Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

Today in 1929, the birthday of Roger Bannister. He was the first athlete to run a mile in under four minutes… and he did it on a work day. Plus: the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in Montana has a program where their bears serve as testers for companies that make "bear-proof" food storage containers. A tribute to Sir Roger Bannister (NHS Imperial College Healthcare)PRODUCT TESTING (Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center)Race on over to our Patreon page so you can support this show

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about signs, captions and other adaptations. In this episode from April 2020, the University of Virginia's Disabilities Studies Symposium produces a version of a 1950s opera called “Dialogues of the Carmelites,” with both singers and ASL performers. Plus: Theremin Cat goes viral for putting its head and paws in just the right places to make the instrument squeak and squawk.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

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about signs, captions and other adaptations. In this episode from October 2019, we find out about the Soundshirt, a high-tech piece of clothing that can help deaf people feel music. Plus: a trombonist in England lets loose in the middle of the music with the most musical sneeze of all time.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)

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about signs, captions and other adaptations. In this episode from March 2021, we mark the day in 1980 when the major broadcast networks began regularly providing closed captioning for their shows, serving Deaf viewers along with hearing ones. Plus: some fans of The Mandalorian create a 46 foot long, 13 foot high replica of the main character's spaceship, the Razor Crest.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

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about signs, captions and other adaptations. In this episode from August 2022, two Deaf climbers describe their system for communicating when they're up high. Plus: an island way out in the ocean that's only reachable for part of the time has a very appropriate name. How Two Deaf Mountaineers Thrive on High Peaks (Outside)The Questionable Rewards of a Visit to Inaccessible Island (Atlas Obscura)Our Patreon backers keep us scaling the heights day after day

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about signs, captions and other adaptations. In this episode from July 2020, the story of the time several decades ago that Deaf students at a school in Nicaragua created their own language. Plus: in 2017, two divers off the coast of Mexico found a flooded cave that research concludes was a mine for ochre pigment thousands and 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)Discover the joys of being of a Cool Weird Awesome backer on Patreon

This week in 1911, a telephone operator in Oklahoma, Rose Coppinger, became a local hero. During a massive fire in the downtown district, she took it upon herself to call everyone in town that she could to get them to safety, while also calling for help in stopping the fire. Plus: coming up, a really rare find at an antique store in East Durham, New York. Telephone operator warns citizens of fire and saves lives (The Brook, IN Reporter via Newspapers.com) Owl found napping on antique store shelf in New York (UPI)We're calling on you to back this show today on Patreon

If this Thursday had taken place in the 1970s or 80s, people in Iceland would've been doing just about anything other than watching television. That's because the country's public broadcasting service only broadcast six days a week; on Thursdays there were no shows. Plus: another thing you wouldn't find in Iceland for many years was boxing, though that had an unintended side effect. Icelandic television was not broadcast on Thursdays until 1987 (History.com)Illegal in Iceland: Quirky Bans From the Land of Fire and Ice (Smithsonian)Help us bring this show all over the world as a backer on Patreon

Today is National Dream Day. While our dreams can have a lot in common with those of people in other parts of the world, there can be some big differences between those dreams too. Plus: did you know that a percentage of people dream in black and white? The Most Common Dreams By Country (Brilliant Maps)Dreams can vary across cultures and environments, UTM anthropologist finds (University of Toronto - Mississauga)45 Mind-Boggling Facts About Dreams (Healthline)Our dream is for you to back this show on Patreon

It's National Landline Telephone Day, so we're talking about a phenomenon from the early landline days, when being a little too well understood on the phone was apparently considered kind of girly. Plus: North Korea has called off a marathon in Pyongyang for reasons. No, really, that's pretty much how the official statement put it. When the Telephone Was Considered Feminine (JSTOR Daily)N Korea cancels Pyongyang Marathon for 'some reasons' (BBC)We're calling on you to back our show on Patreon

Today in 1959, Mattel brought a new toy to the North American International Toy Fair in New York City. The Barbie doll has since become famous all over the world, but few places have more of a connection to Barbie than the state of Wisconsin. Plus: today in 1965, a story in The News-Star newspaper with the headline "Clumsy Burglars." And boy were they. 5 things we know about Willows, the fictional Wisconsin city where Barbie was born (Milwaukee Record)Inept Criminals #3 (Weird Universe)Back our show on Patreon so we can keep bringing all the Kenergy

Tomorrow is National Cereal Day. Today, we're spending some quality time with the boxes that house those breakfast staples… especially the ones decades ago that came with playable records. Plus: about half a millennium after Michelangelo was born (this day in 1475), the Victoria and Albert Museum in London announced that on a wax sculpture, they had found what appeared to be the artist's thumbprint. Cereal Box Records Sound Horrible. They Still Look Incredible. (New York Times)The Victoria and Albert Museum Says It Has Spotted Michelangelo's Thumbprint, Preserved in Wax, on One of His Sculptures (Artnet)For less than the cost of a box of cereal, you can back our show on Patreon each month

By some accounts today is National Pickup Truck Day.  One of the world's most notable trucks is in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. For the last three decades or so, it's been hanging five stories up on the side of a building. Plus: a hockey team in Ontario has apologized for sending fans a letter essentially asking them to stop being smelly at games (!) This 1992 Chevy Pickup Has Been Hanging Off a Building for Over 30 Years (The Drive)Oshawa Generals apologizing after sending letter asking smelly fans to shower before game (CTV News)We love having our Patreon backers on our side

National Salt Awareness Week begins today in the UK. We'll let medical experts tell you how much salt is right for you and your diet, but we can look at a broader question: why is it that we keep salt and pepper shakers together at the table? Plus: starting today in New Zealand, the Golden Shears World Shearing And Woolhandling Championship. Why Are Salt and Pepper Paired? (AllRecipes)Golden Shears World Championships This show and its Patreon backers go together like salt and pepper

Today in 1855 US lawmakers approved $30,000 in funding for “the purchase of camels and the importation of dromedaries, to be employed for military purposes." We had our own "Camel Corps"! Plus: today in 1875, the first indoor game of hockey took place in Montreal, and it ended in a not that surprising way. The U.S. Army's “Camel Corps” Experiment (Army Historical Foundation)First indoor game ended in melee (ESPN)Ride on over to our Patreon page to back this show today

Today in 1965, the premiere of “The Sound of Music.” Generations of fans around the world have been singing along to songs like "Do-Re-Mi,: but those fans can be singing very different songs depending on which language they're singing in. Plus: a moment of well-meaning misunderstanding at an animal rescue center in the UK. "The Sound of Music" across three languages (Jabal al-Lughat) Animal rescue team race to save 'dog' stuck in ditch - only to find it's a statue (The Express)Let's make beautiful music together! Join us as a backer on Patreon

Today is National Strawberry Day, and in Poland, one of the foods that goes best with strawberries is pasta. Plus: starting today in Wabasha, Minnesota, it's the Grumpy Old Men Festival. Strawberry Spaghetti Is The Sweet Polish Pasta You Need To Try (Mashed)GRUMPY OLD MEN FESTIVAL It would be sweet for you to join our community of supporters on Patreon

We have a few days left in National Children's Dental Health Month, so today we're telling the story of William Addis, the first person to mass produce toothbrushes - and one who came up with his big breakthrough in unusual circumstances. Plus: for National Pistachio Day, a visit to the World's Largest Pistachio (TM) in Alamagordo, New Mexico.  Who invented the toothbrush and when was it invented? (Library of Congress via Archive.org)World's Largest Pistachio Keep this show bright and shiny like a set of healthy teeth, as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1978, writer Dave Voelker set off on a hike across frozen Lake Erie. Experienced hikers can definitely cover that much ground in a weekend, but a frozen Great Lake can be a little more complicated than a hiking trail. Plus: today in 1969, a rough moment for John Edward Kilty of Manchester, England, showing why it's always good to listen closely in court. Walking on water: Tales of perilous treks across frozen Lake Erie to Canada (Erie Times-News)I Walked Across Lake Erie — Alone (Cleveland Magazine)Kilty as charged (Weird Universe)Hike on over to our Patreon page and back this show for just $1 a month

Today in 1972, the birthday of Manon Rhéaume, who made history as the first woman to ever play in the National Hockey League. Plus: today is National Tortilla Chip Day. There are lots of ways to celebrate, like recreating the work of a Reddit user who, in 2021, made a prom dress out of old bags of Doritos. Manon Rheaume realizes her NHL debut was ‘not just another game' (SportsNet) I made a prom dress out of recycled Doritos bags from my school cafeteria (Reddit)Make it a goal to join our community of supporters on Patreon

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be a big challenge for some people. There's a research project underway to see if becoming a DJ can help with ADHD. Plus: a big mathematical mind wanted a very specific shape on his tombstone. A new spin on ADHD treatment (Virginia Tech University)  Why This Great Mathematician Wanted a Heptadecagon on His Tombstone (Scientific American)“He's the DJ, we're the backers,” say our supporters on Patreon

Today in 1977, the show that famously broadcast “live from New York” put on a special show live from New Orleans. While you can't exactly call what happened a trainwreck, it has definitely stayed a one and done. Plus: today in 1989, TIME magazine noted that a TV ad for Nike sneakers wasn't quite what it appeared to be. The Big Uneasy: When SNL Went to Mardi Gras (Vulture)Advertising: If the Inamuk Fits . . . (TIME) It's easy to support this show, just give $1 a month through our Patreon page

Today in 1973, one of the greatest boxers of all time tried a different sport for a day… and it really didn't go well. Plus: on this day in 1967, a news story about a swimmer who broke a world record but got disqualified on wardrobe grounds. Joe Frazier Almost Drowned On National Television 40 Years Ago Today (Sports Illustrated) Sylvia Ester, World-Record Swimmer (Weird Universe)Keep this podcast above water as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1930, a Guernsey cow known as Elm Farm Ollie became the first cow to go up in a plane, and the first one to be milked during the flight (!) Plus: today in 2012, a pro golfer hits a ball that accidentally rolls up a guy's pant leg (!!) Elm Farm Ollie: The Story of the First Cow to Take Flight (San Diego Air & Space Museum)Trending: Mickelson's ball ends up in man's shorts (Golf Digest)Keep this show flying into the future as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1989, two players in a chess tournament faced off… and set a record for the longest tournament chess match of all time. Plus: today in 1921, a nun in St. Paul, Minnesota made educational history. The Longest Tournament Chess Game (Chess.com) School Patrol Flagpole (Atlas Obscura)It's your move, make it a good one by backing our show on Patreon

The most famous giant president heads are the ones on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, but many president buffs also swear by a different set in Virginia… though those heads have definitely had a rough go of it. Plus: a CBC report in 1987 features grocery store price checkers who were really on a roll.Inside Virginia's Decaying President Heads: Where They Came From, Where They Are, How to Tour (Roadtrippers)#TBT: Remember when Superstore had price checkers on roller skates? This goes all the way back to 1987. (CBC Edmonton via Facebook) Our Patreon backers use their heads to support this show, join them today

We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from November 2019, the legend of how President Lincoln once served as a kind of wedding planner at the White House. Plus: Marlborough, Massachusetts hosts the New England WizardFest, where you can immerse yourself in the world of witches and wizards. 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 WizardfestBack Cool Weird Awesome on Twitter and you can solemnly swear that you are up to something good 

We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from February 2021, a groundbreaking detective uses her ingenuity to get President-elect Lincoln to Washington DC when there were threats against him. Plus: the family of the late Alex Trebek does some good with the suits he wore on Jeopardy! 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)Help this show make new episodes as a backer on Patreon!

We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from February 2022, the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft, a space underneath the famous memorial that's a result of the engineering it took to build on that spot. Plus: a farmer in Takoma Park, Maryland honored the late president by carving his name into a beech tree. Over and over.Lincoln Memorial Undercroft (Atlas Obscura)The Presidents' Tree (Friends of Sligo Creek)Party on with our Patreon backers, and keep our show growing

We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from October 2021, a handwritten letter from an 11 year old convinces presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln to grow a beard. Plus: 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)Join us as a Patreon backer and we'll send you a letter saying thanks

We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from February 2020, President Lincoln gets an offer from a fellow leader to send elephants to the United States, and he has to gently put the guy off. Plus: when elephants who haven't seen each other in a while get back together, they do some big, loud and adorable stuff. Lincoln Rejects the King of Siam's Offer of Elephants (American Battlefield Trust)Elephant Emotions (PBS Nature)We graciously invite you to back Cool Weird Awesome on Patreon!

This month in 1964, the talk of the art world was an exciting avant garde painter named Pierre Brassau… except that this painter was actually a chimpanzee, and Pierre Brassau was a big old hoax. Plus: the young lady in the famous Sun Maid raisin logo was inspired by an actual person. The Monkey Artist Hoax (Today I Found Out)Our history (Sun Maid)Paint the future of this podcast as a backer on Patreon

Born today in 1929, Hal Blaine, a session drummer who played on not just some of the biggest hits of the 1960s, but hundreds of them. Plus: today in 1999, the first major online livestream, which brought something like 1.5 million users together to watch a Victoria's Secret fashion show. Remembering Hal Blaine (Drum Magazine)February 5, 1999: First Major Webcast in Victoria's Secret (This Day In Tech History via Archive.org) Keep this show marching to the beat of its own drummer as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1948, the birthday of Vincent Furnier, who rock music fans know better as Alice Cooper.  Onstage he was wild, provocative, shocking; offstage he spent a lot of time helping a certain comedy legend get some sleep. Plus: science geeks on the internet figure out a solution to a seemingly impossible postal conundrum. How Alice Cooper and Groucho Marx got to be midnight buds (Las Vegas Review-Journal)What Could You Stuff in a Post Office Mailer to Exceed the Weight Limit? (Popular Mechanics)Befriend our show as a backer on Patreon

Today in 2006, Fred the cat went undercover in Brooklyn, helping police and the district attorney's office bust a guy who was pretending to be a veterinarian. Yes, it was an undercover cat! Plus: a discussion of celebrity news on live TV goes off the rails when a cat walks past the camera dressed as a sunflower. A Detective. A Celebrity. And That Was Just Life No. 1. (New York Times) Work from home: When you get upstaged by a cat wearing a sunflower (FOX 13 Tampa Bay via YouTube) No need to go undercover to support this show, just join us on Patreon

For Black History Month, we have the story of Rosa Graggs, a Black leader in Detroit who found a way around housing rules that tried to keep her from using her own property. Plus: Greg the Sorcerer is playing the open world survival game Valheim. Well, sort of. Detroit street that rejected Rosa Gragg will wear her name (Detroit Free Press)Valheim player keeps building Dollar Generals despite friend begging them to stop: 'I do not want to play Valheim with Greg anymore' (PC Gamer)Want more episodes like this one? Back our show on Patreon today

Today in 1969, the Beatles gave their famous "rooftop concert" in London. The police eventually shut it down, but no one got arrested... to the disappointment of at least part of the group. Plus: starting tomorrow in Florida, it's the Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Beatles' Famous Rooftop Concert: 15 Things You Didn't Know (Rolling Stone)Gasparilla Pirate Fest Get back to our Patreon page where you once belonged

Today in 1861, Kansas became the 34th state in the Union. In the 1990s, a dispute over school funding led to a plan to turn part of the state into a new state of West Kansas. Plus: New York City has said goodbye to MetroCards as a payment system for bus and subway rides, but you can relive the glory days of those plastic fare cards in a new exhibit at the New York Transit Museum. Parts of Kansas once tried to secede and form 'West Kansas.' It helps explain our politics today (KAKE)NYC's Transit Museum Pays Homage to the MetroCard (Hyperallergic)Want more shows about would-be states? Back our show on Patreon today

Today in 1971, the NFL began its annual draft. Back then, the drafts were strictly business, except for the moment when an NFL franchise appeared to draft one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Plus: today in 2021, a guy in Idaho won a big lottery prize, after having won smaller prizes five times earlier. Inside the 1971 NFL Draft, Where Atlanta Selected...John Wayne? (Sports Illustrated)Man wins sixth Idaho Lottery, this time taking home $250K (NBC News)Select our show as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1832, the birthday of Lewis Carroll, the author of “Alice In Wonderland.” One of the most memorable characters in Carroll's universe, the Mad Hatter, got his name from an actual medical condition that made those working in the hat industry seem to turn mad. Plus: today in 1937, the birthday of history-making broadcast journalist Nancy Dickerson. Poisons Part I: The Mercurial World of Felt (Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)Nancy Dickerson, 70, First Woman to Be a Reporter at CBS (New York Times) Our Patreon backers are like feathers in our caps, join them today

Today in 1892, the birthday of Bessie Coleman. She would break barriers in the sky, but only after she made a name for herself in another line of work: manicures. Plus: starting today in Elko, Nevada, it's the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Bessie Coleman (National Women's History Museum)41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Help this show keep flying as a backer on Patreon

Why have comedians been throwing pies at each other for laughs for so long? For National Pie Day, we investigate. Plus: Stacey Mei Yan Fong's project 50 Pies/50 States put the essence of each state in the Union into pie form.The messy history of the pie fight, from vaudeville to Nickelodeon (Hopes & Fears via Archive.org) 50 Pies/50 StatesFor the cost of a piece of pie a month you can support our show on Patreon

Today in 1943, the community of Spearfish, South Dakota had some serious ups and downs in the weather, setting an all-time record for the fastest temperature change ever documented. Plus: today in 1997, Lottie Williams of Tulsa, Oklahoma went out for a walk and got hit with what was likely a piece of a Delta rocket falling to Earth. History of Spearfish's World Record Temperature Change (South Dakota Public Broadcasting)Jan. 22, 1997: Heads Up, Lottie! It's Space Junk! (WIRED)Stick with our show through ups and downs as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1910, the birthday of Károly Takács, a multi-time Olympic champion who won his medals without the use of his dominant hand. Plus: today in 1936, inventor Carl Brown obtained a patent for an unusual device meant to wake up drowsy drivers. Karoly Takacs, the Para athlete who achieved Olympic glory (World Shooting Para Sport)Staying awake at the wheel (Weird Universe)Help our show stay on target, donate today on Patreon

Today in 1970, a strange moment in boxing history: two of the greatest heavyweights of all time faced off in a computer-simulated fight for a movie. Plus: today in 1946, the birthday of David Lynch, filmmaker, musician and occasional weather forecaster. How Muhammad Ali regretted his strangest fight ever (The Sporting News via Archive.org)  Watch 950 Weather Reports Presented by David Lynch, Straight from His Los Angeles Home (Open Culture)Keep this show in fighting shape, back it on Patreon today

For the holiday today, we're replaying an episode from January 2020 about the civil rights leader and his connection to Star Trek. A big reason why Dr. King was such a fan was the character of Lieutenant Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols.Star Trek's Uhura Reflects On MLK Encounter (NPR's Tell Me More)

Today in 1749 two British nobles decided to play a trick on London's theatergoers. And their trick, known today as the Great Bottle Hoax, proved their point, while also managing to mostly backfire. Plus: police in Heber City, Utah are turning into frogs on the job! At least according to AI. The Great Bottle Conjurer Hoax (The Paris Review)Ribbit ribbit! Artificial Intelligence programs used by Heber City police claim officer turned into a frog (Fox 13 Now)Our Patreon backers make this show possible, and that's no hoax

Today in 2009, the "Miracle on the Hudson," in which an airplane in distress made an emergency landing on a river and everyone on board survived. While winning national acclaim for his piloting, the captain had to do some explaining at his local library. Plus: a car guy from Long Island gets a special ride for his dad and finds a bit of hip hop history. Library lets late fees fly for Hudson pilot (NBC News)Long Island Man Buys Rolls-Royce Corniche for His Dad. It Turned Out To Be Tupac's (The Drive)Fly along with us as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1976 Tizi Hodson wrote a letter applying for what she called her dream job… and I don't imagine that her dream included waiting almost half a century to hear back from the employer. Plus: today's the birthday of track great Shawn Crawford, who won multiple Olympic medals but was just as well known for bringing a lighter side to sports. Woman gets reply about job application - 48 years on (BBC)  Memorable Olympic Moments: Shawn Crawford's Olympic Success (SBNation Shakin The Southland)Support this show on Patreon and you'll get some great benefits right away

Today in 1979, the YMCA filed a lawsuit against the Village People, for their song paying tribute to the YMCA! But don't worry, there's a happy ending for both sides here. Plus: Switzerland's Silvesterkläuse help ring in the new year and maybe maybe get a drink or two as they do.“Y.M.C.A.” (An Oral History) (SPIN) Silvesterkläuse both beautiful and ugly (Swiss National Museum)It's fun to back us on Patreon

Today in 2018, the closest of close calls for Brock Meister of Plymouth, Indiana: he survived a rarely survivable medical injury known as “internal decapitation.” Plus: for National Soundcheck Day, meet the Soundcube, a 1969 installation with loudspeakers in every direction. Brock Meister's life was saved by his best friend — six months later, Brock was able to save his own brother's life (Business Insider)Bernhard Leitner's Soundcube, 1969 – The Art of Seeing Sound And Hearing With Your Whole Body (Flashbak)We're lucky to have our Patreon supporters