Oddments

This week, we’ll explore some Missing UFOs, Any Color (So Long as It’s Black), the Shellfish Conundrum, and Art-O-Mats. But first, it’s time for a Mother and Child Reunion, presented to you by one Paul Simon. REFERENCES MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION THE MISSING UFOS ANY COLOR SO LONG AS IT’S BLACK THE SHELLFISH CONUNDRUM ART-O-MAT […]

This week, we’ll take a look at drying hands, begging the questions, what it means to be a pirate, and how you can win the lottery. REFERENCES Restroom Evolution Begging the Question Pirates of the Prairie State How to Win the Lottery If you have a question, comment or recipe, please send them to jeff@collegeofcuriosity.com. Commentary […]

This week, we’ll take some of the things the TSA finds, the “Man of the Year,” Guy Fawkes masks and a cup of tea. REFERENCES The TSA Man of the Year Why Guy Fawkes? Boston Tea If you have a question, comment or recipe, please send them to jeff@collegeofcuriosity.com. Commentary by Jeff Wagg Theme song […]

This week, we’ll take a look at a mystery involving dead deer, learn the deadly truth behind the word “meromictic,” shun fresh cashews, smile at hook worms, and explore the desert with some allergy sufferers. REFERENCES A Natural Death Meromictic Cashew Juice The Happy Hookworm! Arizona Therapy! If you have a question, comment or recipe, please […]

In this episode, we visit the familiar hills of Watership Down, the explosive genesis of a religion, a writer who wasn’t, and an alternative dictionary with added truth. REFERENCES The Fate of Watership Down The Unlikely Birth of a Religion The Mystery of Thomas James Bitter Bierce If you have a question, comment or recipe, please send […]

In this episode, we explore an enduring mystery with plenty of clues, birds with unusual numbers of wings, the ingenuity of farmers, and a symbol that means “Good Existence.” REFERENCES The Somerton Man Wings on Things Farmer’s Folly? Good Existence If you have a question, comment or recipe, please send them to jeff@collegeofcuriosity.com. Commentary by […]

Hello, and welcome to the Daily Curio Season 2. For the next 100 episodes, we’re changing the format a bit. New pieces will now feature more in-depth stories with enhanced sound production. For those that would like to listen or read in ten minute chunks, the week’s episodes will be compiled into a single episode of Oddments, […]

In this episode, we learn some secrets from the tail numbers on aircraft, discover the meaning of cabotage, and meet a man who’s always drunk. But first, let’s have a listen to some miserable people… REFERENCES Les Miserables Elephant Wikipedia: Elephant of the Bastille Art of the Film: The Elephant of Les Miserables N-Numbers FAA: N-Numbers Internet […]

This time, we’ll answer the age old question Paper or Plastic, explore beneath the sea, try to tongue twist a computer, and learn the real reason that the Titanic Movie happened. But first, let’s see what’s on the road with us… REFERENCES Paper or Plastic? How Stuff Works: Which is more environmentally friendly: paper or plastic? […]

NATO’s alphabet and number stations, the kidnapping game, flying from an old church, the odd invention of one-way streets, and dreamers of dreams. REFERENCES NATO Alphabet and Number Stations Wikipedia: NATO Alphabet Skeptoid: Spy Radio: Numbers Stations Amazon: Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Conet Project: Recordings of Shortwave Number Stations Geoguessr Geoguessr: Lets Explore the World! […]

The mystery of the Fool Killer, listen to a eerie waterphone, explore some unusual things about beavers, go to war with Albert Cashier, and drive like we’re in a 1980’s video game. REFERENCES Fool Killer Mysterious Chicago: The Foolkiller Submarine Straight Dope: Update on  the Fool Killer, Chicago’s Mystery Submarine Waterphone Waterphone Online: Official Site YouTube: H2O Demo […]

Lightning as navigation, castle thunder, Greenland’s problems, glowing, LOUD amorous fish and a visit from Professor Wonka. REFERENCES Lightning National Geographic: Flash Facts About Lightning Wikipedia: Lightning (not Lightening) Wikipedia: Catatumbo lightning Greenland Norden: Facts about Greenland Geography 222: The Power of Maps Wikipedia: Map Projection West Coast Hum KING 5: West Seattle hum could be fish (seriously) Wikipedia: Midshipman Fish Hilaire Belloc ala […]

This week finds your host under the weather, which is a perfect time to turn to Mark Twain for help. REFERENCES Newspaper Articles by Mark Twain Librivox: Newspaper Articles by Mark Twain Librivox is a project in which volunteers create audio books and place the in the public domain for all to enjoy. This is […]

Richard Feynman, Paul Pena and Tuvan throat singing, Voyage 1 still listening to space sounds 35 years into its journey, the long strange trip of Peking Man, a 100 year old aquarium and dandy candy. REFERENCES Tuvan Throat Singing Wikipedia: Overtone Singing IMDB: Genghis Blues Wikipedia: Tuva or Bust! Space Noise NASA: Sounds of Interstellar […]

A missing sea, a cryptographic puzzle, the U.S’s largest pyramid, artistic butt music, and the announcer’s test. REFERENCES The Aral Sea Wikipedia: Aral Sea The Moscow Times: Symphony for Return to the Aral Sea The Enigma Machine Wikipedia: Enigma Machine Espacenet: Enigma Patent Wikipedia: Cryptanalysis of Enigma Cohokia Cahokia: Official Site Hieronymus Bosch’s Music Guardian UK: Hidden […]

Various velocipedes, managing mic pops, marching metronomes, forgotten space pioneer Ivan Ivanovich and the Viola Organista REFERENCES VELOCIPEDES Wikipedia: Dandy Horse Wikipedia: Penny Farthing MIC POPS Instructables: Dealing With Mic Pops MARCHING METRONOMES YouTube: 32 out of sync metronomes end up synchronizing IVAN IVANOVICH Wikipedia: Ivan Ivanovich VIOLA ORGANISTA Telegraph: The Amazing Viola Organista  FEAR OF HUNTING […]

In this episode, sunset tricks, brain fun with numbers, moving a giant electromagnet, Titanic’s last song, woodworms and stuck in the Antarctic. REFERENCES SUNSET TRICKS Wikipedia: Green Flash Wikipedia: Sun Dogs FUN WITH NUMBERS Personality Cafe: Quick! Without Thinking… MOVING A GIANT ELECTROMAGNET LiveScience: Giant Electromagnet Completes Its Month-Long Move TITANIC’S LAST SONG The History […]

In this episode, some original recording of amazing phenomenon, oh the technical problems, and tubular messaging. REFERENCES PISTOL SHRIMP Wikipedia article on Pistol Shrimp Wikipedia article on Sonolumenescence Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge YT: Video of the Pistol Shrimp YT: Mantis Shrimp Opening a Clam HINDENBURG RECORDINGS Complete Film with Corrected Sound Chicago Tribune Article PNEUMATIC MAIL National Postal Museum Explanation London Pneumatic Despatch Company (For […]

In this episode, No Business, TN, Aubrey gets un-bored in Ohio, Ethan finds Algebra, and a virtual haircut. REFERENCES No Business Map of No Business, TN Parallax Wikipedia article describing the phenomenon YT: Nice example of Parallax Aubrey’s wordmonster Project Charles Dodgson Wikipedia on Charles Dodgson Project Gutenberg books by Lewis Carroll (free) Wikipedia on Condorcet Winning Ethan’s Mathemagician Site Virtual Haircut QSound Binaural demo page […]

In this episode, Jairus becomes Sargon, Euler’s disk mesmerizes, and Mark Twain comes back from the dead. REFERENCES The First Empire Wikipedia on Sargon and the First Empire Wikipedia on Cuneiform script Wikipedia on City-states Euler’s Disk YT: Euler’s Disk video. (Try it with a laser pointer!) The physics of Euler’s Disk Wikipedia on Leonhard Euler Mark Twain Speaks Complete history of the recording YT: […]

In this episode, Jairus talks about whales and junk, Aubrey explains the death of light, and another audio illusion descends. REFERENCES Spermaceti Wikipedia on Spermaceti A nice diagram of a sperm whale’s head The incredible tale of the Whaleship Essex The real Twitter Falling Bells Illusion YT: The tones with a video enhancer Light Catchers Aubrey Henretty’s Wordmonster.org project Scientific American: Determining the age of […]

In this episode, Jairus explores how the winter makes him dumb AND depressed and Jeff talks about deadly playing cards, monkey prose, and audio illusions. REFERENCES Shepard Tones Wikipedia on Shepard Tones Visualization of Shepard Tone Diana Deutsch’s Webpage S.A.D. Official Description of Seasonal Affective Disorder eBay Items Monkeys With Typewriters Wikipedia on Infinite Monkeys The Complete Works of Shakespeare Crested Celebes Macaques […]

In this, our first episode, we explore an armored bandit from down under (and his missing skull), a famous if somewhat overused sound effect, why you can’t land at Microsoft Simulator’s default airport, islands named after holidays and why the Bermuda Triangle is as safe as any other reef and storm infested area. REFERENCES Ned […]