How Curious: Recent Episodes
KGOU
Oklahoma legends investigated. Heard something you're curious about? Submit questions and suggestions for future episodes to curious@kgou.org.
How Curious host/producer Rachel Hopkin the world's largest institution that’s solely dedicated to revealing and exploring the form and function of the skeletal system and which is based right here in OKC.
Seventy years ago, a landmark psychological study that has been described as a real life Lord of the Flies took place in an Oklahoma state park. But although the Robbers Cave Experiment, like the novel, focused on a bunch of schoolboys, it offered a very different perspective on human nature.
Which Oklahoman Got a Hippopotamus for Christmas? Today’s story features a local girl with a belter of a voice, several hippopotamuses, some zoo history, and a hit song.
Which of Oklahoma's cities was designated "America's Model City" in 1951? And how did the diminutive Shetland pony help that city to grow?
Many settlers in Oklahoma are of German descent but had ancestors who lived as Germans in Russia for a century or more. Who are these “other Germans?”
Did you know that the Tulsa Oktoberfest played an important role in fueling the craze for the Chicken Dance? Find out how in this episode of How Curious.
Does a massive man-hunting octopus inhabit Oklahoma’s lakes? Rachel Hopkin looks into one of the Sooner State’s unique legendary monsters, the Oklahoma Octopus.
In 1913 a young Oklahoma came to be known as “The Richest Black Girl in America” after oil was found on her land. How Curious explores Sarah Rector’s extraordinary life.
For decades, stories have circulated about a violent Chicago gangster living in rural Norman, Okla. In this How Curious episode, Rachel Hopkin, digs for the truth behind the rumors.
The Texas Longhorn is typically associated with, er, Texas. But KGOU heard a rumor that when the breed was on the verge of extinction a century ago, it was a group of Oklahomans that saved the bovine.
How Curious explores a momentous scientific breakthrough which took place in Oklahoma in the early 1920s and which continues to have worldwide consequences today
This episode features an Oklahoma-based musical mega-impresario, some of country music’s biggest stars, and a tour of the former USSR.
Exploring the fascinating history and lore of pigeons, plus the incredible variety of breeds
While there used to be several hundred lesbian bars across the US just a few decades back, only 24 remain. New York and Oklahoma tie for the lead with three lesbian bars each, but those two states are very different places, so why do they have this in common?
In the late 1920s, a young Oklahoman composer named Albert E. Brumley created a song that would go on to become one most popular pieces of gospel music of all time.
The small town of Shattuck lies close to Oklahoma’s border with Texas, and at its center stands the Shattuck Windmill Museum. We learn about the vital role that windmills played across the high plains region, as well as about the role this Museum plays in Shattuck life.
The Morgan Horse is the earliest surviving breed of American horse. But it's from Vermont. So why is it so important to Oklahoma?
For years, CB radio users heard a male voice incessantly repeating these words: "I got my nightgown on, I got my pretty red panties on, and I’m ready to go to bed." Who was behind the message and why?
Kendall’s Restaurant in downtown Noble, Okla., is famous for chicken-fried steaks, cinnamon rolls, and GHOSTS. Rachel Hopkin explores some strange goings-on under its roof.
Outlaws like Bill Doolin, Bert Casey and Richard “Little Dick” West have gone down in Oklahoma history as accomplished outlaws. But who is the worst outlaw that became famous in Oklahoma?
Before H.P. Lovecraft was considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, known for his cosmic brand of horror, he made a living ghostwriting for other authors. But was one of these stories inspired by a mound in Oklahoma?
Gold has attracted various groups to Oklahoma, ranging from Spanish explorers, notorious outlaws like Jesse James and miners during the state's short-lived gold rush. But is gold and treasure buried in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma was the last state in the nation to legalize tattooing in 2006. Before then, some residents traveled to surrounding states to get tattooed or set up shop. But why did Oklahoma ban the practice in the early ‘60s?
Belle Isle Lake in Oklahoma City was built in early statehood to generate electricity for the trolley system, becoming a premier destination for swimming and boating. But was the lake responsible for reviving one of the most iconic horror actors of the 20th century?
Bass Reeves, one of the first Black deputy U.S. marshals west of the Mississippi River, is considered among the most prolific law enforcement officers in American history. But was the character The Lone Ranger based on Reeves?
KGOU’s signature podcast “How Curious” will return this fall with new host and producer Katelyn Howard.
KGOU listener John Potts noticed every auto dealership in the state is closed on Sunday, so he asked How Curious for an explanation. It turns out that Oklahoma is one of several states that forbids motor vehicle sales on Sundays.
Aviator Wiley Post gained global fame in the 1930s. He was known for smashing around-the-world flight records, but did he also spend time in an Oklahoma prison for a felony?
On a special stretch of road near Springer, Oklahoma, it feels like gravity doesn’t quite work-- when you shift a car into neutral gear, you feel like the car is rolling backwards up the hill. KGOU listener Vicki Weiss asked How Curious: Does this spot really defy gravity?
KGOU listener Gabe Denton remembers seeing horny toads all the time when he was growing up in Choctaw, but he hasn’t seen one in decades. Denton asked How Curious: What happened?
Listener Daniel Humphrey heard Oklahoma City’s drag performances used to be famous nationwide and that celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Johnny Carson visited the city to see shows. So he asked How Curious: Was Oklahoma home to one of the country’s most renowned drag scenes?
KGOU listener Adam Cotton heard the famous “talking” horse’s final resting place is in the Sooner State. He asked How Curious: Is that true?
George Bogaski is trying to walk the entire perimeter of Oklahoma, about 1,450 miles. Bogaski estimates he’s hiked about 25 percent of the total distance, and he has a tradition of smoking a cigar at each of the state’s corners. He’s lit up at all of the others--but could not find the state’s southwest corner. He asked How Curious: Where is the corner? Is there a marker?
Western author Louis L’Amour is said to have lived in Choctaw, Oklahoma during the 1930s and 1940s. One listener wanted to know if the rumor is true, and, if so, where exactly was his home?
The Green Book was a guide for African Americans traveling during segregation. It listed businesses that did not discriminate on the basis of race. KGOU listener Luciana Simmons asked How Curious: Where were Oklahoma’s Green Book entries? Do they still exist?
KGOU listener Nick Jungman heard a rumor that an old agreement between business owners is keeping the Oklahoma-based QuikTrip out of the state’s capital city. He asked How Curious: Is this story true?
Oklahoma has more than 500 school districts--up to three times more than some states with similar student populations. KGOU listener Beverly Funderburk emailed How Curious and asked: “How did Oklahoma end up with so many districts?”
Byron’s Liquor Warehouse in Oklahoma City has been around since the state legalized alcohol in 1959. Listener Adam Hicks heard the store had a machine gun turret on its roof in its early days. Hicks asked How Curious: Is this true? And if so, why did the business need a gun?