Cool Weird Awesome – Brady Carlson

Dude, Where’s My Billion Years Of Geology (Cool Weird Awesome 404)

Dude, Where’s My Billion Years Of Geology (Cool Weird Awesome 404)

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.

By Brady Carlson|2020-10-16T07:59:00-04:00October 16th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: art, cheese, geology|

Ruth Faison Shaw Is The Founding Mother Of Fingerpaint (Cool Weird Awesome 403)

Ruth Faison Shaw Is The Founding Mother Of Fingerpaint (Cool Weird Awesome 403)

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.

By Brady Carlson|2020-10-15T07:52:06-04:00October 15th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: art, art history, books, cats, painting, photography|

This Wearable Exosuit Brings Us A Little Closer To Being Iron Man (Cool Weird Awesome 402)

This Wearable Exosuit Brings Us A Little Closer To Being Iron Man (Cool Weird Awesome 402)

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.

By Brady Carlson|2020-10-14T07:36:23-04:00October 14th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: clothing, inventions, Nobel Prize|

The Florida Town That Has Its Own Mermaids (Cool Weird Awesome 401)

The Florida Town That Has Its Own Mermaids (Cool Weird Awesome 401)

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.

By Brady Carlson|2020-10-13T08:10:23-04:00October 13th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: banjo, festivals, mermaids, Oklahoma, Weeki Wachee FL|

The Teachers Who Became World Class Screamers (But Not At Their Classes) (Cool Weird Awesome 400)

The Teachers Who Became World Class Screamers (But Not At Their Classes) (Cool Weird Awesome 400)

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.

By Brady Carlson|2020-10-12T08:35:59-04:00October 12th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: 3D printing, milk, screaming, world records|

Raising Money For A Good Cause? Choose Your Fonts Wisely (Cool Weird Awesome 399)

Raising Money For A Good Cause? Choose Your Fonts Wisely (Cool Weird Awesome 399)

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.

By Brady Carlson|2020-10-09T07:58:28-04:00October 9th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: design, fonts, photography, wildlife|

These Biodegradable Shoes Have An Expiration Date (Cool Weird Awesome 398)

These Biodegradable Shoes Have An Expiration Date (Cool Weird Awesome 398)

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.

By Brady Carlson|2020-10-08T08:09:58-04:00October 8th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: green tech, inventions, restaurants, shoes|

Why Van Halen Said No To Brown M&Ms (Cool Weird Awesome 397)

Why Van Halen Said No To Brown M&Ms (Cool Weird Awesome 397)

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.

By Brady Carlson|2020-10-07T08:07:52-04:00October 7th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: candy, Gloria Estefan, heavy metal, M&Ms, rock music, Van Halen|

Earth Is Habitable, But Some Planets May Be Super-Habitable (Cool Weird Awesome 396)

Earth Is Habitable, But Some Planets May Be Super-Habitable (Cool Weird Awesome 396)

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.

By Brady Carlson|2020-10-06T08:18:45-04:00October 6th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: astronomy, Mars, outer space|

Debates Can Always Be Worse, Ask The Guy Who Poured Water On The Audience (Cool Weird Awesome 395)

Debates Can Always Be Worse, Ask The Guy Who Poured Water On The Audience (Cool Weird Awesome 395)

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.

By Brady Carlson|2020-10-05T08:15:19-04:00October 5th, 2020|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: Columbia SC, firefighting, politics, sculpture|

Dude, Where’s My Billion Years Of Geology (Cool Weird Awesome 404)

Ruth Faison Shaw Is The Founding Mother Of Fingerpaint (Cool Weird Awesome 403)

This Wearable Exosuit Brings Us A Little Closer To Being Iron Man (Cool Weird Awesome 402)

The Florida Town That Has Its Own Mermaids (Cool Weird Awesome 401)

The Teachers Who Became World Class Screamers (But Not At Their Classes) (Cool Weird Awesome 400)

Raising Money For A Good Cause? Choose Your Fonts Wisely (Cool Weird Awesome 399)

These Biodegradable Shoes Have An Expiration Date (Cool Weird Awesome 398)

Why Van Halen Said No To Brown M&Ms (Cool Weird Awesome 397)

Earth Is Habitable, But Some Planets May Be Super-Habitable (Cool Weird Awesome 396)

Debates Can Always Be Worse, Ask The Guy Who Poured Water On The Audience (Cool Weird Awesome 395)

This having two kids business sure is fun.

Man survives lightning strike wearing Crocs & underwear