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PODCAST

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

Three minutes each weekday of cool facts, weird news and awesome discoveries with Brady Carlson. Back us at http://patreon.com/bradycarlson

society & culture

All Episodes

00:03:19

Most School Buses Are Bright Yellow For Exactly The...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/29

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 The wheels on this show’s bus keep turning because of our supporters on Patreon

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00:03:07

Before Humans Ever Went To Space, A Mom In France...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/28

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 Launch our show into the stratosphere as a backer

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00:03:01

Inventor Becky Schroeder Had A Patent Before She Was...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/27

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 FestivalHelp our show glow as a backer on Patreon

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00:03:20

Rip The Dog Helped Rescue Londoners From Bomb Damaged...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/26

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)You can help our show as a backer on

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00:03:28

The Great Moon Hoax Showed Misinformation Spread In...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/25

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)It would be fantastic (but not fantastical) for our listeners to

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00:03:23

A Formerly Enslaved Man Roasted His Former Master In...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/22

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 Get in touch with us as a backer on Patreon

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00:03:01

A Restaurant In Wisconsin Keeps Goats On The Roof

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/21

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)Our Patreon backers are all GOATS

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00:03:23

Isabel Morgan Unlocked The Mysteries Of Polio On The...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/20

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)Keep this show healthy as a backer on Patreon

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00:03:11

Potatoes Have Made Their Contribution To World Peace

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/19

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 Potatoes can't back our show, but you can, join us on Patreon today

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00:03:24

Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” Was Partly Based On...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/18

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 Back our show today on Patreon and keep the shows about weird bird happenings coming

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00:03:08

When Eating With A Fork Was Scandalous

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/15

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)Serve up more episodes of our show as a backer on Patreon

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00:03:14

The Guy Who Officially Had The First Social Security...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/14

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 Secure the future of this show as a backer on Patreon

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00:03:08

A Guy In Saudi Arabia Has Over 400 Video Game...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/13

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 Connect with us as a backer on Patreon

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00:03:00

“Drop Kick Me Jesus” Is Country Music’s...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/12

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 ChampionshipsKeep this show moving toward the goalposts as a backer on Patreon

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00:03:00

A Fair In Washington State Is Famous For Its...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/11

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)Space out with us on our Patreon page

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00:03:02

Here’s A Robot That’s Learning To Make Us Pizzas

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/08

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

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00:03:53

The Winchester Mystery House Probably Wasn’t Built To...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/07

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 Help us build this podcast as a backer on Patreon

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00:03:07

Campbell’s Soup Grew To Love Andy Warhol’s Soup Can...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/06

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 If you like the art we produce every day, back it on Patreon

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00:03:01

The “ManhattAnt” Is New York City’s Very Own Ant Species

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/05

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)Let’s build a big

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00:03:09

Brad Lewis Kept His Son Safe As They Both Fell Off A...

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson ·

2025/08/04

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)You don’t have to put yourself in danger to help our show, just back us on Patreon

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