UK)
10 Strange Structural Engineering Marvels: Laerdal Tunnel (HowStuffWorks)
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The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is about to open a new exhibit called “Hollywood Dream Machines: Vehicles of Science Fiction and Fantasy." If you’ve ever wanted to get close to the coolest rides the big screen ever shared with us - like, say, the DeLorean in "Back to the Future" - this is your chance. Plus: a guy in Arizona tries to skirt the carpool lane rules with a scheme that could have come straight out of one of the "Mannequin" movie franchise.
Check out Batman’s and Marty McFly’s rides at the Petersen Museum (Ars Technica)
Man busted driving with mannequin in carpool lane (WJBF)
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The Louisiana Pirate Festival is getting underway in Lake Charles, which is as good a reason as any to talk about two of the most remarkable stories in pirate history: Cheng I Sao, a Chinese pirate queen who commanded 400 ships and 70,000 men and never lost a battle; and Ireland's Grace O’Malley, who, as the story is sometimes told, gave birth to one of her four children - and then, just hours later, grabbed her gun and successfully drove off a group of raiders.
Louisiana Pirate Festival
Cheng I Sao, Female Pirate Extraordinaire (JStor Daily)
Grace O'Malley: 12 fascinating facts about Ireland's fearless Pirate Queen (Irish Post)
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In Dickson, Tennessee, a movie theater showing a certain movie about a certain bright red dude with horns decided the name was a little too brash to put on a marquee facing a church, and decided to clean it up a little and advertised a showing of, and I quote, “Heckboy.” Swearing is not for everyone, of course, but it does have one really big backer: science. Swearing is still mostly a no-no on TV, which leads to weird TV-friendly versions of expletive-filled movies where characters call each other "casserole." Movies don't get any more magical than that.
What the Heckboy: Dickson theater near church avoids 'Hellboy' title
Swearing is Good for You (EmmaByrne.net)
Comically Bad TV Dubs and Edits (Mandatory.com)
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Bob Dylan still doesn’t like cell phone cameras at his concerts, judging by the admonition he gave a crowd this month. And yet, one of the most famous images was a concert photo taken by a random guy in the crowd! Plus: a group of poppy-fueled wallabies has been getting doped up and making crop circles. Every wallaby must get stoned?
Five Of Bob Dylan’s Photographers Share Their Best Dylan Stories (Stereogum)
Stoned wallabies are making crop circles in Tasmania (ABC Australia)
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A team at the University of British Columbia has developed a coating that has something called low interfacial toughness - in short, instead of ice building up on your car until it’s almost impossible to scrape off… it collapses under its own weight and just slides to the ground. Not all heroes wear capes. Plus: some heroes do wear capes, they just get turned away from the scene by the Mounties.
Clearing an icy windshield is about to get easier, says UBC engineer (University of British Columbia)
Okanagan ‘Batman’ offers helping hand, but RCMP call his presence a distraction (Global News)
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A new study led by a researcher from Duke University has spotted female sand tiger sharks returning to the same shipwrecks, sometimes over months or even years. Are they taking a rest stop on their migration routes? Are they mating there - like a pirate-themed make-out spot for sharks? Plus: sand sculpture artisans are returning this weekend to Port Aransas, Texas, for the Texas SandFest.
Sand Tiger Sharks Return to Same Shipwrecks Off N.C. Coast (Duke University)
Texas SandFest
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Japanese designer Kazuhiro Yamanaka has just released a flying drone lamp - this little light of yours will fly around the room with you as you move. Imagine how cool an episode of Ghost Hunters would be if they had one. Plus: what would an exercise video be like if the celebrity host wasn't really into exercise? Debbie Reynolds made exactly that video and it's amazing.
Flying Drone Lamp By Kazuhiro Yamanaka Uses Sensors To Follow Your Movements (designboom)
Watching Shelley Winters Go Rogue in Debbie Reynolds’s 1983 Exercise Video, “Do It Debbie’s Way” (The New Yorker)
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Passwords are totally out of control and no one’s happy about it. On the plus side, the security studies about how bad we are at passwords are pretty funny to read - like the new one from the UK that says one of the most common breached passwords is... Blink 182. Plus: the worldwide phenomenon that is "Baby Shark" has been welcome news for aquariums, if not for many parents.
Millions using 123456 as password, security study finds (BBC)
It’s a girl! (National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium)
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Thirty years ago today was the last regular season game of one of the greats on and off the court. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored more points than any NBA player ever - and he may have set the record for most kinds of post-basketball success, from doing fight scenes with Bruce Lee to writing on the reboot of Veronica Mars. And he's an airplane pilot - he's got clearance, Clarence. Plus: a hospital in Modesto, CA is trying out a new way to help its youngest patients get ready for the operating room: the kids get to drive to their surgeries in a child-sized Mercedes Benz convertible.
Legends profile: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (NBA.com)
Modesto hospital offers young surgical patients sleek, new ride to help reduce anxiety (KTVU)
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Being an astronaut is hard work - not only are you floating up in space, away from the rest of the world, you have a lot of cleaning to do. But there are plans for a new system that would disinfect the interiors of spacecrafts and space stations with ultraviolet lights. Best of all, it would be autonomous. Plus: the Monday after Easter is the Polish holiday with the unforgettable name: Dyngus Day.
This Space Roomba Could Clean the ISS While Astronauts Sleep (Futurism)
Not Polish? Don't worry - here's how to celebrate Dyngus Day (The Buffalo News)
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Frank Zappa is back out on tour, doing nine shows in the US and seven more in Europe. Now if you’re scratching your head here and saying, wait, isn’t Frank Zappa dead - well, yes, but this is the era of hologram concert tours, there's no reason a dearly departed musician can't step out on stage! Plus: let's celebrate Passover and/or Easter weekend the way the ancients intended: with the circle of concrete rabbit statues known as Bunnyhenge.
No industry is weirder than the dead celebrity hologram industry (Vox)
It’s Official: Dead Musicians Are Now Touring as Holograms (Philadelphia magazine)
Bunny Henge (Weird California)
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Everything is connected to everything else - and there's no better example of that than this week's news that a song by Ariana Grande is putting money into the state pension program in Michigan. And speaking of Michigan, did you know the state is home to the American Museum of Magic, which boasts the largest publicly viewable collection of magical artifacts in the world?
Michigan can say 'thank u, Ariana Grande'; Her hit '7 Rings' boosts state pension funds (Detroit Free Press)
American Museum of Magic
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Tired? Smoke breaks. Inspired? Scent breaks. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Brown University are looking at whether pleasant smells can help curb cravings for nicotine. Plus: for the new short film NYC Textures, director Ynon Lan took over a thousand still images of sidewalks, sides of buildings, subway tiles, grass and more. It’s a unique perspective on what you actually see when you move through New York City.
Pleasant Olfactory Cues Can Reduce Cigarette Craving (Journal of Abnormal Psychology via APA.org)
NYC Textures (Ynon Lan)
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If you’re mourning Notre Dame cathedral today, well, you’re not the only one. Here’s a story from its long history that might make you feel a little more hopeful, a story of stone heads that disappeared - and reappeared hundreds of years later. Plus: a few examples of how cathedrals are full of surprises, and not always high-minded ones.
After 184 Years, a Cousin of the French President Finds Notre Dame’s Missing Stone Heads (People)
13 Facts About Notre-Dame Cathedral (Mental Floss)
What you didn’t know about Britain’s churches and cathedrals (Telegraph UK)
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Tax Day gives a lot of us the blues - which, as it turns out, actually kind of works. April 15th is the birthday of one of the greatest singers of all time: the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith. As for taxes, we have some news you can use - at least if you're an unsavory character. According to US tax law, stolen property must be reported as income.
Forebears: Bessie Smith, The Empress Of The Blues (NPR Music)
It’s True: You Must Report Income from Thievery on Your Tax Form (Tax Foundation)
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During the Cold War, the CIA flew U2 planes all over the globe, to see what the Soviets were up to. And in doing so, documented all kinds of geographical features from up above. Two researchers decided to go back through these photos - not for their Cold War history but for archaeology. And it turns out, these photos showed a lot. Plus: this weekend in Woodstock, Illinois, the Great Lakes Steelpan Festival is getting underway.
Declassified U2 spy plane images reveal bygone Middle Eastern archaeological features (Phys.org)
Great Lakes Steelpan Festival
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The surest sign of spring is neither the calendar nor the weather. It’s the reappearance of Peeps, which are the stuff of candy and cultural legend now. Not only are there billions of them produced, eaten and/or used in dioramas every year, there's a PeepsMobile, a converted Volkswagen Beetle with a giant yellow Peep on top, and there's PeepResearch.org - an entire website devoted to researching what happens to the candies when you mess with them.
The sticky, sugary history of Peeps (Vox)
Emory pair unlocks the mystery of Peeps (Emory University)
RAM 10th Annual International PEEPS Art Exhibition (Racine Art Museum)
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The family that races hot rods together... stays together. For National Siblings Day, the story of Brittany, Ashley and Courtney Force, three sisters who have found an unusual way to spend time together: they're professional funny car drivers. And if you're not celebrating Abby Machuda Day yet, you will, once you hear what she did for her siblings.
Brittany Force still racing NHRA cars after sisters retire (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Llano girl honored for saving siblings, cat from Llano house fire (KXAN)
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Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville invented a way to document sound more than a decade before Thomas Edison developed his wax cylinders. So why isn't he remembered as the king of recording? Because he hadn't figured out one key feature: playing the sound back. Plus: ever wondered what it's like inside an anechoic chamber, which masks almost every sound possible? Really quite and kind of freaky.
What Was the First Sound Ever Recorded by a Machine? (Time)
The Phonautograms of Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville (FirstSounds.org)
'Quietest place on Earth' finds purpose in healing humans (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
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Researchers out of Brigham Young University have been working to quiet one of the most ungodly noises in the world - airplane bathrooms. Turns out changing the design of the pipes can make it a lot quieter, unlike that snoring guy in the next row. Plus: a dude in New Mexico has the worst luck with his own restroom.
A New Design Promises to Quiet the Terrifying Roar of Flushing an Airplane Toilet (Gizmodo)
This Is What Happens When You Flush the Airplane Toilet (Travel and Leisure)
Man Locks Himself Out of Bathroom - Twice (Rio Grande Sun)
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A long cold winter is behind us - unfortunately potholes are underneath us. In Michigan, 12 year old Monte Scott counted 50 potholes on his street alone - and started filling them in himself. Fortunately, a research team at Drexel University is working on a bioconcrete that might stop potholes before they start. Plus: ever wanted to see an opera performed in a swimming pool? Come to Appleton, Wisconsin this weekend and you'll have your chance.
12-year-old boy fed up with potholes; fixes them himself (Black Hills Fox)
To protect concrete from road salt, Drexel engineers have an odd idea: bacteria (Philly.com)
Opera makes a splash at Lawrence University (FOX 11)
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It was 50 years ago today that a doctor implanted a temporary artificial heart in a patient - a pretty big leap forward in heart surgeries, given that transplants were only about a year old back then. Plus: since April is National Donate Life Month, and the theme is “Life is a beautiful ride,” complete with bicycles, the story of a very unusual kind of ride - a nearly naked backwards bike ride down a Florida highway.
Texas surgeon implanted world's 1st artificial heart (Chicago Tribune)
National Donate Life Month (DonateLife.org)
Nearly nude Florida man rides bike backward on Miami Interstate (WTSP)
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An apple a day keeps the coming war with robots away? A New Zealand company is testing a robot that’s supposed to move through an apple orchard, spot ripe fruit, yank it from the tree and bring it back to the farmer. They're either helping us do a hard job or taking the first step toward an agricultural Skynet. Oh, and speaking of food-related horror: a strongman found out what happens when you order - and try to eat - literally everything on Taco Bell's menu.
Your Apples May Soon Be Picked By Laser-Shooting Robots (Wired)
Brian Shaw Devours Nearly Everything on The Taco Bell Menu (Muscle and Fitness)
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You can apply for just about any set of numbers and letters to adorn your motor vehicle, so long as they’re a) not already taken and b) abide by your state’s rules. California residents have been putting the Golden State's rules to the test in some odd ways lately. Plus: an LA museum dedicated to the wild world of velvet paintings is trying to stave off financial troubles. Hopefully they won't take any money strategies from those dogs playing poker.
The DMV Reviewed Thousands of Hilarious Vanity Plate Applications Last Year. These Are Our Favorites (LA Magazine)
Help Save Velvet Paintings (OK Whatever)
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I spent part of the weekend chasing down a little bit of musical and culinary history in Greenfield, Wisconsin, just outside Milwaukee. That’s home to Organ Piper Pizza - as you eat, an organist plays an enormous Wurlitzer organ, which also controls stage lights, disco balls, a mechanical gymnast and a family of singing ducks. Plus - a story that's, amazingly, not an April Fool's Day prank, in which police in Madrid respond to a guy on a bus sharpening a big carving knife (!)
The Carlson Kids Visit Organ Piper Pizza (YouTube)
Remembering the Dining Fad of 'Pizza and Pipes' (CityLab)
False alarm: Knife-wielding man on Metro revealed to be expert ham cutter (El Pais)
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On this day in 1861 the tiny European country of San Marino presented President Abraham Lincoln with honorary citizenship. There’s another leader named Lincoln who’s aspiring to greatness, and may yet achieve it - if, like Honest Abe, she can clean up the big mess in front of her. She's the new mayor of Fair Haven, Vermont: Lincoln the goat. Plus: Brian Chirls took the approval ratings from Richard Nixon’s presidency and matched them up with music and sound effects from the original Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda.
Lincoln the goat sworn in as Fair Haven's new mayor, immediately defecates (Burlington Free Press)
To The Regent Captains of San Marino (University of Michigan Library)
The Legend of Nixon (Kottke.org)
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It's Opening Day - and no matter who wins and who loses, baseball fans will have something to say about the umpires. The first pro ump in the big leagues was a man named Billy McLean - who, when he wasn't calling balls and strikes, was occasionally challenging hecklers to fistfights.
Link: The first major-league umpire was a Philadelphian (Philly.com)
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This year’s big growth industry: buying stuff online while you’re hammered. That's according to a new survey that finds one in four respondents admitted to buying stuff on the internet while they've been drinking. Drunk buying is now a $39.4 billion dollar industry... would this be a good time to mention this show is on Patreon?
Americans Spent Over $39 Billion While Drunk Shopping Last Year (Forbes)
Long Island Shopper Cashes In Coupon 36 Years After Deal Was First Offered (CBS New York)
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Brady has an eight year old in the house today! To celebrate the big guy's birthday, we're taking a look at the many great eight year olds out there, making things a little more awesome. And check out the Memphis Zoo's new Lego sculptures, including a 625-pound Lego polar bear family that you definitely wouldn't want to step on.
- The heart-warming tale of the 8-year-old chess champion is quintessentially American (Washington Post)
- 8-year-old dancer refuses to give up after losing her leg (CBS News)
- Why an inspirational eight-year-old joined more than 100 people swapping their comfy bed for a cold floor (Gloucestershire LIve)
- Horry County 8-year-old praised for emergency actions after twin brother has seizure (WMBF)
- Giant Lego Brick Sculptures (Memphis Zoo)
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Researchers in Europe make a stunning discovery: playing hip-hop to cheese makes it taste better. Maybe they should have played a few songs to a collector's coin in Germany that's not getting a great reaction.
Link: Cheese Exposed To Hip Hop Tastes Better (Swissinfo.ch)
Link: A German Mint Just Released A Coin Commemorating 70 Years Of Currywurst, And It's Unspeakably Ugly (Quartz)
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Millennial memes are a crock. They're not really killing lunch. Or bar soap. Or doorbells. But an often-discarded piece of their beloved avocados may end up saving lunch, thanks to a new kind of cutlery made from bioplastics.
This weekend head to Virginia City, Nevada for the 41st International Collegiate Mining Games. Can your college hang with the Mackay Muckers of the University of Nevada - Reno in gold panning and jackleg drilling?
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That feeling when you've had a horrible day and everything's gone wrong and all you really want is to sit down and have a beer... and then a beer shows up. It's the real-life story of a giant flood, two guys who lived through it, and what they found after.
Lincoln Journal Star: 'A gift sent from the heavens' — Magic beer fridge found in flooded field
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